recommendations for a 300$ limit ?

[DJArmani]

What are some good speakers I can get for a budget of 300$ per speaker? And a subwoofer? I really don't know much about speakers.

[DYM]

What are some good speakers I can get for a budget of 300$ per speaker? And a subwoofer? I really don't know much about speakers.

Raise your budget a bit more... people have been getting some decent stuff for around $600 with the M-Audio speakers, may be gone by now. RCF is your next best bet at a grand. I may be up for getting rid of my RCF's PM me.

[DJArmani]

Really can't afford anything more right now. I was checking out the Behringer Eurolive B215D's. They seem pretty good.

[Dj DRPX]

Take a look for some used gear. I'm buying 2 Behringer Eurolive B215D speakers at $180 each, normally $300 each. It depends on what you need them for. The most I'll ever have to Dj for is 100 people, so it doesn't matter much. Especially if I have to play top 40 while I Dj.

[DYM]

Then do a little renting for now, don't settle for cheap.

[DJArmani]

how are they? And I'm djing for about 300 people this upcoming thursday. I'm using the Marathon ENT-12's at 600 watts each. Is this good enough?

[Al Poulin]

how are they? And I'm djing for about 300 people this upcoming thursday. I'm using the Marathon ENT-12's at 600 watts each. Is this good enough?

I would rent a decent set of powered tops with a pair of powered subs for a 300 person event if I was in your shoes and wanted to make a good impression.

Unforunately, Marathon produces mostly subpar/cheap products with made up or optomistic specifications that are best used for house parties or very small occasions where sound quality, efficiency, output, durability, build quality and component quality are not all that important...

Al

[jayhwk]

how are they? And I'm djing for about 300 people this upcoming thursday. I'm using the Marathon ENT-12's at 600 watts each. Is this good enough?

No. Also, watts are not a measure of how loud a loudspeaker gets.

Something like these won't have super great sound, but are decent starter loudspeakers: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/3037435072.html . Try to talk the guy down to $300, $400 is a bit much.

Here's a cheap amplifier: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/3031901334.html

This guy has a pair of Electro-Voice Sx200s for a decent price: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/msg/3038247963.html

[ampnation]

I agree with Al.

Adding, 600w doesn't mean much for what you're looking for. There is a lot more to the question of whether or not a certain speaker is appropriate for a given gig.

Determine the output level you need in terms of SPL measured in decibels (db) at certain areas.
Determine the patterns you will need to cover for high frequencies.
Determine the frequency range you need to satisfy the client considering both the type of music and the demographics of the crowd.

You might want a lot of output in the dance floor area while not blasting the people outside that perimeter. This will involve not just picking the right speaker, but the right angle and coverage. Getting your cabinets up high and tilting them so the people on the dance floor absorb the highs is a good idea in this sort of scenario. Pay attention to the horizontal and vertical dispersion pattern of the high frequency horn so you can estimate where the sweet spot will be for coverage. If you don't have a db meter, get a cheap one and listen to your home system. Most people don't have home systems capable of playing club levels even in the small rooms they're placed in, but this should give you an idea.

Take a bit to learn about the inverse square law so you can determine how much drop off to expect from your system over distance. Just google it.

Same thing with boundary loading subwoofers and subwoofer placement.

If you're playing drum n bass for a bunch of 20 yr olds you'll need frequency extension much lower than if you're playing 2-step for seniors AND you'll need it loud. Those Marathons won't cut it. Use one or both as monitors or fill instead if at all.

You mentioned $300 per speaker and then threw out there, "And a subwoofer?" Do you mean you have $600 total budget or $600 for tops and some undisclosed extra budget for a subwoofer?

If your total budget is $600 and you're looking to play for 300 people, and it isn't something like a senior event, I'd rent for sure. Add to your savings a little with each gig while you get to know more about the type of systems that can handle that large of a crowd by renting. Audio rental places can be a wealth of information if you pick their brain.

If you're just starting and you're playing for 300 people, chances are you'll need to cover even more soon. When you get into 500 plus you'll probably want to step up to some fairly serious equipment. There are lots of ways to go here and none are cheap. Some are more cost effective than others though.

