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[Havard Hogstad]

I'm traveling with a three piece band. Today we have a setup with one DAS218 dual 18" sub and one chinese three way EAW650 clone, per side.

The subs are rated 1200/2400/4800 and are powered by a mono bridge XTI4000 pr. side. The rating of the tops are a bit diffuse, but we run them on one XTI4002 in stereo. The impedance is 8 ohm. The rig sounds nice, and has enough power for the places we perform.

We are looking at the SRX835 passive and are wondering if our current amplifier is sufficient. Does anyone have experience to share?

We can of course go for the active version, but we store the speakers in the truck trough the winter and think the passive version is more robust. I have also noticed that the XTI4002 power consumption at 1/8 are slightly higher than the comparable power consumption of the active SRX835P. Maybe the amps are +/- similar? It's not easy to understand the power rating of the active version anyway.

Anyone? 

[Don T. Williams]

While I agree that "understanding the power rating" of many active loudspeakers and many (maybe most) power amps these days gets tricky, there may be some real advantages to the active SRX835P versions.  They are actually 10 pounds lighter (the weight of the passive x-over components?)and will possibly play louder.  Though the tunings are available for your XTI 2 series amps, I suspect the internal processing and amps can more accurately match the driver parameters.  Winter storage should not affect either type speaker.

On the other hand, you already have an investment in the XTI 4002.  From an investment standpoint, you already have workable speakers also.  I like the SRX835P's that I own a lot, and don't know how they sound compared to your EAW clones.  Have you compared them or is a just another case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)?  Bottom line, will it make your job easier or make you more money?

[Scott Holtzman]

While I agree that "understanding the power rating" of many active loudspeakers and many (maybe most) power amps these days gets tricky, there may be some real advantages to the active SRX835P versions.  They are actually 10 pounds lighter (the weight of the passive x-over components?)and will possibly play louder.  Though the tunings are available for your XTI 2 series amps, I suspect the internal processing and amps can more accurately match the driver parameters.  Winter storage should not affect either type speaker.

On the other hand, you already have an investment in the XTI 4002.  From an investment standpoint, you already have workable speakers also.  I like the SRX835P's that I own a lot, and don't know how they sound compared to your EAW clones.  Have you compared them or is a just another case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)?  Bottom line, will it make your job easier or make you more money?

The processing on the internal amps uses the "V5 tunings"  V5 is version 5, JBL's latest and greatest tuning using FIR filters.  XTI's do not have the processing to do V5.  Only the Itech HD series.  The speakers will not achieve the same output or sound as good with the XTI's.

The best bet is to sell the XTI and buy the powered version.

[Luke Geis]

Powered version FTW. You cannot beat the value and performance of the powered option with typical amplifiers. To match the output, quality of sound and performance, you would have to invest in an amp that costs almost 2X what the speakers themselves do.

[Dave Guilford]

What about lousy weather?  I do a lot of outdoor stuff I. The summer and I absolutely love a passive rig- all my electronics (amps) are in one rack.  Cover that with a tarp and then I have time to address the rest as it comes.

With powered rig (2 over 2 per side), that’s a lot of extra cabling- power extensions and signal, versus one NL4.

So let’s answer the OPs question, because I’m curious too , ha!

[Havard Hogstad]

Of course we believe that the sound will approve, but the other main reason for changing the tops is the size and weight. The EAW-clones are double the weight of the SRXs and 50 percent deeper.

While I agree that "understanding the power rating" of many active loudspeakers and many (maybe most) power amps these days gets tricky, there may be some real advantages to the active SRX835P versions.  They are actually 10 pounds lighter (the weight of the passive x-over components?)and will possibly play louder.  Though the tunings are available for your XTI 2 series amps, I suspect the internal processing and amps can more accurately match the driver parameters.  Winter storage should not affect either type speaker.

On the other hand, you already have an investment in the XTI 4002.  From an investment standpoint, you already have workable speakers also.  I like the SRX835P's that I own a lot, and don't know how they sound compared to your EAW clones.  Have you compared them or is a just another case of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome)?  Bottom line, will it make your job easier or make you more money?

[Mike Monte]

What about lousy weather?  I do a lot of outdoor stuff I. The summer and I absolutely love a passive rig- all my electronics (amps) are in one rack.  Cover that with a tarp and then I have time to address the rest as it comes.

With powered rig (2 over 2 per side), that’s a lot of extra cabling- power extensions and signal, versus one NL4.

Swerving the thread a little:
I am also one (in the minority it seems) that has avoided going the "active route" for the above-listed reasons...

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

What about lousy weather?  I do a lot of outdoor stuff I. The summer and I absolutely love a passive rig- all my electronics (amps) are in one rack.  Cover that with a tarp and then I have time to address the rest as it comes.

With powered rig (2 over 2 per side), that’s a lot of extra cabling- power extensions and signal, versus one NL4.

So let’s answer the OPs question, because I’m curious too , ha!

