The POWERED SPEAKERS Thread

[Bossbandbob]

I like the idea of everything I need being in the Yamaha Stagepass. The mixer apparently is removeable as well. But will the 300 be enough power for my needs or should I go for the 500?

At the backyard party I did solo this Sat my two 120 W KB amps seemed loud enough. But I have been in a couple of backyard band situations where it was tough to compete with the guitar players with those.

 

[Bossbandbob]

I may be getting a real good deal on a Stagepass 250. 250 W paired with another Yamaha 250 W powered speaker.

[timwat]

You may have already made purchase decision re: the StagePas, but I would caution you to audition first.

 

I use the StagePas 500 for rehearsal, and a couple different solutions for gig needs.

 

The 500 belongs to my bass player, and one of my bands rehearses at his house. It is very convenient to run vocals, keys, horns into it, nice to have the built-in reverb, and volume is sufficient for rehearsal needs. I wager it would have enough SPL for small venues, coffee houses, small backyard parties and the like. Packs light, very nice schlep factor.

 

But wattage ain't everything. Sound quality is.

 

IMHO, the StagePas suffers from the same issues inherent in many plastic two-way powered speakers - can present unnaturally bright HF, juiced LF, and the all-important MR (where your acoustic piano sound lives) is honky and not realistic. It is not nearly as bad in these areas as some of the other self-powered 2 ways that used to be popular, but there are much better solutions out there now days.

 

It may still suit your needs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, YMMV, yadda, yadda.

 

I'd just suggest you try to critically demo prior to purchase, or at least secure a generous return policy.

[Michael Wright]

I may be getting a real good deal on a Stagepass 250. 250 W paired with another Yamaha 250 W powered speaker.

I had this same set-up and opted to get rid of the primary unit with the mixer and get another MSR 250 and a separate mixer. I was never happy using the original configuration. I found it hard to balance. I now use 2 MSR 250s and a Samson SM 10 line mixer. The DP is processed through a 15 band stereo eq. Organ and Synth go straight in and out.

 

P.S. For me it would depend on how good the deal was.

[Bossbandbob]

It is a Craiglist sale, so a return would be tough. I think I can get the pair for 450$

Thanks for the reviews but I would think this probably still would be better than the Roland KC 350 and the Alesis Sumo 100 I now use. Twice the Wattage and at least half the weight & size. I could probably pay for most of it selling those two amps. The Roland has been good as a stage monitor when I play with the band and very dependable but the Sumo has had its issues.

I'm still open to other solutions though.

[Bossbandbob]

I got down to GC and auditioned the Stagepass 300 with an Ipod. The two KB amps I am now using, although significantly heavier, sound way better. They have 12" woofers as opposed to the 8's in the Stagepass. Yeah Stagepass got pretty loud but started distorting at half volume IMO, particularly on pianos and low end. They did not have the 500 in stock but I would think it would sound somewhat better having 10" woofers and more power but Mike W's review of it concerns me. They had a similar JBL Eon 210 system there but I did not have time to try it.

[Michael Wright]

Well the original Stage pass 250, which IIRC is discontinued, came with one speaker with the removable mixer. The other speaker was an option. When I got the other speaker I just was not happy with the control that the system gave me. YMMV. The 500 seems to be a replacement for this set-up. It appears all the amplification occurs in the powered mixer of the SP 500. The mixer is a little different than the 250. I am not unhappy with my set-up as it is now, with an eq on the piano going in, and I have run the two powered cabs alone on their own, running the organ l/r straight into them, no mixer. I paid considerably more than your Craigslist deal for what I have, so it may not be a bad way to go. It would all depend on your opinion of the quality of sound you get.

[Bossbandbob]

Unfortunately an hour and a half ride one way to audition those Yammy powered 250's.

I was looking into the Eon G 2's but they are too heavy. I don't see the point of exchanging two 48 lb. amps for two 46 lb. speakers that I'd have to lift up onto stands- esp. at 59 years old! Thinking of auditioning some Yammy A12's (if I can find some) to just use with a small powered mixer as I need reverb for vocals as well. They are only 36 lbs. That may be just like the Stagepass setup but with better speakers-hopefully!

[Bossbandbob]

Hope everyone here survived the storm OK. Just before the forum went down I picked up this system which should fit my every need. I got this whole system for 300$ on Craigslist for my keyboard use in my full band or my one band band act. At least in a large practice space it does not even need a sub as it sounds great and loud enough as is, and I can carry each component with one arm:

Yamaha EMX 312SC stereo powered mixer (300 watts, 12 channels-17 lbs);

two Yorkville Performance Series Elite 160 loudspeakers (30lbs each/wood)

and two Yorkville Performance Series Y110 wedge monitors (20 lbs each)plus all cables.

I can use it in several combinations of ways and has a monitor out jack for a powerd speaker or sub if needed. Each main weighs almost 1/2 as much as each of the 2 KB amps I was using and take up about 1/2 the real estate in my compact SUV.

 

I auditioned JBL Eon 10", the Stagepass system, Fender Passport 300 and some 12" Carvin Monitors with a Peavy mixer. This Y/Y system blew them all out of the water IMO for sound. The Passport was the closest,and sounded pretty impressive for 8" woofers but would have cost me twice as much new and had nowhere near the inputs/and outs.

I'll be selling the Roland KC-350.