Looking for boxes for a small club install, probably for monitors. Any experience compared to other $400 boxes? Are these biamped?
Ev zlx
- Thread starter John Chiara
- Start date
Re: Ev zlx
They are not biamped as far as I know, but compared to the other $400 boxes I have used recently (Mackie Thump, Behringer 12" and 15", Yamaha Club Series, JBL JRX) they are a considerable bit more useful. I use them mainly as monitors for my QSC mains rig and in that role (with a EV ZXA1 powered subwoofer as a drum sub monitor) they have been doing a good job. I have had very few issues or complaints. A couple times I used them as mains and monitors (I have 6 right now, but want more eventually) in a tiny bar (under 200 capacity) and they kicked butt. They don't get extremely loud (110dB max noise, 106 - 108dB max you can use), but they also don't crap out like all the other speakers I mentioned. Even when you do push them too hard the limiter is not such an alarming thing and you can just back off. The processing is an improvement over past generations as everything continues to get cheaper. I often use QSC K12s as monitors and to tell the truth I would rather have the EVs (never liked the K12 all that much, it has its place though). For an install, I would say that if used by competent hands they would be an improvement over the most common "installed" bar rigs around here (Yamaha Club Series). But, just like all budget speakers if you push them too hard eventually they will drive you insane or break so don't expect the world.
They are not biamped as far as I know, but compared to the other $400 boxes I have used recently (Mackie Thump, Behringer 12" and 15", Yamaha Club Series, JBL JRX) they are a considerable bit more useful. I use them mainly as monitors for my QSC mains rig and in that role (with a EV ZXA1 powered subwoofer as a drum sub monitor) they have been doing a good job. I have had very few issues or complaints. A couple times I used them as mains and monitors (I have 6 right now, but want more eventually) in a tiny bar (under 200 capacity) and they kicked butt. They don't get extremely loud (110dB max noise, 106 - 108dB max you can use), but they also don't crap out like all the other speakers I mentioned. Even when you do push them too hard the limiter is not such an alarming thing and you can just back off. The processing is an improvement over past generations as everything continues to get cheaper. I often use QSC K12s as monitors and to tell the truth I would rather have the EVs (never liked the K12 all that much, it has its place though). For an install, I would say that if used by competent hands they would be an improvement over the most common "installed" bar rigs around here (Yamaha Club Series). But, just like all budget speakers if you push them too hard eventually they will drive you insane or break so don't expect the world.
Re: Ev zlx
According to their latest promo it says they are biamped, I have 4 and dont feel like they get very loud but they sound pretty good for a $400 and look really nice in a hotel ballroom. I will be using them in a bar for monitors on saturday so we will see how they do.
According to their latest promo it says they are biamped, I have 4 and dont feel like they get very loud but they sound pretty good for a $400 and look really nice in a hotel ballroom. I will be using them in a bar for monitors on saturday so we will see how they do.
Re: Ev zlx
This is from their engineering data sheet:
"The only loudspeaker in its class that matches EVengineered
drivers with a custom-built Class-D
amplifier module and powerful DSP."
No where in the data sheet do they mention the cab is bi-amped. I'm guessing it isn't!
This is from their engineering data sheet:
"The only loudspeaker in its class that matches EVengineered
drivers with a custom-built Class-D
amplifier module and powerful DSP."
No where in the data sheet do they mention the cab is bi-amped. I'm guessing it isn't!
Its a powered speaker. Why would it matter? Its not like you can adjust the bands separately anyways.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD
Re: Ev zlx
Do you realize you are showing specs for the ELX speakers NOT the ZLX.
Do you realize you are showing specs for the ELX speakers NOT the ZLX.
Re: Ev zlx
I don't hate 'em. I bought two of the 15" ZLX's and used them sans subwoofer outdoors for a mix of barber shop quartet and DJ'd motown, rockabilly and classic soul tunes.. I wasn't near the limit and they carried rather well. I left the setting on music since there would be more recorded program than live vocals, pole mounted. I don't care what the numbers say. I care whether they can do the job in the real world.
I used them in an auditorium setting yesterday in speech mode and they sounded natural and clear.
I even got the controversial ELX 18" sub. Why? I was stuck in the roughly $700 price range and the ZLX's have a DSP setting just for this sub. A couple more paid gigs, and I'll have a second sub. I think I don't have any issues with this sub because I've done my research and I use it properly.
I don't hate 'em. I bought two of the 15" ZLX's and used them sans subwoofer outdoors for a mix of barber shop quartet and DJ'd motown, rockabilly and classic soul tunes.. I wasn't near the limit and they carried rather well. I left the setting on music since there would be more recorded program than live vocals, pole mounted. I don't care what the numbers say. I care whether they can do the job in the real world.
I used them in an auditorium setting yesterday in speech mode and they sounded natural and clear.