Passive rigs shouldn't get wet, either.  Although modern drivers are somewhat more water-resistant than old paper cones and modern coatings better than rat fur over MDF, a wet speaker is trouble.  If rain is a concern and there's no roof available, the better solution is a weatherproof speaker cover that is designed to be left on in use.  UndercoverNYC among probably others make these.

+1 for powered SRX835. 

[Mal Brown]

In my small rig of Kw-153 over 181’s, I have the Undercover rain covers for the tops, tarps for the bottoms.  I carry an extra set of K12’s on the truck with the QSC rain covers for spares.  If a 153 takes a dive, a K12 would let me limp.  Haven’t had to go there yet.

In my larger rig 4-way passive.  Renkus tops over EAW LA400’s it is again tarps for the bottoms and custom rain covers that each cover a pair of the 40 degree tops.  I never run just 1 per side...

I live in an area where sailing is a thing.  I had a local industrial seamstress who is also a solo musician with PA build those covers.

I feel real comfortable with a spare amp rack on the truck and passive speaks in my ‘large’ rig. If an amp croaks, I’m up in minutes.  Not that I have ever had that happen... 

If a powered 835 goes down and you don’t have a spares plan, you could be in a world of hurt...  when touring a spare amp and processor takes up a whole lot less room in the truck.  Whatever strategy you follow, having a solid emergency plan in place is to me just good thinking...

I run 1 nl-8 to each stack and jump, no-8 or 4 to the rest of the stack.

[Dave Guilford]

Passive rigs shouldn't get wet, either.  Although modern drivers are somewhat more water-resistant than old paper cones and modern coatings better than rat fur over MDF, a wet speaker is trouble.  If rain is a concern and there's no roof available, the better solution is a weatherproof speaker cover that is designed to be left on in use.  UndercoverNYC among probably others make these.

+1 for powered SRX835.

No one said they should get wet. 

And - again - the OP specificied a passive rig.  You’re answering questions that no one here asked.

[Tim McCulloch]

No one said they should get wet. 

And - again - the OP specificied a passive rig.  You’re answering questions that no one here asked.

We're answering questions about bands running their own sound on the Classic LAB, too.

This belongs in the Lounge.

But TJ makes a point - if weather is a concern with 'active' boxes, it should be a concern with passive boxes as well.  Scott H points out that if the OP intends to bi-amp the SRX835, then *to get performance equal to the the 835P box* requires the use of V5 processing available only in the ITech HD amplifiers.

Both are valid comments even if they exceed the original query of Mr Hogstad.

This place is starting to remind me of the whining bitches over at iRV2.com

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

No one said they should get wet. 

And - again - the OP specificied a passive rig.  You’re answering questions that no one here asked.

The OP was considering the powered version too.  Dave, a significant number of your relatively few posts come across as pretty rude. You'll make more friends if you tone it down a notch.

[Paul Miller]

Havard, you're getting some solid advice from several forum heavy hitters. If it seems like most are leaning towards the powered version, there's a reason for that. It's really hard to recommend the passive version when the powered version is only $200 more, weighs 10 lbs. less, and out of the box likely sounds better than what you will ever achieve with a separate amp and processing.

Now, that being said, I totally understand the appeal of staying passive. In your case, you're already running at least one speaker cable per side, and adding a powered top means you'll be running that speaker cable, plus a power cable, plus a signal cable. So, less than ideal as far as setup and efficiency go. You also mentioned winter storage in the trailer, and again, I agree that I'd prefer my sensitive electronics not be subjected to that.

Power consumption is probably a toss-up, with the 1/8th power being within an amp of each other. I wouldn't figure this into my decision.

In the end, all things considered, I'm gonna have to recommend the powered box. And this is coming from a guy that is currently upgrading his main powered system to passive for the summer season.

[Dave Guilford]

The OP was considering the powered version too.  Dave, a significant number of your relatively few posts come across as pretty rude. You'll make more friends if you tone it down a notch.

Just don’t have time to water things down for the sensative here.

I’m not part of this to make friends; I’m here to learn.  I just wished that people would answer questions as they come. 

I was hoping to learn things here in this thread since I’ve been eyeballing SRX835 rig myself.  But it will - unquestionably- be the passive version.  I have ITechHD amps.  Plenty of processing. 

It also seems I’m not the only one running passive.

Sorry if you’re offended- not my intent.  Just trying to keep on topic.

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Just don’t have time to water things down for the sensative here.

I’m not part of this to make friends; I’m here to learn.  I just wished that people would answer questions as they come. 

I was hoping to learn things here in this thread since I’ve been eyeballing SRX835 rig myself.  But it will - unquestionably- be the passive version.  I have ITechHD amps.  Plenty of processing. 

It also seems I’m not the only one running passive.

Sorry if you’re offended- not my intent.  Just trying to keep on topic.

You're not the forum editor, and it wasn't even your thread.

