Mackie SRM450v2

[Les]

I'm thinking about buying a pair of Mackie SRM450v2's in the (hopefully) near future, and I was wondering what you all think of them? I have heard that the v1 designs had possible thermal problems, which should be taken care of with the v2's, but some of the reviews I've read point to other reliability with the new models. If I buy these, they will probably come from Sweetwater. I've also looked in to the THUMP (TH-15a) series because the price is attractive, but I really want some decent speakers that are going to last. I'm a bit skeptical on the THUMPS.

Their use will be mostly personal; amplifying a keyboard rig, maybe sometimes a small band that I am a member of (Acoustic/elect guitar, keyboard, vocals, djembe), and possibly a small wedding or two (and maybe use my JRX 12" boxes for fills if the venue is deep). Nothing really huge.

What are your opinions? The SRM450v2's are the highest my budget can handle.

[DaveySimps]

Although I have not used them myself, I know several people who use the V2's and love them. One rental company does not take care of their gear at all. It gets tossed around a lot, stored in non-climate controlled garage in the winter, and bouncing around in vans. They are still running like champs for him.

The Thumps appear to be more of a DJ product with exaggerated low end and not as balanced sounding when compared to the V2's. I heard an A/B comparison of the 2(as well as other boxes in that area of the market) and the Thump definitely lost.

~Dave

[neotrotsky]

+1 to what DaveySimps said. The Thump series really has a harsh sound between 100Hz to 250Hz and MAN does it stick out! But, While I haven't had my hands personally on the SRM's I've seen them used in quite a few gigs and they have a decent sound. The one thing I have learned is that nearly all Mackie products can take a beating like nobody's business. Sure, there may be product that sounds better, but Mackie will always sound decent and will take the hits. Mackies are worth the cash, but it would serve you well to avoid the Thump series. They just don't sound right for anything but consumer/DJ stuff.

[SHARYNF]

If you don't mind used troll Ebay looking for version 1 made in ITALY, they are by far the best Mackie SRM450's

Sharyn

[chausman]

CYT Spokane has some 450's, and we love them. We have (and use) four of them for the past 10ish years, on a regular basis (with kids). They are incredibly durable.

Btw, in case you don't know how to "rig a Mackie srm450" here's a great article. (I copied it because I thought it meant flying them.) http://www.ehow.com/how_8624691_rig-mackie-srm450.html

[BillESC]

A word to the wise from an ex Mackie dealer. Service and parts are iffy on Mackie products. Since Greg sold the company the product line has suffered.

For around the same money EV's SxA360 is a much better cabinet and made in America (amp module comes from Germany.)

[gafftaper]

You might want to look at the EV ZXA1 and/or ZXA5. The cost more but are sweet. I absolutely love the set of ZXA1's we got for my kids' school, clean, loud, and amazingly light weight.

[Les]

Those EV's look pretty good. Not as "pretty" as the Mackies, but I'd prefer something that's going to serve me well over something that'll just sit there and look all sporty. The EV SxA360 looks good (a tad expensive), and I've heard a lot of praise regarding the ZXa1. So should I not let that 8" woofer fool me? That was the main reason I had discounted them at first -- I always thought 12" was pushing it. Especially if I were to use them as small-venue mains. Of course, I have those JRX112m's (running off a QSC GX3) as fills if need be, and I'm sure a sub or two would work wonders. Mostly I plan on using the JunkRX's as monitors for my little band practices. On the rare occasions that we perform, it is either a small venue and/or there is already a system in place.

Those ZXa5's are awesome, but too rich for my blood .

[JohnD]

Hey Les, since you are in Dallas, have you stopped by Sound Productions?
Sound Productions
It might be worth it just to see what they have in stock.
EDIT: Actually not so much to see what they have in stock, but to HEAR what they have in stock.
You might also want to check out the Yamaha DX series, seems to have some good reviews and not much more than the Mackie units. It looks like they have some of the DXR12's in their inventory clearance list, perhaps floor samples?

[SHARYNF]

Those ZXa5's are awesome, but too rich for my blood .

Don't forget the option of just getting ONE ZXa5, they work great and can easily outrun several Mackies. Usually I rather get ONE of what I really like than two of a compromize.

I love the ZXa5, have a bunch of them, the only downside is it only has one handle on the side, and the locking to the tripod does not have a knob but rather needs a screw driver. One of those will definitely out perform 2 of your other alternatives.

Sharyn

[ejsandstrom]

Take a look at the RCF ART series. I demo'd both the Mackies and the RCFs at a store. I ended up buying the RCFs and I still have the opportunity to use both depending on what I am doing. The RCFs blow the mackies away in sound quality. Now with that said we use Mackies for our floor monitors, and they just keep working. They get beat up and stepped on, they dont get turned off so they pop when we trip the breakers, but they always just work.

[Les]

Thank you all for your recommendations! I will investigate them all more closely.

Those RCF's look quite amazing. The RCF ART 312a looks like a great box and I have only read positive reviews for them. They're also priced really well!