To give you an idea of more reasonable expectations on cost, for a 300 person crowd I might recommend 2 QSC K12's and a pair of matching KW181 subwoofers which would run a total of probably over $3600 depending how much of a discount I could find from a dealer. That same system in my area would probably run around $350 to $400 to rent. Other systems might be a few dollars less but that is the ballpark. For weddings I would say the 2nd subwoofer probably isn't necessary and I'd probably recommend a system where the tops were less expensive like the RCF ART312A paired with an RCF subwoofer like a SUB705AS. Without looking at exact pricing, I would expect that to run around $2100+

[DYM]

For shits and giggles, I would go with 2 RCF ART 722-A MK II 's and 2 Yorkville LS801PB 's

I wish I could head that system crossed over at, ehhh 105hz

[DJ Boom Bap]

$300 per speaker? Get a matrix 1000 system, comes with a sub. You can definitely find a used one for $600

[Evil Steve]

$300 per speaker? Get a matrix 1000 system, comes with a sub. You can definitely find a used one for $600
For 300 people?

No idea what sort of music. No idea what sort of venue. No idea what sort of event. No idea how loud it needs to get.
The only clue given so far is that there's $600 available and it's for 300 people... I wouldn't suggest a Matrix for any application where there were going to be 300 people. The only suggestion I could think of that would be worse, would be recommending two Matrix systems.

I heard about a guy on craigslist in New Zeland that has a pair of completely blown up EAW La325's that fell out the back of his truck on the highway and turned into a pile of kindling. He's looking for $175 each. Look at all the money you'll save.

Armani
Your profile shows you have 200 posts. Is this the first time you've ever had to supply a PA system for an event?
Whatever else you do, I'd recommend that you do not go out and buy something for a gig in less than a week.
Arrange a rental with a reputable, local supplier. Let the supplier know what your needs are. Let them suggest a system. If there's time, ask around here if the system seems realistic for the purpose.

[sss18734]

The only way you'll get anything decent at that price is to go used and wait for a great bargain. But that can take time, which unfortunately, you do not have. Look to rent in your situation.

[DJArmani]

@EvilSteve : No it's not the first I've had to but all of my events so far have been fairly small, and I've been using the Marathon ENT-12's. This is the first event where I need something a little louder than that. And it's an outdoor event, for about 2 hours, it's like a field day/picnic at my school. I'll be playing a bit of everything such as House,Hiphop,Top40,and Bmore Club. Also for this event I'm not on a 600$ budget, with the money I make off of this event and a few more within the next month or month and a half, I was wondering what I can get. For this event, I'm going to be renting.

[Evil Steve]

Seems like you'll just be supplying background noise with the ability to make announcements from time to time.
I'm going on an assumption that this event will be spread out over some real estate. Is it possible there will be bouncy toys, fire trucks etc? Perhaps more like a community event than a party function?
Outdoors, bass will simply evaporate. If you're getting into the situation I described above, you've got a box of chocolates on your hands. You never know what yer gonna get.
Seems like a big, bass heavy PA system would end up causing more complaints from the noise than anything else.

Are you looking at a wide dispersion of sound? Are you trying to cover a wide area, or keep the sound concentrated? Usually, event organizers tell you how simple their requirements are, then end up assuming you can send announcements at audible levels, half a mile away over the screaming kids, sirens and power equipment.

What about power? Are you running off local utility, or a generator? That's definitely going to make a difference about what sort of gear you want.

When you factor in the weather at an outdoor gig, you're smart to rent. It would break my heart to lay out cash for a pair of loudspeakers (even a $600 pair) and have them rained on, or sunburned, or blown over for their first gig. There are good speakers out there that can take some punishment and come back for more, but those aren't cheap. You do get what you pay for.

[DJArmani]

No it's just a simple picnic the music will most likely be concentrated in a certain area because of noise complaints, and etc. It's going to be on a practice football field which is a little smaller than a high school football field. And the organizer of the event told me that she would let me know where the power will be coming from the day before the event. And it will most likely be partly cloudy that day according to the weather.

[fueledbymusic]

Look at what I say about this subject http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?8549-What-is-a-good-complete-speaker-set-up-for-less-than-1000

[DJArmani]

thanks ! ^