reviewed - FBT Audio UK

ISSUE 71 MAY/JUN | £3.75
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Disco
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REVIEWED
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
FBT X-SERIES X-LITE RANGE
EQUINOX SLENDER BEAM CENTREPIECE
PIONEER DJ XDJ-RX
REVIEWED
FBT X-Series X-LITE RANGE
BY JACK WILSON
I’ve recently had the pleasure of trying out the full
X-Lite range which comprises three models: 10A,
12A and 15A. There is also a more expensive XPro range within the X-Series which features the
same three models, but with plywood instead of
polypropylene cabinets.
All of the models in the FBT X-Series feature an
active 2-way speaker design with 1000w of bi-amplification. This can achieve surprising results, especially in the smaller X-Series speakers; the smallest
achieving 126dB SPL and the largest 128dB SPL.
Design
The FBT team have opted for a full grille cabinet
design with a lovely, slightly curved, front making
this range of speakers perfect for the corporate
environment where the full grille design looks a lot
more appealing. The polypropylene cabinets in the
X-Lite series are designed to be both strong and
lightweight but, amazingly, this doesn’t compromise on their output as the cabinets are reinforced
internally so the speakers behave just like their
wooden counterparts.
SSP: £269.50 (X-LITE 10A)
SSP: £314.50 (X-LITE 12A)
SSP: £399.00 (X-LITE 15A)
WWW.FBTAUDIO.CO.UK
The X-Series is FBT’s new introductory
range of speakers designed in Italy and
manufactured in China. Don’t let this
worry you, FBT has complete control
over the product and incorporates the
same build quality you’d expect from
any Italian made FBT product, but with
a lower price point.
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The X-Lite series units also feature a monitor taper when laid onto their side and, conveniently,
the FBT designers have also added small nodules
to the cabinets’ design to enhance their stability
when used as wedge monitors. The largest – 15A –
model also offers a selectable monitor angle, with
a choice of 30° or 45°.
Each of the cabinets feature at least one comfortable gripping handle, which is lined with rubber to
improve both your grip and comfort. The larger
cabinets in the range have added handles; the XLite 12A offers one on the side and one on top,
while the X-Lite 15A has a handle on each side
as well as one on the top. Let’s not forget, the
speakers also come with a 35mm stand socket
for pole mounting and M10 mounting points for
rigging too!
Amplifier, Input and DSP Module
All of the X-Series products share the same amplification, inputs and DSP module design, which
FBT X-SERIES X-LITE RANGE
FBT X-SERIES X-LITE RANGE
the left) for a true stereo setup, or
both sides of the stereo input for
a summed mono configuration. Either way, the mic input is also fed
through to the output XLR and
separate level controls for the two
different inputs are provided.
Now this is another fantastic feature
of the X-Series which I personally
love. It is easy to connect a mic and
music source directly to one speaker
and then run a second speaker, from
the XLR output, for stereo sound.
Personally, I own a pair of the 10”
X-Lite 10As, which I often use to play
background music at weddings from
an iPod, and it is very useful to be
able to plug in a mic for speeches
with no external mixer required.
offers a vast array of input options.
There is a single mono input via XLR
(either Line or Mic level – selectable
via a switch) and two options for
stereo input: ¼” jack or twin RCA
phono connectors. Stereo? Yes!
These speakers accept a stereo input which adds to their flexibility.
There are also two XLR output sockets, which take this flexibility even
further. The first offers a standard
link from the XLR input, so that the
same input signal can be passed to
a powered sub, or perhaps an extra
full range speaker positioned further down a large room. The other
output connection is designed for
pairing two X-Series speakers. It can
be switched to receive just the right
signal from the stereo input (while
the speaker’s own amplifier is fed
FBT X-SERIES X-LITE RANGE
Across from the output connectors is the DSP section, featuring
a preset selector switch which is
a push button – slightly different
from FBT’s usual choice of a rotary
switch (which I personally prefer to
use). There are four preset DSP settings to choose from: Original/Live
– a simple flat EQ setting; Vocal – a
reduction in low end; Club – a boost
in low end; and DJ – a ‘smiley face’
EQ with enhanced low end and a little more sprinkled in to the higher
frequencies.
ers. One thing to consider though
is that these speakers are currently
shipped with European Shucko plugs
on the end of the supplied power
cables, so you will need to change
or convert these to use them in the
UK. They are pretty short too, so I’d
recommend ordering some longer
IEC cables if you choose to buy
these speakers.
