Ivan,
The owners of the venue seems to be opening up to the idea of 2 x BC218 in the "eye" configuration, for lower extension and greater headroom vs 4 x TH118. See attached image.
This opens the field to an alternative solution, in the form of 2 x BC415.
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Mon - Thurs, the music is likely to be more sedate (Lounge).
Fri - Sun, will be geared towards EDM.
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Q1: Between 2 x BC218 and 2 x BC415 for our venue size of 70 x 35ft and max capacity of 450-500 people (incl mezzanine), where would you lean towards.
Q2: There was a question that with a packed room (450-500 people), the SH50 may be reaching its limits. Is this a concern?
Q3: Which top would best pair with the subwoofer you recommend above.
Thank you.
Here are my thoughts, there are pros and cons, I will try to list all of them,
This will be a little long, I'm sorry.
1: Both the BC415 and BC218 are among the most "bang for the buck" products Danley offers.
Yes, they are the most expensive subs, but when you consider how much output your get, and how many other subs (amps, cables, truck space etc) it would take to equal that output, they look pretty cheap. But not everybody needs the output or the lower extension they offer.
Honestly, 4 TH118s would do a "fine job" in your room. Some people want more than "fine".
2: Both BC cabinets are basically the same size-except the BC218 is 4" deeper than the BC415.
However, the BC218 has input jacks on 2 sides of the cabinet, so you could plug the NL4s into the "ends" of the "eyeball" configuration (as you have shown) so that they would go closer to the wall. However, this might be a "temptation" for some punters to unplug it-so that needs to be considered.
3: Sonically there are differences. Both cabinets go louder than you would possibly need for a room that size.
As a general rule, the BC415 goes "louder" and the BC218 goes deeper,
HOWEVER-that depends (as always) on what freq you are talking about. At the lower end of the BC218s response, it is louder than the BC415. So the loudness is only in the intended operating range of the cabinet.
Personally, I feel the BC218 has a smoother, more natural sound, but the BC415 is more "fun". But you realize the difference in sound unless you compare them side by side. I thought the BC415 was fine, until I heard it next to a BC218. It all depends on your "reference".
If I was doing "kick drum rock and roll" or other popular types of music, the BC415 would be my choice-simply because of the output capability.
I like the BC415 for large stadium work because of the greater output capability
If I was doing deep EDM, the BC218 would often be a better choice (assuming it will get loud enough for the intended application-which it will be for your room).
In a room of your size, with the room gain, the capability of the BC218 and possibly a little EQ boost on the very bottom, you should be able to get to 20Hz flat, easily, some room modes exempted.
4: Personally I think the BC218 (in the eyeball configuration) looks a lot "cooler" than 2 BC415s. In a recent EDM festival in Oregon for the eclispe, one of the stages had a pair of BC218s (like you describe) in the middle, and stacks of TH118s on the sides. I think it was 2 stacks (1 each side) of TH118s (8 TH118s per stack)
Apparently there was a line of people waiting to get inside of the cavity (there are grills recessed inside to keep garbage away from the drivers). Somebody said he thought several babies were conceived inside the BC218s during the event.
5: If you are looking for the "WOW" audio experience, the the BC218 would be my choice in your room. You would have people stunned at the audio experience (assuming you have good quality content being played).
Part of the problem with an accurate system, is that it revels the flaws in bad sources (poor musicians, low bit rate MP3s etc). But with good sources, it can be quite stunning.
I would agree that the SH50 might be near its limit (of course depending on how loud you actually want to run the levels). Some people like it a lot louder than others, so "it depends".
If you have older SH50s, then you might want to get the "add on" Sentinel protection board for the HF driver. The HF is the weakest point in the cabinet, but when you add the Sentinel, you can drive the cabinet harder without damage.
I think you said you already own the SH50s, so I would start with that (be sure to set limiters properly)-we can help you with that, depending on what limiters you have available. The ones inside the DNA amps are specific for Danley products. You could use a single DNA20K amp and power the 2 subs and 2 tops off of it.
When looking at higher output tops, there are a couple of options. For around the same physical size (but smaller) the SM80 would be a good choice.
If you could tolerate larger physical size, the SH96 would be my choice.
Of the 3 cabinets, I would list them in order of "sonic purity" as #1 Sh50, #2, Sh96, #3 SM80.
In terms of output SPL, #1 SH96, #2 SM80, #3 Sh50. This depends on freq. If the tops are run down low, the SM80 will be last below 100Hz.
Hopefully this helps.
As you can tell there are many things to consider when looking at a speaker system. Sometimes one factor is more important than others, but to other people different factors are more important.
What YOU need to consider is what is best for YOUR SPECIFIC application.
A different room/application might require a different approach.
That is why there are so many different options out there. There is no "one size fits all"
Hopefully this helps and does not sound to much like an "ad".
