Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8

Posted by: leezone

Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/11/10 01:21 PM

ok,

here we have the $99 speaker vs. the $650 one.

i personally heard the K8's, and i was not impressed.
i was expecting more.
1000w my @ss

what do you guys think?
is the QSC 6.5x better?
Posted by: hitman

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/11/10 01:55 PM

What were you actually expecting or looking for exactly??

Try out the HPR series!
Posted by: leezone

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/11/10 02:21 PM

i own a pair of HPR 12" :-) and they kick @ss

i was just looking for SMALL monitors
Posted by: hitman

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/11/10 07:57 PM

Good Deal.
I played a few times through the HPR's and gotta agree that they kick %ss.
On the other hand, there is not much to expect from an 8" speaker.

I did demo the K-8 series with the K-sub and was quite impressed.
Posted by: Diki

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/11/10 11:12 PM

Anytime you see power output figures without either a peak/average spec, or a distortion THD @ that figure, you can basically completely discount them. They mean NOTHING...

1000W of WHAT? Peak? At 20% THD? Who wants to listen to THAT?

Mind you, Podium's figures are no better. You only have your ears to help you. Best of luck getting a store to let you A/B them.

I know a LOT depends on how big and beefy your main PA is, but I always prefer small monitors in close to bigger ones further away. For the size PA's I tend to get payed through, there's always enough kickback from the subs I don't NEED anything under 200Hz in my monitors, and really not that much up to about 300Hz. Use big monitors, you usually end up with a muddy stage sound, you end up over-driving the darn things to help bring out the mids, next thing you know, it's a runaway situation. Too many people want to hear a flat signal on stage, when they should really be concentrating on those critical mids and upper mids, where all the information is...

Give the audience the Full Monty, but don't shoot too hard for it in your monitors...
Posted by: hitman

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 07:53 AM

Leezone,

why not try one of the shure wireless headphones for monitoring. I think that seems to be the standard today when it comes to live.
Posted by: Diki

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 08:04 AM

Why even bother with wireless, when you are tied to your keyboard, anyway? Save yourself a fortune, get a decent $50-100 pair of good quality in-ears and a headphone extension cord (I found uncoiled is better!) and get the best sound you are EVER going to hear...

And you CAN'T feed back no matter HOW loud you hear yourself!
Posted by: leezone

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 08:52 AM

i tried a $500 pair of shure headphones,
though they sound good...
i don't like being "closed off" from the audience...
i like to hear and feel the sound from the outside as well...
and be able to hear my bandmates talk to me while playing... and hear the chicks too.. :-)
Posted by: cgiles

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 09:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by leezone:
... and hear the chicks too.. :-)


At my age, I don't want to hear what the 'chicks' (his words, not mine, Elizabeth ) are saying. It can't be anything good. How do I know? I own a mirror.

chas
Posted by: Diki

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 09:21 AM

Nothing to stop you putting up a mike (a cheap lavalier works well) to add back in the audience and band-mates, and even better a switch or footswitch (one of those cough-drop things in reverse?) so you can cut it off when you want to, but I know what you are talking about...

Another option is to go for the little over the ears type headphones http://tinyurl.com/5s3sv7 or http://tinyurl.com/ojph2l if hair would hide it, which allow the outside to still be heard...
Posted by: frankieve

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 09:45 AM

you should try these http://www.mackie.com/products/srm150/index.html

------------------
www.AudioworksCT.com
Posted by: Diki

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 10:04 AM

Actually got a pair of those, Frank. Mount them on mike stands, put them at the corners of my G70, run stereo from the output of my G70 to both, then take one aux from the band's mixer to add in vocals and anything else I need, they keep up pretty well with a full-on live band (though just one is pushing it for a really loud band!).

Very little low end, but that's what I like when the subs are pumping! Highly recommended, albeit a tad pricey...
Posted by: leezone

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 10:21 AM

Diki,

would you say you'd get a better sound with 1 Podium 802 8" vs. 2 of these Mackies 5"?
i do know you get mono only w/802's

also...
you could buy 3 of the 802's for the price of ONLY 1 Mackie
Posted by: Diki

Re: Podium PP802A vs. QSC K8 - 02/12/10 01:10 PM

Well, if stereo makes no difference... No, sorry, I can't help myself! Stereo makes a HUGE difference

Primarily, for me, it's about the size of the things. Put up a couple of Podium's in the sweet spot on the corners, and you are almost obscured, compared to the Mackie's... I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Podium's get louder and fuller, but getting the Mackie's in close does the job without taking up any more space onstage than I would without them. Not so the Podium's. The Mackie's are DESIGNED to go on a mike stand, it would be easy if I wanted to make an attachment and mount them on the stand itself, those Podium's are too big for that, so you've got to use speaker stands (much larger).

I like the easy to get to front panel controls, all the little extras (phantom, pass through jacks, RCA, 1/4"/XLR combo jacks, easy EQ access) and the fact that, should it die, my local dealer takes care of it and I get a floor unit to cover me while my repair is sorted out (haven't needed that yet!). I'm afraid that, until the Podium's are widely available locally, I won't touch them, but primarily, it's about size.

Having the controls on the front (where I can get to them while I play) having three band EQ, having four different sets of inputs, including stereo RCA, having a detachable cord (what's with THAT?) and having a frequency response DESIGNED to roll off the low end all count in the Mackie's favor, IMO.

But I wouldn't discourage you from trying the Podium's if you want to just try them out. On paper, they look fine. Crank them to the max, though, to see what they can and can't do...
http://www.mackie.com/products/srm150/
http://www.podiumproaudio.com/podiumproaudioproduct/poweredspeakers.html