The Mackie HD1531 has more of a stylish and sleeker look to it than most speakers do. It also provides a lot of power with 1800 watts and a 15 inch woofer. I love the sound of acoustic guitars coming through these monitors. I have been using them for about 6 months and that is really the only reason that I have kept them is because of how great acoustic guitars and bass guitars sound coming through them. There is just no way I can get rid of these no knowing how great it sounds. There is an adjustable 3 band EQ on it that is easy to operate and get your sound just the way you want it to be. There are no effects on this unit but that is not a huge issue because you can get your effects from other gear. The design of the HD1531 is what visually sticks out about it; there are not many speakers for live applications that are appealing to the eye. Most of them are simple and always look the same but this one has a different style too it and it looks more up to date. So if the look of your live speaker is important than this one will seal the deal for you and your band. The highs and mids are clean, without being too brutal but they can still get loud and be heard clearly. The lows are warm and made for live applications. This is not the type of speaker to have in the studio because it really does add extra coloring to your sound. It is specially designed to give you that “live” sound and feel that every band loves. It is not extremely portable weighing almost a hundred pounds. So that is something you might want to think about before you get it. It will give you a back ache!
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.
