Bill Spencer Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 I really like the features, form factor, etc. of these⦠Thinking about buying a pair to check them out⦠Any of you use them for keyboard amplification? All reviews greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 It's... adequate. Nice travel weight and form factor, as you say. The EQ on the app is more limited than it should be, but is enough to be helpful. But the EV ZXa1 sounds better and doesn't need the help of an EQ app. But if you want the form factor and/or the lower price, it's serviceable. It's not terrible sounding, by any means. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 I would use two⦠I"m currently using two QSC K8s But I like that the turbosounds have a wider dispersion pattern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 I have a pair of them, I use them behind the stage as side fill monitors, with two iP1000 as mains for my trio. I really like them, the dispersion is what I really like about them. I don't have to turn them up at all to get clear sound anywhere on the stage. So no feedback and then entire band goes directly into the mixer (electronic drums). Last Friday we were headlining a local event in a very large weirdly shaped room with an audience of about 150 - 200 people. Sort of 'L' shaped but the angle wasn't sharp more like a boomerang. And of course we weren't in the optimal position. We provided the PA and had two opening acts and we backed a singer for a few songs that moved a lot. I was extremely pleased with the sound. On stage I could hear my keys as clear as a bell and the mix everywhere in the room was great. And I got a lot of compliments from the the other two bands. I have only had them for a little over a month. But so far I am pleased with them. Never used the Bluetooth functionality. Of course there are better sounding speakers out there, but the bang for the buck, form factor and the dispersion is what I like about them. For the price they are hard to beat. Quote Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 Thanks for the report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Does the IP300 have a reasonably clean Mic preamp? The marketing text says 'plug in your mic and go!", but the spec sheet says nominal input level is +4dB which is an appropriate level from a mixer. There is no mic/line-level switch or preamp gain setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 It"s annoying to not be able to find the manual online, only the 'quick start guide" and the marketing tear sheet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 IIRC, the QSG is all there is (which just shows they don't know what a QSG is supposed to be). Documentation is poor. How to use the app is not immediately clear either. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 I have never plugged a mic into one so I couldn't comment on that. I used the iPad app on the iP1000 which is the same app. I quickly figured out it was just as easy to set it up using the menu. The way I use them there has always been a mixer between the speaker and the source. But I have done Bluetooth on the iP1000s from my phone. I found it worked fine with one speaker. Trying to slave one to the other and use stereo never worked for me. I never tried it with the ip300s which are newer and might be better in that regard. I also have plugged my old MOX8 into one of the ip1000s when I first bought them about 2 or 3 years ago and it worked fine. So it will take an instrument level, I don't doubt it will take a mic. The app would be handy on a phone for a singer guitarist who uses the internal mixer, a uses just the speaker. But just setting them up once and plugging them into a small Yamaha mixer or Keylargo would be much better option. Turbosound is very popular among DJ's, for musicians many don't even recognize the brand. But that is changing, for a low to medium cost speaker they are pretty good. I got started with the iP1000s after DJing a wedding for a friend that had a last minute emergency so I used his equipment and did it for him. I really like them and at the time I had been using some powered Mackie speakers and some very heavy passive Carvin speakers and subs. These are superior in every way to that setup and way easier to haul to a gig. Quote Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 I have a pair of them, I use them behind the stage as side fill monitors Side fill is probably a great application for them. It is kind of irritating that they have built-in compensation EQs for various ways of mounting, and they DON'T include one for sitting it on the floor, but it sounds okay anyway. [The way I use them there has always been a mixer between the speaker and the source. But I have done Bluetooth on the iP1000s from my phone. I found it worked fine with one speaker. Trying to slave one to the other and use stereo never worked for me. Using a pair for stereo without a mixer (i.e. plugging two Left sources into one and two Right sources into the other, with EQ/volume control from the app) is something that could definitely use better documentation and/or a better app. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 It"s annoying to not be able to find the manual online, only the 'quick start guide" and the marketing tear sheet Is this what you need? https://media63.music-group.com/media/sys_master/h98/h34/8848242573342.