I took the EV's out tonight for a corporate party with a 5pc band. I was playing LH bass, RH rhodes/piano, singing and mic-ing the sax man. I had a drummer, a guitarist, and a second keyboardist.(female singer got the flu and bailed at the last minute - Fran Carango borrowed a pretty dress and filled in for her
) There was plenty of punch and even though the crowd was on the small side, the room was a pretty good size. Here's what to expect if you compare the SXa100's to the SRM450's
1) size - EV wins big time
2) power - Mackie has an edge, but only slight. The amp for the woofer is rated at 300watts, but only at a 4ohm load - the internal speaker is 8 ohms, so you are getting more like 175watts continuous. The EV is 150 continuous, with peak handling of 350 watts.
3) dispersion - The horn on the Mackie has a better "spread"
4) weight - EV is lighter, and easier to handle. The monitor angle is a better design too.
5) Value - all things considered, the EV delivers 95% of what the Mackie offers at a lower price, smaller size, and lighter weight. In a one on one comparison, the Mackie IS better, but I won't carry them any more because of the bulkiness and weight. The small sacrifice in performance will not be noticed in most cases, so the price/size issue becomes more important. Given all the current compromises in gear - you can't beat the combination of the PSR2k with a pair of these EV SXa100's. You can get all three items for what alot of stores are selling a PA80 for! It's a great value, folks. They are small enough that you won't want to be without them on all your medium - larger gigs, and powerful enough that you will be happy you have the "extra oooompf" if it's needed.
I can see this becoming the "hot set up" for the modern solo performer. It's versitile, practical, and economical - what else IS there?