“Hey DJ! Turn it UP!”
That phrase can elicit many different reactions from a DJ. Most of the time, it’s reassuring bellow from the crowd that is indicative of a party that is about to become “off the heezy” and you are about to live up to your paycheck! You crank it and the party goes for an extra 3 hours! GO DJ! That’s how it should be. But for some that phrase was shouted… and turn it up you did…only to no avail. Your system topped out, the excitement fizzled, and you were home in time for Jimmy Fallon. You vow to yourself “never again!” Off you go to your local pro audio shop to find the speakers that will elevate you to the next level of being a professional DJ.
You decide to go with powered speakers. You do your research and find that powered speakers are faster to set up and break down, more power efficient, lots of options, tons easier on the back and they weigh just enough to tone your biceps while you put them on speaker stands with one hand. Congrats…you chose wisely.
Now which of these bad boys is right for you. Right off the bat, understand this…you get what you pay for. I know it’s cliche but seriously, a $300 powered speaker will sound significantly different, and when I say different I mean worse, than a speaker of the same basic spec’s that is a couple hundred bucks more. Most high end, quality, and reliable powered speakers start at approximately $600 and go up from there depending on size and power. What I’m trying to say is that PLEASE don’t go speaker shopping with the mindset of looking for the “cheapest” box. Just know that this investment needs to last you for at least 10 years if not more and if you can’t afford the good stuff now, bank your money and get by with what you have until you can!
Now that you can afford it, how do you decipher which is the best speaker?…easy. Listen to them. That’s it. Don’t look at the price, don’t look at the features, don’t compare anything yet…just listen. Have the associate at your store plug in a favorite song off your iThing and listen to it in ALL the speakers. If you can’t get to a store, call us…we’ll bring them to you so you can listen. But please…just listen. Most of us know what sounds good and what sounds not good. The not good sounds typically come from your “bargain” speakers. Stay away from the not good sounds. An easy way to decipher if you are listening to not good speakers is to turn them up and watch how many people make the bitter beer face. Loud noise isn’t always good noise.
You want good sounds. Full, clean, articulate, warm sounds. Sounds that make you think of rainbows and unicorns… if you’re into that kinda thing. And you want to be able to share that wonderful goodness with lots of people. So when you turn up your good sounds they sound more good. High end powered speakers have magic boxes in them filled with DSP to enhance the performance and sound of each speaker. These magic boxes were created by really smart people who understand the science of sound and do all the work for you so all you have to do is point them at the audience and make them go. These speakers will also have the science of sound dispersion in them, like QSC’s DMT (Directivity Matched Transition) design in all their K-Series speakers which each feature an axisymmetric waveguide matched in coverage to the directivity of the woofer at the crossover. This creates consistent sound reproduction across the loudspeakers’ nominal coverage area…this is technical speak for “good sounds”. The high end class of speakers will also have a high powered class D amplifier that is matched to the insides of the speaker. This beautiful working environment makes all the insides of your powered speaker very happy and happy speakers produce good sounds that will cover your entire audience!
Now that you have your good sounds, you want them to sound good for a while…take care of them! Invest in totes, covers, roller carts, garbage bags, doberman pinschers… keep them safe! They are a big part of your livelihood. Most high end powered speakers will have a good warranty. Don’t settle for anything less than 6 years of coverage.
Okay class, what have we learned? Powered Speakers Rule! They are everything you need to sound great wrapped up in lightweight box. Your quest has lead you to the world of high end powered speakers where terms like Active Integration, and Digital Extension and Excursion Processing are thrown around and they scare the bejesus out of you…but the cool part is all that magical stuff has been done for you by people who really GET audio and now you can plug and play my friend!! So invest wisely, don’t go cheap, and by all means, LISTEN to the speakers. If you can’t make it to a pro audio shop, let us know and we’ll come to you!
Justin Rose – Manufacturers Representative. Justin comes to us from one of our Oregon Dealer/Contractors. Combined with his experience Managing a major retail music store in the Bay Area, and his love of music, makes him a great fit. Not to mention, Justin is an accomplished Pro DJ … he is available for weddings.
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QSC & PreSonus