Crown XLS-1500 amp with Vinatge JBL 4602A monitors or VERVE 12 passives

Caribefatboy

Caribefatboy

Inspired
Looking for a FRFR system with some presence, punch, TONE... I bought an ATOMIC powered wedge and returned it, because, while it was nice, it just didn't do a whole lot more than my MACKIE HR824s...

Background: I play a Mesa Boogie F-30 which I love! It just drips tone and presence, and punch, etc. but I have to turn off amps and cabs globally on my ULTRA to use it.

I also play Roland Synth stuff and do vocals, and would love to have a small stereo monitor rig that would let me play my AXE FX with the amps and cabs ON, and still have that clarity and punch, etc.

The vintage JBL stuff looks pretty awesome, and I can get the two wedges (E-120, 075 bullet tweeter, crossover) with a road case for only $595. The store tells me that the speakers are all original and in good working order. The CROWN is $400 new. The FBT Verve wedges (passive) are like $650 each.

I am a huge Jerry Garcia fan and love his clean tone, hence my interest in the vintage JBL stuff (he used the e-120s in all his rigs for all his career).cabaret.jpg

Your thoughts?
 
I use the Verve passives and love them. I can't comment on the older JBL stuff but the newer cabs have a bit to much mid range and a top end sizzle that I don't care for. The pic of the stuff your looking at might work but personally I would look to something better. The Crown amp should be fine, most anything in the pro audio range (QSC, Crown, Crest audio etc.) will do if your looking to go FR.
 
I ended up ordering two Verve 8m passives and the Rocktron Velocity 300. Should be here by the end of next week, or sooner. Will be putting that up against my two Mesa Boogie F-30s (for stereo) to see if I can really get an FRFR system for home studio use that has the punch and presence of what I'm used to with a real tube amp. I'm hoping yes, as it seems a shame to use the ULTRA ith amps and cabs bypassed!
 
Hey Caribe,

Just in case you are interested, I am selling an XLS 1500 I used a only ahandfull of times for $300.00.

i decided to go the powered speaker route with a Verve 12MA
 
Hello, newbie here, I too am debating powered pa vs rocktron velocity 300 and passive pa, I like the versatility of separate power amp, is there a benefit to powerd speaker, looking at Electro-Voice ELX112 2 passives and rocktron velocity 300. Also will this give me the frfr sound?
 
symphx said:
Hello, newbie here, I too am debating powered pa vs rocktron velocity 300 and passive pa, I like the versatility of separate power amp, is there a benefit to powerd speaker, looking at Electro-Voice ELX112 2 passives and rocktron velocity 300. Also will this give me the frfr sound?
Click to expand...

The main benefit most of the time for a powered FR cab is a bi-amped design, this equates to more head room and better efficiency and clarity add that to an all in one package and you can see the attractiveness.
 
Caribefatboy, back in the 1980s I used to own a FLEET of those 12" x bullet JBL Cabaret wedges. One thing to look for is the tweeter level adjustment on the FRONT left corner of the speaker grille (like the ones you've attached in the jpg) since IMO those were built better but were heavier then the next iteration of the same, which had a tweeter volume pot located on the back of the cabinet on the input jack plate, and never quite seemed to sound as good to my ears.

Since this includes flight case, you should be all set provided the cabinets are still sound, but just an FYI, I found that the corners and cabinetry joints would stress and/or chip away over time and with constant use (or more like abuse, in my case).

In use, certainly these things work, but full-range speaker/crossover technology has come a long way since the Cabaret series of JBL speakers. Granted, you are getting a pretty good deal from the looks of things @ around $200 per cabinet, but those bullet tweeters can really BEAM at you, and there was always a very audible HISS coming through them. A modern quality speaker cabinet will certainly be more expensive, but IMO they are far superior on many levels due to advances in the technology, design and materials, for use with FRFR.

If these are coming from a store, I'd try to A/B them with something newer just for the sake of comparison. Regardless, though, if you like the JBL E series, these appear to be in nice shape and it is still a solid deal for the money IMO.
 
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