DJ Joshua van Aalst

Most of the gigs I do are either at nightclubs which normally have sound and lighting installed or for large events with crowds of 400 to 2,000+ attendance where the use of specialized lighting and sound companies is required.

I would like to have the option of occasionally doing smaller gigs. Therefore i've been looking into purchasing my own set of portable powered speakers for performing gigs up to 400 people.

The most important factors for me are:

• Weight. I have a bad back and therefore the weight of the speaker is critical
• Sound quality. I perform only premium gigs and therefore require a crystal clear sound. Especially in the midrange where most of the melodies of my music (House, Commercial is being reproduced).
• Sound volume. I perform only dance party or club style events. These events require nightclub levels of sound volume. Especially from the bass.

I set out to sound test all the well known portable powered speakers on the market. Here are the results...

Note: In all speaker tests I tried the various different functions and pairing options such as bass boosts, high passes e.t.c.

JBL EON 500 series aka G3

10 inch model 510: 7.7 kg - $599

15 inch model 515: 14.8 kg - $799

Sub model 518: 29.5 kg - $899

Package 2*15inch + 2*sub $3,395 weight 88.4

Pros: Extremely lightweight

Cons:

No volume!!! Yes I’m series. These speakers are VERY soft. You will have to pump input volumes way up to get any sort of volume out of these. I researched these before arriving at the store and the JBL forums are littered with complaints about the G3’s lack of volume.

They also look cheap.

KSC K series:

8 inch: 12.2 kg - $649

10 inch: 14.5 kg - $699

12 inch: 18.6 kg - $799

Sub: 33.6 kg - $1,049

Package 2*12 inch + 2*sub $3,696 weight 96.2

Pros:

Very loud high quality sound

Have fans built in so no fear of a shut down mid gig

Look professional

Cons:

On the heavier end

Expensive

Mackie SRM v2 series

10 inch model 350: 11.8 kg - $499

12 inch model 450: 18 kg - $599

Sub model: SRM 1801: 33.1 kg - $699

Package 2*12 inch + 2*sub $2596 weight 116 kg

Pros: Excellent vocal and mid range sounds. Great for pop music

Cons:

No bass at all. I would not recommend every using these without a sub. Even in smaller 100 person and under gigs, you really need to pair them with the Thump sub to get any decent bass.

Also, there are numerous reviews online stating that these speakers overheat and shut off. Not ideal.

FBT Maxx series

10 inch model 2a: 14.5 - $599

12 inch model 4a: 16 kg - $699

12 MaxX 40a: 18 kg - $1249

Sub model 100sa: 42 kg - $1,599

Pros:

Loud with excellent bass, these speakers can easily be used without a sub for smaller gigs.

Cons:

Heavy

Expensive

Conclusion

Overall I found the quality of the FBT top speakers to be the winner. They have crystal clear midrange and a thumping bass. They were the only speakers I tested that I'd feel comfortable performing without a subwoofer. That being said, once the QSC tops were combined with their matching sub. The sound was very impressive. That combined with their light weight and price point ended up getting my vote.