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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB Lounge => Topic started by: Jesse Gregorio on October 12, 2017, 06:28:00 PM

Title: Your opinion.....
Post by: Jesse Gregorio on October 12, 2017, 06:28:00 PM
I recently came across this article and I was wondering what everybody thought about what was discussed in it. I myself agree with what was written and prefer this type of system. My first post here a while back almost turned in to a heated discussion because of what my preferences/opinions were while my original question(s) weren't being answered. I don't want to start a personal debate with anyone, but I just want to see what everyone thinks. I know a lot of you here like powered speakers and want to see what your honest opinions were toward this.

http://www.prosoundweb.com/channels/av/highly-capable-the-evolution-of-outboard-power-amplifier-platforms/?utm_source=srlive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&eid=402360404&bid=1890457#
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Scott Holtzman on October 12, 2017, 06:43:15 PM
I recently came across this article and I was wondering what everybody thought about what was discussed in it. I myself agree with what was written and prefer this type of system. My first post here a while back almost turned in to a heated discussion because of what my preferences/opinions were while my original question(s) weren't being answered. I don't want to start a personal debate with anyone, but I just want to see what everyone thinks. I know a lot of you here like powered speakers and want to see what your honest opinions were toward this.

http://www.prosoundweb.com/channels/av/highly-capable-the-evolution-of-outboard-power-amplifier-platforms/?utm_source=srlive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=content&eid=402360404&bid=1890457#

Not sure what there is to agree or not agree with.  It's a survey of the market and short history of amp development penned by our very own (he is a mod here in the lab) Craig "I never write a bad review" Leerman 

My only comment is I would just love to open up LSI and see a review start with "The vendor should not have wasted their money shipping this useless piece of shit to me" 

Anyway, just having a little fun, it's hard to write bad reviews when advertisers pay the bills.

If you don't keep a copy of LSI in the reading room it's a great reference to the current state of the power amplifier space.

---------------

To affirm what Rob said, time and place for everything.  For clubs, breakout rooms, walk in spaces for weddings the convenience of powered speakers is hard to beat. 

However I have a four channel QSC amp that lives in a rack with an X32-R and the QSC E12 monitors, not having to run extra power saves setup and teardown time to.

Having the processing in the speakers makes gain staging and protection simple.  Purchasing a system of amps and speakers is almost as good.  Rolling your own processing and amps is risky chore.
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Rob Spence on October 12, 2017, 06:50:06 PM
I have both passive speakers and outboard amp racks as well as self powered ones.
I find both to be fine depending on the venue or gig.
Racks & Stacks for festivals, self powered for bars or speaking engagements.
What ever floats your boat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Robert Piascik on October 12, 2017, 06:55:39 PM
I used to be totally a "no powered speakers" kind of guy but these days its difficult to quibble with the modern offerings - I love my Yamaha DSR-112s. Matched power/built in DSP make things pretty dummy proof although I still run my passive Danley SM80/TH118 rigs. Modern power amps are improving as much as other components too. One disadvantage of the new super multi-channel amps (I have several Powersoft X4 and m50q amps) is the back up/redundancy factor. I now have to consider what I would do if my ONE power amp (that is powering the whole rig) went down. The new amps are more channels in a smaller package but now I have to bring another amp just for back up. It's just a different problem to consider.
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Brian Jojade on October 13, 2017, 12:09:21 AM
I have both passive speakers and outboard amp racks as well as self powered ones.
I find both to be fine depending on the venue or gig.
Racks & Stacks for festivals, self powered for bars or speaking engagements.
What ever floats your boat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

+1.  Each has their place.  For smaller gigs, not having an amp rack is nice.  For larger gigs, not having an amp rack is a detriment.
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Tim McCulloch on October 13, 2017, 12:22:55 AM
+1.  Each has their place.  For smaller gigs, not having an amp rack is nice.  For larger gigs, not having an amp rack is a detriment.

Kinda, sorta... the choice is type of copper application, mostly.

Do we want to exchange speaker cables for power & signal cables?  Want to exchange 1 kind of distro for another?  Once things get past the speakers on sticks or 1 stack a side it's a mater of changing materials more than changing realities.

Will you have whiskey with your water/Or sugar with your tea
What are these crazy questions/That they're asking of me
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Mal Brown on October 13, 2017, 01:34:40 AM
I'm with Rob.  K Series for the small stuff, racks and stacks for the big...
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Will Knight on October 13, 2017, 05:35:10 AM
I have both passive speakers and outboard amp racks as well as self powered ones.
I find both to be fine depending on the venue or gig.
Racks & Stacks for festivals, self powered for bars or speaking engagements.
What ever floats your boat.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

+1.  I'm a single operator JBL/QSC shop with both powered and passive rigs.  Both work great depending on the venue.
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: Steve M Smith on October 13, 2017, 05:49:45 AM
Both at the same time for me at the moment.  QSC amps for main speakers with powered subs.


Steve.
Title: Re: Your opinion.....
Post by: scottstephens on October 13, 2017, 09:46:53 AM
Jesse,

   I'm beating a dead horse here. Powered for some things, un-powered for others. My large gigs get unpowered stuff, the small things get powered stuff. Why? I would NEVER get my money back if I purchased a large VER TEC system or something similar. For me, it is more cost effective to use a a couple of Crown MA's and a couple of xti's to power the old SRX's. For small gigs, it's plug and play. My stuff is paid for several times over and I'm not going back to paying for crap. Let's face it, sound gear depreciates faster than a used car. Use what makes you money and gets the job done the right way.

Scott