The New EV Evolve 70 and Evolve 90

[Proformance]

In my experience, making judgments based on videos from someone who has never even heard them can easily be wrong.


If you are a fan of the Evolve series and you might want to consider something bigger then try them out, listen to them, then make a decision. Don’t make a decision based on a video made by someone who has never even heard them.

I’ve seen tons of videos about equipment that someone never used…or tried once and made a bunch of incorrect assumptions. Sometimes things are missed, overlooked, or ignored and ends up painting a very inaccurate picture.

Btw, the 500 people can be a silent crowd listening to a violinist or a wedding ceremony in a perfectly spaced auditorium. No ambient noise. Doesn’t mean it works for 500 screaming teenagers at a school dance in a gym, so I wouldn’t get caught up on that. Bose has been saying that for years. They probably tried it out in their auditorium under perfect conditions.

Sure they could be awful. I have no idea. Why don’t we wait and see before making any judgments? I think someone like EV should at least get that chance.

. . . or I could just return or sell them if it turns out they're not what I hoped. They're speakers - not a lung transplant.

I read this and all I could picture was some poor waitress waiting for you to order something from the menu.

 

[Proformance]

I think the issue to consider with column speakers as they are made larger and more powerful is one for live musicians rather than DJs.

Most musicians are using these earlier versions for small performances in close proximity (sans monitors) and they are working well with minimum feedback. The musician enjoys close and easy access to the units while the speakers serve a dual function as both monitor and mains.

If we apply more power to expand the audience size - then the possibility of on stage feedback becoming a greater problem is something worth considering and testing. If we have to move them further off stage then the original dual purpose is foiled. The larger towers are now MAINS and we are back to needing a monitor mix.

 

[Scott Hanna]

. . . or I could just return or sell them if it turns out they're not what I hoped. They're speakers - not a lung transplant.

I read this and all I could picture was some poor waitress waiting for you to order something from the menu.

Exactly why I like buying gear they will take back after I can try it out for several gigs. Better than judging gear from a video from someone who’s never even heard them.

Kind of like deciding how a food tastes based on a video from someone who has never tasted the food

 

[sawdust123]

This is all 4 Evolves lined up. The 70 an 90 are huge. They sound great but they are not highly portable at 78 and 98 pounds each. Even in white, they lack the svelte look you may want for a wedding. They are clearly for larger gigs. That is one reason you don't need the mixer option. A reasonable mix position for these is probably beyond BT range.

 

[Jeff Romard]

For those of you that like numbers

 

[TES3S]

EV markets the total weight...The weight of the Evolve 70 sub is 58 pound. That is only about 14 pounds heavier than the Evolve 50, although the size is noticeably bigger.

I have been using Evolve 50s with an extra Evolve 50 sub portion only and it works super well! Even though I have to use two sub units, it might still be easier to use at gigs, but we will see.

If anyone has questions on the Evolve series, feel free to ask. I am on the EV Live Performance Team.

 

[Rami]

EV markets the total weight...The weight of the Evolve 70 sub is 58 pound. That is only about 14 pounds heavier than the Evolve 50, although the size is noticeably bigger.

I have been using Evolve 50s with an extra Evolve 50 sub portion only and it works super well! Even though I have to use two sub units, it might still be easier to use at gigs, but we will see.

If anyone has questions on the Evolve series, feel free to ask. I am on the EV Live Performance Team.

Can you comment on the evolves being a 2 way system vs a 3 way system? And do vocals they get muddy once you engage the microphone while music is playing ?
This whole 2 way 3 way conversation is driving me crazy

 

[djtaso]

Can you comment on the evolves being a 2 way system vs a 3 way system? And do vocals they get muddy once you engage the microphone while music is playing ?
This whole 2 way 3 way conversation is driving me crazy

In general a 3way system will create better quality sound (not talking about volume) as it has speakers dedicated to certain frequencies rather than one speaker doing mids and highs. In a 3 way system my voice sounds more pronounced and distinct compared to a 2 way system when speaking over music.

 

[tunes4046]

In general a 3way system will create better quality sound (not talking about volume) as it has speakers dedicated to certain frequencies rather than one speaker doing mids and highs. In a 3 way system my voice sounds more pronounced and distinct compared to a 2 way system when speaking over music.

This is correct any time you can reduce the range of frequencies a speaker is trying to reproduce the cleaner it will soung

 

[Rami]

In general a 3way system will create better quality sound (not talking about volume) as it has speakers dedicated to certain frequencies rather than one speaker doing mids and highs. In a 3 way system my voice sounds more pronounced and distinct compared to a 2 way system when speaking over music.

Thanks for the clarification...but aren't the majority of speakers 2 way speakers ? You add a sub and it's still a 2 way speaker with glorified low end...I understand that the DSP would divide frequencies so the tops would handle anything above 120Hz, 100Hz or 80Hz and the sub would reproduce those low frequencies but that still doesn't make it a 3 way system...from what I have been reading, unless a speaker has a dedicated mid-range driver, then it's just a 2 way system even with an external subwoofer... Why are the Evovles all of the sudden aren't as good as any other 12" tops over 18" subs ? Genuinely asking, not trying to argue.

 

[Scott Hanna]

In my opinion, the 2way-3way debate is similar to the mp3 bit rate debate several years ago.

Is there a difference? Yes? Will anyone listening at an event ever really notice? Highly unlikely

Did EV just overlook something that’s crucial to great sound? Highly doubtful

We will see down the road if it’s something that hurts the success of these models, but my guess is that won’t be a deciding factor.

I’m guessing if anything , the weight of the units could end up being a bigger factor. Portability offers some great benefits.

