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Headphone Shootout - Dr. Dre Beat Pro vs. Sennheiser HD25 vs. Sony MDR-V6 vs. Sony MDR-V700
Getting straight to the point:
((( Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's )))
They have excellent sound quality. You wanna hear every nuance and instrument playing in your track and not miss a detail?... then the HD25's are the headphones for you. I listened to Donald Fagen's "New Frontier" and heard instruments and clarity that the other headphones didn't quite reveal (with the exception of the MDR-V6's). As far as sound isolation, these are surprisingly excellent as well; you almost get the impression of dead silence from background noise. When you first put the Senn HD25's on, you'll get the feeling of them being flimsy and very light weight. Once you position them correctly, you quickly realize that the outside noises seem as if they go away. This is surprising considering the earcups rest on your ears and not enveloping them like most other over-ear headphones. My Senns have a single-sided coiled cable. They reach the other side by running through one of the headbands via a slot. Some people have issues with this design but I find that the cable stays very secure and I never worry about them coming loose. My only qualm with the HD25's is the bass is not quite as prominent as the vocals and clarity. It's as if sound delivery emphasis was purposely put on vocals and the instrument realm. The bass response is not weak at all and I would rate it as very good, it's just not quite as prominent as I'd like it. With the styles of music I primarily listen to: R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Top40 Pop... I'd prefer a little more bass impact from my headphones.
((( Sony MDR-V700 )))
By themselves they sound good. The have good clarity and good bass response. As far as isolation, they were the worst of the 4 headphones. When you put them on your head, the earpad portion seems rest against my ears like two flat bricks. I really don't understand why as they have padding. These headphones are industry standard, cookie-cutter designed. They're nearly 100% plastic and they do break at various places... especially the hinges. For me, this is not an option for the rigors mobile DJ duty. I've already replaced the original earpads as the old ones deteriorated very quickly (within 2 to 3 years). The headband, with SONY written on them, has also deteriorated and needs to be replaced. Both disintegrating pads will leave tiny Black flakes on your ears, hair and face if not replaced. These are good general purpose DJ headphones and I only emphasize 'good'.
((( Beats By Dre Pro )))
These are very stylish and sound great. What you'll quickly notice is that the bass response of the Beats Pro's is phenomenal, immense, deep and the impact crazy high! To audiophiles, this isn't a good thing as some prefer a more flat sound. For the casual headphone listener, listening via a laptop or iPod, you want this added bass response. I don't want to thumb through my iPod settings trying to adjust the bass EQ for each and every song. I'd prefer my headphones to have the sound I'd typically set my car or club sound system to (heavy on the bass, good clarity, not distorted and very good highs). As far as isolation, I found these to be among the best of the bunch. As far as comfort, when I initially used them at one of my gigs, I was running them with one earcup swiveled upwards and the left side resting at normal over ear position. They felt uncomfortable that 1st night; however, they now feel great and are my GoTo headphone of choice. Some people say they're fatiguing and heavy. They may be on the heavy side to my other headphones but I do not find them fatiguing at all. I noticed on my NS7 that at very high volume levels, these headphones do not sound distorted. You'd think the bass heaviness would be a hindrance when you'd seek less headphone bass for club gigs but I've found the contrary. They sound very solid at loud volumes; more so than the rest of the bunch. When listening to iTunes via my laptop, I found the Beats Pro's to be very efficient and highly sensitive. This efficiency and high sensitivity translates to being very loud with very little laptop volume. The other 3 headphones require my Macbook Pro to be at full volume and they still did not get as loud as the Beat Pro's. The volume level at the MacBook Pro's loudest volume is actually too loud for comfortable listening levels on the Beats. Construction quality and materials is where the Beat Pro's shine best. They are all-metal construction unlike their competition. This should translate to a very long lasting headphone. I don't understand why other manufacturers still make headphones with plastic construction and why DJ's still buy their junk. I originally purchased my Sony MDR-V6's back in '94 or '95. They are a testament to what metal headphone construction can mean for longevity. I expect the Beats Pro's to last just as long...
((( Sony MDR-V6 )))
As far as sound quality, I'd put the Sony MDR-V6's just about neck-and-neck with the Sennheiser HD25's. They sound excellent. Everything I said about the Senn's fits with the Sony MDR-V6's with the exception of the lowest of lows. The Senns seem to be slightly more solid sounding with the low level 20-40Hz stuff. Not many tracks produced these days have bass kicks down in this region. If they do, most MI-quality PA speakers won't respond well to it and usually flub. Some tracks I used in my listening tests for these notes were horribly made by the producers but have really deep bass kicks: "I Love Your Girl" by Dream and "I Think I Love Her" by Gucci Mane. On a so-so sound system, you'll probably be disappointed in the bass response because all of it lives so far down low. On these two tracks, the Monster Beats Pro's easily revealed what the producers were trying to do as far as bass. The Sennheiser HD25's did an okay job; the very low bass notes sounded somewhat full and together. The Sony's V6's had the same similar sound as the Senns but the bass down low was slightly more hollow and the MDR-V700's simply didn't cut it. Their bass flubbed and really didn't respond well to such low notes. The build and construction quality of the MDR-V6's are excellent. I've had mine since '94 or '95 (possibly even earlier) and they're still going strong. I've only had to replace the earpads once and the headband bottom area lost some of its leatherette coating but the underside is a solid and resilient fabric. The newer versions of the MDR-V6's are the MDR-7506's. I'd recommend them highly for anyone looking for a low-cost headphone solution. They typically cost less than $100.
In conclusion:
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro
Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's
Sony MDR-V-6
Third place...