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 Using a pair for stereo without a mixer (i.e. plugging two Left sources into one and two Right sources into the other, with EQ/volume control from the app) is something that could definitely use better documentation and/or a better app. Agreed! But that seems to be norm these days. Last night I went to my drummers house, he was unboxing a Mackie Thump for his drums to use at practice. The documentation was totally worthless! Quote Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 PianoMan- thanks, but I don"t call that a manual. I"d like to know for example, if you have to run a cable between the two speakers to use them in stereo or if the Bluetooth app connects to both speakers if that makes sense... There"s a connector called link on the back For both inputs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Beaumont Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 Bill - I never got that to work with sound but the app would control both. With the bluetooth, you can slave one to the other. Which I believe is how it works when they are linked with a cable. Frankly, I never tried linking them with a cable. When I tried the app, it would control both speakers levels if I went through the master /slave setup. But when I tried playing music, the sound only came out of the master speaker. I think the app is much better suited to musician who just wants to plug a guitar and a mic into a single speaker and maybe wants to play backing tracks from a phone or iPad too. Which is kind of stupid since the mixer doesn't have reverb, compression or any other effect one might need. I also have never tried any of these on the ip300s, I keep all this gear in storage when not on a gig and I haven't had them very long. Quote Boards: Kurzweil SP-6, Roland FA-08, VR-09, DeepMind 12 Modules: Korg Radias, Roland D-05, Bk7-m & Sonic Cell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share Posted September 28, 2019 UPDATE: Got a pair. Took one to an acoustic Jazz gig as PA- initial impression: not as loud at my QSC K8s; will experiment with better gain staging. Features are pretty good- Pros: ⢠sounded great for vocals/ piano, will test stereo pair with keyboards this weekend ⢠controllable via BT/iOS app., works well ⢠onboard EQ and verb (nice digital verb!) for both analog inputs ⢠Master EQ â¢Â a few EQ presets ⢠love the form factor and line array dispersion ⢠price Cons: ⢠not enough gain for direct input of Mic, no phantom power ⢠only one verb, no editing available ⢠no user storage of settings (but very easy to set via app) ⢠documentation very sparse, for example would like to see the preset EQ curves ⢠when paired, no way to have different EQ presets per spkr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 Thanks Bill. Just what I feared about the lack of gain for a mic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 update: Have been using them on gigs, 5 or 6 gigs of differing types. I turned up the masters; lots of clean gain now, although I haven't yet retested with a mic input. Compared to my QSC K8s, they're a bit 'harsher' in the high mids, less 'warm' in the low end (though there seems to be plenty of low end) They sound noticably clearer for vocals Onboard EQ and 'verb are a bonus, quite useable from the rear panel, but less reliable over BT (see below) The app/ bluetooth seems a little funky, speakers don't always stay linked after power cycling and it's kind of a pain to relink them, sometimes requiring a factory reset- not a huge deal, but kinda a PITA. Documentation is very sparse and lacks detail No way to store settings ...so that stuff makes them feel a bit 'semi-pro' That said, when it works, I find it a big plus to be able to adjust levels, 'voicing', etc. after the speakers are in place, and streaming the break music direct from my phone Love the form factor, Gator makes bags specifically for 'em, super easy schlep; advantage Turbosound The dispersion is definitely better on the TS, maybe that's why they sound harsher to me... I'm keeping them for now, but not selling the QSCs just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 My biggest complaint is that they sound best with some EQ adjustment, but the app is too fiddly to use... I'm not even sure if you CAN use the app to identically equalize a stereo pair, is anyone doing that? (Again, the terrible manual is a factor.) And while there are auto-EQ options for various mounting positions, none are for just sitting the towers on the floor, which you just know is how they will often be used, whether it's ideal or not. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 UPDATE: I'm going back to my QSC K8s. A shame; I love the form factor of the ip3000's, but bottom line is they just lack the 'punch' of the QSCs, and even though they work fine without using the BT features, the fact that the BT implementtion and app are a bit flaky and semi-pro bothers me too much. -Bill S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 Bill, Thanks for the review and update! The form factor and idea of this speaker is very appealing to me. The dispersion, the onboard reverb, the app for control, BT, it's all a great package for a smaller setup. I've been considering the Bose S1 Pro, and this speaker has it beat in many ways, except of course for the small size, and battery option. The TS is $100 less. The 20 reviews on SWs site are overwhelmingly positive, they're appreciated for how loud they can get and how clear they are. When you say they lack the punch of the K8s, do you mean the low end specifically? How is the definition of the low end compared to the K8s? Did you ever try hooking up a mic directly? Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 I think the Bose S1 Pro would be better suited as personal monitor, or for mains in a solo or unplugged or other "light" scenario... I don't think it would keep up with the TS if you need higher volumes. Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Spencer Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Bill, When you say they lack the punch of the K8s, do you mean the low end specifically? How is the definition of the low end compared to the K8s? Did you ever try hooking up a mic directly? Yes I would say definitely the low end is less than the QSC"s. Also the overall sound is just has a little 'thin" sounding. Not necessarily worse, just different and in the end I decided I liked the QSCs better. The Bluetooth features, while appealing, are sketchy in implementation- I found them to be unreliable in a professional situation⦠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Bill, Thanks for responding. Am curious now how they sounded, connected with a cable. The BT connection to 2 of them for a stereo output sounds problematic, but as it's only used for break music, just one of them working would be fine in my book. The point being that few speakers have BT to begin with and is of limited importance compared to sound quality and mixer features. For me, I'd be curious how they sounded in stereo hooked to each other with a cable. As a personal keyboard monitor, esp if seated, you probably wouldn't need much of a speaker stand, and with their great dispersion, I would imagine they create a 3d soundfield once you've got 2 of them for stereo. Is that how you used them, as stereo personal monitors, or were they in place to serve the whole band? I've got a K10 and K8.2. If nothing else works I might get a second K8.2 and do a stereo keyboard monitor, but the IP300 looks like it'd be worth investigating. Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Zombie thread! I ended up buying a IP300. Like it for the most part. Also have a QSC K10 and K8.2. I mostly bought it because of the built-in reverb and EQ, as well as the 120 degree dispersion of the 4 splayed tweeters. I use it with a 250wh lithium ion battery. Surprisingly, I get about the same amount of battery run-time at full volume as I do with the K10 or K8.2, 3-4 hours. Haven't tried it a direct mic input, I run my mic thru the keyboard for fx, and then to an external speaker. Pros: - As a giant BT speaker (compared to home models) it rocks! Decent bass - Appreciate having 3 band EQ master and for each of the 2 channels - Mixer (mostly EQ and Reverb and BT) works well with my android phone - Only reasonably priced speaker (under $650) that has BT, reverb and mixer using your phone. I paid $425, this is the new low price, down from $500 Cons: - No adjustment to reverb, sounds low quality to me - I find the mids to be a bit harsh. I'm the first person to notice mid-range harshness, YMMV. Didn't notice/feel that with the K10 or K8.2 - EQ not as effective as I'd like Would I buy again? Probably not. The harsh mid-range and the low quality reverb make it less attractive to me. The only other contender is the Bose S1Pro, which has BT, reverb and mixer using your phone. It also can be battery powered. However, since the price of lithium ion batteries is at an all time low, there's no reason to be saddled with a speaker that makes sacrifices in order to be battery powered. I bought my 250wh battery from amazon for $129! The S1 Pro is very lacking in providing the kind of bass for keyboards I need. Any suggestions welcomed for BT speakers with decent reverb built-in for vocals. Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Checked online, and there's a fairly new JBL Eon 1 Compact for $549 JbL Eon 1 Compact Pros: - 6 band eq per channel - Reverb/delay/chorus fx - Can be battery powered, included - 4 channels - 17.6 pounds! - Very compact size - Phantom power Cons: - 112 db spl, on the low volume side compared to powered speakers, but probably louder than the Bose S1 Pro - 1 tweeter compared to 3 or 4 like the Bose S! Pro or the IP300 If the basic sound quality and reverb are decent, this would be a better fit for family parties. I can always bring a K8.2 if I need more volume. Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Sold my IP300 last night. Final notes as it goes: - The reverb is close to unuseable. Sounds like a super cheap and shitty spring reverb, massive fail - I got reasonable volume plugging in a mic, just turn it way up. Just be sure to use a mic that is fairly sensitive An upgraded model to my specs: - Basically copy the form factor and awesome app functionality of the JBL Eon One Compact but make it run off of mains so you can put in a beefier amp and pump out more SPL - Keep the 4 splayed tweeters - Sell it for $450 (vs $550 for the Eon One Compact) Man, they should have hired me to design these speakers! Actually, if asked my design would be for an 8" woofer, 3-4" mid and 1" tweeter, the mid and tweeter being co-axial to keep the size down. Have always wanted a 3-way! Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigmeat Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 I'm interested in the new EV PXM-12MP 12' powered coaxial monitor: More info... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyFF Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 The EV PMX-12MP looks sweet. From my needs perspective: Pros: - Co-axial, so you can get a 12" two way into a small cabinet, only weighs 30 pounds! - Loud output - Plywood cabinet - I'd rather schlepp under 20 pounds, but the extra oomph of a 12" is very attractive and would be worth it Cons: - No BT playing capability or BT control of parameters. This is essential for my needs - No reverb, another essential. Want to be able to show up and be able to play tunes over BT and singalong/play along with some 'verb for the voice/guitar - Narrow coverage pattern, 90 degrees, compared to QSC K8.2 and IP300 - I'm guessing that like some other EVs, it's not a 2 way design with separate amps for bass and tweeter Quote Numa Piano X73 /// Kawai ES920 /// Casio CT-X5000 /// Yamaha EW425 Yamaha Melodica and Alto Recorder QSC K8.2 // JBL Eon One Compact // Soundcore Motion Boom Plus Win10 laptop i7 8GB // iPad Pro 9.7" 32GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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