Comparison of JBL and EV speakers

Ok, here’s the thing. There is no best, really. There is good and there is better :-).

JBL has lost some of it’s shine in the past years, imho. I bought my new PA speakers a couple of years ago and did some pretty extensive testing at a large PA showroom. We tried EONs, EV, Turbo’s and Mackie HD series and a few others. I was pleasantly surprised with the Mackie’s which is what I ended up with. The Turbo’s were a very close second. The EON’s quite frankly were a disappointment next to the other two. The EVs were good but not quite as good as the Mackies and Turbosounds.

I wanted 12″ speakers (for the exact reason you mentioned). As far as heavy goes, the HD1221s are only a kilo lighter than the Gemini (which by the way are identical to the American Audio I had for many years), but a lot more compact and easier to handle. And the sound difference is ENORMOUS!

So it the power, the Gemini’s do 300W RMS (analogue) where as the Mackie do 500W RMS (digital).

They sound better, louder and actually have a nicer, tighter bass than the Gemini/American Audio. I added 1 single 18″ HD1801 subwoofer for big rooms or real heavey duty dance parties. I have a pair of SRM450s to add if I need some more sound in the back or want to create a more even volume over the dancefloor and not beyond.

My point is, that these are definitely worth a listen. Preferably listen to the two EONs, the two EVs and two Mackies (12″ and 15″). Personally I like wooden cabinets, there is no getting an ABS-plastic case as tight as a wooden one, but that’s just my opinion.

You might consider getting a setup that is high quality and strong enough (I will do 150-200 people on my 2.1 set without any problems) and just rent for those times you need more power.

For me that’s the best of both worlds. I have what I feel comfortable transporting myself, with pro quality sound. And for anything bigger I call the rental company and they come bring and set it up and break it down and take it away afterwards.

Whatever you choose, you WILL definitely improve quality with any of these speakers.

Greetinx.

Again, personal choice. Too my ears they were the best option when I tested. And I have loved them ever since I got them. And yes, the 12″ are AS heavy as your current 15″s but a lot more compact. More amp power and plenty of punch.

I would indeed recommend you checking them out next to the ones you were looking at already.

Greetinx and good luck!

The PRX are much higher level than the EON. I own two JBL PRX 612 and I’m very happy with them. Really well built (with painted wooden enclosure) and very powerful. Sound-wise they are very clear and pronounced in the highs, something you might like or not.

Consider also using a pair of 10 inch speakers and (maybe later) adding a 15 inch sub. You find such models in the new PRX series (710 + 715S XLF).

What I found best for deciding is to find a rental company that has the desired speakers and to rent them for a day or an event. Much nicer if you can play around yourself at your place instead of the 2 minutes test-drive in a shop which I always found sub-optimal for getting a good feeling.

Lastly, you might want to see if you can get used speakers. Often they are sold in very good condition and – unless the are less than a year old – you should always try to negotiate a price at 60% of the “new”