Sony MDR-V700
((( Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's )))
They have excellent sound quality. You wanna hear every nuance and instrument playing in your track and not miss a detail?... then the HD25's are the headphones for you. I listened to Donald Fagen's "New Frontier" and heard instruments and clarity that the other headphones didn't quite reveal (with the exception of the MDR-V6's). As far as sound isolation, these are surprisingly excellent as well; you almost get the impression of dead silence from background noise. When you first put the Senn HD25's on, you'll get the feeling of them being flimsy and very light weight. Once you position them correctly, you quickly realize that the outside noises seem as if they go away. This is surprising considering the earcups rest on your ears and not enveloping them like most other over-ear headphones. My Senns have a single-sided coiled cable. They reach the other side by running through one of the headbands via a slot. Some people have issues with this design but I find that the cable stays very secure and I never worry about them coming loose. My only qualm with the HD25's is the bass is not quite as prominent as the vocals and clarity. It's as if sound delivery emphasis was purposely put on vocals and the instrument realm. The bass response is not weak at all and I would rate it as very good, it's just not quite as prominent as I'd like it. With the styles of music I primarily listen to: R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Top40 Pop... I'd prefer a little more bass impact from my headphones.
((( Sony MDR-V700 )))
By themselves they sound good. The have good clarity and good bass response. As far as isolation, they were the worst of the 4 headphones. When you put them on your head, the earpad portion seems rest against my ears like two flat bricks. I really don't understand why as they have padding. These headphones are industry standard, cookie-cutter designed. They're nearly 100% plastic and they do break at various places... especially the hinges. For me, this is not an option for the rigors mobile DJ duty. I've already replaced the original earpads as the old ones deteriorated very quickly (within 2 to 3 years). The headband, with SONY written on them, has also deteriorated and needs to be replaced. Both disintegrating pads will leave tiny Black flakes on your ears, hair and face if not replaced. These are good general purpose DJ headphones and I only emphasize 'good'.
((( Beats By Dre Pro )))
These are very stylish and sound great. What you'll quickly notice is that the bass response of the Beats Pro's is phenomenal, immense, deep and the impact crazy high! To audiophiles, this isn't a good thing as some prefer a more flat sound. For the casual headphone listener, listening via a laptop or iPod, you want this added bass response. I don't want to thumb through my iPod settings trying to adjust the bass EQ for each and every song. I'd prefer my headphones to have the sound I'd typically set my car or club sound system to (heavy on the bass, good clarity, not distorted and very good highs). As far as isolation, I found these to be among the best of the bunch. As far as comfort, when I initially used them at one of my gigs, I was running them with one earcup swiveled upwards and the left side resting at normal over ear position. They felt uncomfortable that 1st night; however, they now feel great and are my GoTo headphone of choice. Some people say they're fatiguing and heavy. They may be on the heavy side to my other headphones but I do not find them fatiguing at all. I noticed on my NS7 that at very high volume levels, these headphones do not sound distorted. You'd think the bass heaviness would be a hindrance when you'd seek less headphone bass for club gigs but I've found the contrary. They sound very solid at loud volumes; more so than the rest of the bunch. When listening to iTunes via my laptop, I found the Beats Pro's to be very efficient and highly sensitive. This efficiency and high sensitivity translates to being very loud with very little laptop volume. The other 3 headphones require my Macbook Pro to be at full volume and they still did not get as loud as the Beat Pro's. The volume level at the MacBook Pro's loudest volume is actually too loud for comfortable listening levels on the Beats. Construction quality and materials is where the Beat Pro's shine best. They are all-metal construction unlike their competition. This should translate to a very long lasting headphone. I don't understand why other manufacturers still make headphones with plastic construction and why DJ's still buy their junk. I originally purchased my Sony MDR-V6's back in '94 or '95. They are a testament to what metal headphone construction can mean for longevity. I expect the Beats Pro's to last just as long...
((( Sony MDR-V6 )))
As far as sound quality, I'd put the Sony MDR-V6's just about neck-and-neck with the Sennheiser HD25's. They sound excellent. Everything I said about the Senn's fits with the Sony MDR-V6's with the exception of the lowest of lows. The Senns seem to be slightly more solid sounding with the low level 20-40Hz stuff. Not many tracks produced these days have bass kicks down in this region. If they do, most MI-quality PA speakers won't respond well to it and usually flub. Some tracks I used in my listening tests for these notes were horribly made by the producers but have really deep bass kicks: "I Love Your Girl" by Dream and "I Think I Love Her" by Gucci Mane. On a so-so sound system, you'll probably be disappointed in the bass response because all of it lives so far down low. On these two tracks, the Monster Beats Pro's easily revealed what the producers were trying to do as far as bass. The Sennheiser HD25's did an okay job; the very low bass notes sounded somewhat full and together. The Sony's V6's had the same similar sound as the Senns but the bass down low was slightly more hollow and the MDR-V700's simply didn't cut it. Their bass flubbed and really didn't respond well to such low notes. The build and construction quality of the MDR-V6's are excellent. I've had mine since '94 or '95 (possibly even earlier) and they're still going strong. I've only had to replace the earpads once and the headband bottom area lost some of its leatherette coating but the underside is a solid and resilient fabric. The newer versions of the MDR-V6's are the MDR-7506's. I'd recommend them highly for anyone looking for a low-cost headphone solution. They typically cost less than $100.