Personal Thoughts
and Experiences
The X-Series is the budget end of
FBT’s range of active speakers, but
this doesn’t mean it offers poor
quality. Obviously, the speakers are
not quite as good as those found in
the higher ProMaxX range, but they
do offer the same FBT build quality
and standards as their bigger brothers. The prices of these cabinets are
fantastic when you consider the
quality and output you’re getting,
not to mention the vast array of
input and output connections.
Four small green LEDs indicate
which DSP setting is currently active, while a red LED shows when
the system’s in-built limiter has
been activated. Next to the DSP
selector there is also a High-Pass
Filter switch, which takes out the
low end for when you are using a
separate sub, providing a little more
headroom for high/mid frequencies
before the limiter kicks in.
Mains input is via standard IEC,
which is great for mobile DJs as it
means we don’t need any specific
power cables purely for our speak-
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FBT X SERIES X-LITE RANGE
X-LITE 10A
X-LITE 12A
whilst still providing the FBT quality
sound many have grown to know
and love.
X-LITE 15A
I have been lucky to be able to test
the full range of the FBT X-Lite series. They all perform well, but I have
to say that the X-Lite 10A is my favourite – due to its compact size, low
weight and surprising output. The
X-Lite 12A and 15A models both offer more bass output than the X-Lite
10A, but that’s not surprising due to
their larger drivers. However, use a
pair of X-Lite 10As with a single FBT
Subline 12SA and you’re in a whole
different ball game for just under
£1200!
For smaller parties a pair of X-Lite
10As are perfectly fine on their own,
but will lack that low end punch
when turned up. I have used the XLite 10As on their own at a party for
around 70 people in a room that is
around 50ft long and 20ft wide and
they coped perfectly fine in that
setting (using the ‘DJ’ DSP preset).
For larger parties I have added a single sub (FBT Subline 15SA – turned
down by around 6dB) and had both
the X-Lites with their High-Pass Filters active. The result was amazing
– a sound not many would expect
from such a nicely compact system.
The bonus is that both of the X-Lites
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fit on top of the single sub, which
means that the whole sound system
can be wheeled into, or out of, a
venue with one push!
The X-Lite 12A has a much improved
bass response over the 10A model,
and the 15A even more so. If you
just want a pair of full-range speakers for ‘everyday party use’ without
a sub, then I’d personally recommend looking at the X-Lite 12As. On
balance I think they offer the best
compromise between full range output and portability. That said, I was
very impressed by the X-Lite 15As
which have a fantastic low end output. I tested a set of these primarily in one of our storage units and
from around 25ft away could hear
and feel the shutter door vibrating
without getting anywhere near to
hitting the speakers’ limiters – something to bear in mind if you like a
bit of bass without having to carry
a separate sub!
All of the speakers have a perfect
balance throughout their frequency
range and the high frequencies
aren’t blisteringly loud. In fact I
found that listening to all of the
models across the range was very
comfortable, even at high volume,
FBT has also released a range of covers tailored to fit the X-Series – I’d
highly recommend having these,
as the padding adds much-needed
protection in transport. The covers simply slip over the top of the
speaker and add 10mm of foam
padding around the edges – softening any knocks to the speaker whilst
also preventing any scratches. The
covers also have opening hatches to
reveal the handle(s) of the speaker
cabinet so you can carry them into
a venue with the cover still attached.
With prices for a single speaker
starting at just £269.50 SSP this
range of FBT products is available
to everyone, even those on a tight
budget. Why not do it in style with
one of the top speaker manufacturers in the mobile DJ market at the
moment – FBT! The X-Series would
be my personal recommendation as
a starting point for any new mobile
DJ or those wishing to upgrade from
their current budget systems. At
this price they are also spot on as a
pair of backup active speakers or for
a second system for speeches or to
cover other rooms.
FBT X-SERIES X-LITE RANGE
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