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Permalink Reply by Jacob Coakley on May 15, 2011 at 9:32pm

[I'm posting this -- but Richelle wrote it up. --Jacob]

This weekend, I've had the opportunity to try out one of JBL's EON line products - the EON 210P portable speaker system.

Here's part of JBL's product description:

"The EON210P consists of two 10-inch, two-way, powered loudspeakers, one with a detachable powered mixer and the other with a detachable storage compartment, one pair of unshielded speaker cables and a power cord."

First, let me say (and hopefully not discredit myself) that I've long been a fan of the EON product line. In the mid to late 90's, I helped run a small time production company. The bread and butter of our work were small PA set up's and college and high school dances. The EON 15 and EON 10 were the mainstays of our inventory. I now regret I no longer have them to compare this generation to.

This weekend, we used this system for two outside events - a vocal duo and a talk-back. The system was almost too much power in a smaller (rehearsal style) room. My crew also took some time and did a side by side comparison to some non-powered speakers of similar rating. They also tried out the monitor feed using a set of non-powered speakers and an amplifier. I'll detail these experiences at a later date...

My first reactions were (of course) to the physicality of the EON 200 speakers. They are sleek, low profile, and compact. The 200's have a built in speaker pole mount and thumb screw to tighten them in place, making them easy to mount and secure. They're also comfortable to carry and as light (or lighter) than non-powered speakers of comparable size. Add a gig bag with some speaker stands, and you have a one person, one trip system... provided you have a nearby source of power and don't need to make any long cable runs. The on board storage compartment is just deep enough to accommodate the diameter of a typical dynamic microphone (2") if the wind screen is kept towards the center of the compartment. It can also accommodated a mic cable or two in addition to the stock 1/4" and appliance style power cable, but not much else. Extension cords are right out.

JBL probably didn't have theatres in mind for this system, but I would love to have this as part of our gear compliment. We are always doing small events in our lobby or alternate spaces that require support, and this beats the traditional "portable" or compact systems we own for simplicity. The first true theatre application that came to my mind was that of a sub mix for a pit or on stage orchestra monitor setting. JBL's slogan for this system is "It's not enough to be heard, you need to be understood," and the cabinets truly respond to vocals.

This week I'm going to test out the system's features - I know it packs a punch for it's 150 watt per speaker rating, but I always want to see what I can get from a system. Also - the Soundcraft on board mixer is as easy and intuitive as JBL's claims... but I want to check out the stock reverb banks.

Cheers until then, cats and kittens...

~R

Permalink Reply by Richelle Thompson on May 21, 2011 at 10:30am

JBL EON 210P Review Continued...

This week I continued to test and use this the JBL EON 210P system. In my shop, I did some dB readings, played various source material through the system, and listened to the on board reverb unit.

I won't bog this post down with tons of random numbers, I'll give you the ones that were most interesting to me. To do these readings I used a single speaker and a dB meter at 10 feet. Using a test tone generator, I ran 1 K test tone and hit 117dB before the mixer's on board compressor maxed out. (The compressor isn't user adjustable, and has an LED readout so you can see how much it's working.) The compressor is post output master. The compressor also kicked in with music and spoken word recordings, and the average peak dB was between 110 dB and 115dB. Not bad considering this is only one speaker of the pair... I repeated these tests with both left and right outputs, and they mirrored one another.

To review the mixer's input section:

The Soundcraft mixer has 8 inputs. 1-4 are XLR / 1/4” jack combo connectors, XLR is a mic level input, 1/4” is a line level input. The channels each have a mic/line level switch. The console also has phantom power - a single switch that activates channels 1-4. Channels 5-6 are paired stereo channels - with one pair of 1/4” balanced TRS jacks (stereo), and a pair of RCA jacks (stereo). 7-8 (also paired channels) is a 3.5 mm stereo jack.

