Red Sound Elis8 FRFR Review and MF 10 Comparision

KEMA said:
Congratulations! Glad you like the Elis.8, these are great speakers!

May I ask you, if you also hear this clicking/whirring noise at the back of the aktive speaker near the power plug (see post #270)? It's not loud but you can hear it in a quiet room.

Thanks!
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I did not notice on my own so I had to check. It is audible if the speaker is on without input signal, but only if there is no other sound and I’m close to the speaker. It would not bother me at all.
 
norpe said:
I received the Elis 8 bundle from G66 yesterday. First I thought there was something wrong with the passive speaker until I realized you need to twist the speakon connector (never used one before). With everything connected to the Axe-Fx III I started playing one of my presets and immediately had the revelation that this is the best sound and playing feel I have gotten out of the Axe-Fx, by far.

When I initially got the Axe-Fx II XL in 2014 I intended to use it with headphones but that plan lasted about 30 minutes. Mainly been using Adam A7X studio monitors since then with the II and III, sometimes poweramp + cab, but never been completely happy with either solution. I only play at home on low to medium volume and it could be that the Elis 8 works better for me in that scenario. Still trying to come to terms with how much better they sound to me. Did not consider floor monitors before since I never play live but that was clearly a mistake. I guess you have to try everything to find what works for you.

I was not sure whether to get the bundle or just the active, but went with the bundle. That turned out to be the correct decision, the stero image is massive.
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Congrats mate - they really are a lot of fun!
 
I ended up getting the stereo bundle of MF10’s, it arrives in a few days. I’ll return here with my thoughts. My only prior experience with FRFR cabs is the Matrix FR212. I’ve heard that tones dialed in on A7X monitors translate very well to these, so I will also report back on that.
 
Ok so first impression: this thing rips and it translates extremely well coming from my Adam A7X monitors. I made only very minor tweaks. I always use a PEQ before the output for FRFR, which really only serves as high/low pass. I didn’t even change IRs yet, or speaker impedance curve, or anything like that. My usual go-tos were perfect. I haven’t cranked up the stereo pair yet but I can only imagine it is more than enough for stage volume.
 
blastbeatdown said:
Ok so first impression: this thing rips and it translates extremely well coming from my Adam A7X monitors. I made only very minor tweaks. I always use a PEQ before the output for FRFR, which really only serves as high/low pass. I didn’t even change IRs yet, or speaker impedance curve, or anything like that. My usual go-tos were perfect. I haven’t cranked up the stereo pair yet but I can only imagine it is more than enough for stage volume.
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Keep us posted as you use those on the various environments you play in. They're on my short list.
 
Are most folks using these in EU? Many comments about the fear of a breakdown and no US support. Has any of that changed? Also I pulled back because the communication via e mail with them was hard to understand and very brief answers. This was last fall so i am curious if anyhting has changed?
 
cragginshred said:
Are most folks using these in EU? Many comments about the fear of a breakdown and no US support. Has any of that changed? Also I pulled back because the communication via e mail with them was hard to understand and very brief answers. This was last fall so i am curious if anyhting has changed?
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If I’m not mistaken, they’ve only had a US distributor since early this year. I don’t know if they have to ship back to EU for service, but they answer emails pretty quickly at least. I’m sending back my passive cab because it got banged up during shipping. It’s only cosmetic damage. Lyon and Healy Corporation is the US distributor.
 
blastbeatdown said:
If I’m not mistaken, they’ve only had a US distributor since early this year. I don’t know if they have to ship back to EU for service, but they answer emails pretty quickly at least. I’m sending back my passive cab because it got banged up during shipping. It’s only cosmetic damage. Lyon and Healy Corporation is the US distributor.
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Good to know, do you have an e-mali contact?
 
Has anyone found a sweet spot for playing these at a low volume? Red Sound recommends keeping the speakers at 8 while various tutorials such as ones by @austinbuddy insist on keeping the FX3 output between 12-3 o'clock (and not less than 12) and adjusting the volume on the speakers. Both obviously can't be cranked that high to play at a low (or even medium) volume. Thanks.
 
walnutzz said:
Has anyone found a sweet spot for playing these at a low volume? Red Sound recommends keeping the speakers at 8 while various tutorials such as ones by @austinbuddy insist on keeping the FX3 output between 12-3 o'clock (and not less than 12) and adjusting the volume on the speakers. Both obviously can't be cranked that high to play at a low (or even medium) volume. Thanks.
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Purely for convenience, I leave mine on 8 as they suggest and use the output control on the Axe-FX. Obviously the sound will be different at different volumes, so I have 2 approaches for this

1. Different presets for low-volume home use and high volume gig use
2. Use a GEQ block in each preset that I switch on and off with my FC for low or high(er) volume use at home

Been working great for me this way and totally usable and 'sweet' at any volume
 
walnutzz said:
Has anyone found a sweet spot for playing these at a low volume? Red Sound recommends keeping the speakers at 8 while various tutorials such as ones by @austinbuddy insist on keeping the FX3 output between 12-3 o'clock (and not less than 12) and adjusting the volume on the speakers. Both obviously can't be cranked that high to play at a low (or even medium) volume. Thanks.
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I am getting a Red sound speaker in two weeks and will check it out and report back.
 
