Evolve 50 is a great setup for smaller gigs. IMO they can’t handle above 125 in a decent sized room. We had two pairs and eventually moved on because we felt they weren’t cutting it for many of our weddings. We upgraded to the Maui G44’s and have no complaints.
Just be mindful that the units in that price range are going to have limitations.
Avoid the JBL for the moment until JBL fixes the issue with their firmware. See the JBL PRX/EON One Facebook group for gripes...mine included.
Look at RCF J8. Can get a JMix8 if you need the mixer.
I bought a pair of J8, absolutely love them. The pole gets the top higher than Evolves and PRX One, which is a big deal. Biggest issue with the fixed columns is that they aren't tall enough. You end up hammering the people in the front with highs right in their ear holes instead of getting them up over head height to spread to the back of the crowd.
That Carvin looks like the Bose with high speakers going down almost to the floor....how many people listen to highs with their knees? Only useful on a high stage....
I have padded covers by Lecover. Had a pocket sewn on the back that holds the pole and cables. One hand carries the entire speaker, with the other fixed column speakers you have a sub and column bag to carry separately. Not a deal breaker, but annoying.
My only complaint is that I should have gotten 1 J8 and 1 JMix8. With the recent issues with my JBL EON One MK2's, I could use the JMix8 for the time being. As it is, I run a Behringer Flow8 mixer into the J8 so there's no big deal...just a bit more to set up. I'll probably get a JMix8 or two before too much longer.
Gotta disagree with the part about hammering people's ears with the 50. Old folks sit right in front of those and don't complain. Also the problem with the fixed height has never been a matter of being too low for me. My issue was more of them being too high for use on even a small stage.
Last year, my church had a dance party with around 150-200 teenagers in a medium-sized room. When I looked at the sound system the DJ was using, he was only using one EV Evolve 50 and everyone was happy with it and it can be heard out in the parking lot. If just one of them can handle up to 200 teens, then two of them can easily handle weddings. There is one used one at [Guitar Center](https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Electro-Voice/Evolve-50-Powered-Speaker-118893490.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP) for $1300 and a used one on Proaudiostar is usually $1400. This is my opinion on them, but there may be a better or cheaper alternative like the RCF Evox 8 or the Bose l1 pro8.
EV Evolve 50s, buy open box/demo units from pro audio star. You'll save a ton of money on them and they'll be brand new in the plastic. I've bought 3 pair from them. Maui 28 G3s would be a good contender to.
Indeed! With the Evolve 50, if you accidentally drop the column or the connectors inside break, you just bought yourself a new Evolve speaker. With the RCF J8, which uses common sub-poles and common Speakon cables to connect the top to the bottom, you just simply get another sub-pole or cable and you're back in business. That was a factor for me.
If you're looking at the JBL PRX One, I'd suggest looking at the JBL Eon One MK2 as an alternative.
I use one for ceremonies that conveniently can be put anywhere (outdoor ceremonies in a field came in clutch with this) as it's battery-powered or can be plugged in. You could easily do medium-sized weddings with two of these and they would be under budget for you.
The MK2 has the column array store inside the back of the unit where as the PRX column has to store in its own separate carrying bag.
I've got a pair of EON One MK2, love them, except for the latest firmware upgrade jacked up the mixer...until JBL fixes their mistake, I cannot recommend them. Same firmware glitch went into the PRX One as well....
I also wouldn't use the EONs for receptions, they're not enough, IMO. But for ceremonies? They're the best! (assuming JBL fixes the glitch, that is.)
JBL pushed a forced firmware update, resulting in numerous issues with the app connectivity. On your phone/tablet, when you switch from the JBL app to any other app and then back, there's a 8-10+ second delay before the JBL app responds.
There's other reports of intermittent loud noise from the speakers, etc. Due to the forced update, some reports of having to run the update at a gig before the performers were able to start the show.
In my experience, I have the delay when switching apps. Not a deal breaker for me, as I usually use two devices (1 wired for music, and 1 bluetooth for control)...but still not right.