In conclusion:
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro
- all around headphone solution
- stylish (they draw a lot of attention)
- nice fit (on my head)
- comfy earpads
- excellent isolation
- sound quality holds together at loud volumes
- top notch all-metal construction
- top notch bass... actually, a little too much bass
- they swivel and tuck away for storage
- very expensive ($350+)
Sennheiser HD 25-1 II's
- truly excellent detail on any track
- excellent isolation
- ugly hockey puck looks
- they swivel
- very light weight
- no tuck options for easy storage
- very good to excellent construction that seems to last
- moderately expensive ($170+)
Sony MDR-V-6
- excellent detail on any track
- good isolation but not quite as good as the Sennsheisers
- excellent construction that's is proven to last
- they tuck away for storage
- no swivel options
- not expensive (< $120 anywhere)
Third place...
Sony MDR-V700
- good sounding
- the earpads flip and tuck away for storage
- poor durability padding that quickly deteriorates
- all plastic design which is prone to break (why bother?)
- not expensive (<$130 anywhere)
System Update - EV QRX 212/75's with Danley TH-118's
In an effort to provide the best sound possible, I recently made an addition to the Channel Live Productions gig rig. I purchased 2 EV QRX 212/75's.
These speakers more than exceed my expectations. Compared to my prior (returned) JBL PRX635's, the EV's are in a totally different league. They are very clear, they get very loud and the clarity does not struggle at the loudest of volume. I still have the ZXa5's; however, they don't have the muscle of the QRX's two 12" drivers and 3" horn. I'm trying now to decide on an appropriate amplifier to power them with. The candidates are the new Crown XTI 4002, a Crown MA5000i or an EV CP3000s. Decision, decisions...
These speakers more than exceed my expectations. Compared to my prior (returned) JBL PRX635's, the EV's are in a totally different league. They are very clear, they get very loud and the clarity does not struggle at the loudest of volume. I still have the ZXa5's; however, they don't have the muscle of the QRX's two 12" drivers and 3" horn. I'm trying now to decide on an appropriate amplifier to power them with. The candidates are the new Crown XTI 4002, a Crown MA5000i or an EV CP3000s. Decision, decisions...
JBL PRX635 Update
Update...
Both JBL PRX635 speakers failed me last night. The left-side speaker's sound totally went out twice and the right-side speaker's volume died once. On each occasion, when the sound died, the speaker had to be powered down for about 5-10 minuts to cool off but once powered back on, the sound played again. Of course, my levels on each and every track played where, at most, in the yellow (no clipping anywhere in the signal path). The speakers input sensitivity level was no higher than 12 o'clock. I had been using them since 6pm and the failure occurred around 11pm when the crowd got larger and the sound levels started to increase.
The sound, especially the bass, is very impressive with these PRX635's but they must go as I've got to have a reliable speaker solution. I'm not sure what I'll replace them with.
JBL... you MUST address these PRX635 hot amp and speaker failure issues.
Both JBL PRX635 speakers failed me last night. The left-side speaker's sound totally went out twice and the right-side speaker's volume died once. On each occasion, when the sound died, the speaker had to be powered down for about 5-10 minuts to cool off but once powered back on, the sound played again. Of course, my levels on each and every track played where, at most, in the yellow (no clipping anywhere in the signal path). The speakers input sensitivity level was no higher than 12 o'clock. I had been using them since 6pm and the failure occurred around 11pm when the crowd got larger and the sound levels started to increase.
The sound, especially the bass, is very impressive with these PRX635's but they must go as I've got to have a reliable speaker solution. I'm not sure what I'll replace them with.
JBL... you MUST address these PRX635 hot amp and speaker failure issues.
JBL PRX635 review
I've been recently looking for an affordable solution to improving my rig's overall sound quality. I'm currently running 2 Danley TH-118 horn-loaded subs with 2 Electro-voice ZXa5 active 2-way tops. Although the ZXa5's are perhaps the loudest active cabinets I've heard to date, I felt that they have a hard time keeping up with my Danleys especially when the subs are clustered. I recently did a gig for Agnes Scott College with over 700 in attendance and I had the EV's on the edge of comfort as far as volume goes. I also find that the EV's get a little raspy in the mids when they're pushed at high volume. I have yet to hear any other manufacturers 2-way match the ZXa5's in sheer output and sound quality but felt to achieve clarity at higher volumes, a 3-way top was in order.
I researched and debated between passive and active cabinets. I like the fact that management and monitoring of passive tops can be achieved with my amp rack placed near me while mixing + the fact of NOT having to place speakers near a power outlet (as with actives). The downside of passive boxes were the need to bi-amp in order to get the best overall sound quality. I also had a hard time finding dual-driver and horn or 3-way cabinets that were pole-mountable. I was really leaning toward the EV QRX212/75's but not pole mountable. I liked the RCF 4Pro6001-A's but too heavy and not pole mountable. I listened to the Yorkville U15PB. It was pole-mountable with excellent sound quality but it wasn't quite loud enough and was far too heavy. A good option was the JTR Triple 12x's. They are 3-way cabinets, 74 lbs, have a good reputation with sound quality and pole mountable but the brand is not as well known, there are no local places to hear them, plus they seem to switch up models with upgrades and higher specs every year which would irritate me. I also was close to choosing the QSC KW153 or the Mackie HD1531. Both were compared to my ZXa5 and although they had a better overall sound, especially the HD1531, they were both too heavy weighing in at 87 and 96 lbs respectively.
