By Dan Ferrisi
One of the companies I’ve followed from the beginning of my career (with sister publication Sound & Communications) right up to the present here at The Music & Sound Retailer is JBL. The company’s clearly always been associated with innovative technology and high quality, covering a wide range of market segments. Although JBL is a fixture in tour sound, cinema, studio monitors and installed-sound loudspeaker systems, portable PA speakers for musicians and others—sold through the MI distribution channel—actually represent its biggest segment. “Since the inception of systems for musicians in the ’60s and ’70s, through the evolution of component systems, through to current passive and powered loudspeakers, JBL has been providing professional solutions at all price/performance points to serve the retail customer,” remarked Mark Gander, Head of Marketing. One of the company’s most recent developments is the PRX400 series of passive portable loudspeakers.
JBL designed the PRX400 series to offer a great-sounding speaker that could be used in many light to mid-duty applications by essentially anyone who’s in need of a passive speaker. “PRX400 speakers were designed to provide the sensitivity, frequency response and power handling needed for almost any professional audio environment, while still being reasonably priced,” Gander explained. Whether you use a powered mixer or an equipment rack full of amps and signal processing, PRX400 speakers deliver the sound power and bandwidth necessary to make loud music sound natural, and even quiet speech intelligible. With three two-way designs and an 18-inch subwoofer, the PRX400 series can tackle tough jobs and get them done.
Now, let’s dig a little deeper into the series and its specifics. The PRX412M and PRX415M can be used as mains or monitors and, with the addition of the PRX418 subwoofer, you’ll have a sub/sat system that’s capable of generating 135dB of full-range, high quality audio. The PRX425 dual 15-inch two-way is a good choice for DJs and bands who want low-frequency extension from the convenience of a standalone cabinet.
According to Gander, “When designing the boxes, we included suspension points so the full-range cabinets could be hung in a small club or house of worship. All full-range models utilize 12 M10 suspension points for safe deployment in light-duty installations. We cut the angles on the 12-inch and 15-inch two-ways, so they could be used as monitors or mains.” Built-in dual-angle pole mount sockets allow the PRX412M and PRX415M to be stand mounted at different angles to accommodate the best audience coverage pattern. With a 10° down angle, the speaker can be directed down toward an audience, enhancing sound coverage and clarity.