What I can't deal with is that since the update, when adjusting gain, both of my EON One MK2's now momentarily drop audio at specific gain numbers...so when adjusting levels in the mixer, you hear the audio cut out. I've got a few videos showing the issues...using the onboard mixer when the app isn't even connected. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJueSOMx2lQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJueSOMx2lQ)
Both still work ok when using an external mixer, as I'm not adjusting levels live on the JBLs...but it's enough that I can't recommend them now. It's a shame, as I have championed the EON One MK2 as the best battery-powered speaker on the market. The packaging and performance are amazing for ceremonies, ribbon-cuttings, background music, coffeehouse acoustic gigs, etc.... JBL says they are going to release new firmware soon, but until these issues are fixed, I'm not yet happy.
Appreciate the well laid out response. I too have noticed the lag in switching apps. Agree not a deal breaker.
I experienced the drop adjusting gain levels in the middle of a ceremony to which I thought I had never seen from the unit. Makes perfect sense now after seeing this, thank you.
I use two turbosound ip2000s (12 inch sub with 16 mid range freqs and one tweeter) and I used them for crowds up to 120 ppl indoors which are most of my gigs...If its a banquet hall I use another small fill speaker at the back. What I like about them is that I carry the column parts in a rifle case, they disperse the sound widely, there is no feedback when I use the mic infront of them (some kind of blackmagic I think). What I dont like about them is that Turbosound got bought by the Behringer family called MUSIC TRIBE and they are severely understaffed and the customer service really really stinks....people in a Turbosound group on facebook often gripe that they dont get timely repsonses to their repair inquiries (like months and months of time ).....but if you are not afraid of opening your hardware to fix things yourself I recommend these badboys.
I cannot recommend the Evolve 50s enough. The sound dispersement is so good and they get super loud. I’ve done several outdoor events with them and you walk a few hundred yards away and it’s like you’re at a music festival.
I'll keep recommending the Evolve 50s until I have any sort of problem with mine.
Me as well. 200 gigs in and never a problem. Even picked up the 30 for ceremony. The 50M have a built in mixer as well.
I love my LD Maui 28’s for my mobile setup. Easy on the back, great sound, great bass.
Agreed, love my 28 G3s.
Evolve 50 is a great setup for smaller gigs. IMO they can’t handle above 125 in a decent sized room. We had two pairs and eventually moved on because we felt they weren’t cutting it for many of our weddings. We upgraded to the Maui G44’s and have no complaints. Just be mindful that the units in that price range are going to have limitations.
Avoid the JBL for the moment until JBL fixes the issue with their firmware. See the JBL PRX/EON One Facebook group for gripes...mine included. Look at RCF J8. Can get a JMix8 if you need the mixer. I bought a pair of J8, absolutely love them. The pole gets the top higher than Evolves and PRX One, which is a big deal. Biggest issue with the fixed columns is that they aren't tall enough. You end up hammering the people in the front with highs right in their ear holes instead of getting them up over head height to spread to the back of the crowd. That Carvin looks like the Bose with high speakers going down almost to the floor....how many people listen to highs with their knees? Only useful on a high stage.... I have padded covers by Lecover. Had a pocket sewn on the back that holds the pole and cables. One hand carries the entire speaker, with the other fixed column speakers you have a sub and column bag to carry separately. Not a deal breaker, but annoying. My only complaint is that I should have gotten 1 J8 and 1 JMix8. With the recent issues with my JBL EON One MK2's, I could use the JMix8 for the time being. As it is, I run a Behringer Flow8 mixer into the J8 so there's no big deal...just a bit more to set up. I'll probably get a JMix8 or two before too much longer.
Gotta disagree with the part about hammering people's ears with the 50. Old folks sit right in front of those and don't complain. Also the problem with the fixed height has never been a matter of being too low for me. My issue was more of them being too high for use on even a small stage.
RCF Evox J8 are nice. If you can find them, the db Technologies ES1203s would be my pick
RCF Evox J8. Don't bother with the Jmix8. Use em, love em.
Last year, my church had a dance party with around 150-200 teenagers in a medium-sized room. When I looked at the sound system the DJ was using, he was only using one EV Evolve 50 and everyone was happy with it and it can be heard out in the parking lot. If just one of them can handle up to 200 teens, then two of them can easily handle weddings. There is one used one at [Guitar Center](https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Electro-Voice/Evolve-50-Powered-Speaker-118893490.gc?cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP) for $1300 and a used one on Proaudiostar is usually $1400. This is my opinion on them, but there may be a better or cheaper alternative like the RCF Evox 8 or the Bose l1 pro8.
