Speakers: Turbosound TXD VS Mackie SRM450

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

I'm not familiar with any TXD TurboSound model, but I used a lot of their concert models (TMS, TSD) on tour and if all things are still equal, I'd buy Turbos over Mackie any day. There are a lot of 'buts' involved here, still and all, Turbo WAS a high quality company. Is it still? Is the TXD line? Don't know.

[Astyle]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

I'm not familiar with any TXD TurboSound model, but I used a lot of their concert models (TMS, TSD) on tour and if all things are still equal, I'd buy Turbos over Mackie any day. There are a lot of 'buts' involved here, still and all, Turbo WAS a high quality company. Is it still? Is the TXD line? Don't know.

Thanks Bill!
The TXD line isn't very new, and being that these cabinets are blue would mean that these are an older version. How old, I really don't know.
As far as Turbosound today, I have had a chance to hear the Milan series and I can say hands down that when properly amplified, they are one of the best speakers available for live sound that I have ever heard.
Here in Seattle, many of the clubs have decided to replace their QSC, EV and Mackie mid-low end systems with the latest from KV2. I personally believe that Turbosound is MUCH better than KV2. The Milan series does a really great job with full spectrum music with heavy emphasis on bass. Absolute clarity in the mid-range and a punch that could push a rhino over. KV2 however has seemed muddled to my ears in the low end with absolutely no vocal presence in the mid range. Very harsh on the ears.
So when I saw a pair of TXD turbosounds at a thrift store I couldn't stop bouncing off the wall with excitement . I just need to know if they live up to the turbosound name.

Which amplifiers were you using with the TMS and TSD series?

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by Astyle

Which amplifiers were you using with the TMS and TSD series?

Crest 8001s.

[Tim Farrant]

I have installed these into bars and clubs along with the TXD 18" subs, and the clients have been more than happy with the "bang for buck". They are not top of the line, the woofers only have pressed steel frames. The horns sound pretty good, not too harsh. They seem to handle power OK but I have always used a good digital speaker processor to protect them. 400W RMS a box should do it.

Tim

[Astyle]

Originally Posted by Tim Farrant

I have installed these into bars and clubs along with the TXD 18" subs, and the clients have been more than happy with the "bang for buck". They are not top of the line, the woofers only have pressed steel frames. The horns sound pretty good, not too harsh. They seem to handle power OK but I have always used a good digital speaker processor to protect them. 400W RMS a box should do it.

Tim

Oh Great!
I think the horns on the 450's are soooo harsh that these have got to be better.
After reading more online today, I have heard a lot of bad things about the TXD series subwoofers. People and DJ's in particular seem to really like the main speakers though.
So 400w RMS? Dang
A guy down the street from me wants to sell me a Yamaha PC2002M with the old funky meters. Audiokarma folks like the amp for their inefficient hifi, but is 240w x 240w @ 8ohm enough for these guys?

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by Astyle

O..., but is 240w x 240w @ 8ohm enough for these guys?

meaningless gibberish. SPL. You need to know the SPL.

[Astyle]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

meaningless gibberish. SPL. You need to know the SPL.

I'm not sure I know what you mean. The max SPL of the speakers is rated at 124db continuous, 130db peak.
Sensitivity is 99db, 1 watt @ 1 meter
8 ohm nominal impedance

I wouldn't know where to look for an SPL of an amplifier????????

I would think though that since the speakers are rated at 300w continuous and 600w max, at 8ohm; I am going to need a more powerful amplifier than the Yamaha PC2002M.

[Astyle]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

meaningless gibberish. SPL. You need to know the SPL.

So ive narrowed it down to the following amps.

Crest 8001
Crest CA9
Crest CPX2600
Yamaha P5000S
QSC RMX2450
QSC PLX1804
Crown XLS 802

Should I save money by getting a cheaper amplifier (crown 802) to afford a sub to pair, or spend more on say the CA9 and leaving out the sub.

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

No, you're talking about some wattage 'being enough for these guys'... what guys? You need to know what kind of SPL you are expected to provide. Like, a 30 watt Bel Canto amp driving Dunlavy S-1s would rock my den, but would be meaningless in a stadium. You have to have parameters to spec equipment. Wattage doesn't tell you how loud something will be.... if I told you that we had 30 gallons of gas, you would not be able to calculate how far we could go unless you knew what we were driving.

I'm sure that you don't want to haul a Crest 8001, nor the dedicated power distribution it takes to run it. In terms of other amps, I would -always- check around. Crest made some real dogs along with some brilliant products. I've only ever used Crest 3501s, 5001s, 7001s, 8001s, and 10001s. Also, there was a time right after Peavey bought them when the workers were complaining about Peavey interfering with quality and demanding faster, cheaper production. I don't know what ever happened about that.

[Astyle]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

No, you're talking about some wattage 'being enough for these guys'... what guys? You need to know what kind of SPL you are expected to provide. Like, a 30 watt Bel Canto amp driving Dunlavy S-1s would rock my den, but would be meaningless in a stadium. You have to have parameters to spec equipment. Wattage doesn't tell you how loud something will be.... if I told you that we had 30 gallons of gas, you would not be able to calculate how far we could go unless you knew what we were driving.

I'm sure that you don't want to haul a Crest 8001, nor the dedicated power distribution it takes to run it. In terms of other amps, I would -always- check around. Crest made some real dogs along with some brilliant products. I've only ever used Crest 3501s, 5001s, 7001s, 8001s, and 10001s. Also, there was a time right after Peavey bought them when the workers were complaining about Peavey interfering with quality and demanding faster, cheaper production. I don't know what ever happened about that.

I am talking about driving the pair of turbosound txd-151.
Hauling is not an issue. This is mainly for installation and the occasional party I do for friends this summer (outdoors 122db+ SPL). Dedicated power distribution does sound like a pain though. I would like to find an amplifier that allows these speakers (txd 151) to be pushed to their max without getting distorted. Am I wrong in thinking that a higher power amplifier is more likely to provide high output without distortion than a lower wattage counterpart? If not wattage at ohm ratings then what exactly SHOULD I be looking for in an amplifier to match the speakers ?

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by Astyle

I am talking about driving the pair of turbosound txd-151. ... Am I wrong in thinking that a higher power amplifier is more likely to provide high output without distortion than a lower wattage counterpart?...

The ideal accepted standard was 10dB of headroom over the rated wattage of the speaker. That is a high number, and I don't see a lot of small local PA companies meeting that spec. But you are correct, headroom=clean reproduction and lack of headroom will not only help to cause distortion in situations where the system is being driven too hard, but can also damage or destroy the tweeters.

[ESRC]

Hey,
Not sure if you got the Turbosounds or found an amp for them,
but I manage a sound system for a couple of DJs, and our system is all Turbosound TXD stuff, 4 TXD-151's for the tops, 4 TXD-218's for subs, 2 more of the 151's for monitor tops, and 2 TXD-118's for monitor subs.
All the 151's are powered with Yamaha P7000s amps per pair (bridged for the mains, feeding one speaker, which is linked to the second speaker, and stereo for the monitors). The 118's are also run off a Yamaha P7000s in stereo.
For the 218's we run them on Crest CA18's (again, bridged to a linked pair).
Both the main system and the monitor system run a dBx Driverack+ for speaker management.
If you didn't yet get an amp or aren't happy with what you got, hope this gives you an idea of what these guys like to be fed.