As the guy in charge of sound for a small but growing church, I spend time thinking about technology solutions that will help us to transition from our leased school gymnasium to a semi-permanent store-front location, and then beyond that to a permanent structure. Our existing three-way tri-amplified speakers are great for the gym we're in now, and despite the fact they're not intended to be flown, will probably suffice when we move into a store-front location. We may even be able to somehow rig them to fly. But when we move on to a substantially larger freestanding structure (hopefully one of our own design), we will definitely need something more. We could hang on to our current, faithful old pair of speakers for the next few years leading to that eventuality, or we could start looking down the road and take steps to be prepared. In my mind, it's preferable to avoid the giant financial hit that occurs when a substantial portion (if not all) of the technology must be updated all at once upon arriving in a new location. Of course, this is not always plausible, but I believe it's worth pursuing.
To be sure, a small, highly portable system that is easily moved in and out of a smaller location every Sunday is not likely to produce the SPL necessary for a much larger space. A portable but large system that will survive through until a permanent space is occupied is likely to be a pain to move in and out every week. Finding the perfect "Goldilocks" system is a challenge at best, but I believe I have found it. Nexo's PS10 loudspeakers achieve the trifecta of high-fidelity, small size, and ample SPL. Considering their 10-inch LF drivers, it's likely that some reinforcement in the low end would be desired by most, so Nexo offers the LS600 subwoofer, with a 15-inch driver.
The system I evaluated consisted of a pair of PS10s, a pair of LS600s, and went a bit further to include a pair of RS18 subwoofers as well, each with two 18-inch drivers. This configuration delivers loud, clear audio very efficiently, including plenty of low-end. In order to make the transition from very small to much larger, additional PS10s would be preferable to the additional subwoofers, in my estimation. If the budget allows, the RS18s are a marvelous addition. But again, the thought-experiment here presumes the notion that the money for speakers is spent at the beginning of the process, while the church is still very small and in a diminutive, leased location.
Sound ... System
So how do they sound? Very, very good, and based upon my previous experiences with Nexo speakers, this is no surprise. My good friend (and Phoenix church sound stalwart) Doug Robertson II and I took this system for a test-drive in an outdoor setting. Starting at the low-end and working upward, the output of the RS18 subwoofers is the kind I describe as "earth" bass-very deep, very full, and for lack of a better descriptor-"fundamental." These are very sophisticated subs that can operate in two different modes: directional or omni (I evaluated them in omni mode, which requires only one amplifier; directional requires two). As you might imagine, pouring 3,800W of power into a pair of 18-inch LF drivers disperses a lot of energy and really shakes things up-so much so that I strongly recommend using some kind of rubber feet or a mat between these subs and whatever sits on top of them to prevent things from shimmying their way to the floor.
The LS600 subwoofer is typically what you'll find atop the RS18s, and these speakers deliver a significant amount of low end as well, rending the RS18s somewhat unnecessary, unless you really want that "earth" low end. The LS600 delivers that punchy, tight bass that not only complements the "earth" bass, but stands beautifully on its own. As a matter of fact, as a result of insufficient available current, we lost the use of the RS18s during the evaluation, and discovered that the low end was more than sufficient using just the LS600s-very full and musical, as well.
The low mids delivered by the PS-10 are round and full, courtesy of the 10-inch drivers, and moving into the high mids, there's a very nice sense of presence. There's no nasal honky-ness, and I would also describe a sense of "warmth" in that middle-of-the-midrange. Moving up into the highs-it's all there-plenty of energy being disbursed in this range, resulting in a crispness that might verge on a bit too much. Fortunately, it's perfectly acceptable to shave off a bit with EQ, but inventing high-end artificially with EQ is not natural or a good idea. The 5 dB bump around 15 kHz is probably responsible for the "crystalline" character of the high-end, but again, it's nice to have that air up there, and the ability to tame it down a bit as necessary.
Worth Noting
In regard to spatial energy dispersion, Nexo has always excelled, and these speakers are no exception. The PS10's horns offer a 55-degree by 50- to 100-degree pattern, and the square horn can be placed in all four possible orientations to achieve whatever pattern you need. The level drops off very quickly outside the pattern, and mixing from the side is nearly impossible as a result (which is a good thing.)
Another note on this-in the evaluation scenario we had, the system was backed up to the runway at a pretty busy airport in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the rumble from private jets taking off was occasionally audible over the system, but landing jets were completely inaudible. This system delivers some pretty substantial SPL.
Among other important notes-the RS18s are very large, heavy, and not truly intended for cartage by a single individual. At minimum, a two-man team is necessary. Also, to get in and out of a van, a ramp or a dock is necessary. The LS600s, on the other hand, are plausibly moved by a single person, and certainly the small PS10s are easily moved. The overall system is generally portable, and in my own church, I've discovered this to be quite important-we occasionally do services away from home (Easter, among others). Once the speakers are physically placed, the process of connection takes less than 10 minutes, even for a modestly experienced sound person. Nexo strongly recommends that the system be driven with its own power amps, which are heavily appointed with signal processing (and offer four channels of input and four amps in each box). I very much concur-configuration is virtually automatic with Nexo amps. Another thing of which you'll want to be aware: the Nexo amps require a fire hose worth of current-30 amps per amplifier-so you'll want to ensure that your power distro can deliver the goods.
In my perfect world, the small church will look forward and realize that by expending a little extra money in the beginning, they can get into a powerful, high-quality speaker system that will make the entire journey from tiny initial space to larger leased space to large freestanding structure. The Nexo PS10/LS600/RS18 system is capable of pulling off this not-so-simple trick. Obviously, they fit the bill for mid-to-larger churches as well. I recommend getting an ear on these. This system is definitely worth considering.
