JBL Eon15 G2 vs Mackie SRM450

[Tim Steele Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tim Steele]

I've read a ton of messages about the pros and cons of the JBL Eon15 G2's and the Mackie SRM450's. From what I've read I'm quite impressed with both. I haven't heard either yet and I'm trying to locate a store to get a demo with a set of V-customs. My ear will make the ultimate decision (scary thought).

I like the apparent power and sound from the Mackie SRM450. And I like the lower price point for the JBL Eon15 G2 and the on-board mixer that comes with it.

Here's my question... How much of an advantage is the mixer that comes with the G2? Will it give me options with the TD-8 module that I wouldn't have with the Mackie, or will the TD-8's EQ capabilities, etc. be enough? I plan to run the module straight into the powered speaker (whichever model I ultimately choose) with no external signal processing.

Speak o' great amplified speaker gurus! Thanks!

Tim

[This message has been edited by Tim Steele (edited April 10, 2001).]

[Tom Berry Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Berry]

If you have a small mixer.... the Mackies are great. A mixer will allow you to do a little bit more as far as EQ and expanding your setup,... spd20, spd6, handsonic, whatever. At the very least you will need an adapter or direct box to get into the Mackie.
The G2s are easy to use, right out of your td10/8 into the mixer section of the G2.
Both speakers sound great to me.
I find the G2 a little bit easier to work with. If I had to rate both speakers on a scale of 1-10....
I would give the Mackies a 9.5 on sound.
I would give the JBLs a 9.2.
On ease of use and versitility I would give the Mackies a 9.1.
And the JBLs a 9.5.
Just my opinion, I couldn't make up my mind ...so I ended up with 2 of each.

[Tim Steele Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tim Steele]

I would give the Mackies a 9.5 on sound.
I would give the JBLs a 9.2.[/B]

Thanks for the input! One more question... When pushed, will either the Mackie or the JBL distort the sound? I know a number of people have commented that the KC-500 does just that. The JBL and Mack have quite a bit more horsepower, but can they suffer from the same distortion at high levels?

[drmoze Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close drmoze]

Tim, coupla comments. First, *any* speaker will distort if you drive it too hard. But the G2s and Mackies can get pretty darned loud without distorting. A pair of them is even louder!! $^)

For 'mixing' I'm looking to pick up a BBE Sonic Maximizer for a bit under $200. It's gotten excellent praise here and it makes a major difference on my car stereo! It plugs directly between the TD-8 output and the speaker inputs, and this model (the 482) has 2 separate channels so you can process both left and right outputs independently.

Finally, I'd give the G2 a few extra points for versatility (or subtract a few from the Mackie). When we practice, I often plug in a mike or keyboard into the G2, and it sounds fine. (The keyboard player likes this because he doesn't have to lug his amp around!!!)

Laterrrrrrr......

[Tom Berry Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Berry]

Yeah,
Want Drmoze said. I tried a KC-500, it was ok. But in my humble opinion it didn't have any headroom. Yes I have made the G2 and the Mackie distort. Scared the hell out of me. I pushed them to much, way to loud. Stupid loud! But you could do that to any system. One thing I remember very clearly, the KC-500 didn't handle the bass nearly as well as either of these speakers. Find them somewhere and see for yourself.

[Jimmy C Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jimmy C]

I can second that. I have a KC-500 and it is a pretty good amp for practicing. But I have noticed some distortion on the lows pretty frequently. I currently have borrowed two Mackie SRM450's from the guitar player in my band and the difference in power and sound quality is huge, IMHO (even when using only one Mackie). I will be upgrading to a JBL Eon G2 or a Mackie SRM450 pretty soon. Soon I will check out a JBL...

[Tim Steele Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tim Steele]

I will be upgrading to a JBL Eon G2 or a Mackie SRM450 pretty soon. Soon I will check out a JBL...[/B]

I'd love to hear about your impression of the JBL's. I located a store that has a v-custom demo set up and they carry the Mackie SRM450 (although not in stock until next week), but don't carry any of the JBL products.

