Active subwoofers

The JBL Pro PRX 618S is a 1,000 watt active subwoofer that has a really low response. Anyone who needs to have that really low bass for their show; this is the sub to get. It sounds great in small and larger spaces and when paired with the right speaker cabinets it gives an all around complete sound that is very full and rich. The woofer is 18 inches which was bigger than the woofer that I was using before it, I was not sure how much the size would matter because in most situations when I comes to a woofer a few inches will not make that much of a difference. So it was not the size of this woofer that makes me love it, it is the frequency range and how it handles the low bass. This sub weighs around 80 pounds which is not bad considering it is an 18 inch and sounds great. It has 2 XLR outputs and 2 XLR or ¼ inputs. It is self powered and can be mounted on a pole. Most of the artist that I know that recommended me get this subwoofer told me they think it sounds better on a pole so that is the way that we have used it the most. The price of this speaker was a little on the high side but if you want a great sound you will have to pay for it. I made my original purchase of the JBL PRX618S in 2011 and since then I have purchased another one. These are now being used as our main subs for most of the shows that we run. This sub is truly one of the best on the market, and compared to high end subs the price really isn’t that bad. This sub is a must have for anyone who is a live performer or runs the audio set ups for clubs and venues.

The Yamaha DXS15 is a 15 inch 600 watt active sub with a clean sounding low end bass at moderate volumes. If you start to really crank it up you will start to notice a little amount of distortion. It does have a high power class D amplifier and it is simple to add this to your bands set up. I say this is good for a band because if you are a DJ you would not want to rely on the inconsistencies with the low end distortion problems when you are cranking up your music for the club. This is the perfect sub for like a band or a drummer because it is clean and responds well to instruments. The price is very affordable but I still feel like with its ability to deliver deep bass and with all of the power that it has; it should be able to be turned up to high volumes without getting distorted but that was not the case for me. I have recently used this twice at a club that already had it as the main sub. It did not need to bring my own sub in because they already had this set up. I do wish I would have brought my own though because I do not feel like this sub made my sound the best it could possibly be. The frequency range is 45 hz to 160 kHz which is pretty standard for smaller and mid-sized clubs/venues. This club was a mid-sized club that probably only had 350 people in it at that most and when I cranked it up I could definitely hear some distortion in the bass. The bass was very low and deep, it actually sounded great until I went to a very high volume once the dance floor was packed and the energy in the room started to change. Maybe I tried to overdue it too much because I was feeding off of the energy of the room or maybe this sub just cannot handle high volumes. Either way I was not happy and will not be purchasing this sub. I have other subs of my own that cost less and give a clean sound at high volumes all of the time. I am not sure what was going on with the DXS15 from Yamaha.

The QSC KW181 is a 1,000 watt 18” subwoofer that has a class D power module. This is the type of sub that will make your thump sound better than it really is. Just using this to listen to a previously recorded song that we did really shocked us because out of all of the other subs that we have used this is the one that exaggerated the low end, which could be a good and a bad thing if you are not careful. This sub is lightweight any easy to transport, it is also very durable and will last you a long time. We have bumped this amp so many times because for certain gigs we take a smaller truck and for some reason we don’t have good luck with unloading and loading it up. But it still keeps working perfectly but it does get nicks and scraps pretty easily though. There are handles on it that make it easy to carry especially if you have to carry it a good ways to get it inside. Because with it weighing almost 100 pounds you don’t think that any handles could help with that load it will put on your back and legs but the weight really isn’t an issue with the KW181. The maximum peak is 135 decibels and the driver size is 1 x 18. It gives you all of the drive and power you need for your whole set up. There are even dual balanced inputs (XLR) and dual balanced outputs. The frequency range is very good (40-112Hz), and for the price of this sub it could be one of the best options for someone looking for a new sub for their set up. If I had to get rid of any sub that I had and just keep one this would be the one that I would keep just because of the sound it provides and how durable it is.

This is a bigger sub with a power amp and stereo blanced outputs and not to mention the switch able high pass filter that can really get the job done. We make a lot of music with a lot of low end baselines and thump. So we always are in need of a woofer that can handle those low end sounds and thumps. This sub is only 500 watts but it feels like its much more and when you hook it up to your existing system it will just fit perfect you will think it all came together in one package. You will get a great low end sound out of this even playing those really really low sub bass tones that most subs cant even pick up this can pick them up perfectly. We even do mixes of our songs specifically for this sub because we know that when we perform we want some of those low ends on our drops to just pop out and take control of the whole song and the JBL EON 518S allows us to achieve that without any problems. I am very pleased with the quality of the 518’s and I find myself recommending them to so many different people who make music with a lot of low end it them. The low end is thick and clean, so if you have a hardstyle kick and low bass notes you will need a sub woofer like this one that can get the job done, the sound carries really well no matter where you are in or outdoors with this sub. I highly recommend at least trying it. It is also very affordable , its more affordable than most other subs and sounds better than most. I have used better subs than this one, but for price and quality you wont get any better.