Since you like direct communication - the hallmark of this forum is that people often kindly give seasoned answers that may exceed the scope of the original question.  If the OP is smart enough to consider them, they may find that they were asking the wrong question, or had an incomplete perspective that now corrected allows them to make better decisions.  If you are truly seeking education here, giving just a tiny bit of your so valuable time to allow this information instead of trying to shut it down will serve you and other readers much better.  If you're able to put up with the forum community slightly longer, you will find that your online persona plus your real name have direct consequences on your business.  Abrasive attitudes result in lost opportunities for partnership, while helpful attitudes lead to business opportunities. 

I have made a number of friends here, and I value the friendships at least as much as the information. I'm sorry to hear you have no time for this.

[Dave Guilford]

I’m afraid we’ve gone off topic here.

[Mac Kerr]

I’m afraid we’ve gone off topic here.

It's the nature of Internet forums. Feel free to not post in a thread you feel has gone off track.

Mac

[Havard Hogstad]

Interesting debate 

As a lot of you seem to have experience with the SRX835P. What alternatives did you consider before buying the 835? JBL or other makes.

[Luke Geis]

I have installed two systems of SRX835SP and the reasons were simple. It is the most PA you can buy for that price with the feature set included. For me, it is about control and management of the system. The SRX was capable of meeting my minimum requirements in terms of SPL, quality of sound and real-time DSP management. I no longer needed a Drive rack, I could see when the PA was being abused and make changes to it in order to increase the lifespan. The powered SRX has data logging and you can adjust just about everything you can imagine if you really want to dig deep. The fact that it sounded as good as it did out of the box is icing on the cake! There are some offerings from RCF and DB Technologies ( arguably the same company ) that are close in regards to control and system management but come with an extra cost. The SRX line is the best you can get for the money.

Even today there really isn't a speaker that provides the feature set that the SRX has at the price point they are offering it at. Knowing what the powered model can do and where its shortcomings and weaknesses are, you can really see that trying to replicate that same performance reliably with the passive model is a tough challenge. Even if you do have the I-Tech HD amps with the V5 tunings for them, you are still poised with a couple of other downsides. The passive model isn't any more capable than the powered one, the damping factor of the passive model could be a consideration ( albeit a small and negligible one ) compared to the powered model and then you have to consider storage and transportation between the two. The Powered model is lighter, can be made to sound any way you want it to, requires no external DSP or system management and will require less pack space and weight on the truck than the passive model.

I would love to have many other options at my disposal, but money is money and when your playing with someone else's money you are often poised with trying to get what you need on a budget. The SRX line be it passive or powered is a very heavy hitter and can just about check every box there is for an appropriately designed system. There are certainly better units out there, but none that I know of are truly better ( subjectively and objectively ), have the same control and are within a reasonable cost difference to the SRX. If D&B offered a comparable speaker that was only a couple hundred more, you would bet which one would likely be purchased.

[James Paul]

Interesting debate 

As a lot of you seem to have experience with the SRX835P. What alternatives did you consider before buying the 835? JBL or other makes.

The only other box I considered was the Mackie HD1531 for a sound and build quality that I preferred over the JBL. Decided on JBL for the array-able and narrower 60 degree HF dispersion, and lack of confidence in serviceable Mackie electronics.

The main debate with myself prior to a decision on purchase of second-hand SRX835P was the issue of self-powered vs passive.
Primary criteria that weighed in favor of self-powered was the value and ease of plug & play, next step up from a self-powered two-way SOS scenario. 

I still fancy a pair of the Mackies for man cave/ shop duty, a real possibility at the right second owner buy-in.

[Luke Geis]

The newer Mackies do sound pretty good and perform well, but there is a catch. I noticed that there is an exorbitant amount of latency in them. They skimped on the processor or something and it takes a little longer for it to do the math than any other unit I have come across. The latency is enough that you can hear it when used as a monitor and it is distracting. While the Mackie stuff has gotten better, it is still in the lower end market for a reason. As a shop dog speaker or a beater to send out for college parties, it is perfect. I wouldn't exactly be running through town saying check out my Mackies yo.....

[Sean Chen]

I'm traveling with a three piece band. Today we have a setup with one DAS218 dual 18" sub and one chinese three way EAW650 clone, per side.

The subs are rated 1200/2400/4800 and are powered by a mono bridge XTI4000 pr. side. The rating of the tops are a bit diffuse, but we run them on one XTI4002 in stereo. The impedance is 8 ohm. The rig sounds nice, and has enough power for the places we perform.

We are looking at the SRX835 passive and are wondering if our current amplifier is sufficient. Does anyone have experience to share?

We can of course go for the active version, but we store the speakers in the truck trough the winter and think the passive version is more robust. I have also noticed that the XTI4002 power consumption at 1/8 are slightly higher than the comparable power consumption of the active SRX835P. Maybe the amps are +/- similar? It's not easy to understand the power rating of the active version anyway.

Anyone? 

Powered speaker power ratings are tricky. I would go with the continuous power rating of the woofer, which is 800 watts for SRX835 passive version. The XTI4002 would power it fine, just not as loud as the powered version, by a dB or 2. Is it enough? Depends on the audience size. Probably 2 tops per side to match the dual 18 subs. This is when it makes sense to go passive.

[ProSoundWeb Community]