Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: wich brand of cinema speakers do you recomend

This is topic wich brand of cinema speakers do you recomend in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009724

Posted by Mike Moreno (Member # 4887) on 01-27-2009, 12:54 PM:

im new in the cinema industry ( 3 years) and there are a lot to learn, one of the important things i would like to know is about sound. we have SLS speakers that use ribbon thechnology and they sounds great but here in mexico nobody use this brand but us and the only way to find spare parts is in US. wich other brand of sound systems can you recomend.

thanks.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 01-27-2009, 01:10 PM:

QSC is getting the reputation of being a line of speakers that can take over the JBL line of speakers.

Talk to your service rep or supplier for this brand.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-27-2009, 01:26 PM:

Only JBL; still the best, most reliable, sounds best. Studios still use them. Louis

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-27-2009, 01:29 PM:

Probably best to find out what line there is local stock for of replacement drivers

Posted by Todd McCracken (Member # 4718) on 01-27-2009, 01:50 PM:

Another vote for JBL, always a quality product.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-27-2009, 02:15 PM:

JBL's QC and overall ouality has dwindled over the years and they are not built anywheres near as good as QSC speaker cabinets are. JBL has somehow managed to keep the performance values of their speakers though. So my choices are QSC and then JBL in that order. If you want to go three way (hopefully) then QSC wins hands down... they have a coaxial high frequency driver that is just about the best thing going today.

Mark

Posted by Mike Moreno (Member # 4887) on 01-27-2009, 03:42 PM:

thanks everybody.

Posted by Bastiaan Fleerkate (Member # 3826) on 01-27-2009, 04:07 PM:

JBL and KCS.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-27-2009, 08:11 PM:

Preferences aside I always recomend that before making a purchase of a big ticket item ensure that replacement parts are available locally through a stocking rep
JBL QSC KCS KLIPSH KRIX............ all make quality products the original poster made a point about parts availablity so that obviously is a concern

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-27-2009, 08:34 PM:

quote: Mike Moreno
would like to know is about sound. we have SLS speakers that use ribbon thechnology and they sounds great but here in mexico nobody use this brand but us and the only way to find spare parts is in US.

Ribbon speakers have alot of inherent good aspects about them but once you place a movie screen in from of them the loss encountered with the screen is way too great and you end up having to ocverdrive the ribbon to get back to home plate again. There are but a very few theaters here in the US that utilize them. They do sound very seamless and coherent and have ultra low distortion when not behind a screen and also when you are within the usable dispersion area but they characteristicly don't have good dispersion of their own. They are also quite inefficient and power hungry but also able to take alot of power as they have a large heat dissipation area thats able to get rid of the heat. After many years the metal foil they are made from can get brittle and then crack then you have an unusable driver.

Mark

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-27-2009, 09:31 PM:

I have used ribbon drivers in situations where behind the screen area was an issue; I generally used a short horn on them to transmit throught the screen more efficiently. Their high crossover point can be an issue compared to other speaker types.
I am JBL centric [Cool]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-28-2009, 03:53 AM:

QSC is my number one choice. Check out their new 4 way systems too. If QSC was not an option, I would go with JBL. Past that I would run silent movies. [Big Grin]

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 01-28-2009, 07:09 AM:

JBL all the way

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-28-2009, 08:06 AM:

It's worth noting that pretty much every US theatre that was built prior to the early-mid 1980s (and which has not been upgraded since then) has Altec "Voice of the Theatre" speakers. Some of these installations sound amazing and some sound terrible. Newer installs seem to be a mix of (mostly) JBL and Electro-Voice.

What do people like for smallish semi-portable speakers for cinema use? I've heard PA-type speakers in a couple of rental setups and they are fine for music, but lack the dialogue clarity of cinema speakers. I'm currently using cheap home-stereo speakers in my screening room and would consider upgrading if I could get something decent that is smaller and lighter than A4s.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-28-2009, 08:52 AM:

Scott: probably what you have is ideal for a smaller room. Screen losses, coupled with the need to "project" into a larger space is what seperates the men from the boys.

A good example is the Chinese in L.A. where even the big JBL's had their issues. louis

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-28-2009, 09:43 AM:

I keep thinking I need to replace ours because the high end doesn't seem to be quite what it used to be, but then my hearing is probably more the cause of that than anything. Our stage speakers are all Peavey 2-ways, but I would love to have some of them QSCs.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 01-28-2009, 10:29 AM:

QSC for Excellence & Performance
JBL for Performance
KCS for Value For Money

Posted by Bill Ryan (Member # 2814) on 02-17-2009, 05:41 PM:

Im with Scott, Altec Lansing. JBL=Junk But Loud......

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 02-17-2009, 06:21 PM:

ALTEC Voice of the Theater!

OK, just kidding. Please do not buy those.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-17-2009, 06:26 PM:

ALTEC rules the A6 with a mantaray horn is one of the nicest direct radiator speakers out there and a A4 can't be beat just don't try to move it

Posted by Bill Ryan (Member # 2814) on 02-21-2009, 02:53 AM:

Now that's why I have a bad back Gordon. [Big Grin]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 02-21-2009, 03:40 AM:

quote: Bill Ryan
Altec Lansing. JBL

...ehh..JBL=James B.Lansing .. kinda the same, aint it?

