Column speakers are a popular choice as they are lightweight, compact, and provide amazing coverage in a wide variety of spaces. With the EON One and EON One Pro, JBL have established themselves as serious players in the game of column array speakers, but with venues both indoors and outdoors coming in increasing varieties, many musicians will need more – more power, more channels to mix, more processing DSP - all without adding much more weight.
JBL PRX One is the latest and greatest column speaker from JBL. Offering 5 times more power than the EON One, 12x2.5” HF drivers, a 12” subwoofer, as well as a built-in 7 channel digital mixer with complete wireless control using a cross-platform app.
The PRX is designed to appeal to a broader range of users including travelling musicians/ensembles and audio engineers, as well as venues themselves looking for an installed but flexible sound system.
First and foremost, a new portable PA speaker from JBL simply needs to sound good, and the PRX One has all of the makings of something special.
Featuring a 2000w Class-D amplifier, it certainly has enough power on paper, however when paired with 12x 2.5” HF drivers and a single 12” subwoofer, the system combines to create a total output of 130dB SPL and a frequency response of 35Hz to 20kHz. In comparison, the EON One (which is still rather loud) has an SPL of 112dB – 12dB lower!
Louder doesn’t always mean better of course, but this does mean that if you’re outside or in need of sound reinforcement in larger spaces, the PRX One will have enough output and crucially enough headroom to make every syllable effortlessly heard.
The PRX System includes the base unit that houses the mixer, subwoofer, and amplifier – the base also features all of the connections for your mics and instruments. There is also a fabric bag that contains the two vertical columns that are inserted into the base unit for maximum height and the best coverage throughout the audience.
The PRX One has a wide coverage pattern of 130° which means that shyer audience members to the sides of the speaker will still be able to hear a perfectly audible and clear signal. The 30° vertical coverage is much narrower than standard point-source speakers (typically around 50°) however this means that the PRX One’s energy is focused directly at the audience members and won’t be wasted by firing across low ceilings, bar tables, and other objects.
The real power of the PRX One comes when you start to delve into the processing available on its internal mixer. The first column speaker in JBL’s range to feature a completely digital mixer, the PRX One features a 7-channel mixer with a full colour LCD screen for navigation, Bluetooth 5.0 streaming, and complete wireless control via a cross-platform app (iOS and Android) using the same Bluetooth connection.
With connectivity including 4 XLR Combi inputs (For Mic, Line, or Hi-Z instruments), 2 ¼" line inputs and a stereo 1/8” auxiliary input, you can easily connect a small band/ensemble up to the PRX One and mix the performance wirelessly using a tablet from a location that is suitable –in the audience, or by the bar!
In terms of processing, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into! The mixer features a Parametric EQ, Noise Gate, and Compressor on every channel that you can use to mix your audio sources, and then on the output, there is complete dbx Driverack processing including a limiter, Graphic EQ, and dbx’s renowned Anti-feedback processing. There is also a complete suite of Lexicon and dbx effects including reverb, delay, sub harmonic synthesis and more.
All of that might sound intimidating, however JBL spent a lot of time on the UX and implemented a Triple-Tier DSP system that offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced control interfaces that match your confidence level. There are also plenty of custom-tuned and carefully curated EQ and compression presets for you to use as a starting point.
The sheer amount of processing power and output volume available from a PRX One setup makes it a serious loudspeaker not only for a gigging musician, but also a venue/engineer looking for a PA system that can cover a wide variety of setups ranging from open mic nights, all the way to sporting events and DJ sets.
Designed to look sleek and inconspicuous, the PRX One could easily fit into the aesthetic of a trendy bar/club whilst still being positioned in the optimal place. There’s also an optional bracket that can be used to fix the column onto a wall when floor space is tight. But ultimately, the PRX One is still firmly in JBL’s portable PA camp – processing serious power in a manageable enclosure.
A familiar layout but with a considerable step-up the to the current Column arrays from JBL, the PRX One is a speaker that packs a punch for its size and will easily do the business at small, intimate venues and big outdoor spaces with ease and with enough DSP control to refine any mix!
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This new blog is presented by the team at Sound Technology Ltd, a leading distributor of musical instruments and pro audio equipment in the UK and ROI.
