This Road Test features a pair of speakers from Danley Sound Labs, the SM60F and the TH-Mini. Lets start with the specs.
The SM60F is a passive full range cabinet that utilizes the synergy horn concept, where multiple drivers covering different frequency ranges all play into a single horn. The SM60 is 20.6 high, 20.6 wide and 16.3 deep and it weighs 50 pounds. This 4 ohm box can handle 800 watts continuous or 1600 watts program, and has a stated operating range of 66 Hz 24KHz +/- 3dB. (52Hz-26KHz +/-10dB) The coverage pattern is 60 deg X 60 deg, and the sensitivity is 99dB. The box is loaded with 2 X 8 woofers, and a 1 x 5 mid/high coaxial driver.
The TH-Mini is a compact subwoofer that uses a single 12 driver in a tapped horn configuration. At only 24 high, 15 wide and 22 .5 deep and 76 pounds, it is easy for one person to move around. The operating frequency range is 48 Hz 200 Hz at -3dB (41Hz -10 dB) and the sensitivity is 101 dB. This 8 ohm box will handle 700 watts continuous and 1400 watts program.
Both boxes are well made of Baltic Birch plywood, and are finished in a rugged polyurea coating (like a truck bed liner). Nice heavy steel grills cover the mouths of both horns. Each model is available in both install and touring versions, with the touring units offering handles, and a stand mount on the SM60.
Here are a few pics. This first shot shows the side of the SM60F on a tripod stand. You can see this speaker is already set up to take an optional power amp and make the unit self powered. Note the downward tilt of the cab.
Here is a shot of the top of the speaker showing the nice built in handles, fly points, and dust from my shop.
Here is the bottom showing the stand socket and the nice grill.
Here is a shot of the synergy horn with the grill removed. Note the camera is off to one side, the horn itself is symetrical. The extra holes in the horn closest to the mouth are ports for the low end.
Here is a pic of the TH-Mini subwoofer
Here you can see the 12" speaker loaded and ready to thump!
Like I do with all new gear, I set it up and try it out before taking it on a show. I plugged a single SM60 into a QSC 2450 and listened to some CDs full range. (Note, the SM60 is available with a built in amplifier as an option) They sounded great! I noticed detail in some songs that I usually dont hear on my regular 15 and 2 horn 2 way highpacks. They sound as good if not better than many reference studio monitors I have heard. Then I hooked up a few microphones and did my best impression of a singer and announcer. Again, I was duly impressed with how great I, errr I mean the cabinets sounded. Hehehe
Next up was the TH-Mini subwoofer. I used a QSC CX1102 for the sub and crossed it over at around 100Hz. The Mini had the walls of my shop rattling with headroom to spare. I placed the SM60 on top of the TH-Mini and played around with the crossover settings to see what sounded the best. I experimented with running the SM60 full range with added subwoofer, as well as crossing both boxes over. Both ways sounded good, and would give me more options at gigs.
Luckily at my shop I ran into the only negative thing about either speaker, and that is the stand mount on the SM60 and the lack of a pole mount on the TH-Mini. As you can see in the picture, the stand mount sits way toward the back of the cabinet, making it rather front heavy. Too front heavy in fact for my usual corporate speaker stands, which are 50 lb cast iron lighting bases and black pipe. I prefer to use these instead of tripods because they look better, and I can use taller pipes and get the speakers up higher in the air. But the SM60s are too front heavy to use with my pipe and base stands, even with addition sandbag weight placed on the bases, so I tried one on a Hamilton metal tripod. With the weight centered over a tripod leg, the stand was stable, but just to be sure I used some sandbags to weigh down the rear of the tripod. I am less than comfortable with the weight of the cabinet so far forward on the stand.
Too be fair, there is no way to move the stand mount forward on the box as an 8 driver is in the way. If I bought these boxes, and wanted to use them on stands, I would make a frame that bolted to the bottom of the SM60 using the fly points and locate a stand mount at the center of gravity for the speaker. Then I could use them worry free on any tripod stand, or my corporate pipe and base stands.
As for the pole mount on the sub, I know Danley can put one in if you ask them to when you order. You can also retrofit one in, but ask the folks at Danley first so they can tell you a good location on the box so you dont hit an internal brace. I like to use a pipe and put a small speaker on a sub at some gigs. It makes a nice clean look and eliminates a separate speaker stand.
The first gig I used them on was a small dance band playing a corporate affair at a hotel ballroom. With the band set up near the corner of the room, I placed both TH-Minis by the wall side by side, and hid them behind a large potted tree. I placed one SM60 on a tripod, and could have almost got away with using one highpack except that the room was rather wide and a 60 degree box only covers so much area. With the second SM60 next to the first, I had great coverage, and each speaker was hardly breaking a sweat! The band was most impressed with how great the boxes sounded, especially how much bass the Minis produced for their small size. I had no problems thumping the dance floor later in the evening with two 12 subwoofers! Mixing on the rig was a pleasure. I could hear every detail clearly.
The next event I took them to was a corporate meeting. I had originally planned to use both tops and subs, but had little need for the subs, so they sat backstage and the SM60s covered the gig by themselves. The SM60s sounded great for the walk in music, and had more than enough bottom end for the video playback. One thing I noticed was that I seemed to have more gain before feedback when using the SM60s on stands with a podium mic, than with the speakers I had used in the same room in the past. Again, they sounded great, and the SH60s had enough low end for use with the playback material by them selves.
On one gig, I used the TH-Minis with some of my regular highpacks. It was your typical small DJ setup for a corporate party held in a large ballroom, one speaker per side by the dance floor, and the subs center stacked. This was one of those situations where I needed to use my custom base and pipe speaker stands and the SM60s would have been too front heavy for the stands. The DJ was sceptical that the Minis were big enough for the gig, so I cued up "What is Hip" and watched his jaw drop. The DJ could not believe how much bass the TH-Minis put out. Later in the evening when only the hardcore party people were left, The DJ played some newer Urban bass heavy stuff and we both were pleased at how nice the Minis thumped. Probably not my first choice for a sub if I were a DJ playing serious bass heavy music, but for a regular corporate/party/wedding DJ gig, the Minis would be a great choice.
As is the case on many corporate shows, I have to supply some backstage monitors with a program feed to the video folks, teleprompter folks, stage manager, etc. On one gig, I used an SM60 on a stand as an area monitor, and covered the backstage with a low volume program feed. While a little big for this application (I usually use a 10 coax, or 10 and horn box), it sounded great, and I liked the tight coverage pattern that helped keep the sound only in the area I wanted to cover. I used the other SM60 on a stand and it became the video world monitor. Again, a bit big for that application, but the video crew remarked how great the box sounded.
The last gig I used them on was a typical corporate general session. The SM60s became the front fills and I placed them side by side on a small trunk in the center of the stage. The two speakers covered what normally would have taken 3-4 of my usual front fill cabinets. The coverage of two cabinets next to each other seems seamless, and they just sound like one wide single speaker.
In all, I really love both speakers. The SM60s sound fantastic, and are small enough and light enough for many applications. With a frame bolted to the bottom, they would make great stand mounted speakers and would handle almost any gig I came across.
The TH-Mini subwoofers are amazing, with lots of bass from a very small box.
I think both would make a great addition to my inventory, as well as any inventory where you need smaller boxes that can outperform their size.
PROS:
Great sounding
Well built
Small and lightweight
Fly Points
Available in install versions
CONS:
Stand Mount location makes SM60 way front heavy
No pole mount standard on TH-Mini