(Originally written by studio23/translated from Audiofanzine FR) I just got my PCF 905AS. First surprise: they are not heavy (my back will be grateful). Second surprise: although not broken in yet, they have a huge dynamic range so I guess the sound ought to get very good after some hours of operation... To be continued... I'm back with a new post... After a few hours one speaker produces AC noise at 50 Hz. So I'll go back to the dealer to contact RCF's after sale service... To be continued... I'm back again: I just got the third speaker and it's a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT because the problem is worse than on the second speaker! The 50Hz noise is actually louder and an additional hum can be heard. It's very strange for a subwoofer, isn't it? I'll go back to the dealer. I'm starting to lose my faith in RCF's quality control. To be continued... It's me again: I called the RCF representative and I was positively impressed by his commitment. Congratulations. He proposed me a solution right away. I have an appointment on Friday, HATS OFF! I'm confident they will find the defect on this HMX series... The HLX series works great... See ya! william

The K Sub will give you the sound you need for your live set up. I have heard the QSC K Sub in over 25 different situations and venues and I don’t have a single complaint about it except for maybe the fact that it is not priced to sell. It cost 1200 dollars which did scare me off at first until the guys at GC explained to me that if I didn’t like it I could return it which kind of gave me a little piece of mind. But after hearing it there was no way that I was going to return it. It took our sound to a whole new lever when we used it at some of the bigger places we play at. If you want to get studio type of quality on stage then this sub will do it. You will be able to give your listeners the same experience you have when being in the studio and mastering the song for the first time. The K Sub is a fully active dual 12 inch sub that has 1,000 watts and has some major thump to it. It has also pretty portable but it is nowhere as near as light as some of the other subs that we have used, so getting this in and out of the trunk does cause some problems because it weighs over 70 pounds easy. You can pole mount it if you choose and it has ¼ and XLR connections on it. The frequency range is 48 to 134 HZ, which is pretty wide and it has enough power to get your small to medium sized clubs (indoor) enough thump to get the crowd moving. I have used several other subs from QSC. They make some really good ones but the K Sub is one of my favorites that they make.

The DSR118W from Yamaha is an 800 watt powered PA sub that has an 18 inch driver. This sub is very portable and easy to carry due to the heavy duty built in handles on the side of the sub. When you purchase this sub you will get an automatic 5 year warranty just in case something with it happens. This sub has 48 bit sound processing and an amazing sound with very low end frequencies. Out of all of the times that I have used this subwoofer in the last year I have not had a single issue or complaint with it. The DSR series from Yamaha is one of the best lines they have come out with because of the people that are behind this line of subs. The engineers really went to work on the DSR line and made a high quality efficient sub that is great for DJ’s and gigging musicians. They do make the DSR subs in different sizes for different sized venues so it will depend on exactly what you need It for to know if you purchase the 118W or another one. But this one has a very clean sound even when turned up to max volumes in larger spaces. This subwoofer is on the heavier size though weighing almost 100 pounds but it is still pretty easy to carry due to the handles and overall shape of the subwoofer. There are 2 XLR inputs and 2 XLR outputs on it with a frequency range of 50 hz to 110 hz. It is only about 20 inches tall and about 2 feet wide making it simple to get into a car with a good sized back seat or trunk space. It also has a crossover frequency of 120 hz. I highly recommend this woofer because of not only the quality and sound but the warranty that comes with it. You do not find many speakers or subs that come with a 5 year warranty!

The JBL PRX618S is an active 18 inch sub that only has 600 watts. The frequency response is 41 Hz to 130 Hz but it does not sound like the range is that low. Most of your really low bass tones will not be heard in this woofer. I personally just think it is because there is not enough power behind it to drive the really low end sounds. If you are going to pay 1000 dollars for this sub you mine as well save a little more and upgrade to the “Pro” model which cost a few hundred dollars more but it is well worth the extra money spend considering the sound that you will get and you will get more power out of it. This woofer has a 36mm pole mount insert and metal handles for carrying it. It does still weight 70 pounds which is almost as much as the Pro model is. This sub does seem to be pretty durable though, if used as a floor sub it will not slide on you because it has rubber grips on the bottom which come in handy because when subs start booming they can slide on a hard slick surface. The sound quality of this amp is good, the lows are clean but it does not reach the very low tones like the Pro model. I do not recommend getting this; unless you cannot not afford to pay the extra money for the Pro model. To me this woofer is really a waste of time considering how great the next version up is. This is the type of subwoofer that is great for small venues but in a larger venue the bass will not be present because it cannot handle a larger space. But if you get the Pro model it will sound great in a smaller space and even a larger space or outdoors.

