Alto TS408 - Lovin' It

[AnotherScott]

I'm guessing you probably couldn't put TS kinds of power into TX drivers.

[Reezekeys]

47 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Typo, maybe?

 

Don't think so - this from Yam's website (https://usa.yamaha.com/products/proaudio/speakers/dxr/specs.html#product-tabs)

 

[Bill H.]

That's power consumption at idle or 1/8 power I believe. 1/8 power is sometimes used for typical normal use where things aren't being pushed. (Edit)

 

[Reezekeys]

Right, I did post the power consumption from the QSC website where they explicitely say "1/8 power" which I understand is a "typical use" scenario that manufacturers have adopted. The Yam specs don't include that language or anything else, just a plain 90W or 110W for the bigger speakers. I don't believe 1/8 power is the same as idle – doesn't idle mean no audio?

[ElmerJFudd]

Generally speaking, it is fair to say that a lot of these specs are useless if they don't match up in method and circumstance.  Which sucks for narrowing down what you'd like to try out.  Once again, as with pianos, there's no substitution for getting one's hands on them and seeing what they are capable of and sound like.  

[AnotherScott]

12 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

I don't believe 1/8 power is the same as idle – doesn't idle mean no audio?

right

[Reezekeys]

1 hour ago, Stokely said:

Any thoughts on the ts408 vs 410?   I don't really need much in the way of bass or mega volume.  Clarity is far more important, and smaller/lighter would be nice too. 

 

No experience with these but my old K8s have more than enough bass for me - and I do occasional LH bass. Of course I use a pair of them, not one.

 

I'm aware I might be in the minority with this opinion, but I think that for most keyboard sounds you don't want to be fighting for sonic space with a bass player anyway. I use a high-pass filter on my main outs to roll off lows starting around 90 - 120Hz and I'd use that whether or not I was playing with a bass player. My keyboard sounds have more clarity and I can raise the level a bit more to fit into a mix when I do this. Unless you're playing EDM or reggae or Hammond bass pedals at loud volumes, I think you'll be happy with the 8" guys - your back will be, I'm sure! Disclaimer - I'm old and don't play in super-loud bands anymore! 🙂 

[Bill H.]

1 hour ago, Reezekeys said:

. I don't believe 1/8 power is the same as idle – doesn't idle mean no audio?

Yeah I didn't write that very coherently. And idle on class D power amps is a lot less anyway... was thinking about old A/B amps when I said that. 

 

A spec that matters more are the numbers on the drivers being used. That tells a lot about a cab. And once again I won't go down to just one inch voice coil diameter on compression drivers. A bit of mic feedback, or a synth note with high frequency content held too long... and pfft.

 

I've got a pair of M-Audios in my garage that only go dum dum dum. 

[Stokely]

1 hour ago, Reezekeys said:

 

No experience with these but my old K8s have more than enough bass for me - and I do occasional LH bass. Of course I use a pair of them, not one.

 

I'm aware I might be in the minority with this opinion, but I think that for most keyboard sounds you don't want to be fighting for sonic space with a bass player anyway. I use a high-pass filter on my main outs to roll off lows starting around 90 - 120Hz and I'd use that whether or not I was playing with a bass player. My keyboard sounds have more clarity and I can raise the level a bit more to fit into a mix when I do this. Unless you're playing EDM or reggae or Hammond bass pedals at loud volumes, I think you'll be happy with the 8" guys - your back will be, I'm sure! Disclaimer - I'm old and don't play in super-loud bands anymore! 🙂 

I'm a big believer in staying out of the bassist's way, and I'm mindful of John Entwhistle-ish forays and explorations on his part.  Which certainly can be overdone, our previous guy played bass solos constantly.  I also use a high pass on our main mixer when we run sound.

Saving a bit of money on an 8" would indeed help me possibly get two, that was definitely in my mind!   I don't need any speaker for that many gigs so it's a tough call...just a few here and there.  My not-so-secret wish would be for our drummer to get an electronic kit, as then I might not need IEMs.  As long as there is the potential for cymbals to be so close to me as to overhang my bottom keyboard, not going to ditch them!

[ElmerJFudd]

Turbosound iQ8 is worth a look in this category also.  
Class D, 8” LF driver, 1” HF compression driver, fan cooled, 128db peak SPL. 
A little heavier at 32lbs. Price is $639 between the EV ZXA1 and Yamaha DXR8 mkII. 