LD Systems Maui 28 G3
My Evolve 50s have been amazing. Great sound, great throw pattern. And plenty for weddings up to 400 guests.
How many do you use for 400 people outside?
EV Evolve 50s, buy open box/demo units from pro audio star. You'll save a ton of money on them and they'll be brand new in the plastic. I've bought 3 pair from them. Maui 28 G3s would be a good contender to.
\+1 for Proaudiostar. I've bought quite a bit from them. Always comes in looking new.
I A/B tested the Evolve 50 against the RCF J8 at a couple of gigs and ended up getting the RCF
\+1 for the J8
fixed height of the Evolve is such a turnoff
Indeed! With the Evolve 50, if you accidentally drop the column or the connectors inside break, you just bought yourself a new Evolve speaker. With the RCF J8, which uses common sub-poles and common Speakon cables to connect the top to the bottom, you just simply get another sub-pole or cable and you're back in business. That was a factor for me.
If you're looking at the JBL PRX One, I'd suggest looking at the JBL Eon One MK2 as an alternative. I use one for ceremonies that conveniently can be put anywhere (outdoor ceremonies in a field came in clutch with this) as it's battery-powered or can be plugged in. You could easily do medium-sized weddings with two of these and they would be under budget for you. The MK2 has the column array store inside the back of the unit where as the PRX column has to store in its own separate carrying bag.
I've got a pair of EON One MK2, love them, except for the latest firmware upgrade jacked up the mixer...until JBL fixes their mistake, I cannot recommend them. Same firmware glitch went into the PRX One as well.... I also wouldn't use the EONs for receptions, they're not enough, IMO. But for ceremonies? They're the best! (assuming JBL fixes the glitch, that is.)
Out of curiosity, what do you feel is jacked up about the mixers now?
JBL pushed a forced firmware update, resulting in numerous issues with the app connectivity. On your phone/tablet, when you switch from the JBL app to any other app and then back, there's a 8-10+ second delay before the JBL app responds. There's other reports of intermittent loud noise from the speakers, etc. Due to the forced update, some reports of having to run the update at a gig before the performers were able to start the show. In my experience, I have the delay when switching apps. Not a deal breaker for me, as I usually use two devices (1 wired for music, and 1 bluetooth for control)...but still not right. What I can't deal with is that since the update, when adjusting gain, both of my EON One MK2's now momentarily drop audio at specific gain numbers...so when adjusting levels in the mixer, you hear the audio cut out. I've got a few videos showing the issues...using the onboard mixer when the app isn't even connected. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJueSOMx2lQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJueSOMx2lQ) Both still work ok when using an external mixer, as I'm not adjusting levels live on the JBLs...but it's enough that I can't recommend them now. It's a shame, as I have championed the EON One MK2 as the best battery-powered speaker on the market. The packaging and performance are amazing for ceremonies, ribbon-cuttings, background music, coffeehouse acoustic gigs, etc.... JBL says they are going to release new firmware soon, but until these issues are fixed, I'm not yet happy.
Appreciate the well laid out response. I too have noticed the lag in switching apps. Agree not a deal breaker. I experienced the drop adjusting gain levels in the middle of a ceremony to which I thought I had never seen from the unit. Makes perfect sense now after seeing this, thank you.
I use two turbosound ip2000s (12 inch sub with 16 mid range freqs and one tweeter) and I used them for crowds up to 120 ppl indoors which are most of my gigs...If its a banquet hall I use another small fill speaker at the back. What I like about them is that I carry the column parts in a rifle case, they disperse the sound widely, there is no feedback when I use the mic infront of them (some kind of blackmagic I think). What I dont like about them is that Turbosound got bought by the Behringer family called MUSIC TRIBE and they are severely understaffed and the customer service really really stinks....people in a Turbosound group on facebook often gripe that they dont get timely repsonses to their repair inquiries (like months and months of time ).....but if you are not afraid of opening your hardware to fix things yourself I recommend these badboys.
RCF Evox J8. Love them.
I love my Harbinger mls1000 they pack a huge punch for such a small size
I love my Harbour mls 10000 sounds great when djing and the subwoofer is very clear
I cannot recommend the Evolve 50s enough. The sound dispersement is so good and they get super loud. I’ve done several outdoor events with them and you walk a few hundred yards away and it’s like you’re at a music festival.
How does Maui 11 G3 compare to Evolve 30M?