The Lowdown
This Pioneer Pro Audio loudspeaker and subwoofer combo impressed us with its crisp highs and tight low-end. Both speakers come with mixing panels on the back, giving you a variety of EQ and connection options, allowing you to fine-tune them depending on your surroundings. They are built to last in birch plywood cabinets and their well-placed handles make them easy to transport. All-in-all, the XPRS12 and XPRS115S are an improvement on the company’s previous loudspeaker efforts and come in at a reasonable price.
First Impressions / Setting up
As we reviewed these speakers at BPM|Pro 2017, we can’t comment much on set up time and unboxing because they were already on display at the exhibition. The XPRS Series active PA speakers are designed to be compact and portable, yet high powered. Set up with two XPRS12 on separate stands either side of the XPRS115S, this system looks sleek. They are a little bulky and heavy, coming in at around 20 and 30kg respectively with birch plywood enclosures. That being said, they have clearly been built to last, something you would expect given the brand and the price.
Pioneer Pro Audio XPRS12
The Pioneer Pro Audio XPRS12 is a powered loudspeaker with a 12″ woofer. It’s got a Class-D amplifier onboard that’s capable of producing up to 1200w of continuous output. It comes with two balanced inputs (XLR/TRS combo sockets) and an unbalanced RCA connection. This means you can connect your Mic and other devices, such as line level mixers or portable audio players, at the same time. The two balanced “XLR through” outputs let you connect to other speakers or subs easily.
The loudspeaker also has four onboard EQ modes (Flat, Bass +, Speech and Wedge) so you can tailor the sound according to your needs. It also has carefully-placed handles, designed to reduce the strain of setting up and schlepping your speakers to and from gigs.
Pioneer Pro Audio XPRS115S
The Pioneer Pro Audio XPRS115S is a powered subwoofer with a single 15″ woofer. It has two combo line inputs and a four-way crossover switch for adjusting the subwoofer’s frequency response range. This single 15-inch subwoofer features a versatile crossover switch so you can easily adjust the low pass filter cut-off at various stages between 80 and 50Hz. Connectivity-wise, the XPRS115S has two balanced XLR/TRS combo sockets so you can input a couple of devices at the same time. There are also two balanced XLR through outputs in order to enable easy connection to other speakers and subs.
Both the XPRS12 and XPRS115S come with built-in features to protect their drivers, amps and power supplies from damage. This is especially good for first-time PA buyers who aren’t yet sure of (or don’t want to be bothered with) the ins and outs of properly configuring their system. Another welcome bonus is the “auto-ranging” power supply, this means that wherever you are setting up, the speakers will detect and adapt to the voltage without compromising the sound quality (especially important when using generators or other temporary power).
In Use
We listened to a selection of demo tracks from different genres on this system and it performed extremely well. The highs were crisp, the mids were full and the bass was punchy and warm. This PA performed especially well when listening to more upbeat dance tracks, providing a delicious thud to the beat.
The loudspeaker can also be set up as a foldback monitor on stage for performance use, or mounted to the ceiling or wall via the rigging pounts. The pole mount socket can be set straight or tilted to direct the sound exactly where you want it. Its 90-degree rotatable horns allow you to adjust to any space, giving you the flexibility to mount the speaker vertically or horizontally.
Conclusion
This Pioneer Audio XPRS set-up has plenty of “oomph” and performed well with a variety of genres. All of the frequency bands were well-served and there are plenty of controls on the back of the units for fine-tuning your sound. The onboard limiters are a nice addition to help protect the speakers from blowing out. We think that just one XPRS12 and an XPRS115S would suffice for medium-sized mobile gigs and given the price, it might be better to just rent a second top when required.
They are built to last in heavy, birch plywood cabinets and their well-placed handles make them easy to transport. All-in-all, the XPRS10 and XPRS115S are an improvement on the company’s previous loudspeaker efforts. As with all things Pioneer, you will have to fork out a king’s ransom for this set-up and the speakers are a little on the heavy side but other than that, these are a solid option for any professional mobile DJ.