 

[MPN21]

Some say the TS308 is warmer than the TS408, but this YouTuber says otherwise; "These are virtually identical in audio quality. Besides the EQ, I don’t think they changed anything. The TS412 or 415 are louder and clearer than the 312 and 315. The hiss is the same in both models."   I might add that I have a pair of the 312.  They were cheaper new than the 308.   I thought the 312 sounds very good. 

 

[Al Coda]

19 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Turbosound iQ8 is worth a look in this category also.  

 

 

Ha, I bookmarked this/these speaker(s) 2 days ago and after I recognized they offer the Turbosound iNSPIRE iP12B active sub, delivering an additional 2x 200W class-D amp w/ HP-filtered outputs for a pair of these.

 

 

A.C.

[Justin Havu]

I really want to try the TS4xx's, however I've already had to replace three HF drivers total, in a pair of TS312's that are only half a year old.  and I'm barely even driving those hard.  I guess my concern is there'd still be something faulty with the HF drivers in the 4xx.

[ElmerJFudd]

Another reasonably priced powered pa monitor for the offered specs is the Mackie SRT210.  Though the TS410 is still cheaper.  You’d have to hear them side by side to choose. 
 

https://mackie.com/en/products/loudspeakers/srt-series/SRT210.html

 

 

[D. Gauss]

these at banjo center have a bit more juice than the TX 8" altos (not the TS), plus more flexibility (bluetooth).  probably  175 watts rms.  who knows if they last or not though.  a pair for 400 doesn't suck.

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Harbinger/VARI-V2308-8-in-2-Way-Powered-Loudspeaker-With-Bluetooth-DSP-and-Smart-Stereo.gc

 

 

[Reezekeys]

Nice, the web page says "400 watts" so you're probably right, assuming those are "peak", 175 to 200 watts sounds reasonable. This completely kills my TX308s with regards to features - multiple inputs, bluetooth, DSP, combo jacks, tone controls, etc. I wish these had been on my radar before I got the TXs. Of course sound quality is also a factor but at this price point I'd assume most of these speakers are pretty close. These are a little heavier and a bit more $$ though ($200 vs $140 for the TX308s).

[MathOfInsects]

1 hour ago, D. Gauss said:

these at banjo center have a bit more juice than the TX 8" altos (not the TS), plus more flexibility (bluetooth).  probably  175 watts rms.  who knows if they last or not though.  a pair for 400 doesn't suck.

 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Harbinger/VARI-V2308-8-in-2-Way-Powered-Loudspeaker-With-Bluetooth-DSP-and-Smart-Stereo.gc

 

 

For what I use PPAs for, these have been ideal. Cheap, nice power, super easy to cart. I use one for cocktail hour gigs. I wouldn't use it for full band gigs, though I have to admit I've never even once tried bringing two for this use, so for all I know it's great for that too. I just can't bond with PPAs on stage.  Otherwise, they live happily in my studio and are my PA for rehearsals there.

[zxcvbnm098]

I have a pair of the Harbingers (maybe the dumbest name for gear) that I bought for my school. They're perfectly fine, and sound pretty good, but don't have nearly the headroom you'd get with more expensive units. I've used both directly into the back panel inputs as well as using an Allen & Heath mixer. 

 

Hard to beat the price, but I don't think these or the Alto's are in the same league as, say, a QSC K.8. But again, for the price, pretty darn good and appropriate for many applications the don't require the punch of $700+ speakers. 

[stoken6]

1 hour ago, zxcvbnm098 said:

Harbingers (maybe the dumbest name for gear)

It's close enough to a German audio equipment company for some recognition among the public, but far enough away to avoid lawsuits.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[DJkeys]

On 1/24/2023 at 8:52 AM, Al Coda said:

 

1000 W RMS ... 2000W Peak !

 

It´s class-D "show up" rating anyway.

 

No single 8", 10", 12" or even 15"/ 18" speaker´s voicecoil can handle such power,- a 1.4" horn driver less than ever.

I guess  it´s 1000W RMS into 2 ohms rating, 500 into 4, 250 into 8 ohms,- and the woofer is always an 8 ohms device.

The horn driver might be 16 Ohms and DSP limiter protected.

 

Nonetheless, Altos sound usually really good for the money !

OTOH, some Thomann customers report a very audible amp-noise/hiss across the entire range of TS4 speakers which seems to be annoying at low level music or between songs.

Dunno if it´s true, but worth to mention IMO. 

