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Thread: What PA subwoofer for outdoor would you recommend?

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    What PA subwoofer for outdoor would you recommend?

    Hi All,

    I want to have a good small sound system to take with me when travelling in the summer and do small parties here & there. I'm thinking mostly about outdoor parties, around 100-200 people.

    I have for now 2 x Yamaha DSR112 and i would like to buy one sub to suit them.(only one for now due to cash and space issues)

    As i red and asked for opinions i understood that a bandpass sub will do much better that a bassreflex when set outdoor.

    For the moment i'm thinking to stay with Yamaha and buy a DXS15 or DXS18 sub (both bandpass) but i'm not convinced yet what would be the best.
    A DXS15 would be lighter and easier to transport but a DXS18 would have more power and better frequencies but bigger and heavier.

    My questions are:
    Does anybody tried any of these subs outdoor in a similar configuration (2 x tops, 1 x sub) ? Is it a big difference to sound quality between 15" & 18"?
    Would it be better to have 2x15" then one 18" sub?

    Is there any other PA sub that you would recommend?
    Will this setup cover around 100 ppl outdoor?

    Thank you in advance,
    Dan

  2. #2
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    It depends what type of music is involved of course but those DSRs are capable of serious output and can do even more when high passed over subs so it wouldn't be out of line to use as many as four 18 subs with a pair of DSR112s. And outdoors you generally need double the equipment you would use indoors to get the same levels and feel because there are no walls to keep the sound contained. If I were you I'd start of with a single 18 and see how it works for you, two 15s would be slightly better than a single 18 but two 18s will crush the 15s.
    Paul O'Brien
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    Member djeternal's Avatar
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    I agree with conanski - outdoors you need double the equipment. I would get an 18 inch sub for outdoors. Then later on (when you can afford it) get one or more 18s.

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    I usually play all kind of music from reggae/funk/hiphop to house/techno/drum n bass.

    Do you recommend any other 18" than Yamaha's? Maybe lighter but still powerful and with good sound quality? (bandpass)

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    Member djeternal's Avatar
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    You mentioned lighter - you should get a sub with wheels (especially with 4 wheels). It's kind of like changing from a luggage suitcase with 2 wheels and getting one with 4 wheels. You can push the one with 4 wheels with one hand. I have the QSC KW 181. It is a powerful, high quality sub. And it has 4 wheels. The only time I lift it is to put it in my SUV. Because it has wheels it's higher off the ground so I'm not doing a lot of lifting. If the 181 is not in your budget you may want to rent a sub until you can afford a good quality sub.

    Btw what is your budget?

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    I estimate that my budget will be around 1400$ (max).

    I red a lot about KW181 and i know is a good sub but is it bassreflex or bandpass?
    Yamaha DXS18 also has the possibility to attach 4 wheels, i will definitely want that.

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    Member djeternal's Avatar
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    In my humble opinion - I would not be too concerned about whether or not it is bass reflex or bandpass. I would just get it. It sounds good indoors and outdoors. It has a button that you can push for extra bass. And btw yes I believe it is bass reflex.

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    Quote Originally Posted by djeternal View Post
    In my humble opinion - I would not be too concerned about whether or not it is bass reflex or bandpass.
    +1. The QSC is bass reflex like most subs in this market but the Dxs18 is bandpass. The QSC has a reputation as a very solid performer but it also one for not going terribly low. Bandpass subs in general have a reputation as one note wonders but this Yamaha and other 18" versions I have heard (Turbosound Milan 18B) don't share this characteristic. The Dxs18 was developed specifically by Yamaha once it became apparent that the DSR18 did not have the output to match the performance of the fullrange speaker systems in that same series, and user reviews suggest the DXR18 is everything it should be, it's very musical with good lowend extension and capable of very high output. There is also something to be said for buying components that are designed to work well together, people sometimes run into issues with missing processing when mixing speakers from different manufacturers, I don't thing you will have that problem here but its something to consider.
    Paul O'Brien
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    I think i'll stick to one Yamaha DXS18 for start and see how it performs.

    Thank you for your answers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kgmru View Post
    I think i'll stick to one Yamaha DXS18 for start and see how it performs.

    Thank you for your answers.

    Just to let anyone who's interested, after two years of using the combination of 2 x Yamaha DSR112 & 1 x Yamaha DXS18 is absolutelly great, indoor and outdoor. I can say that they perform even better when using them outdoor. The bass is very powerfull, wide and clear and the speakers are excellent on all frequencies.
    I also used a 3KW digital power generator with no problems, inluding mixer,cdplayers,turnatbles,some lights.

    Now i got another DXS18 subwoofer to have the in pairs, but i didn't tested yet.

    Anyway, this Yamaha setup is a great choice for 200-300 people, both indoor or outdoor.

    Cheers
    Last edited by kgmru; 02-13-2019 at 06:14 AM.

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