Tonnage of history behind Altec

1- 1928 Western Electric formed Electric Research Products, Inc. (ERPI), to manufacture, install and service the talking picture systems in studios and theaters.ERPI was spun off into a separate company renamed All Technical Products Company..(ALTEC)

2-The Altec Corporation bought Lansing Manufacturing Company headed by James B. Lansing and formed Altec Lansing Corporation on May 1, 1941.

3-1947 Altec announced "Voice of the Theatre" speaker systems.

5-1946-James B. Lansing forms a new company, James B. Lansing Sound .. to eventually become JBL as we know of it today.

quote: Mike Blakesley
Our stage speakers are all Peavey 2-ways, but I would love to have some of them QSCs.

We got a six screen, and in the big house, we had these Peaveys (gag!) in which we finally replaced them with JBL's and what a difference that totally made...

..but do look into QSC's ...

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 02-22-2009, 08:48 PM:

...for the drivers?....Fane. mmmm nice.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 02-22-2009, 09:16 PM:

I really like the QSC's, just installed them in a room renovation.

Clean, tight sound, great bass response and wonderful localization.

And they cost less than JBL's. [Smile]

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 03-09-2011, 07:39 PM:

It has been 744 days since the last post.

Posted by James Larden (Member # 5594) on 03-09-2011, 07:39 PM:

Has anyone here had an opportunity to listen to a Meyer system? They are marketing their cinema line under the name Acheron. Coppola shills for them.

I wonder how these self powered and matched internal passive crossover speakers would stack up against the top line QSC and JBL tri and quad systems.

Posted by V.V.Tushit Vijay (Member # 5455) on 03-09-2011, 10:30 PM:

QSC id the best for the performance and the clear sound with out any wave cancellation.

And i also propose BMS speakers for their Coaxial speakers. and nice response.

But QSC is amazing for the frequency no dip found in any one of the frequency . i strong Recommend QSC DCA, DCS , DCP 300 .

Tusith

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 03-10-2011, 12:33 AM:

The Meyer speakers are awesome. The speech quality is light and very easy to understand. The music and effects quality is second to none and also can get very loud without strain.

The only real problem is the price. They are very expensive compared to QSC or JBL. I would try one in the best house in a complex and see for yourself.

Posted by Nathan Powers (Member # 3715) on 03-10-2011, 10:25 AM:

I have ALWAYS chosen JBL for cinema speakers and performance spaces and have NEVER been let down. They make a durable and reliable product that they stand behind. I would highly recommend them.

Posted by Lionel Fouillen (Member # 1475) on 03-10-2011, 12:35 PM:

The Altec A6 was a good one. Have some of you worked with the A10 model? It was THX-certified back then in the 80's and 90's but I don't know if it was ever widely used, due to the JBL 4675 fashion. As for Meyer, their line of cinema products in the 80's wasn't very well tailored, but it looks like their new THX-certified series rock.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-10-2011, 01:25 PM:

I'm not a fan of the A10. It used the EV horn and driver (Altec 906 was essentially an EV DH1-A with a 1.4" throat). Whereas I never liked the EV sound...the A10 carried on that tradition. The A6, on the other hand, had a better horn (Mantaray MRII594A) and a rather good double-15 bass section...similar to the JBL 4670 series. JBL had more power handling but the Altec had a MUCH better HF horn. The 2380 Horn by JBL has NO pattern control at 500Hz and barely any at 800Hz.

If you have not had a chance to hear an MRII594A or an MR94...you should...no other horn seems to be as uniform in the coverage area.

There are definitely some JBL speakers that I like and there are some that I have not had good experiences with. I have not had a bad experience with a QSC speaker, yet. I've only worked with QSC's 3-way and 4-way systems. I'll say this, the QSC is the ONLY low-cost 3-way speakers I've heard that I've liked. The rest seem to really mess up dialog...I'll take a good 2-way like a JBL 4675 over most value-priced 3-ways. And by value priced...I mean any 3-way below $3,000.00US each. The alleged improvement in distortion by going with 3-ways seems to get shot by the seemingly poor crossover points and system matching.

I'm definitely a proponent of the Altec A4 and A5 series too (particularly if you use Mantaray horns rather than multi-cell).

-Steve

Posted by Bajsic Bojan (Member # 4928) on 03-16-2011, 03:45 PM:

we use the KCS 2ways, have been running solid without fail for close to 10 years of daily use and abuse. really nice for a small-ish theater.

anyone have any experience with Alcon ribbons for smaller screens?

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 03-16-2011, 04:14 PM:

I did also some KCS, basicly they are design copy of JBL and I think they use BEYMA or DAS drivers which are also from Spain, thing is they are two KCS I relly like, S1800 and S2500, on other hand other are very bad compared to this one, but on price this two I mentioned are great, specially for smaller screens and low budget, which is so common this days..... They come normal with passive crossover, but maximum performance is by doing bi-amp on them.

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 03-18-2011, 11:26 AM:

KCS has DAS components while Wassman utilize Beyma.