Tim

[Jimmy C Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jimmy C]

One other observation on the Mackie SRM450: I have noticed a humming/buzzing sound and wasn't quite sure if it was because of the mixer or the speakers themselves. I looked into it and Mackie's FAQ info states this:
http://www.mackie.com/TechSupport/FAQ/SRM450.asp

"Q: The speaker hums when I connect something to its input...
A: The presence of a 60Hz hum in the speaker only when a connection is made to another piece of equipment suggests the presence of a ground loop. Such a loop is caused by electrical interaction of the signal grounds on two pieces of equipment, and is not necessarily an indication of broken gear. If a balanced connection to the SRM450 is being used, the simplest way to correct this problem is to lift the signal ground on the end of the connecting cable closest to the signal source. NOTE: This is not to be confused with disconnecting the safety ground on the power plug - this should be avoided at all costs, as it can present a safety hazard. If an unbalanced connection is being made to the SRM450, a line coupler such as the Ebtech Hum Eliminator can be used to eliminate the ground loop.

Q: There is a lot of hiss and noise when I connect the input of my SRM450 to my mixer/instrument/cat...

A: There are a number of factors that could contribute to excessive noise coming from an SRM450. Of these, one of the most common of these is the use of unbalanced lines are naturally more prone to RF and other induced noise, thus it is always better to use a balanced connection whenever possible. When troubleshooting a noisy system, the first thing that should be done is to isolate the signal source, and establish that the signal there is clear of noise. Once this has been established, equipment can be connected back into the signal chain and monitored until the source of the noise can be established."

Anyone tried both the Mackie SRM450 and JBL Eon G2 w/ the same equipment and noticed any difference in the level of humming from the speakers? Just trying to determine if one is more prone to hum/buzz than the other...

[TomLandin Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close TomLandin]

Out church just upgraded to JBL G2 10's for monitors, and I still use my JBL EON 15PAK for my drums. We have a LOT of humm and hiss coming from our monitors. It's not the speakers fault - it's the cheap ungrounded, everything is on one circuit electrical system. Our alter lights are on a cheap home dimmer, and that is the source of 90% of our interferance. I have demo'd the SRM450's and JBL G2 15's side-by-side, and they are top notch. Any hiss/hum is due to an external power problem.

My solution - crank it up LOUDER!! Works in the car - eliminated my valve knocking and fixed my fallen off muffler.

[Tom Berry Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Berry]

I own and use both JBLs & Mackies. No noise!
I (knock on wood) have never had any hum or noise of anykind. Although I'm sure some people might argue that point when they hear me play.... .

[Jimmy C Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jimmy C]

Tom & Tom: Thank you both, that is good news indeed!

TomLandin: Thanks for the laugh, it reminded me of when I had I bad muffler a few years back - I actually ruined my car stereo speakers trying to drown it out.

[puttenvr Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close puttenvr]

One question: there were some complaints about over-heating amps in a small speaker box witht the Mackies. One user even needed to turn off the amp after a periode of use (2 minuts )

Did you guys notice this?

[Tom Berry Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Berry]

No problem after 3 months of use.

[rudi-mint Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close rudi-mint]

I have been using my mackies in a confined space for band practice, and they are pushed right against the wall with no real air movement for them. I have not had any problems with them over heating. I am currently saving my pennies for the sub.


Kurt

[towerblock Registered Member Find all posts View Profile Close towerblock]

Yes! I bought one of each and the JBL exhibited more hum/hiss. It was annoying, but not the reason I ended up keeping the MAckie instead. I'm still to this day not sure I made the right decision. In the end, the Mackie sounded like it had more "detail" in the mids/highs, and it actually had the ability to produce lower bass notes. Notice i didn't say "better bass", just that it actually went down lower..this was very noticeable when playing my ddrums through both of them, even at very low volumes. The Mackie made the floor move at low volumes, the JBL didn't. FWIW, the JBL seemed to get more loud, and have more clean headroom. The JBL's sound more colored, to my ear at least when playing DDrums through them, but they have a pretty pleasing effect on the sound. Lots of mid lows, and LOUD! The horn in the JBL sounded "projectile" like at higher volumes, which i've seen someone else comment about. The Mackie, while having a smoother sound overall doesn't seem to handle my Ddrum kick very well (IMHO). Whats weird to me is that the Mackie with its 12" woofer actually extends to lower frequencies tthan the JBL..it just can't get very loud before you start hearing the cone bottoming out..the JBL on the other hand, while not producing as low lows, gets much louder before you hear any cone flapping sounds..

I kept the Mackie because where it excelled was when playing along with CD's playing through the Mackie along with my ddrums. Things were more clear. The JBL tended to get muddy when i had music playing through it, along with me...Anyway I agree with most posts here, they are BOTH really good..its a tough call..

Originally posted by Jimmy C:
Anyone tried both the Mackie SRM450 and JBL Eon G2 w/ the same equipment and noticed any difference in the level of humming from the speakers? Just trying to determine if one is more prone to hum/buzz than the other...