I finally decided on the JBL PRX635. None of my local vendors had them in stock but I happened up on a pair at my local Sam Ash. I brought in my ZXa5 and personal sound-quality CD to do some comparative listening and here's what I found:
Sound quality = JBL PRX635 (The 3-way design gives a better overall sound in comparison to the 2-way ZXa5. With all tracks being played with no equalization, the EV has more of a mid-range presence but a little too much when playing the music at loud volumes. The EV's highs are nice and tingly at lower to normal volume levels; more so than the JBL, which is an advantage for EV. The PRX's starts to shine and its mids and highs sound smoother at higher volume levels whereas the ZXa5's seem excessively bright. The lows and bass kicks reach deeper and more solid on the PRX being +-3dB at 53Hz and I wasn't even running them in deep mode. I played 2Pac's "Violent" and my EV's gave a air'ish buzzing sound from the back side of the cabinet on the lowest of bass-frequency notes whereas the JBL's just reproduced the low frequency as it was intended. The EV's are in no way slouches when it comes to bass from a 2-way cabinet but in comparison to the 3-way, it was no contest. Another song I used was "Frankenstein" - Edgar Winter Group. I looped the breakdown section of this song that has a heavy percussive and kickdrum section. You can really hear the separation of the snares and cymbals on the 3-way PRX as compared the 2-way ZXa5. The ZXa5 sounded a little thin on the kick sections in comparison to the PRX. I did the same looping method on a couple of Steely Dan and George Benson tracks. With my EV's at higher volumes, I hear harshness of the artist's vocals especially when snares hit at the same time, whereas the JBL's sound a lot smoother without all the harshness).
Loudness = EV ZXa5 (The EV ZXa5's are very loud especially considering they're plastic smaller-sized enclosures + only 50 lbs. This loudness doesn't necessarily equate to the best sound as they can get harsh depending on the type of music you're playing. I have yet to hear any other 2-way active speaker come near the EV in sheer output and overall sound quality. I'm sure there are plenty out there but not less than $1500. For the JBL, I found I had to turn the input level gain to nearly max sensitivity as well as add +3dB on my DSP to equal out the sound level between the two tops. With both tops at the same volume level and the JBL at nearly clipping, the EV sounded more harsh and overly bright as mentioned earlier. The JBL's low end and bass kick had more impact, was fuller and more controlled than the EV's. The EV had more room to get even louder but I'm not sure I'd necessarily want to).
Weight = EV ZXa5 (The EV ZXa5's weigh in at 50 lbs and the JBL PRX635's are 60 lbs. I pole-mounted the JBL's on my K&M speaker stand and they sit at a very nice height level. With the speakers being taller, you should run the stands with the legs spread out as far as possible. I didn't notice any leaning with the speaker on top of the stand and I gave it a nudge and noticed no top-heavy swaying. It seemed very stable).
Ergonomics = JBL PRX635 (The JBL's have a smartly designed bass port that doubles as a handle, plus, 2 handles on both sides of the enclosure. They are actually easier to carry than the EV's due to them having only one carry handle... very ingenious EV. The look of the JBL PRX series is very nice especially sitting on top of my subs. They look uniform together with both having dura-liner type finishes as I think presentation is important. When sitting on top of my subs, the top of the JBL PRX635 reaches at least 6'5". I have no complaints and like the look of the EV ZXa5's. They have a tuxedo-like appearance to me and photographers don't shy away from them when taking pictures at wedding gigs).
Build quality = TIE (I actually prefer the JBL's due to it's dura-liner type wood finish as opposed to the EV poly-plastic enclosure. The EV's are definitely the best plastic speaker I've heard but wood enclosures generally have better sound quality and tone. The grills on the JBL's seem pretty sturdy and not very likely to dent if bumped. I will say I noticed the JBL's amps got pretty warm when playing them. I had both speakers at loud (not clipping) volumes for a good hour. The EV's amps was just about as warm as well so the amp temps may be a moot point).
Features = TIE (The PRX has a bass boost and a mic/line button. The bass boost takes you down another 3Hz +-3dB. This can be very useful when you're wanting to run your JBL's without a sub. One thing the JBL's lack is a HPF. Most active tops I've seen let you high-pass the tops at the push of a button usually at 100Hz or higher. I guess JBL is counting on people buying their PRX subs which have high-pass output XLR ports to handle this. I'll be counting on my EV DC-One processor to handle the HPF of my tops. The EV's have a HPF at 100Hz but somebody at EV forgot to put the limit light on the cabinets).
Price = JBL PRX635 (I got these on a Black Friday 20% off sale so that's $799 each. The EV's were nearly $1400 each).
Note: I also recently compared the JBL PRX615 to the QSC KW152. I felt they were on par as far as tonal quality at nominal volumes with a slight edge going to the QSC but the PRX615 outshines the KW152 when pushed to clipping levels. The QSC seemed to wanna break up and squash certain portions of the sound whereas the JBL held the track and notes together nicely without heavy degradation in sound. This sound comparison was done for only few minutes. JBL seems to have put in a well-designed limiter in their PRX series units, they made them SUPER light weight and they finally did away with those orange logos. I'm happy with my purchase and would definitely consider the other PRX600 series tops if needed.
I researched and debated between passive and active cabinets. I like the fact that management and monitoring of passive tops can be achieved with my amp rack placed near me while mixing + the fact of NOT having to place speakers near a power outlet (as with actives). The downside of passive boxes were the need to bi-amp in order to get the best overall sound quality. I also had a hard time finding dual-driver and horn or 3-way cabinets that were pole-mountable. I was really leaning toward the EV QRX212/75's but not pole mountable. I liked the RCF 4Pro6001-A's but too heavy and not pole mountable. I listened to the Yorkville U15PB. It was pole-mountable with excellent sound quality but it wasn't quite loud enough and was far too heavy. A good option was the JTR Triple 12x's. They are 3-way cabinets, 74 lbs, have a good reputation with sound quality and pole mountable but the brand is not as well known, there are no local places to hear them, plus they seem to switch up models with upgrades and higher specs every year which would irritate me. I also was close to choosing the QSC KW153 or the Mackie HD1531. Both were compared to my ZXa5 and although they had a better overall sound, especially the HD1531, they were both too heavy weighing in at 87 and 96 lbs respectively.
