-A - £1101.£1356..RCF.IT may have shown Pete and Steve at Pro Mobile a little too much of my hand when I showed my gratitude for them reviewing some EV speakers in the 126th edition of Pro Mobile. Instead of a whopping great pallet, what landed at my unit shutter in the spring sunshine was a neat little stack consisting of four boxes; comprising two NXL-14-As and two Sub 15-AXs. Sat in their purpose-made zip bags, they exuded silent confidence (that silent bit didn’t last long).

As a self-confessed speaker hoarder and owner of multiple different systems at any one time, I will be the first person to call out ‘stick’ systems. By that, I’m talking about any systems which comprise a mid-top that has a small form factor, accompanied by a big brother boom-boom box to maintain some warmth. Whilst they are the perfect product if you want something aesthetically pleasing, they don’t always deliver when you need raw power or SPL when it actually matters.

Since the release of the NXL-14-A, I have always been curious to see if these were too pretty to have a backbone, or something to move the air when it actually mattered. First impressions: wood, metal and True1 I undressed the RCF speakers from their custom padded blankets. Although all speakers can be used with the covers on, aesthetically it reminds me of speakers in use at a travelling fairground. The first thing we see is that there is no cheap plastic involved with the build of these speakers.

Birch ply all round with full metal grilles. The NXL 14-As have handles integrated at the top and bottom to the rear to make the grip points nice and easy. The SUB 15-AXs share the same theme of birch ply and metal grilles with chunky handles at each side. One-person manoeuvrability is key with 15” subs, and at 31.4kg they are manageable solo.

The NXL 14-As come in at 12.8kg, so not featherweight, but given their touring build with a compact form factor, I’m more than happy to sling it on top of a stand. Both speakers have the new Neutrik Powercon True1 connector with Link, so running power and signal between boxes is a nice touch, too. RCF NXL14-A & SUB 15-AX Soundcheck shenanigans Where RCF the AX Getting straight to it, I wired up learned with an NXL 14-A to the unit and hit any time they ‘play’.

First thoughts were clear, there’s some controlled and crisp. Thanks to dual involved. With 6” drivers and a 1.75” compression the built-in driver, they are articulate and advanced vocals sound brighter than the crossover presets, more conventional equivalent dedicated, 12” active speakers. They also felt specifically for like they have a relatively wide in the RCF coverage angle, too.

NXL 14-A. This phase alignment Then, we brought in the sub… frequency, and play with I’ve used a fair amount of 15” subs getting perfectly over the years, starting with some sound the way Altos TS-Sub15s. Then I bought some EV SBA760s, then more The Sub 15-AX recently some DB Technologies 8-band output Sub615Ds. They have always been system delay, an important item in the arsenal (which requires because sometimes a venue or subs per side an environment calls for subs, of which are but 18s would trip a limiter, or a bright not attack fast enough for live encoder (knob work, or throw too far beyond people).

If you a dancefloor. Most 15s fall over on all fours to because they try to compensate all of this can to be like an 18 – either they are too boxy or too boomy or run out of energy when you need it the most. The SUB 15-AX kicked – and kicked – while maintaining musical clarity. After my little play on the top-sub combo, I decided to dive a little deeper into the presets, to see if it was a fluke or some sort of witchcraft at play.

The Swiss army knife bit Here is where things get really interesting – the NXL 14-A is a no-fuss workhorse. You get a very similar backplate as their ART7 and ART9 series speakers: balanced XLR input and link output, a choice of three DSP presets, a volume knob, and the aforementioned True1 power input with link output. STAYING MICKER RCF NXL14-A PRO MOBILE UVS & SUB 15-AX rcf nxl14-a & sub 15-ax got cheeky is with the RCF LiveRemote app, which subwoofers.

As we have connects to the AX via Bluetooth. RCF on the 9 series, Now, you can’t use this Bluetooth involve the letter X, to play music, it’s for control only. computer wizardry (Note: if you had a pair of ART9 the Sub 15-AX, it’s AX tops, you could stream to DSP (they call it an those and control the speakers via crossover engine or ACE) the app, too). which include a factory-tuned option Road test round-up dozens of speakers family, including the Never someone to shy away from preset optimises using loan toys for gigs, I thought and crossover it would be rude not to deploy meaning you can plug in these speakers on some different minimal setup while jobs: balanced, punchy you want it.

Gig 1: Small presentation at Caviar House, Mayfair also features an EQ, configurable Terrible load-in, small gig, and cardioid mode 50-capacity standing drinks then a minimum of two seated Q&A, etc. I would normally to be effective), all use my RCF TT515As on round accessible through base stands. The NXL 14-As were touchscreen and rotary not only crisp, but they had a lot to us normal more warmth (due to being a don’t want to get larger speaker). programme it, then be set up inside rcf nxl14-a & sub 15-ax Interestingly enough, the client thought they were a the same speakers I used last time but asked why it sounded warmer!

Great feedback rejection too, as the speakers had to be placed in odd areas by the stage I was worried but it turned out fine! Thanks to their size, they could fit in the corners! Gig 2: Bar Mitzvah at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, 160 people Handled the room with ease! Subs and tops sounded crystal clear and punchy.

Kept pushing the system to try to find the clip lights, but it got very, very loud before I did! Interestingly, on this one, the in-house – system at the bowling alley was a pair of Martin Audio 18” subs; they were probably heavily limited through their processor, nonetheless, the SUB 15AXs wiped the floor with them, and we decided we didn’t need the in-house system at all for this gig. Gig 3: Wedding ceremony, 7-piece band and DJ at Sopwell House, 150 guests This was probably the biggest test, using the system for the full ceremony (with the band accompanying the ceremony in an ‘unclubbed style’).

The whole system was crystal clear. For the ceremony itself, I rolled the bass back as it wasn’t needed. Looking back, I could have just run the NXL 14As full range, and they would have been fine. Then music for the wedding breakfast and dancing; the whole system sounded musical and punchy.

The band leader even asked if he could use it on the next gig (perfect excuse to place an order). 76 Final thoughts There really is a lot of choice out there when it comes to compact PA systems. I’ve used my fair share of them, from the dinky stick arrays to chunkier tops and subs, but the RCF setup I’ve been using recently strikes a bit of a sweet spot in the market. It’s got all the aesthetic appeal of a column system, with the proper sonic performance of the traditional subpole-top combo, making it a proper 3-way PA system.

It’s quick to set up and small enough to fit on the smallest of Rock-N-Roller trolleys, yet flexible and sleek enough to handle weddings, corporate gigs and clubbier parties. The SUB 15-AX’s DSP processing and app control genuinely set it apart because you can tweak your sound to the venue, to the other speakers you are using, or even just to your own ears. Sure, it’s not budget system but, at its price point and the multitude of gig types this combo can work in, you’d be hard-pressed to find something else that not only covers the bases but absolutely thrives in them.

TL/DR summary: Looks: Sleek and pro without being flashy. Sounds: Punchy and clear across different styles. Transport: Easily handled with one person and a trolley (wish 15s had wheels though). Techy bits: App control for DSP on subs, presets galore including NXL 14- A.

Price point: Not budget but also not boutique cheaper than buying one system for each job, just get this one to do it all. Would I buy it? Honestly, yes. And I think I might have just convinced my business partner, Max, too!

RCF NXL14-A & SUB 15-AX Uplights Make an impact on the projecting a customised any surface and make your personal. Scan the QR code below and your events EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PRO MOBILE First 100 sign ups get their first monogram DigitalMonograms .com are boring. couple's special day by animated monogram on to setup even more learn how you can add £200+ to READERS free