 

[MIXMASTERMACHOM]

My experience is this. A speaker can be a 3 way but is it a quality speaker. Just because it's a 3 way means nothing. The question is if the manufacturer is using high quality parts or some cheap parts that are junk.

I bought a pair of QSC K12.2 speakers and they kick major butt. They look and sound GREAT! Those speakers are also very reliable and plenty of DJs are using them. It's really all about what you feel sounds good to you and what you can afford.

 

[sawdust123]

EVERY speaker design is a compromise. Two and three way designs dominate but you will frequently see concert systems with four way configurations. Key problems with multi-way designs is time alignment of the drivers and matching dispersion angles for all the frequencies. Time alignment issues are often solved with a combination of acoustic delay paths and electronic delays. The latter is only found in active speakers. Most models only worry about horizontal time alignment. Time alignment issues increase the further apart the drivers are. Coaxial driver placement solves some problems but increases intermodulation distortion. Output power is related to how much air a speaker moves. Increasing cone sizes moves more air but introduces break-up modes at higher frequencies. Increasing cone travel moves more air but introduces distortions caused by the suspensions and magnetic issues in the motor structure.

PA speakers need high power and directivity control. Directivity is hardest to control at the lowest and highest frequencies. Concert systems will use arrays of subs to control the directivity. Most PA speakers use horns to control the high frequencies. Horns use compression drivers to produce the high frequencies. These have large diaphragms that push against a phase plug to direct the air into a small aperture from which the directivity can be controlled. The air within the phase plug is highly compressed and flows in a nonlinear fashion. This can become another source of distortion.

The whole point of all this explanation is to show that EVERY decision made in a speaker design is a compromise of some kind. Some solutions cost more, others weigh more but there is always a tradeoff.

 

[sawdust123]

BTW, of the column speakers EV and QSC are the only ones I'm aware of that made a serious attempt to control dispersion over a wide range of frequencies. The EVs use a two-way design but they have placed an acoustic lens over the high frequency drivers. QSC went with a 3-way design that uses a compression driver and an equalized path length horn for the highs.

 

[djtaso]

In my opinion, the 2way-3way debate is similar to the mp3 bit rate debate several years ago.

Is there a difference? Yes? Will anyone listening at an event ever really notice? Highly unlikely

Did EV just overlook something that’s crucial to great sound? Highly doubtful

We will see down the road if it’s something that hurts the success of these models, but my guess is that won’t be a deciding factor.

I’m guessing if anything , the weight of the units could end up being a bigger factor. Portability offers some great benefits.

You can definitely tell. It's not even "to the trained ear" type of thing. But where it's noticeable is in specific situations. Most common situation that dj's will refer to is when you're playing at full dance volumes and you wanna get on the mic, talk over the music and say something, especially in a hyping up kinda way. A 2 way system will not make the voice sound as distinct and appear as if it's more of a muddied sound and less sharp in tone compared to a 3 way. If you're the type that always lowers the playing volume when you speak, don't mc in an over the top kind of way, or really push to the upper volumes of your speakers capability, you'll never really come across this quality difference. There are other differences as well, including in just the music alone, but those are more of where the trained ear comes into play.

 

[TES3S]

Can you comment on the evolves being a 2 way system vs a 3 way system? And do vocals they get muddy once you engage the microphone while music is playing ?
This whole 2 way 3 way conversation is driving me crazy

No, vocals do not get muddy at all. The full range drivers go just as high in the frequency spectrum as the compression drivers.

Since when did 2 way or 3 way conversations become such a hot topic. This is nothing new and it's so weird that DJs even care about this. If it sound good and delivers, it should not matter if is 2 way, 3way or 4way system.

 

[djtaso]

No, vocals do not get muddy at all. The full range drivers go just as high in the frequency spectrum as the compression drivers.

Since when did 2 way or 3 way conversations become such a hot topic. This is nothing new and it's so weird that DJs even care about this. If it sound good and delivers, it should not matter if is 2 way, 3way or 4way system.

It became an issue because getting access to information is much easier and mainstream than it used to be. Also, many DJs do notice a difference in vocal clarity when mcing at high volumes on a 2 way vs 3way and higher quality components. I have an evox 12, nxl24 over 8004 and yesterday did rcf nx910s over 8004… the evox just doesn’t sound as good when I’m mcing. It’s why I’m gonna be getting the nx14’s for my small parties in combination with the 8004.

 

[TES3S]

A lot of that is just tuning in terms of how a speaker sounds when compared to another speaker. It's not necessary b/c of the lack of compression driver. There is no reason the full range drivers should not give you just as clear vocals. It's a different type of sound all together, and you might you just prefer the way a big compression driver and horn sound. They each have their place.

 

[tunes4046]

A lot of that is just tuning in terms of how a speaker sounds when compared to another speaker. It's not necessary b/c of the lack of compression driver. There is no reason the full range drivers should not give you just as clear vocals. It's a different type of sound all together, and you might you just prefer the way a big compression driver and horn sound. They each have their place.

When you ask a speaker to do less it will do the job it is assigned better,
3-way
Tweeter you handle the highs
Driver you handle the mids
Sub you take the lows

2-way
Tweeter you handle the highs and some of the mids
Driver you take the lows and the rest of the mids

A properly processed 3 way system always sounds better as there is less compromise

It’s simple physics

 

[sawdust123]

The 2- vs 3-way issues being raised here make me chuckle. There is no universally accepted answer for which is better. A good design is a good design and a bad design is a bad design. Either approach puts the crossover at some point in the vocal band. Crossover design is not trivial and like the rest of speaker design, there are plenty of trade-offs. That said, if you want a lot of bass, use a separate subwoofer. This relieves the woofer of a 2-way top from extra long excursions that can produce IM distortion.