Anyone Else Using An EV ZXA1 POwered Speaker?

[Rodan88]

I bought a ZXA1 a while back, based on glowing reviews on the Keyboard Corner, among other places. A number of people said they felt it was one of the cleanest and best sounding speakers for use with keyboards, especially for reproducing acoustic piano patches. Of course, as a busy freelancer in NYC, I was also attracted to it's super-light weight.

 

I brought it home, set it up in my apartment, and was blown away by how good (and LOUD) it sounded.

 

Since then, I've used it on several gigs, but it hasn't become the go-to I was hoping for.

 

Why? I have been completely underwhelmed by the volume and sound it produces when using it in various venues. I routinely have to crank it to 10, (and have searched in vain for "11")!

 

Last night was the last straw - I brought it to a rehearsal studio (normally in NYC, back line is provided, but this was for a very well-known non-profit organization, and they were looking to cut down on costs), and it cut out several times during the rehearsal. I had to keep cranking it up, and eventually was running at 10. Without warning, the speaker would simply stop working. At first, I wasn't sure what the problem was, and tried various fixes until we discovered that the speaker was the culprit.

 

I haven't checked the manual yet, but I seem to remember that the ZXA1 has circuitry to prevent overheating. Is that correct?

 

I know it's only an 8" speaker, but come on! (The speaker is still in mint condition, by the way.) I'm really disappointed with this purchase, especially after so many people whose opinions I respect gave it the thumbs up.

 

Please let me know if any of you have had similar experiences (or not).

 

Thanks,

Dan

[mate stubb]

Sounds like you are under driving it. Are you using a mixer, or trying to drive it straight from a keyboard?

[Aidan]

Also, what keyboard are you using? Some makes have hotter outputs than others. I have one of these and find it fine for modest rooms but then I mostly work as a 'background' provider. For louder environments, I've found it necessary to use a mixer.

[DaBous]

I been using 2 of these live for a while. Never had an issue wth volume. I use the low imp input tho - not the high. Gives me a lot more gain. I set the output to max and the input gain to about 25%. Maybe give that a try. Some keyboards have a low output. For my NS2 I need a line mixer to up the signal.

 

I did have one issue with them cutting out. It was at one venue that had dirty power issues. They would both cut out at once. They appear to be sensitive to low voltage or voltage swings. Maybe someone with electrical knowledge can expand on why that is.

 

They have never overheated on me even at outdoor gigs with the sun directly on them.

 

If using the low input does not help maybe you have a bad one?

[CEB]

No. I use a pair of them as floor wedges as my keyboard stage monitors. I can hear 1600 watts aimed at face just fine..... but a pair moves twice the air. I played a lot of outdoor shows with no overheating issues but I take precautions. I cover the rig and speakers with reflective tarps if in the sun while the band is not playing.

 

My first rehearsal with the SM10 mixer I had to crank the EVs I normally run them at 12:00. It was mixer operator error. The sound guys set my send level to where they were not hitting the speakers hard enough and it is a 10 man band with 3 horns and 3 drummers so it is friggin loud.

 

You could have a bad unit.

[HAMEGZ]

Mine also would stop reproducing, the heat sink was hot and I am using an SM10 to drive it. Let it sit for a while and it would start working again.(Not the thing to do in a live gig, though)

 

Sent first one back to the vendor sent the second one to EV for replacement of the power module.

 

The tech I spoke with at EV alluded to an issue they saw with a block of them, it was performed under warranty.

[zoooombiex]

Not much to add, except to agree that you may want a little line booster to up the signal. When I was comparing it with a QSC and JBL, I noticed that without a preamp of some kind the ZXA1 was a bit quieter. But it's plenty loud with a preamp.

[Reezekeys]

Does this not have a "mic/line" switch like the QSCs? Switched to mic level input, it should be easy for any keyboard to drive it to full output.

 

And if you have it set to 10, it's cutting out, and it's still not loud enough? Either there is a defect in the speaker or you're playing some seriously loud gigs!

[JeffLearman]

... a pair moves twice the air.

Not only this, but I find that when I use stereo, I don't need to be as loud for my sounds to be clearly heard.

 

Using two speakers in mono, you get at most a 3dB boost (if they were in the same exact location). That doesn't sound like much, but when you're nearly loud enough, that can be just the ticket.

 

Separate the speakers a bit (still in mono) and you get less than 3dB increase, but I find that it still sounds clearer/better.

 

Add stereo and the improvement is even more substantial, psychoacoustically, even though the dB SPL increase would be well under 3dB, probably closer to 1.5 or 2. I find that's the case even when I'm not running traditional stereo (hearing both equally, ideally spaced), but rather setting one speaker to bounce off a wall or something. The effect is most noticeable for Leslie sim, but also applies to Rhodes stereo vibrato or mild stereo chorus, and even (but to a lesser extent) stereo piano.

 

Forgive me for beating the dead stereo horse! I admit that if you have the right mono speaker for the job, it'll be loud enough and clear enough and cheaper than two speakers where one is almost but not quite loud enough.

 

Here's a case in point, though. I normally run a 375 WPC -> 8 Ohm powered stereo mixer with JXR112M monitors. With an SPL of 99dB at 1W, that works out to (theoretically) 126 dB per speaker, or nearly 129dB for the pair. (Yes, it's not really that loud, but for reference purposes with other gear it's useful.) I use them as main/monitors in small venues and blues jams. They're loud enough. Occasionally they're not, and when they're not, it's too loud on stage (and I usually leave the stage). But I often run them fairly close to top end.

 

The other day I was late to a good local jam (had been playing elsewhere). They still wanted me to set up, so I snuck in between sets, but only had room for one speaker. It was a bit louder than usual (just under my "forget this" limit), but normally my rig would have been up to it. With one speaker, I could hear myself well enough but out front I was lost during the louder portions.

 

Another speaker would have been better, even in mono, but in stereo would have been right up there and just right. I know this from playing the same stage many times. It's a real tiny one where I place one wedge on end, behind me, facing forward, and the other on top of it, horizontally, angled up and facing the back wall. The one facing forward penetrates better into the audience, and I and everyone on stage can hear the bounced one, as well as a lot of the audience -- it adds a tad of ambience there, which is just what I want.

 

As it was, with just one speaker, people on the other side of the stage couldn't hear me at all except in the quieter parts.