The SRM1801 is a powered sub woofer that puts out 1000 watts of booming low end sound. It is very portable and light weight. Every since this sub has been added to one of our set ups our low end sound has become very clean, even when pumped up to max levels. This is the perfect bass woofer for smaller venues and clubs. I do not recommend using it in a bigger space or an outdoor space because I don’t feel like it sounds as good. We originally purchased this back in 2010 and have used it probably over 30 times now for smaller clubs and venues. This sub has a low frequency filter and it also has a high pass filter that will let you run it to your main amplifier without the need to have an extra crossover. For the money this will be the best sub woofer that you can purchase. Mackie has many great subs but most of them cost a good amount of money so I was actually surprised to see them come out with a woofer that was affordable for anyone and still had a great sound with amazing features. Another thing that surprised me with this woofer is how light it is, I did not expect it to be anywhere close to as light as it is. I have no problem getting this in and out of the storage unit and to shows via our van. The frequency response is 50Hz to 115 Hz. This 18 inch woofer is well worth the money, and out of all of my years being a DJ, sound engineer and “roadie” I have not heard many other woofers that can compete with the sound of the Mackie SRM1801 (in this price range). This woofer is a must have for any DJ who needs to add some boom for their sets.

The Mackie HD1501 is a high quality PA subwoofer that after just a few minutes with it you will see what all of the talk is about with Mackie subs. You will get nothing but clean low end bass with this subwoofer. It has that kind of low end that if you crank it all the way up it, you can feel it in your bones. The low end frequencies are just flat out amazing. It will get that low end thump without getting distorted; it keeps the deep bass as clean as it can possible get at those frequencies. The Mackie HD1501 is a self powered amp with a driver size of 15”. There are 2 XLR inputs and 2 XLR outputs. This subwoofer did weigh more than expects. I weighs around 75 to 85 pounds and can be a workout getting it out of a van and into the club and vice versa. Before purchasing you will need to think not only about how good it will sound with your set up but how much stress is it going to put on you lugging it around all night. This subwoofer can be pole mounted making it a full range speaker. I have used many Mackie subwoofers in my time, and this is one of the better ones while still keeping the price reasonable; because some Mackie subwoofers can get really expensive. I have been using this subwoofer for a while now and I can say I am very pleased with it and plan on having it and using it for many years to come. I have also used the Mackie HD1801 and SRM1801 and still own the K Sub and KW181. So I am no rookie when it comes to subs, if you want the best one you can get for under a grand; you need to get this HD1501.

The Mackie DLM12S has more than enough low frequency drive to give you a massive and heavy sound. This 12 inch powered sub woofer has 2,000 watts of amps, you can mount it on a pole if you wish to do so but you will have to purchase the pole separately. At first this sub will seem very big and bulky and it even has a little more weight to it than I was expecting for it to have. But it is all worth the back aches of carrying it once you hear how great it sounds. I have used the SRM1801 and the HD1801, comparing those to models to this model (since they are the most popular ones from Mackie) is not needed because it is a lot better and it cost about the same price as the HD1801. All three of those models are pretty big, they say that theDLM12S is more portable because it only weights 50 pounds but to me it seems like it weighs more and maybe because it is just harder to pick up and carry because of the way the handles are. I do not regret our decision on using this monitor because the sound of it is amazing and is by far the best thing about it. It also has 2 outputs that will allow you to connect some other speakers to it for a bigger sound depending on what you need it for. This woofer is a must have, it is not that expensive and has a sleek and modern design. I have gotten a lot of compliments from other bands when they see me setting this up. I only use it on a pole and not on the floor just because I like the way it sounds better rose off of the floor. But either way you choose to use it, you will love the low end that it gives you.

I am mostly a techno/trance DJ, and have been doing this for about 3 years now. I got a pair of SRS1500's (used) from a music store in New York for $1100. The bass response is very good. I bought the pair thinking I'd need to be using both since they are relatively small speakers, but after trying it once, now most of the time I only bring one along. With both, I've filled large ballrooms with over 500 people. The sound quality and amplification was so good that I ended up realizing that my mixer was actually distorting the bass a bit when the volume was turned up high. I ended upgrading to a better mixer (the way I finally realized this was when I borrowed a friend's mixer). With the previous subs I had, the sound was muddy enough that you couldn't tell - but the Mackies give such crisp sound that you immediately hear when things are distorting. They are heavy. Carrying them up stairs is especially annoying. I can manage them by myself, but in general I'd recommend having two people to move them. These speakers are very solidly built. I bought them used, and I still haven't had any problems with them. I tend to put them out on the dance floor, and even though I do my best to cordon them off inevitably people always decide they make good surfaces for putting drinks on. They've survived a couple of spilled drinks already with no problems. I highly recommend these to anyone looking for some serious bass in a compact package. The only speaker I've heard that beats these is a custom-built dual-18" sub that weighs nearly twice as much. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com