In application, the mixer has 6 channels, 1-4 and 5-6 OR 7-8 - there is a shared volume pot for 5-8. (Though now as I type this, I'm curious if you can use both inputs simultaneously just without separate level control... in the set-up I didn't try.) I especially like the 3.5 mm jack. We constantly use MP3 players for sound check or background music. 1-4 have effects sends, signal present/peak LED's. 5-8 do not. 1-4 also have a basic EQ feature - simple two tone control (high and low.)

The output section has a master volume, monitor out master, and a global effects level. Although it has a separate level, the monitor out uses the same send as the main mix. This output is not powered, and has one pair of 1/4” balanced TRS jacks (stereo), and a pair of RCA jacks (stereo). The main out connections are two 1/4" unbalanced TS jacks.

The on board effects unit has 5 settings - one is "dry" and the other 4 are typical reverb patches for vocal and basic instrumentation. The description of these is printed on the faceplate for easy selection. Plate, Room, Slap Back, and Large Hall. Each are clean and full, if basic. Large Hall is my default vocal patch, and this sounds exactly as I expect it to.

Putting the system through testing pases proved that the system is as easy to use as JBL's claims. The mixer is simple and intuitive. That said, as an experienced engineer, it's simplicity didn't seem tinker-toy-ish or produced by Playschool rather than a pro audio company. It's features, although basic, are PA if not pro grade.

The one minor issue I ran into in testing - a strong signal source (such as my tone generator) will bleed slightly even if the channel and master volumes are all the way out. Microphones or other lower level sources weren't an issue.

In the next installment, I'll talk about using this system in a practical application.

Permalink Reply by Richelle Thompson on June 1, 2011 at 10:16am

JBL Review Continued...

I've now used the JBL EON 210P in three live applications. The first, as a PA for a singles speaker in a medium sized room, for a lobby event with a combination of mic and background music, and as a PA for a vocal performer and guitarist in an outdoor venue.

In all three situations, the set-up was a breeze. The thing I keep coming back to is how light weight and easy to handle these speakers are. I'm not a wimp per se, but I'm not super buff either. I can carry both speakers comfortably up and down stairs, down a city block, or around our facility with out cursing them, and I appreciate that. Having everything contained with the speakers short of the guitar and cable is nice too. I like the stock 1/4" cables - but the down side is at 25' each they are NOT long enough for most runs, in all three applications I had to run one if not two alternate 1/4" cables. Two events I mounted them on speaker stands, and one set the speakers on a low wall.

In all three events, I was most impressed by the vocal presence the system offered. The JBL tag line about being understood is not a boast. In each event vocal clarity was right there, regardless of volume of the other noise in the around the system. I was particularly impressed in the lobby and bar events - where words and articulation were not lost to crowd noise, but the volume wasn't over powering. Even at the height of happy hour with a full bar, I was able to hear all of the lyrics from across far side of the patio, and understand announcements over the white noise of milling and socializing patrons in the lobby.

Where music was concerned, I felt that the EQ on the mixer was a little basic, but not so necessary that it was a problem. Too much EQ control would also pretty much kill the best feature of the system - it's clarity. The on board reverb was also just right... not too over the top, nothing elaborate, with a sensitive enough ratio control to fill the room out with out it sounding processed.

The only area this system lacks is in low end, especially compared to the EON 10/15's. I suppose that's a pretty small sacrifice for such great vocal clarity.

What else can I answer for you?! It's great to test out gear!

Cheers,

Richelle

Permalink Reply by Richelle Thompson on June 7, 2011 at 2:20pm

More numbers!

After playing with the EON 210P in my shop and in practical portable situations, I wanted to see how it would sound in a theatre setting, as well as take some more readings, so I set the system up in our (currently dark) black box theatre space.