I finally decided on the JBL PRX635. None of my local vendors had them in stock but I happened up on a pair at my local Sam Ash. I brought in my ZXa5 and personal sound-quality CD to do some comparative listening and here's what I found:
Sound quality = JBL PRX635 (The 3-way design gives a better overall sound in comparison to the 2-way ZXa5. With all tracks being played with no equalization, the EV has more of a mid-range presence but a little too much when playing the music at loud volumes. The EV's highs are nice and tingly at lower to normal volume levels; more so than the JBL, which is an advantage for EV. The PRX's starts to shine and its mids and highs sound smoother at higher volume levels whereas the ZXa5's seem excessively bright. The lows and bass kicks reach deeper and more solid on the PRX being +-3dB at 53Hz and I wasn't even running them in deep mode. I played 2Pac's "Violent" and my EV's gave a air'ish buzzing sound from the back side of the cabinet on the lowest of bass-frequency notes whereas the JBL's just reproduced the low frequency as it was intended. The EV's are in no way slouches when it comes to bass from a 2-way cabinet but in comparison to the 3-way, it was no contest. Another song I used was "Frankenstein" - Edgar Winter Group. I looped the breakdown section of this song that has a heavy percussive and kickdrum section. You can really hear the separation of the snares and cymbals on the 3-way PRX as compared the 2-way ZXa5. The ZXa5 sounded a little thin on the kick sections in comparison to the PRX. I did the same looping method on a couple of Steely Dan and George Benson tracks. With my EV's at higher volumes, I hear harshness of the artist's vocals especially when snares hit at the same time, whereas the JBL's sound a lot smoother without all the harshness).
Loudness = EV ZXa5 (The EV ZXa5's are very loud especially considering they're plastic smaller-sized enclosures + only 50 lbs. This loudness doesn't necessarily equate to the best sound as they can get harsh depending on the type of music you're playing. I have yet to hear any other 2-way active speaker come near the EV in sheer output and overall sound quality. I'm sure there are plenty out there but not less than $1500. For the JBL, I found I had to turn the input level gain to nearly max sensitivity as well as add +3dB on my DSP to equal out the sound level between the two tops. With both tops at the same volume level and the JBL at nearly clipping, the EV sounded more harsh and overly bright as mentioned earlier. The JBL's low end and bass kick had more impact, was fuller and more controlled than the EV's. The EV had more room to get even louder but I'm not sure I'd necessarily want to).
Weight = EV ZXa5 (The EV ZXa5's weigh in at 50 lbs and the JBL PRX635's are 60 lbs. I pole-mounted the JBL's on my K&M speaker stand and they sit at a very nice height level. With the speakers being taller, you should run the stands with the legs spread out as far as possible. I didn't notice any leaning with the speaker on top of the stand and I gave it a nudge and noticed no top-heavy swaying. It seemed very stable).
Ergonomics = JBL PRX635 (The JBL's have a smartly designed bass port that doubles as a handle, plus, 2 handles on both sides of the enclosure. They are actually easier to carry than the EV's due to them having only one carry handle... very ingenious EV. The look of the JBL PRX series is very nice especially sitting on top of my subs. They look uniform together with both having dura-liner type finishes as I think presentation is important. When sitting on top of my subs, the top of the JBL PRX635 reaches at least 6'5". I have no complaints and like the look of the EV ZXa5's. They have a tuxedo-like appearance to me and photographers don't shy away from them when taking pictures at wedding gigs).
Build quality = TIE (I actually prefer the JBL's due to it's dura-liner type wood finish as opposed to the EV poly-plastic enclosure. The EV's are definitely the best plastic speaker I've heard but wood enclosures generally have better sound quality and tone. The grills on the JBL's seem pretty sturdy and not very likely to dent if bumped. I will say I noticed the JBL's amps got pretty warm when playing them. I had both speakers at loud (not clipping) volumes for a good hour. The EV's amps was just about as warm as well so the amp temps may be a moot point).
Features = TIE (The PRX has a bass boost and a mic/line button. The bass boost takes you down another 3Hz +-3dB. This can be very useful when you're wanting to run your JBL's without a sub. One thing the JBL's lack is a HPF. Most active tops I've seen let you high-pass the tops at the push of a button usually at 100Hz or higher. I guess JBL is counting on people buying their PRX subs which have high-pass output XLR ports to handle this. I'll be counting on my EV DC-One processor to handle the HPF of my tops. The EV's have a HPF at 100Hz but somebody at EV forgot to put the limit light on the cabinets).
Price = JBL PRX635 (I got these on a Black Friday 20% off sale so that's $799 each. The EV's were nearly $1400 each).
Note: I also recently compared the JBL PRX615 to the QSC KW152. I felt they were on par as far as tonal quality at nominal volumes with a slight edge going to the QSC but the PRX615 outshines the KW152 when pushed to clipping levels. The QSC seemed to wanna break up and squash certain portions of the sound whereas the JBL held the track and notes together nicely without heavy degradation in sound. This sound comparison was done for only few minutes. JBL seems to have put in a well-designed limiter in their PRX series units, they made them SUPER light weight and they finally did away with those orange logos. I'm happy with my purchase and would definitely consider the other PRX600 series tops if needed.
Agnes Scott Black Cat Formal 2010 - The Result -
I had a great time at the Agnes Scott Black Cat Formal. It was at the Fox theater in downtown Atlanta. That theater is known as a very difficult venue because there's only 1 loading dock area and they have one of those early 1900's-type service elevators.
