Just saw notes about these new speakers from EV: Everse 8 battery-powered speaker. They might be of interest - from various reviews, they seem to have lots of positive attributes. Not 'cheap' though. Look promising though ...

Info from EV:
https://products.electrovoice.com/na/en/everse8

Lots of reviews and video reviews exist out there, such as:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3r3dwUIFN0

-Jim

I have never been a big fan of battery powered speakers. Most do not live up to the hype, none provide anything other than peak power output - not RMS, and every battery powered system I've tested did not provide the sound quality that far less expensive AC powered sound systems enjoyed.

All the best,

Gary

Hey Gary, have you tried the Bose S1 Pro? I like mine quite a bit. Great for back yard parities or other low key events.

I still love my baby battery bose speakers. They pinch way above their
size. I use 2 in stereo and they sound great.
MEL

You have to question the need for ‘weatherized’ portable speakers if your keyboard isn’t equally weatherproofed. And battery powered..!

My experience with small systems like this, especially in outdoor settings, is that at anything higher than background music levels, they generally need to be paired with a powered sub, and there goes your battery powered weatherproof concept. Indoors, yes, they probably work as well as things like the QSC K8’s, but even there you only have a certain volume level before the ‘deep mode’ stuff starts to be non-linear.

You have to remember, outdoors you seldom get a bunch of walls, ceilings etc. to focus the sound, and drop off is much more pronounced than indoors. And the low end drops off sooner than the highs unless you place them flat on the ground, and that’s not good for getting the mids and highs to project. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t…

At $1500 or so a pair, it’s probably worth asking yourself how many gigs you do with zero access to mains power and a high probability of rain, and whether a power bank wouldn’t be a cheaper solution to power your existing gear.

Wow, it looks like Gary and Diki agree on something!

I get really good results with mine too. In fact I like them just as much or more than the Bose Compacts I used to have.

I have not tried the S1 Pro. I sold both my L1 Compacts and my L1 PAS systems, mainly because I can no longer play out. The ailments I've been experiencing for the past two years essentially forced me into retirement at age 78. Now I just use the onboard sound system and headphones, play about an hour a day as I try to recover my vocal ability. This has been very difficult with my lousy lung condition.

All the best,

Gary

I do like my Bose S1 (pair) also. I'm thinking about these (EV Everse 8) not for the weatherized - as that is only good if you are using Bluetooth, not for when you plug things into it. It's more the idea that it's a more 'full power' full-range system yet still on batteries. I have a pair of EV ZX1a's (powered speakers) that I may sell and replace with the Everse 8. I don't *need* battery-only at every gig, but I like the convenience of a couple less power cords to run ... and at least with the Bose, they last VERY well on batteries, even at good/substantial levels. -Jim

I also have a JACKERY 500 power pack that will run my korg 1000 plus 2 bose compacts for well over 6 hours with no problem. Super unit and small.
MEL

I think the power bank solution is still the sensible choice. If your arranger still needs power, a $1400 system is an expensive way to save running just two power cords! You’ll still need signal cords because Bluetooth latency is still a bit high for live monitoring.

Yes, 1400 is a lot for JUST that, but I also use speakers w/o A/C power a moderate amount (outdoors mostly). And I have used them for unusual things like making a Halloween sound-effects 'cart' that I carted around on a "ghost-walk" event in my local area ... two battery speakers plus an iPad to play sound effects, and one microphone, and I had a portable sound effects/PA cart - I have done this sort of thing for parades and events ... so I do get a good amount of use for battery-only operations. I also do own a device similar to the Jackery 500 that someone mentioned. Different brand but same idea), which I have used to power much larger PA speakers + keyboard + mixer etc. So I have various 'tools' for various situations ...

I’ve got a battery power combo amp too, and have used it like you for Halloween things and other light duties. But it cost under $200. Well under.

I think that’s the appropriate amount to spend on something you actually NEED so seldom. And need high volume and great sound even less.

