New Harbinger Vari 2,500 Watt Speakers with Visual DSP

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Class D Amps, and enhanced signal processing has really improved A LOT this decade. The lower budget brands produce sound quality better than the middle level stuff from YEARS ago did.

If the typical Yamaha or Peavey, JBL, Carvin, EV stuff etc. was adequate for mobile work 20 years ago, and people thought sound was great then. Then, the typical audience would probably think the sound from Newer budget stuff like Harbinger is good as well.

Today, the cost of gear that is adequate or good is cheaper for mobile work. In the end, Tech has become better, equipment has become cheaper, and the means of getting it is easier (Internet, Credit, 0% financing etc. )

My opinion is it doesn't sound as good as old gear. The fact everyone listens to MP3 and not vinyl or CD now hides a lot of bad sound. People really don't know good sound anymore. That being said I have never compared vinyl on my old Cerwins to the Yorkies but I have compared MP3 and the Cerwins sound much better
 
The Quakes delivered everything they promised and more. I still have a set that hasn't seen outside in years they are a flat spot to store other gear now ;)
I never thought they sounded good .. thumpy, yes .. just not my idea of good.
 
I never thought they sounded good .. thumpy, yes .. just not my idea of good.

Like I said they did exactly what they promised
 
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Mix .. you also have a pair of Yamaha S215s .. you have a pair of old CV Earthquakes. Neither would I call stellar performing speakers and I might find an Alto (or, shudder, Harbinger) or 2 that sounded better.
You wouldn't call either one stellar but so far since we had them no issues and no complaints.
 
I would put up the newer Harbinger Vari Speakers that came out in the last 3 years up against Any 15+ Year old Speaker that cost under $600 MAP when they came to market, and I bet the Harbingers have a better sound quality.

THe Harbingers may not be built to stand the test of time and last as long as many of those particular speakers, BUT they will have a higher fidelity, clearer sound.

My sister still has a pair of Passive Yamaha SE12s which has been in our family since like 1997. Sure the Yamahas have last 22 years and seen well over a thousand events. BUT, the Harbingers will sound better, and this new line up will for sure be louder as well. I think those yamaha speakers were rated at 98 DB. and 300 watts RMS. I think they cost $399 each map when they were new back in the 90s, and they were passive.
You're probably right about the Harbinger speakers being more powerful but more power doesn't mean better sound.
 
Class D Amps, and enhanced signal processing has really improved A LOT this decade. The lower budget brands produce sound quality better than the middle level stuff from YEARS ago did.
In general, Class D Amps are lighter, run cooler, and are good for bass, but a good Class A/B amp will usually have better mids and highs. Certainly, DSP's have been a big improvement by making it easier for the "average" DJ to quickly produce good sound, but too many people think that their use can somehow circumvent the Laws of Physics - they can not. The specs of these new Harbingers quote a 35-22,000 Hz frequency response. I can assure you that at any reasonable db level DJ's use, and mounted on a stick so people can hear them, those numbers are total Science Fiction. How do I know this? Because nobody makes a portable 12" two-way that can do that - it is outside the physical limitations of the drivers. I think most of us here already know that...unfortunately, here comes the newbie DJ bopping into GC!
 
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What it comes down to is this. Some companies make overrated claims just to try to get people to buy their product or service. There is entry level equipment that will attract a newbie to buy because of the cheaper price then something costing more and what about that newbie that doesn't have the extra money to spend on an item, so they go with the cheaper priced item. Later on if they stick around and are smart they will upgrade to better quality equipment. What I find is normally you learn as you keep at it. So far I don't know anybody that has been doing this for many many years hasn't made a mistake buying a piece of equipment. Only later on wishing they knew better.
 
Class D Amps, and enhanced signal processing has really improved A LOT this decade. The lower budget brands produce sound quality better than the middle level stuff from YEARS ago did.

If the typical Yamaha or Peavey, JBL, Carvin, EV stuff etc. was adequate for mobile work 20 years ago, and people thought sound was great then. Then, the typical audience would probably think the sound from Newer budget stuff like Harbinger is good as well.