Equipment used was 2 EV ZXa5s and 2 Danley TH-118s (clustered) driven by a Crown MA12000i. There were over 700 people at the event and the bass was something fierce! I had NO shortage of bass as the low-end extension of the Danleys made this very large ballroom sound like a nightclub. The only issue I noticed with this number of people was on the high end as I was working the tops pretty hard. This is making my desire to get some Mackie HD1531 3-way tops a little easier. I went with standard uplighting and used only 1 tripod with 2 Martin SCX700sand an ADJ Megapixel. The Martins projected very nicely all the way across the room and on the walls.
After an arduous setup, the fun part began... these kids really know how to party. There were belly dancers used as added entertainment and the music was varied to please everyone. The students danced hard to everything I tossed at them but the biggest songs of the night were "No Hands", "Shots", "Bulletproof", "Salt Shaker", "Blow the Whistle" and "Teach me how to Dougie".
Equipment used was 2 EV ZXa5s and 2 Danley TH-118s (clustered) driven by a Crown MA12000i. There were over 700 people at the event and the bass was something fierce! I had NO shortage of bass as the low-end extension of the Danleys made this very large ballroom sound like a nightclub. The only issue I noticed with this number of people was on the high end as I was working the tops pretty hard. This is making my desire to get some Mackie HD1531 3-way tops a little easier. I went with standard uplighting and used only 1 tripod with 2 Martin SCX700sand an ADJ Megapixel. The Martins projected very nicely all the way across the room and on the walls.
After an arduous setup, the fun part began... these kids really know how to party. There were belly dancers used as added entertainment and the music was varied to please everyone. The students danced hard to everything I tossed at them but the biggest songs of the night were "No Hands", "Shots", "Bulletproof", "Salt Shaker", "Blow the Whistle" and "Teach me how to Dougie".
Agnes Scott Black Cat Formal 2010 - The Fox Theater -
Agnes Scott's Annual Black Cat Formal - The Fox Theater -
Channel Live Productions and DJ GaFFLe will be once again handling the musical entertainment for Agnes Scott College. Coming off of our successive 2010 Spring Fling performance, we've been asked back to DJ for their most important annual event... the Black Cat Formal. The event will be October 2nd, 2010 from 10pm - 2am. Come prepared because we will show up and show out 
More info on the Agnes Scott Black Cat Formal
Speaker review and comparison: QSC KW153 vs. EV ZXa5
I went to a local music store and demo'ed the new QSC KW153. It is an all wood cabinet, 3-way powered full-range speaker. I wanted to hear this unit in comparison to my Electrovoice ZXa5s. The EVs serve me well but for events where extra vocals are needed, I feel a 3-way top will give me the best possible sound.
The sales guy had the mixer set up with my speaker on one slider and the KW153 on the other. The EQ was flat and the KW153 was set to NORMAL / FLAT mode. My ZXa5 were running in full-range mode. We played several tracks from Miles Davis to George Benson to Outkast. The output volume difference was easily apparent. As far as sound, I felt the EV had a very pronounced mid-range sound. The mids were a lot more pronounced than those of the KW153. When pushed to high volumes, the EVs seemed to break up in the highs area. With the QSCs, the sound was more even or flat and I noticed the highs did not break upon the same songs where the EV had. There was a very acoustical George Benson song off the "That's Right" album where his vocals and cymbals come in together. I could hear the distinction and clarity of the cymbals on the KW153 where the EVs sounded overly harsh on those sections. The sales guy was being a little too easy on the KW153s volume levels so I had him crank them up to levels where the limiter began to kick in. The perceived output of the EVs was still louder overall but the clarity and overall better sound would go the the QSC 3-way. I like the fact that the KW153s have a pole mount and are still somewhat manageable at 87 lbs.
I would get the KW153 but I would not replace my EVs to get them. I'd prefer my EVs in gigs where a sub is not needed and I'm dealing with 2 tops and 2 sticks. The ZXa5s are 90 degrees and that helps for most wedding venues I deal with. If I'm running a full system with tops and my 2 subs, I'd prefer the KW153s for their clarity and detail. The pattern control on the KW153s are 75 degrees so that should help to focus the sound out a little further. The KW153 has nicely placed handles and a proper squat lift should not cause me problems. It actually seemed like a comfortable lift for me.
The music store did not have the KW152s there because if they did, I doubt they would sound better and definitely not louder than the EVs. I did not listen to the KW153s too long in their DEEP mode. Their bottom end was not overly impressive as a stand alone speaker. I would be using these tops with a pair of Danley TH-118 subs anyway so that low end wouldn't be necessary.
The sales guy had the mixer set up with my speaker on one slider and the KW153 on the other. The EQ was flat and the KW153 was set to NORMAL / FLAT mode. My ZXa5 were running in full-range mode. We played several tracks from Miles Davis to George Benson to Outkast. The output volume difference was easily apparent. As far as sound, I felt the EV had a very pronounced mid-range sound. The mids were a lot more pronounced than those of the KW153. When pushed to high volumes, the EVs seemed to break up in the highs area. With the QSCs, the sound was more even or flat and I noticed the highs did not break upon the same songs where the EV had. There was a very acoustical George Benson song off the "That's Right" album where his vocals and cymbals come in together. I could hear the distinction and clarity of the cymbals on the KW153 where the EVs sounded overly harsh on those sections. The sales guy was being a little too easy on the KW153s volume levels so I had him crank them up to levels where the limiter began to kick in. The perceived output of the EVs was still louder overall but the clarity and overall better sound would go the the QSC 3-way. I like the fact that the KW153s have a pole mount and are still somewhat manageable at 87 lbs.
