Hello

I have decided not to get the Wharfedale speakers that I mentioned in a previous post. I am doing this only because I want to travel not only light but with as few pieces as possible. However, when Wharfedale comes to your area you really need to try them out. And any dealers ought to consider these seriously. They are quite inexpensive, sound great (much better than a lot of the name brands we are familiar with), and are quite light.

I have narrowed down my search for powered speakers to the following: Roland KC300, JBL Eon 10" G2, EV sxa100, Barbetta Sona 32.

I can see getting speakers can be a bit of a compromise just as getting a keyboard. And of course everyones needs are a little different. And desired sound quality is quite subjective. Example: everyone raves about Mackie 450's. I did not like the sound. To me it had a booming rock'n'roll bass. I play standard and jazz and prefer a non-booming clean, clear sound.

The main thing for me is great sound to me and light weight. The speakers I listed above are recommendations from people on this forum. The only model that I have heard similar is the Roland KC500 which I thought had the very best tone for keyboard by far. Only problem: way too heavy and awkward to carry. I presume the KC300's will sound close and probably handle most playing situations. The JBL eon's interest me because they weigh only 23 lbs. I know there are advancements in all equipment, but I really wonder how theses 10" speakers would compare to the above mentioned. I developed an interest in the EV's because of posts by Scott Yee and Uncle Dave. I have not heard these in the 12" version. They are however over the 40 lbs mark which is getting me into the weight I decided I really didn't want to do. BTW, along with the Mackies 15", I also heard the EV 15" and do not care for that kind of booming sound. Interestingly the Behringer 15' had the best sound of the three to my ears. Each one of you may hear something different or have different tastes, but this is my slant on it.

Monday I am going to try two KC300's. I was planning on buying them just by deducing that this would make the most sense for me. And then I remembered reading about Barbetta. They are built in a small cabinet like the KC500's and I am guessing they will sound similar and maybe better than the KC500's. I see they are known for the non-booming bass, and are supposed to have a clear, excellent sound. Of course, there is no one around Pensacola, Florida that has any to try as far as I know.

Didn't really think this would get this long, but, my real question with the above givens is to those of you who have heard these models, how do they compare in sound? Also, I realize something new may have been introduce at the NAMM show this summer.

I hope you all can help me sort through this one. You sure helped give me the confidence to get the PSR2000, which I absolutely love.

Thanx

Scott Langholff

I used to own the Roland KC-300s. I feel the EV Sx-A100's sound quality easily knocks the socks off the KC300's. The EV's are very natural & clean sounding with a smooth response from top to botttom, perfect for acoustic jazz standards (my specialty too). The EV SX-A100's are actually pretty easy to handle because its ergonomically shaped, imho, much easier to handle & transport than the Roland KC-300's. The ONLY 'very minor' complaint with the EVs is that you hear a very slight amplifier hiss if you listen real close up in a very quiet room. I am very happy with my EV & Yamaha PSR2000 setup and recommend it highly.

Hi Scott Yee

Thanx for your reply. Have you had the chance to hear the Barbetta? My interest in these stem from the idea that these have 15" woofers with a horn, have a lot of power and only weigh 36.5 lbs. I am thinking the speakers I get now may be it, and last me a lifetime, while being able to handle all playing situation without thinking about needing any subwoofer and anything extra.

I see the EV's you use are only a few pounds heavier than the KC300's which really has me thinking. I am sure I will try these before I buy. However those Barbetta specs are the ones that really have me thinking.

Thanx

Scott Langholff

Scott,

I heard Donny use the Barbetta Sona speakers at his dance club. I thought they sounded great. I think Uncle Dave and Fran have heard them too. I don't know why they are using something else.

Tom

"The main thing for me is great sound to me and light weight"

That's JBL Eon's. The 10's sound very good and don't have the heavy boomy bottom that the 15's have. They are a little awkward to carry unless you get the carry bags that are made for them. At 175 watts each I would get a pair and leave the heavy stuff behind.

I really liked the 15s Eons (the original ones). They weren't too heavy. Wish I had them back.
DonM

Hi Scott: Quite a few years ago I owned the smaller Sona 31c. Impressive clean sound but only one channel input and no on board eq controls on my version. I switched to the Roland KC300's about 5 years ago, preferring them for the multi- channel input & onboard Eq control, and I personally liked the KC300 sound better too. As much as the weight itself, I feel that the shape & weight distribution (ergonomics) play a big part in how easy it is to transport. In addition to the smoother frequency response, this is the the reason I moved to the EV SX-A100's 9 months ago. The JBL Eons were another option I auditioned & considered, but for acoustic jazz standards , I find the EVs the best at providing the natural acoustic sound without the hyped (boomy) bass, which appears both you and I prefer. I was lucky because the store I auditioned at (and purchased from) had all of the above speakers available in their listening room so I was able to compare them side by side.

The JBL eon10G2 sound great and has a nice size/weight package, but there is NO eq onboard. If you are happy with the KB mixer, or carry an external mixer .... they may be ok for you . They don't stack well on carts because of their shape, but overall - they are a nice little speaker with a better than average sound. Not too much bass but ctystal clear in all other ranges.

The KC300 is a big step BACKWARDS from the big brother KC500. They sound ok, but JUST ok. They have an open back with is no good for bass and they are in a very shallow cabinet (again - no good for full, rich bass)
The mixer section has global eq, so if you use more than one instrument - everything shares the same EQ.

The EV SXa100's do not seem heavy to me. They are really well balanced, small in shape and I have no complaints about lugging them around. The small hiss that comes from the horn is not a factor at most playing levels, but it IS there even with no signal present. Goo tight, bas, clear highs and a 2 band EQ make it a good all around choice.

Barbetta uses a piezo type horn and I think it's a little harsh. The shape of the tweeter is very conical and doesn't give much speread to the hi freq. Therefore - the highs sort of lunge out in a straight line, and they don't sound as smooth as I'd like. The overall size and power is good, and they have pole mounts, but do not tilt back for monitor use like the EV and the JBL. This has become one of my favorite features. I often use the speaker tilted up at the audience rather than on a stick ... it's smoother sound that doesn't point directlt at anyone and give bounce off the ceiling for full coverage.

Did I miss anything ? JBL, EV, Barbetta, Roland...... I think that was all your choices. Gopod luck weeding through all our comments. Make sure you test YOUR gear at the store through the speakers. Don't settle for a CD demo or any other compromise. Set up your own gear and do a comprehensive sound check - this is important to your sound. Do it right.