REVIEW: Mackie SRT Loudspeakers

While we missed seeing everyone at NAMM, we did delight in the news that Mackie had a new series of PA speakers ready to announce, and better yet, ready to ship into our grubby little hands.

The new SRT line is Mackie’s latest attempt to perfect the loudspeaker for artists who want great quality at a price that’s not going to bankrupt them. And they’ve delivered.

The 10-inch models we tested are rugged as all get-out, and sound killer, to boot. When live shows really get back into full gear, we’ll expect a lot of artists (and venues) will be re-evaluating their rehearsal space needs, gig requirements, and stage rigs. The SRT’s would be a good place to start. They may not look like a giant leap forward, but what’s going on under the hood is exciting.

So what’s new? Well, there’s a new beefy amplification design, which is plenty powerful and crystal clear in the highs, no clipping or breakup during most routine uses. Part of that also comes from the new SYM-X horn design in the new lineup, as well as the advanced DSP going on inside. One advantage of the new internals is that sound is great from any angle, not just smack-dab in front of them like a lot of PA speakers. So off-axis listeners will still get the benefit of hearing how good you sound on stage. Chalk that up to good DSP programming in full-effect.

You also get a very bright, VERY easy to use display on the rear, as well as an app to control things right from your phone or tablet. We’ve previously called out Mackie for making wireless apps that actually work, and don’t require an engineering degree to figure out. The last time we used one of their connection apps for digital mixing, it clearly showed that the design team thought out the UI from a musician’s perspective, putting the functions they needed front and center, not buried in endless menu-diving. And they’ve done the same here. Kudos.

So, what else is there to say? They sound great, they pair easily with Bluetooth, and the on-board screen and app controls make setup absolute child’s play.

PROS:

excellent sound, construction, connectivity and wireless app support.

CONS:

none

STREET PRICE:

$499/ea