I would get the KW153 but I would not replace my EVs to get them. I'd prefer my EVs in gigs where a sub is not needed and I'm dealing with 2 tops and 2 sticks. The ZXa5s are 90 degrees and that helps for most wedding venues I deal with. If I'm running a full system with tops and my 2 subs, I'd prefer the KW153s for their clarity and detail. The pattern control on the KW153s are 75 degrees so that should help to focus the sound out a little further. The KW153 has nicely placed handles and a proper squat lift should not cause me problems. It actually seemed like a comfortable lift for me.
The music store did not have the KW152s there because if they did, I doubt they would sound better and definitely not louder than the EVs. I did not listen to the KW153s too long in their DEEP mode. Their bottom end was not overly impressive as a stand alone speaker. I would be using these tops with a pair of Danley TH-118 subs anyway so that low end wouldn't be necessary.
... Danley TH-118 update ...
Update... an additional Danley TH-118 has been added to the lineup to round out the Channel Live Productions sound system.
Podomatic Mix DJ GaFFLe presents... Southern-Fried Slow Jams
Taking you back with some baby-making music with a Southern twist, I present to you "Southern-fried Slow Jams". I made this mix a couple of years ago and have had lots of folks mention it NEVER leaves their CD changers...
This one's geared toward the ladies. There's lots of GaFFLe on-the-fly remixes tossed in there to season it up a bit. Let it roll while you're doing some house cleaning or setting the mood.
Here's the playlist:
Bump-N-Grind (Old school mix) - R. Kelly
Stay Fly (Gaffle Blend) - Three 6 Mafia
Chunk up the Rockstar (Gaffle Blend) - R. Kelly
My Pony - Ginuwine
The Business - Yung Terd
Single - Ne-Yo
Grind with Me - Pretty Ricky
Grippin on my Bed - Sean Garret feat. Ludacris
Love in this Club (remix) - Usher feat. Beyonce
Oooh Na Na - Donell Jones
Crown Royal - Jill Scott
Still Standing - Monica
Tonight - Ready for the World
Tonight - Twista
Splash Waterfalls (Gaffle Blend) - Ludacris
Piece of My Love - Guy
Let's Chill - Guy
Moments of Love - Kraftwerk
T-shirt and Panties - Adina Howard
Seems Like You're Ready - R. Kelly
Slow Dance (Hey Mr. Dj) - R. Kelly
Nobody - Keith Sweat
Take You Down - Chris Brown
One in a Million - Aliyah
Good Thang - Pretty Willie
For You - Eric Roberson
The Block is Hot - Erykah Badu
Cupid - Babyface
Can't Believe It - T-Pain feat. Kardinal Offishal and Lil Wayne
Slow Down - Bobby Valentino
DJ GaFFLe spinning for Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls" movie completion at Shout
For the second time, DJ GaFFLe (that's me) will be spinning an end of movie filming celebration for the staff and cast of Tyler Perry's upcoming movie "For Colored Girls". The event will take place Thursday, July 15th at my residency... Shout on 14th and Peachtree Street. The last event I spun on behalf of Mr. Perry was at Verve Lounge a couple of years back. I'll be updating ya'll with the event pics...
..:: Danley TH-118 Review Update ::..
I decided to put the Danley TH-118 to work. I didn't have a private gig on tap so I decided to put the unit to work at my residency, Shout Restaurant (14th and Peachtree, Atlanta).
I placed the sub directly beside the Red Bull DJ booth about 1 foot away from the back wall. The normal house setup feeds the overhead house system along with a QSC RMX 1850 feeding 4 Yamaha SV15s. I used a DriveRack PA+ and high-passed the house system at 90Hz. I set the sub to low-pass at 85Hz and below. My sub amp was the QSC PL325 bridged-mono. I connected my amp to it's own 20 amp circuit. BOY... does this sub make a HUGE difference in sound... my booth area was vibrating like crazy! Luckily, I'm using the NS7 because turntables would have probably picked up a ton of feedback due to the vibrations.
Saturday night, the place was really packed. Playing songs like DJ Class' - "I'm the ish" and LMFAO's - "I'm in Miami"... I'd take a stroll around the room and patio to listen to the bass response... it was immense! There were at least 500-600 people in the spot and the bass DEFINITELY was not lacking. My QSC amp clipped twice at most the entire night. The bass was so low and solid that the bar staff mentioned their liquor bottles where rattling on the shelves. Luckily, most of the bar counters have a rubber lining keeping the glasses from kissing the floor
My overall experience with both passive and powered subs has been Yorkville LS800Ps, QSC HPR 181i's, Cerwin Vega EL36s, JBL SRX728s and EV QRXs... In comparison, the TH-118 tops them all as I find it to be deeper, fuller and more musical sounding. I can just imagine what 2 of them would sound like... Round -2- is this weekend. Power will come from a Crown Macrotech 9000i
I placed the sub directly beside the Red Bull DJ booth about 1 foot away from the back wall. The normal house setup feeds the overhead house system along with a QSC RMX 1850 feeding 4 Yamaha SV15s. I used a DriveRack PA+ and high-passed the house system at 90Hz. I set the sub to low-pass at 85Hz and below. My sub amp was the QSC PL325 bridged-mono. I connected my amp to it's own 20 amp circuit. BOY... does this sub make a HUGE difference in sound... my booth area was vibrating like crazy! Luckily, I'm using the NS7 because turntables would have probably picked up a ton of feedback due to the vibrations.