Leaning more and more to the MF10 over the Elis.8, more due to the mid-push of the E.8 than anything else. I get why this might be nice for guitar, but would rather control when I'm pushing my mids in my preset than at the speaker.

For those who have tried both, is it fair to say the MF10 is "flatter?" In addition to avoiding the mid push, I'd love to play backing tracks through my speakers and am wondering if the MF10 is better suited for these various goals.
 
astrolux said:
Leaning more and more to the MF10 over the Elis.8, more due to the mid-push of the E.8 than anything else. I get why this might be nice for guitar, but would rather control when I'm pushing my mids in my preset than at the speaker.

For those who have tried both, is it fair to say the MF10 is "flatter?" In addition to avoiding the mid push, I'd love to play backing tracks through my speakers and am wondering if the MF10 is better suited for these various goals.
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Yes I would say that the MF10 is flatter (or let’s say they are more neutral) sounding.
There is a mid bump in the Elis 8 but I do use both speakers with the same presets without tweaking them. And I do enjoy them both very much.
It would be a hard choice if I should decide between these two.
 
Sashman said:
Yes I would say that the MF10 is flatter (or let’s say they are more neutral) sounding.
There is a mid bump in the Elis 8 but I do use both speakers with the same presets without tweaking them. And I do enjoy them both very much.
It would be a hard choice if I should decide between these two.
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Thanks for the reply! This is certainly helpful.
 
astrolux said:
more due to the mid-push of the E.8
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Sashman said:
There is a mid bump in the Elis 8
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I haven't seen a chart comparing their responses but I'd like to. The frequency response difference between them is minor according to the manuals. The MF.10 is rated for 60-20000 Hz ±3 dB and the ELIS.8 is 70-20000 Hz ±3 dB. I'm sure the graphs aren't identical, so the MF.10 might have a little dip at the same point the ELIS.8 has a little rise, but, if they're within 3 dB that's not enough to easily notice in a live situation.

I'd pick between the two based on the type of music being played and the volume needed. The ELIS.8 are surprisingly loud and have a decent amount of bass but they're not going to keep up with a loud band trying to fill a room if they're acting like the backline. But, then again, the MF.10 could be challenged too. If I was just using the speakers at home or in a small group playing jazz or pop at a reasonable volume then the ELIS.8 would be great, especially with the option of doing a feed to the FOH system to handle the heavy lifting. In either case, REDSOUND did a good job.

PS - I liked the sound of the ELIS.8 pair I had, they just didn't work out because the stage I was using them on didn't let me stand far enough away from them to hear them well.
 
Greg Ferguson said:
I'd pick between the two based on the type of music being played and the volume needed.
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I have to imagine the Elis.8 is more than sufficient for my use patterns. I think I'm fighting some old school biases about an 8" vs 10" speaker. I do occasionally play heavier music, which is probably playing into that.

Luckily it appears we have a newer(?) US distributor with what appears to be a decent return policy, so actually trying one of these may finally be a possibility. Really appreciate all the insights in this thread, but end of the day that's the only way to really judge these things.
 
astrolux said:
I think I'm fighting some old school biases about an 8" vs 10" speaker. I do occasionally play heavier music, which is probably playing into that.
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Between new magnets and better cone materials over the years, and a decent cabinet and maybe a bit of EQ massaging in the power-amp of the ELIS.8, they make a decent thump. And, though some people insist they need a big cabinet, more and more places want reduced volume on stage, so we rely more on the FOH for the guitar sound. The pair of 8" close to you make good personal "monitors" for the guitar sound.

Marco Fanton's demos of the ELIS.8 were dead-on for the sound of my pair, so I imagine his demo of the MF.10 would be also. But, I agree having them in front of you is the best way to know.
 
Sashman said:
Yes I would say that the MF10 is flatter (or let’s say they are more neutral) sounding.
There is a mid bump in the Elis 8 but I do use both speakers with the same presets without tweaking them. And I do enjoy them both very much.
It would be a hard choice if I should decide between these two.
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So you have both?
When do you use each one?
Size and weight aren't different enough to be a deciding factor I wouldn't think.
 
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