I even got the controversial ELX 18" sub. Why? I was stuck in the roughly $700 price range and the ZLX's have a DSP setting just for this sub. A couple more paid gigs, and I'll have a second sub. I think I don't have any issues with this sub because I've done my research and I use it properly.
Re: Ev zlx
If the HF and LF have separate amps, they can also have separate limiting appropriate to each driver, which can be a fairly large advantage in that a blast of feedback would not burn the HF driver.
Attachments
Re: Ev zlx
John, we have 12 of the ZLX-12P. As a small box for conferences and or for local bar bands they work great. Every now and then I will get a singer who 'needs two' in order to be able to hear. For my money I would prefer to use the QSC K12. It is noticeably louder and has a better low end in my opinion. We currently own 6 of these and as I said I prefer to use them. There is a significant price difference between the two, the ZLX-12P is about $400 although I think I saw them on sale at $339 about a month ago and the QSC K12 is still in the $750 range. I would say in a small club use the ZLX-12p for monitors and some RCF powered mains.
~~:smile:
Bill8)~
~
John, we have 12 of the ZLX-12P. As a small box for conferences and or for local bar bands they work great. Every now and then I will get a singer who 'needs two' in order to be able to hear. For my money I would prefer to use the QSC K12. It is noticeably louder and has a better low end in my opinion. We currently own 6 of these and as I said I prefer to use them. There is a significant price difference between the two, the ZLX-12P is about $400 although I think I saw them on sale at $339 about a month ago and the QSC K12 is still in the $750 range. I would say in a small club use the ZLX-12p for monitors and some RCF powered mains.
~~:smile:Bill8)~
~Re: Ev zlx
Let me follow up about my ZLX 15's.
I later gained two ETX 15's. I brought those to do a wedding, along with the ZLX's because the room was skinny and long, and the dance floor was in the middle. I was shooting across the short side and wanted speeches, etc. to be heard by the tables on extreme ends. This setup worked great.
When it was a full-on dance party, the ZLX's were also faced towards the dance floor. They weren't far enough to warrant delays, btw. My brother, the other DJ - we DJ different genres, wanted that. I already had a sub so I didn't see it necessary, but.. sure..
Funny thing happened. Nothing was being over-driven. I made sure of that. Our mixers were combined into an Allen & Heath ZED 10 and send out to the ETX's, which passed through to the ZLX's.
Well, I think the new ETX's had some kind of thermal issue because without being driven to their limits I lost one woofer completely and in the other, the woofer is distorted. Tweeters are fine. I've emailed EV and await a response Monday.
Long story short - the ZLX's seem hardier than the ETX's, and that's not right. Maybe I got a bum pair? Maybe there's a defect? Shouldn't they have protected themselves if something was wrong? Levels were set at unity on ETX's and ZLX's, though I had the tweeters turned down a but on the ZLX's - a necessity most of the time.
So, I like the ZLX's but wish they sounded like the ETX's.
Let me follow up about my ZLX 15's.
I later gained two ETX 15's. I brought those to do a wedding, along with the ZLX's because the room was skinny and long, and the dance floor was in the middle. I was shooting across the short side and wanted speeches, etc. to be heard by the tables on extreme ends. This setup worked great.
When it was a full-on dance party, the ZLX's were also faced towards the dance floor. They weren't far enough to warrant delays, btw. My brother, the other DJ - we DJ different genres, wanted that. I already had a sub so I didn't see it necessary, but.. sure..
Funny thing happened. Nothing was being over-driven. I made sure of that. Our mixers were combined into an Allen & Heath ZED 10 and send out to the ETX's, which passed through to the ZLX's.
Well, I think the new ETX's had some kind of thermal issue because without being driven to their limits I lost one woofer completely and in the other, the woofer is distorted. Tweeters are fine. I've emailed EV and await a response Monday.
Long story short - the ZLX's seem hardier than the ETX's, and that's not right. Maybe I got a bum pair? Maybe there's a defect? Shouldn't they have protected themselves if something was wrong? Levels were set at unity on ETX's and ZLX's, though I had the tweeters turned down a but on the ZLX's - a necessity most of the time.
So, I like the ZLX's but wish they sounded like the ETX's.
Re: Ev zlx
I think you can get the RCF312A MKII for around $550 if you ask around. IMHO it is the best bang for the buck out there.
I think you can get the RCF312A MKII for around $550 if you ask around. IMHO it is the best bang for the buck out there.
Re: Ev zlx
I think the key is knowing these speakers are relatively lightweight speakers ( in output) and using them accordingly.. as long as you stay within their limits.. They are a good soloution for small gigs..
I think the key is knowing these speakers are relatively lightweight speakers ( in output) and using them accordingly.. as long as you stay within their limits.. They are a good soloution for small gigs..