So, a little background on why I want this type of recommendation. I recently bought my first house and found a turntable/radio tuner in the garage with a pair of speakers hooked up to it. Much to my surprise, they sort of work in spite of looking severely under-cared for. The turntable actually doesn’t move, and the speakers cut in and out – which definitely has something to do with the wires, but may also be problems inside the speaker cabinets or the source device.
Now, I have considered attempting to fix this equipment, and I’m sure I still will try to at some point. However, I will inevitably want to upgrade in Spring even if I get them working. Of course, I’ll need an amp at some point too, but more than likely I’ll get the cheapest Crown amp that’s close to the rated power of the speakers.
So, the goal is to get something BIG. I’m talking minimum 10 inch woofers, preferably 12 or 15 if budget allows. Since I won’t be buying until Spring, I can only guess my budget will be $200~$500. I’d say the cheaper the better, but I’m not willing to sacrifice on bass performance at high volume (I’ve heard that the Harbinger kit that was the cheapest I could find has very weak bass for their size). I know speakers in this size are usually sold individually, so I should mention that I want a pair within that price range. I listen to a little of everything from jazz to pop to hard rock to hip hop to dubstep, although if my neighbor comes over and picks the music, he’ll lean toward death metal.
I’m open to all suggestions, as speakers this size are mostly professional PA systems, and I have no experience with buying/owning such things, only using them in a church. Feel free to ask questions if there’s any confusion or any more information that will help you help me.
If you need loudness and they will be used in rougher environments, pa speakers are probably the way to go. They won’t give you the quality of a proper home speaker, but will definitely give you the volume
You can get either passive or active pa speakers, so that’s something to consider as well
Because you want such big woofers, you are going to be limited to this category. You can usually find pretty good deals on used equipment (but check to see if they are in good condition, because sometimes people just beat these things up)
I did look at some used ones on Guitar Center’s website, but unless they’re in the Cleveland/Pittsburgh area so I can pick them up myself, shipping quickly makes them a worse deal than new ones, since new get shipped free.
EDIT: Unless I find used ones from another site with cheaper/free shipping.
All solid suggestions. I’ll keep them in mind. Thank you!
EDIT: I actually forgot self-powered speakers are a thing. It would be nice to not have to worry about amplification and only have to figure out a music source.
I have looked at the passive version of the Behringer’s. I’ve actually heard studio monitors from Mackie, and a small-scale jazz group on Peavey’s at a restaurant, so those two brands I may be a little biased to. From what I’ve seen in reviews, loads of people love the Behringer’s too, so they’re also a good option to consider.
Thank you for mentioning that name. Pyle was one I knew to avoid, but I wasn’t sure what to think of Rockville, especially considering that Zeos liked a pair of really cheap home theater speakers from them.
Never really thought about it in that much detail, but as a whole, I find upper bass is rarely a problem. It’s mainly mid- and sub-bass for the more electronic genres I listen to.
Mid bass won’t be an issue, but to dig deep for subbass, you still might need a subwoofer. Something you could always get later on if you felt the need
Never owned a car with a sub, and rarely felt like I’d need one for that. Generally, I feel like I get away with an EQ for that. In the garage, I suspect the lack of subs would bother me more. Like you said, I could always buy the speakers without and then if I actually think they sound lacking, save up to add subs later.
EDIT: Bear in mind, the sub I have in the house is only rated for 80 or 100Hz. Even my tower speakers are rated lower.
I’ve heard some insane car setups (and own one lol). How loud do you need to actually get? These pa speakers sacrifice quality for quantity, so if you really don’t need to get that loud, there are other options. I would just say to get the best you can now, and get a sub later if you feel the need for one. For example the Mackie Thump15A is rated down to 32hz and will probably satisfy your bass needs (also fun fact it’s 40 pounds per speaker). So I would then look at getting two of these and see if you still want a sub.
Here is a refub pair for $550, which is at the high end of your budget, but will probably not need a sub.
Well, the goal is to be “loud enough” in the driveway right outside the garage, about 25 feet from the speakers. I’m not looking for deafening rock concert volume all the way out there, but distance does reduce volume rather quickly outdoors like that.