MLS1000 vs Evolve50 vs RCF Evox 12

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
rickryan.com

rickryan.com

DJ Extraordinaire
ODJT Supporter
Dec 9, 2009
19,565
17,824
60
Hendersonville, TN
www.rickryan.com
I still love my MLS1000s but starting to consider an upgrade in the next couple of years. Wondering if any of you guys have any experience with these boxes? The RCF seems to be the mac-daddy but it's also $3k per system. Any input appreciated.

Harbinger MLS1000 - $800/ea, SPL: 123db, 1000watts, Bluetooth but no remote app
EV Evolve50 - $1800/ea, SPL: 127db, 1000watts, Bluetooth, not sure about app
RCF Evox12 - $3000/ea, SPL: 130db, 1400watts Bluetooth
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger
Ugh, I missed one other important spec:

MLS1000 - weight 30 lbs
Evolve50 - weight 54 lbs
Evox12 - weight 80 lbs

Ouch! I really like the weight/portability of the Harbinger. One thing that bothers me is that the tower is plastic. Haven't had any issues with breaking it (yet) but I'm wondering if it's as sturdy as the other units.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger
djtaso said:
Of those... the evox. I have the evox, and I find it limiting in terms of output. With that said, I can only imagine how much worse the other options are.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I have a pair of the MLS1000s, and view them as a lot of bang for the buck. So far, they've been plenty for any mobile gig I've done but I'm sure the RCF is night & day different.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and MIXMASTERMACHOM
rickryan.com said:
Thanks for the input. I have a pair of the MLS1000s, and view them as a lot of bang for the buck. So far, they've been plenty for any mobile gig I've done but I'm sure the RCF is night & day different.
Click to expand...
Everyone's different i suppose in the output they prefer. I use evox for small rooms typically w a 150 capacity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger, MIXMASTERMACHOM and sonic-vision
Have you looked at the JBL EON ONE Mk2? These are $1300/ea, 123dB, 42.5 lbs, have BT and can run off battery or AC. They have 5 input channels as well. I haven't heard these but I use the JBL Connect Pro app with my EON Compacts and find it quite nice. The built in DSP provides reverb/chorus/delay/ducking/parametric and standard EQ. You even have two USB charge ports to operate other gear (like a wireless receiver or tablet). In other words, a lot of features for the buck. It would be a nice solution for an outdoor wedding ceremony that you could mix from afar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard and ittigger
What kinds of events do you mostly do? I suggest you look at that and decide what would be best for you to use for the type of events you mostly do. RCF makes some great speakers. I suggest if you can listen to all 3 of them and decide from there. Also it's about how much you can afford to spend and getting the best speakers for the money you have to spend.
 
It never ceases to amaze me the names manufacturers choose for cheap product lines:

Anchor (most likely to be thrown overboard)
Peavey (prone to fits)
Harbinger (..of doom)
Realistic (..what were you thinking?)
Speco (special, really special)
Rockville (cheaper than dirt)

. . . someone on the development team was actually tasked with and paid to pick the most appropriate name for these products.
Believe them.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
Proformance said:
It never ceases to amaze me the names manufacturers choose for cheap product lines:

Anchor (most likely to be thrown overboard)
Peavey (prone to fits)
Harbinger (..of doom)
Realistic (..what were you thinking?)
Speco (special, really special)
Rockville (cheaper than dirt)

. . . someone on the development team was actually tasked with and paid to pick the most appropriate name for these products.
Believe them.
Click to expand...
Leave Peavey off your list. Peavey makes some good gear.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Leave Peavey off your list. Peavey makes some good gear.
Click to expand...
So does Behringer and Black Magic and yet there are standards that preclude them from certain applications.

This thread begs a comparison between gear that is close in price range but not necessarily all in the same class. How well Harbinger (fro example) might perform or is priced becomes meaningless if I'm not allowed to deploy it.
 
Proformance said:
So does Behringer and Black Magic and yet there are standards that preclude them from certain applications.
Click to expand...