Today, the cost of gear that is adequate or good is cheaper for mobile work. In the end, Tech has become better, equipment has become cheaper, and the means of getting it is easier (Internet, Credit, 0% financing etc. )
"Good enough"...we get it.
 
What it comes down to is this. Some companies make overrated claims just to try to get people to buy their product or service.
Yes .. some DJs do it as well ..
 
What it comes down to is this. Some companies make overrated claims just to try to get people to buy their product or service.


With entry level speakers they state a lot of specs where technically may be true they aren't realistic it all comes back to how the measurement is done

From the specs I see on the Vari 2500 here's what stands out to me as unrealistic

  • Freq Response: 35Hz-22KHz - At a volume so low a newborn can barely hear it...possibly. In comparison the NX55 at twice the price is rated 45 Hz - 18 kHz @+/- 3 dB. The K12 is 50 Hz to 20 kHz @ -6 dB. Over 20,000 is pretty much useless anyway unless your audience is canine

  • High Peak Power: 2500 Watts - I don't believe I've ever heard the term high peak power in reference to an amplifier or speaker before...I have heard peak power so this makes me curious. If I had to guess I would say it's the potential power it can handle for a millisecond or so in reality the peak is probably somewhere near 1500 which makes it more like 900 RMS max before it sounds like a wet sock being beaten off a wall

  • Max Output SPL: 129dB Maybe it's true but if you compare it to the QSC (132 Max 126 continuous) and the NX55 (134 Max 128 continuous) that leaves it at a usable 123dB continuous


In my opinion it might be a dandy speaker for ceremonies but as far as a gig speaker I'd save up a few bucks more and get better because if you don't now you will eventually
 
In summary...DJ's of today have no idea how good and easy sound equipment wise they have it...:cheers:...cheaper, LIGHTER, easier to use and setup, especially for who lack the knowledge of how to correctly fine tune it all...
 
Realistically, I don't believe we need Loud Speakers to produce levels below 50 HZ. 50 HZ is deep enough.

I am not too concerned with their claims of producing signals as low as 35 hz. But I would assume it can do 50 hz if they are claiming 35.

I'm still going to go and listen to them when I get a chance.
 
Realistically, I don't believe we need Loud Speakers to produce levels below 50 HZ. 50 HZ is deep enough
There is actually quite a bit of musical information below 50 Hz. For example, the lowest note on a bass guitar is 42 Hz. EDM and movies can go below the threshold of human hearing, which for most people is 25-26Hz, but you can still "feel" it below that. On my system - which always has dual 15" subs - I absolutely can tell the difference between having the high pass filter set at 40Hz or set at 50 Hz, and that's playing older Latin Salsa - which by current standards is actually very bass shy - and also probably at a lower volume than most people DJ at.
 
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Realistically, I don't believe we need Loud Speakers to produce levels below 50 HZ. 50 HZ is deep enough.

I am not too concerned with their claims of producing signals as low as 35 hz. But I would assume it can do 50 hz if they are claiming 35.

I'm still going to go and listen to them when I get a chance.
So if you like the sound will you buy?
 
The Speakers will sound adequate. They will sound better than the stuff with lights you see in BJs. Really, you don’t believe these things will actually produce anything in the 50 hz range, that’s with subs are for. And the power they claim is pure BS. Otherwise it would be listed as RMS & Peak. But even that won’t tell you everything, will they do it all night? Or for a min, hr, second?

Now turn these things all the way up and run them all night and listen. Move them around continuously and you’ll likely find out why people spend much much more for a main line speaker.
 
The Speakers will sound adequate. They will sound better than the stuff with lights you see in BJs. Really, you don’t believe these things will actually produce anything in the 50 hz range, that’s with subs are for. And the power they claim is pure BS. Otherwise it would be listed as RMS & Peak. But even that won’t tell you everything, will they do it all night? Or for a min, hr, second?

Now turn these things all the way up and run them all night and listen. Move them around continuously and you’ll likely find out why people spend much much more for a main line speaker.
What would you call adequate?
 
What would you call adequate?
For light duty, stationary use .. they will sound OK .. just like most speakers today. I think Kevin is saying that once you push them beyond background music or casual use levels .. then you really hear WHY they are $300 speakers.