After playing some music, listening to some stock effects, I broke out the db meter and some readings. I used fast response "c" weight in direct line with a single cabinet for all of the below:

Using the same 20 seconds of music, I got the following peak measurements:

at 1 yard: 95 db, 2 yards: 91 db, 3 & 4 yards: 87 db, 5 yards: 89 db, 6 yards 87 db, 7 yards: 83 db,

8 - 11 yards: 81 db, 12 yards 80 db.

Using 1kHz tone just (run several db lower than the onboard compression but still with hearing protection in place) I got the following constant measurements:

at 1 yard: 116 db, 2 yards: 109 db, 3 yards: 105 db, 4 yards: 104 db, 5 & 6 yards, 102 db,

7 yards: 105 db, 8 yards: 102 db, 9 - 11 yards, 98 db, 12 yards, 93 db.

Even though the meter told me that there was a 10 db difference between 3 and 12 yards, I could barley tell the difference with the 1 K tone. I'm also unsure if the slight db raise at 7 yards with tone and at 6 yards with music is an anomaly with a slight rise in db is truly a speaker response or a result of the acoustics of the room.

Responding to the speakers beyond the numbers, I return to what I've already posted. They are amazingly clear and punchy within the vocal range, without being over bright or crunchy. In a smaller space, these would be ideal for a vocal performance - even in a 3/4 setting like our black box with the 100 deg x 60 deg dispersion pattern. I would also imagine they would make great vocal monitors.

Permalink Reply by Todd Matthias on June 13, 2011 at 11:27am

Richelle:

Thanks for your review. The slight rise in SPL at 6 or 7 yards is a room effect. Essentially you are measuring the loudspeaker+room system. If you measured the loudspeaker outside you would see a steady decrease in level as you moved farther away. The theoretical free field decrease in "direct sound" (not reflected) is 6 dB per doubling of distance (80 dB at 50', 74 dB at 100', etc.). Enclosing the loudspeaker in a room creates a space in which sound reverberates (is reflected). The level of reverberant sound varies throughout a given room. The direct and reverberant sound fields add to create what you measured.

A frequency response measurement is a good indication of loudspeaker quality. That addresses the loudspeaker's ability to reproduce sound evenly throughout a given frequency range. It is difficult to make such a measurement accurately indoors without also measuring the effect of the room. Loudspeaker companies use anechoic chambers (no reverberation) for such testing.

Todd

Permalink Reply by Richelle Thompson on June 9, 2011 at 7:52pm

In summary...

I thought I'd finish up this review of my experience with the EON system in testing and use, and also comment on after getting this rig to test, I've seen several similar systems newly introduced by other manufactures... variations of a theme that started ages ago with the Fender Passport if not before. On a non-work related trip to a local chain music store, I checked out three similar systems - each with their own quirks. I didn't have a chance to really road test these alternates, so I can't say I have a true side by side comparison, but the EON 210P seems to be a solid mid range candidate in terms of features.

In a nutshell, I really like the EON 210P system for what JBL market's it for - PA/vocal reinforcement. It's design focused on the spoken word is clean and carries without overpowering a room. The portability and ease of set up and use are also outstanding features. The on-board reverb is a great compliment for simple set-ups.

My only two true complaints (and they're pretty minor) are the high level source bleed (a strong line level source such as a tone generator, MP3 player, etc. will bleed through channel and main level - enough to be audible.) This bleed was worse on the 1/8" and RCA stereo channels than on the single mic/line channel. The second is the stereo 5/6 channels being an either or 1/4" or RCA jack with a single volume pot - if you're giving me the connections, give me another 2 channels.

Minor things I would like - a larger storage capacity in the on board storage unit - even an inch more depth. I'd also like a way to have the mixer and on board storage attached to the speakers while in use, rather than having to have them removed to access the speaker connections. The system doesn't have much low end - a sub out would be great to make the system more versatile. (The monitor out isn't really an option for this, since it sends the same signal as the main outputs.)

That said, I really like the system - user friendly and simple with out insulting your intelligence. I have enjoyed having it in my gear compliment.