But the EV’s might make excellent fill in speakers at a huge venue where good sound and the Bluetooth connectivity and no cables are a strong positive, and where your main speakers don’t project well

The thing I think makes the decision is, just how often will these be the ONLY solution that works for you? I might actually REALLY need these once every couple of years.

All you really need is an inverter, which can be had for a couple hundred bucks, which will run all your gear from a simple car battery or even a small, garden tractor battery. I had one on my boat and it ran everything, including the AC unit, microwave, lights, radar, GPS Plotter, AIS system, etc...

https://www.renogy.com/700w-12v-pure-sin...HwaAqs6EALw_wcB

Good luck,

Gary

Not that keen on lugging a lead acid battery around, Gary! But there’s some affordable lithium ion alternatives that won’t bust your back!

I think power banks offer better over-voltage and under-voltage protection than the average inverter, and a lot of our gear tends to be pretty sensitive to under-voltage. No point frying anything if you can help it!

Hi - I got ~$600 for the pair of EV ZX1As which will almost half pay for a pair of the new ones. I will use whatever speakers often (like once a week), but the times I *need* battery-only operation is probably more like 10x per year, roughly. I have a feeling I'll find other uses once I have them, as well.

The idea of Bluetooth won't apply in my case, as I'm always doing live music, and the Bluetooth delay (latency) doesn't work with live music. But I can see using the BT option now and then, for break music, or for when I do events other than my live-playing type events . . .

Thanks for the various ideas/comments/topics ... interesting discussion! -Jim

Diki, I have been using inverters for more than 20 years - never had a problem with anything frying or under-powered. Most have built in voltage regulators to prevent such problems.

As for lugging around a lead/acid battery, my garden tractor battery weighs less than 10 pounds and has no spill caps. When I had to use an inverter for an outdoor job, such as a remote mountain campground where there was no electricity available, I just plugged it into my cigarette lighter connection in my van, then ran an extension cord from the van to my keyboard setup - nothing could be easier and safer.

Good luck, on whatever you decide upon,

Gary

Already sorted, Gary, thanks.

If the music has no power, neither does the catering, the bar, the lighting etc..

Can’t honestly say I’ve ever been asked to do a gig with zero power!

Diki, all you need for a bar at an outdoor, powerless event, is a couple cooler chests filled with ice cubes and someone to serve the beverages, which are usually plentiful. As for lighting, bon fires usually supply all the light needed for nighttime events, such as those held at campgrounds. I did an indoor, powerless job at a hunting camp in the Pennsylvania mountains, where the lighting was supplied by kerosene lanterns. The lodge was huge, probably about 10,000 square feet, massive fireplace for heat and a wood stove for cooking. As for catering, I guess you have never been to a tailgate party. The hosts usually tow a big BBQ smoker behind their cars or trucks, and the food is fantastic to say the very least. No electrical power at any of these locations, but they sure have lots of parties, music and fun.

Good luck,

Gary

Yes, I too have played at many a "no-power" event. Caterer used Sternos for things that needed to be warm, and coolers full of ice as Gary mentioned. I did one (a 3 piece combo) recently where there was power maybe 600-700' away, but no one wanted to attempt to run that long of power cords! :-) They had a BBQ smoker, lots of cold drinks, and my band (trio) playing music for ~3 hours (with breaks of course), all on batteries. A couple of months ago, a duo (me plus guitarist who sings too) for a neighborhood event, it was sort of in a wooded are behind all of the houses, near a lake. Power was maybe 400-500' away. The event went on w/o any AC power . . . -Jim

I found some covers that, with one modification, work well for the EV Everse 8 speakers: Turbosound TS-PC8 covers. These are nicely-made, nicely-padded covers. I knew they may not be a 'perfect' fit - it turns out, once I had someone with sewing experience "hem" them by 2 inches (remove 2" from the bottom and re-sew the 'hem') - they are PERFECT for the EV-8s! To me, they are easier and more 'efficient' than the EV brand cases, which while nice, are "more than I need" (and more expensive). I like these!