Saturday night, the place was really packed. Playing songs like DJ Class' - "I'm the ish" and LMFAO's - "I'm in Miami"... I'd take a stroll around the room and patio to listen to the bass response... it was immense! There were at least 500-600 people in the spot and the bass DEFINITELY was not lacking. My QSC amp clipped twice at most the entire night. The bass was so low and solid that the bar staff mentioned their liquor bottles where rattling on the shelves. Luckily, most of the bar counters have a rubber lining keeping the glasses from kissing the floor
My overall experience with both passive and powered subs has been Yorkville LS800Ps, QSC HPR 181i's, Cerwin Vega EL36s, JBL SRX728s and EV QRXs... In comparison, the TH-118 tops them all as I find it to be deeper, fuller and more musical sounding. I can just imagine what 2 of them would sound like... Round -2- is this weekend. Power will come from a Crown Macrotech 9000i
...::: Ladies at Play - Memorial Weekend Event ::...
They're at it again and so is Channel Live Productions... The Ladies at Play Memorial Weekend Party at Atlanta's French American Brasserie - FAB.
I'll be spinning the best in House, Deep House, House Classics and Reggae. The ladies are also providing Karaoke entertainment with my partner Chy-Tyme and my man M3 spinning all the R&B and Hip Hop currents. Special performance will be live music from Kassondra Rockswell. This promises to be a great event, DON'T MISS IT!
..:: Channel Live Production's - Danley TH-118 Review ::..
In a quest for the best possible sound, I decided to upgrade my subwoofer. I was very satisfied with the sound from the Danley TH-115's but you can never have too much bass.
I took a visit to the Danley factory in Gainesville a couple of weeks ago to see if this new sub would be worth it. My original thoughts were to simply add another TH-115 and couple them for more bottom end. My gigs usually never exceed 500 people and the largest venues I spin in are gyms.
In a basic sound test, Ivan (of Danley Sound Labs) played the 4-Ohm TH-115 to its limits until the sub started to flub... the bass was very deep. Without adjusting the volume, Ivan then panned over to the 8 Ohm TH-118 and whoa... the bass all of a sudden went lower, with NO flub AND it was a little louder. Ivan stressed that the 4-Ohm TH-115 was seeing nearly twice the amp power than the TH-118 because of it being half the Ohm load. After going through several more songs, I was convinced.
Fast forward 1 1/2 weeks and...
I took a visit to the Danley factory in Gainesville a couple of weeks ago to see if this new sub would be worth it. My original thoughts were to simply add another TH-115 and couple them for more bottom end. My gigs usually never exceed 500 people and the largest venues I spin in are gyms.
In a basic sound test, Ivan (of Danley Sound Labs) played the 4-Ohm TH-115 to its limits until the sub started to flub... the bass was very deep. Without adjusting the volume, Ivan then panned over to the 8 Ohm TH-118 and whoa... the bass all of a sudden went lower, with NO flub AND it was a little louder. Ivan stressed that the 4-Ohm TH-115 was seeing nearly twice the amp power than the TH-118 because of it being half the Ohm load. After going through several more songs, I was convinced.
Fast forward 1 1/2 weeks and...
I got the sub home and set everything up to run through some test tracks. The 1st track was T-Pain's "Buy You a Drank". With my QSC PL 325 running in bridged mode (2500 watts) I looped a part of the 1st hook (like I'd done in the past for the TH-115) and OMG! I couldn't even tell if the sound was all that great because my HOUSE was resonating so badly. Everything was vibrating and I had to take a step back... this sub boOMs! I actually felt the sound hitting me like little invisible waves. The next tracks were Kilo's "Nasty Dancer" and the track with the deepest, heaviest bass I've probably ever heard... Tupac's "Violent". Coming from mobile DJ's perspective, the bass was AbSoLuTely unreal, especially in such a confined area (my basement)!
Respecting my neighbors, I turned things down about half way and went outside. The bass was STILL loud outside of my house. I'd even say it seemed louder outside the house than inside, this probably has a lot to do with the horn-type design.
The last tracks I used were Mariah Carey's "Love Takes Time" and Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen". I simply wanted to see how the TH-118 handled percussive-type bass kicks and not just boOMing bass. It sounded absolutely great! I believe it is every bit as musical as the TH-115 but simply goes lower and louder. This Danley TH-118 is definitely a worthwhile step up in sound... deeper + louder bass, all in the same sized cabinet.
Respecting my neighbors, I turned things down about half way and went outside. The bass was STILL loud outside of my house. I'd even say it seemed louder outside the house than inside, this probably has a lot to do with the horn-type design.
The last tracks I used were Mariah Carey's "Love Takes Time" and Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen". I simply wanted to see how the TH-118 handled percussive-type bass kicks and not just boOMing bass. It sounded absolutely great! I believe it is every bit as musical as the TH-115 but simply goes lower and louder. This Danley TH-118 is definitely a worthwhile step up in sound... deeper + louder bass, all in the same sized cabinet.
New Years Eve - Suits and Stillettos Jam!
DJ GaFFLe and Channel Live Productions will be playing New Years Eve at Straits Restaurant. Straits is the restaurant owned by Ludacris and is located at 793 Juniper Street (Juniper & 5th Street) in downtown Atlanta. DJ GaFFLe (that's me) will be playing the best in Old School, Hip Hop and House. Best of all, the event is recession proof (FREE). The only caveat is that you must come dressed to impress.
See you there...
See you there...
..:: Free mp3s on Amazon.com until November 30th ::..
Amazon is offering 3 free $.99 mp3 downloads until November 30th, 2009. If you're already a member, you can click on this link, input the code... and your credits will be there.
I am more of an iTunes fan as their mp3s are guaranteed to be 256kbps.
Enjoy!
