These are not full reviews, they are just observations of some points that strike me about the equipment I own.
This is a very versatile powered speaker, and since it is a
full-price North American piece of gear, I expect everything to
be top-flight. Unfortunately a few design aspects leave me
wanting:
The power cord is too stiff. After a few months it still has all
the kinks in it from the way it was wrapped in the box. Why can't
JBL spring for a nice rubber-sheathed cord that would lie flat on
the floor. I hope I never have to use this in the cold.
The speaker is too tippy when not on a stand. It is almost
guaranteed to get knocked over during set-up or tear-down.
The input XLR connector is not locking. Sooner or later the cable
is going to get pulled out. Could this be just another
input-connector-on-a-PCB design?
A proper carrying handle would be much appreciated. There is a
place to grab the speaker with one hand, but it's very difficult
to actually hang on to for more than a few seconds. Something
this light should be easy to carry one in each hand, but for any
distance at all I need two hands just to move one Eon10 G2.
The screw for securing the speaker on a stand has just a stamped
metal head. I would have expected a nice knob.
This is the speaker (almost) everyone wants, and since it goes
for top dollar I think it's reasonable to expect the best. But:
The power cord is too stiff. Same problem as the JBL.
The speaker is somewhat unstable when placed on a floor. The feet
should be closer to the outside edges and there should be four of
them instead of only three. Two of these things stacked one on
the other is an accident waiting to happen. Yes, there are
matching little foot sockets on the top of the speaker.
The input XLR connector is not locking. Sooner or later the cable
is going to get pulled out. Looks like another
input-connector-on-a-PCB design.
The socket for the speaker stand is a bit bigger than it needs to
be. I find the SRM450 tends to flop around on the pole even when
the screw is tightened.
I find mine rather noisy. Much more hiss and buzz than I
expected.
The switches on the back have two labelling deficiencies. The
words are too small to read easily in difficult light, and it is
not at all clear whether the switches have to be in or out to
activate their respective functions.
In the manual it says "Made in USA" but on the SRM450
itself it says "Made in Italy". The manufacturing date
is encoded. The serial number is on a peel-off sticker. It should
be stamped or engraved.
I wish the omni outs were XLR instead of 1/4" TRS connectors. The non-detachable power cord is a pain.
A nice little mixer, but:
The monitor outputs are muted when you plug in the headphones. I
got burned by this feature a couple of times now.
The monitor output levels change when the master is adjusted.
This is a pain.
There are no balanced outputs.
There are no meters to speak of, just AVG and PEAK LEDs on the
main output.
The power supply connector is an oddball. I hope I never have to
repair it.
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