New Harbinger Vari 2,500 Watt Speakers with Visual DSP

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DJ Ricky B

DJ Ricky B

DJ Extraordinaire
Mar 9, 2015
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I have a Vari V2212 which I brought last year because I needed a extra monitor while on the road. Guitar city was practically giving them away. It was really inexpensive and actually a little more than I expected but nothing I would use as a main line speaker. Looking at the specs on my V2212 which is 118db Max(believable), 180 watts rms/600 watts peak, can’t even imagine how they could get to 129db, 2500watts peak, then add Digital and at that price. Sorry don’t Believe it for a minute.
 
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Considering the selling price I would say this speaker is for a beginner. I doubt if they are putting quality components in that cabinet.
 
adj2ent said:
I have a Vari V2212 which I brought last year because I needed a extra monitor while on the road. Guitar city was practically giving them away. It was really inexpensive and actually a little more than I expected but nothing I would use as a main line speaker. Looking at the specs on my V2212 which is 118db Max(believable), 180 watts rms/600 watts peak, can’t even imagine how they could get to 129db, 2500watts peak, then add Digital and at that price. Sorry don’t Believe it for a minute.
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It is certainly NOT 2500 watts, LOL. None of these speakers are able to truly push 2000 plus watts. I would hope they are not lying about the 129 DB though. I would assume they somehow got it to register that high in a lab. Yamaha claims 134+ DB on their DSR line up. I hope they measured that at least once in lab tests.

In real life audio applications...we are not going to get 129 DB+ ...Maybe at a concert with multiple speakers.

I am still going to listen to it next time I am up at GC. I want to compare it with the K.12.2 for fun.
 
For each 3db increase you need double the power. So to go do a 11db increase with the stuff they are working doesn’t sound possible, especially at $349. When they start throwing out nonsensical specs makes me say wtf. Like the 5,000 watt powered speaker, stand & mic I saw online for $49 or 5000 lumen battery powered video projector for $89.
Guitar City treat me ok,they didn’t have what I came in for even though I called ahead and they said it was there so the manager gave me a $80 cable and a cheap price on the V2212,. I was going to sell it when I got back but decided to keep it in the van.
 
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I just noticed these new speakers. I've never been a big fan of Harbinger but I bought one of the V2312 on Black Friday. It was on sale for $199. I mainly bought it because I needed to make some speakers covers for a friend that has 4 of them. It's always easier for me to make the covers when I have the speaker in front of me. The day after I bought the speaker I had a small restaurant gig that only required using 1 speaker, or so I was told. I used that opportunity to test the speaker and see how I liked it. It worked really well. The sound was clear and they didn't struggle at all during the 4 hours that I used them at the gig. It was perfect because the manager of the restaurant told me I needed to play loud enough to be heard throughout the whole place. They had me playing at a level that I normally wouldn't play in a restaurant setting. I kept the volume knob at the 10 o'clock position and it was plenty loud for that environment. I decided that I will keep it and use it for my ceremonies, and cocktail hours. The Bluetooth feature is pretty nice and could come in handy. I even did a Youtube review of the speaker. You can see it here:
View: https://youtu.be/-wXU3Ri6Bg4


I'd like to try this new v4112. The app looks interesting and I like the LCD screen.
 
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It has been my limited 30+years of experience that if/when a manufacturer of professional tools attempts to BS you with obvious unattainable and deceptive claims before you ever purchase, then the product has an inherent capacity to fail, or minimally, disappoint and it is a clear indicator to said manufacturers' low opinion of the professional consumer.

DJ Ricky B said:
It looks like Guitar Center has upped the game with...new Harbinger Line up!
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<insert gafaw/spit-take here>

Often the evidence is provided in the name:

harbinger
verb
...
: to give a warning or prediction of :
 
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adj2ent said:
...Like the 5,000 watt powered speaker, stand & mic I saw online for $49 or 5000 lumen battery powered video projector for $89...
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Scott Hanna said:
Or the 18 man tent for sale at REI😄
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...or the discount deeeeejay for the Wedding with a guest list of 100+.

A wise car salesman once told me, "There's an ass for every seat, even the cheap ones." (I love the hidden pun in that phrase.)
 
I have no doubt, with today's DSPs that most speakers sound adequate when running them a good distance from their limits.

BUUTT .. when you are putting your reputation on the line, it that what you're aiming for .. adequate? If so, these are probably as good as an Alto or Gemini or similar. Would I use one .. maybe as a fill speaker or an emergency backup .. sure. I would not wish to test their durability and craftsmanship in making them my main system though.
 
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DJ Ricky B said:
It is certainly NOT 2500 watts, LOL. None of these speakers are able to truly push 2000 plus watts. I would hope they are not lying about the 129 DB though. I would assume they somehow got it to register that high in a lab. Yamaha claims 134+ DB on their DSR line up. I hope they measured that at least once in lab tests.

In real life audio applications...we are not going to get 129 DB+ ...Maybe at a concert with multiple speakers.
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I can make any speaker be 2500 watts...It will be brief but I can make it hit it ;)

Car stereo manufacturers used to advertise gaudy numbers but when you read the fine print it became the equivalent of...Basically a 2000 watt car stereo was around 150 watts being the equivalent SPL in the car with the windows closed of a 2000 watt pro system in a large space. Numbers mean nothing if you don't know what they mean or how they are measured
 
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wifedj said:
But to be a "real" deeeejay, you'd have to go with the tag "DJ Ah D-QWIT", to be legit an all.
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I've copyrighted DJ AD3QU1T
 
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Harbinger as most know is a brand made by GC. The company came up with this idea years ago and they keep inventing cheaper brands of stuff to sell compared to other name brands that are much better. Their brand has a market for someone to buy their products. Just that a true professional who has been doing this a long time wouldn't even consider such stuff.

That's like a salesman in GC tried to get me to buy a cheap pair of Alto speakers. I think the first ones they made. I wouldn't even listen to that junk and felt insulted that the salesman who has known me for too many years would even mention them to me. I bought a pair of Yamaha DSR 115's and haven't regretted the purchase at all. One of those speakers at that time cost almost as much as a pair of that junk he was trying to get me to buy. Now the price is $999.99 each. If I had to choose over again I would pick the same thing.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
Harbinger as most know is a brand made by GC. The company came up with this idea years ago and they keep inventing cheaper brands of stuff to sell compared to other name brands that are much better. Their brand has a market for someone to buy their products. Just that a true professional who has been doing this a long time wouldn't even consider such stuff.

That's like a salesman in GC tried to get me to buy a cheap pair of Alto speakers. I think the first ones they made. I wouldn't even listen to that junk and felt insulted that the salesman who has known me for too many years would even mention them to me. I bought a pair of Yamaha DSR 115's and haven't regretted the purchase at all. One of those speakers at that time cost almost as much as a pair of that junk he was trying to get me to buy. Now the price is $999.99 each. If I had to choose over again I would pick the same thing.
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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.
 
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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.
 
steve149 said:
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.
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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 ;)
 
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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. )
 
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