 

 

A.C.

I just purchased a pair of these and tested them yesterday.  Didn't notice any unusual noise floor at all-

 

-dj

[jejefunkyman]

On a side note, I’m still looking for dust covers for my Alto TX310s. Anybody has an idea? 

[DJkeys]

Hey, if one of you could try a test for me with the Alto TS408.

 

I am using the app to alter the EQ of the speaker.  It seems to work reliably, but forgets the setting when the unit is turned off.  When reconnecting to the speaker from the app after power cycle, it always reads flat again when using my custom EQ. 

 

If someone could confirm this, it would be helpful, thanks-

 

-dj

[D. Gauss]

10 hours ago, jejefunkyman said:

On a side note, I’m still looking for dust covers for my Alto TX310s. Anybody has an idea? 

I use kitchen trash bags, but i have no shame.  

[jejefunkyman]

Ok why not, could be a solution 😂

[obxa]

On 3/31/2024 at 10:46 AM, jejefunkyman said:

On a side note, I’m still looking for dust covers for my Alto TX310s. Anybody has an idea? 

If I don't have a proper case,  or it's fresh out of the box on trial-  I use black t-shirts.  Having gotten so many give aways at gigs,  it's a great way to put them to use.  Obviously not great protection, but better than nothing, and keeps them from getting scratched up.  

[D. Gauss]

1 hour ago, obxa said:

If I don't have a proper case,  or it's fresh out of the box on trial-  I use black t-shirts.  Having gotten so many give aways at gigs,  it's a great way to put them to use.  

Yup. T-shirts are great ....till it rains. garbage bags do well in the rain. 😉

[Reezekeys]

I was going to recommend Tuki covers, which I've had for my Mackie SRM450s since I bought them in 1999. They've held up perfectly - not a single rip, hole, wear-through, nothing. I stopped using these speakers in 2009 when I got my K8s, but ten years without a scratch or mark is pretty good. Those speakers got banged around a lot.

 

Unfortunately, while Tuki advertises covers for many speakers including Altos, the TX310s don't appear to be included. However I do see a link at the bottom of the page for a custom quote. https://www.tukicovers.com/amp-speaker-covers-bags/alto?sort=alphaasc

 

If the covers they're making today are like the ones I have for my Mackies, trust me - they'll probably outlast the speaker!

[D. Gauss]

8 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I was going to recommend Tuki covers,  

161 bucks PLUS shipping vs. a kitchen trash bag seems a hefty (pun intended) investment to merely keep dust off of a pair of speakers as poster asked. 

 

If actually looking to protect the speaker and TUKI isn't in your budget, i use one of these two for $5 dollar ikea hard plastic laptop stands (sadly no longer made, but amazon sells similar for under 15). You just stick it sideways over the backside, put two bungi cords to hold it in place and you have a solid, hard cover over all the jacks and knobs that works waaay better than it should for so cheap.  

 

 

[Reezekeys]

2 hours ago, D. Gauss said:

161 bucks PLUS shipping vs. a kitchen trash bag seems a hefty (pun intended) investment to merely keep dust off of a pair of speakers as poster asked. 

 

Put the dunce cap on me, looks like I missed the "keep dust off of a pair of speakers" part! I was thinking more along the lines of protection while transporting. I agree those Tukis are not cheap. I like your idea for protecting the back of that 408 - that's kinda my style (like my folding footstool speaker stands!). In the case of my TX308s, it also seems crazy to spend 2/3 the price of the speakers on covers for them!

 

When I got my 308s I looked around for covers, but after using them on a few gigs I've decided to forgo that. They're light enough that I can load, unload & carry them with minimal effort, making them much less prone to the bumps and bruises my other speakers needed Tukis for. The 308s sit comfortably in my back seat, naked. If I had to throw them in my trunk every time I did a gig I would consider protection, but that hasn't been the case (pun intended)!

[HSS]

On 3/31/2024 at 6:01 PM, D. Gauss said:

I use kitchen trash bags, but i have no shame.  

I'm a cheap old fart and also proudly use trash bags as speaker covers. 

 

Back on topic... I have a pair Alto TS310's and IMO they're good speakers for the price. I play in mono and use one of 'em or a Yamaha DBR10 for quieter gigs, and use a QSC K12 for louder gigs. I checked out the newer Alto TS410's and didn't hear a significant difference vs. the TS310's, and I have I no interest in Bluetooth, so I don't plan to upgrade.