"Bias and prejudice" is more like it. I think the term is "gear snob." My brother was chief over audio for Nascar for years (NBC, Fox, etc.), with a staff of 40 people. The last audio truck (tractor-trailer) that was built was a multi-million dollar rig and was designed and built by him. Yes, he had a half million dollar console but in his racks you'd also find Behringer (just to name one cheap vendor). I'm all for quality but when you find a piece of gear that gets the job done, then use it. If it just so happens to be cheap, all the better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
rickryan.com said:
"Bias and prejudice" is more like it. I think the term is "gear snob." My brother was chief over audio for Nascar for years (NBC, Fox, etc.), with a staff of 40 people. The last audio truck (tractor-trailer) that was built was a multi-million dollar rig and was designed and built by him. Yes, he had a half million dollar console but in his racks you'd also find Behringer (just to name one cheap vendor). I'm all for quality but when you find a piece of gear that gets the job done, then use it. If it just so happens to be cheap, all the better.
Click to expand...
In other words, he used Behringer in non-critical roles, and not in key client facing locations. The issue isn't Berhinger or Harbinger - it's what we decide to make dependent upon it.

I find plenty of Harbinger and Behringer gear in non-critical roles in elementary/high schools, churches, community theaters, etc. They seldom show up in large universities, or commercial performance venues.

A DJ or musician has only two typical deployments: MAIN and monitor. So, what shows up on these gigs usually reflects whether or not the performer/tech's livelihood is dependent on that deployment.

The compromise with cheaper brands is that they have a much a shorter service life and are less robust under strained conditions. If our backup is just more of an equally vulnerable brand are we just running in circles - not truly saving our money and time?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
Did you ever see the episode of "Undercover Boss" that featured Peavey? It was not flattering. Hartley handed day-to-day operations to his stepson and he is the one featured in the episode. It has been more than 10 years since I have seen Hartley at a show. All my contacts there have left or retired. They had some nice analog consoles for a while. It was technology they inherited when they bought Crest. Of course the people behind those consoles didn't join Peavey. They went on to form APB Dynasonics. I still use an APB rack mixer in my ceremony system.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger, sonic-vision and Scott Hanna
All I know about Peavey is how prolific the stuff was when I was growing up, and how so much of it always seemed to be broken or not working for some reason. It never seemed to sound very good either.

I'm confident the bad sound and broken gear can ALL be attributed to amateur users who abused it, then continued to buy more of it and repeat the cycle - never improving upon their own skill and hence never learning to use the gear properly.

Long term, that's the problem. Affordable brands ultimately become the Hallmark of their worst customers - tainted by the amateurism and gross incompetence of people who are going nowhere.

Personally, I never considered the Peavey brand to be defective in any way, but I recognized very early on that I could simply skip over this cluster f** loop that other people seemed to operate in. They buy Peavey because the can afford it, abuse it, and can only afford to replace it with the same Peavey item. They were rightfully going nowhere because improving our gear serves no purpose if we have no motivation to improve ourselves.

Unlike Eddie Van Halen who might have loved the sound of his Peavey amp, and was able to treat it professionally - most (not all) self-proclaimed Peavey loyalists I've met were people who should not be taken seriously. They were always non-professional types who would squeeze a lemon long past it's ability to produce juice and couch the failures on the inability of ANY gear to keep up with their greatness. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
The Evox-12 has been my main rig since 2018. It's a great system for an average wedding or event.

Like Taso said... it basically tops out around 150 guests. I have pushed it to 185, but I should have brought a different system or supplemented the bass for that size.

Only downsides are that you can't control the low end separately from the top, so you just have to EQ any adjustments to it's sound. But they are tuned well to the capabilities.

I have heard the EV's at an event and wouldn't buy them personally based on hearing another DJ use them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and MIXMASTERMACHOM
rickryan.com said:
I don't know and neither do you. Denis had pretty much the same opinion of gear as I do. If it gets the job done, that's all that matters.
Click to expand...

Ever consider the HK Polar's? Had them close to 2 years now and I take 2 for looks most places I could easily get away with one. They can run with any small line array out there 2000 watts a side and if I recall around 130db. I have heard several others in my opinion it's as good or better than the Evox or EV units in sound quality and a fair bit more thump than either. Sub and top are independently controlled on the unit It even has a delay if you use that. They are the clearest speakers I have ever owned and one of the most clear I've ever heard. When I bought they came with a 10 year unlimited warranty I think I seen they cut that back to 5 now

The downside although they aren't heavy (45Lbs) I find them awkward to carry and strangely I don't find them good outside in wide open areas.

In my opinion I would get the 12's the specs are the same for the 10's but they lack in bass a bit

They are very moderately priced for what you get the 12's are going for $1229 up here I got mine on sale for $1000. You should be able to get one for $1000 down there if you wait for a sale maybe even $699
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back