Some rooms are simply too big for a small top box, and the answer is usually a bigger box rather than more of them. The Electro-Voice ZLX-15P puts a 15-inch EV woofer and a compression driver behind a 1000 watt Class D amplifier, for music with real weight and speech that stays clear at the back of a hall. An LCD and one knob set the DSP for music, speech or live work, and two mic-or-line inputs mean simple jobs need no mixer at all. It hires at £30 per day.
The ZLX-15P is the powered 15-inch model in Electro-Voice's ZLX series, and it is the box to reach for when a 10-inch top starts to sound polite. A 380mm EVS-15L woofer gives music a proper foundation without needing a subwoofer for most jobs, a DH-1K compression driver keeps speech and vocals clean over the top, and a Class D amplifier rated at 1000 watts drives the pair through DSP protection to a maximum of 127dB. EV publishes cautious figures, and it shows in use: at the levels where a smaller box starts to harden up, this one still sounds like the music.
Setting up is genuinely quick. An LCD on the rear panel and a single knob step through DSP presets for music, live bands, speech and club playback, input meters show what is arriving, and a front LED warns when the limiter is earning its keep. Two XLR and quarter-inch combination sockets take microphone or line signals, a 3.5mm minijack takes a phone or laptop, and level controls on the back mean a microphone in one socket and music in the other can be balanced without a mixer. An XLR link output passes the signal on to a second speaker or a subwoofer.
The cabinet is polypropylene with an 18-gauge steel grille, 685mm tall and 17.3kg. That weight is honest for what is inside, but plan for it: lifting one onto a tripod stand at head height is a comfortable job for two people and an ambitious one for one, and the high and low grip handles exist precisely for that move. The pole cup takes a standard speaker stand or a subwoofer distance pole, and laid on its side the angled cabinet works as a floor monitor. Our stock is the 240V version, so it runs from any ordinary 13A socket.
We also hire Alto TS210 and TS315 tops, and for plenty of jobs they are the sensible choice at a lower rate. The EV is the step up. Drivers and amplifier are EV's own, and the practical difference is composure: fuller music, cleaner vocals and more usable level before anything starts to complain. The trade is weight and money — 17.3kg against 10kg for the TS210, and £30 a day against £10. If the room is small and the brief is speech, save the money. If it is a full-size hall, a dance floor or a band, this is the better spend.
One speaker covers speech and background music in most halls; take a pair for stereo music or a wide room, and add our Alto TS215S subwoofer underneath for DJ sets and bands. Rates are per day, with multi-day and show-week pricing on request, and the ZLX-15P also slots into our PA packages with stands, mixer and microphones.
What you get
The speaker, with a 13A mains lead
An XLR signal cable — tell us the distance to your mixer or music source and we will send the right length
The 3.5mm minijack input takes a phone or laptop directly; bring your own minijack lead or ask us to add one
Not included as standard: speaker stands, a mixer, microphones and a subwoofer. All can be added
A technician to rig, balance and mix, if you would rather not run it yourselves
Good for
School productions and concerts in full-size halls, where a smaller top runs out of level
Dance school showcases: music with enough weight that you may not need a subwoofer
Am-dram musicals, keeping vocals clear over a band or backing tracks
Church services, carol concerts and conferences in rooms that swallow small speakers
Discos and end-of-term parties, as a pair or on top of a subwoofer
Floor monitor duty on bigger shows — the angled cabinet sits as a wedge
What you need to know
What it is
An active speaker: the 1000 watt amplifier is built in, so it needs a mains socket and a signal and nothing else.
Output
A 15-inch EV woofer and compression driver, good for 127dB. One fills a school hall for speech; a pair covers music in most venues.
Inputs
Two mic-or-line sockets plus a 3.5mm minijack, with level controls on the back. Simple jobs need no mixer.
Setting up
One knob and a screen: choose the music, speech or live preset and the DSP does the rest. A link output feeds the next box.
Where it goes
Poles onto a stand or a subwoofer, or lies on its side as a monitor. 17.3kg, so plan on two people for lifts to head height.
Check availability
See whether this is free for your dates. This is an indication from our current bookings, not a reservation.
Alternatives
Alto TS210 speakers — the smaller, lighter 10-inch boxes for speeches and background music in modest rooms.
Full technical specification (18)
Manufacturer and model
Electro-Voice ZLX-15P
Order code
ZLX-15P-EU (240V version)
Speaker type
15-inch two-way active loudspeaker
LF driver
EVS-15L 380mm (15-inch) woofer
HF driver
DH-1K compression driver
Amplifier
Class D with DSP, 1000W power rating
Maximum SPL
127dB
Frequency response
55Hz-18kHz (Music preset)
Frequency range
42Hz-20kHz
Coverage
90 x 60 degrees (horizontal x vertical)
Inputs
2 x XLR/6.35mm jack combination (mic or line), 1 x 3.5mm minijack
Outputs
1 x XLR link through
Controls
LCD with single-knob DSP presets, input level meters, front power and limit LED
Pole cup for a stand or subwoofer pole; angled side for floor monitor use
Mains
240V version, standard UK 13A plug
Dimensions
685 x 423 x 383 (H x W x D)
Weight
17.3
Common questions
The Altos are good value and right for plenty of jobs; the EV is the step up. Its woofer, compression driver and amplifier are EV's own designs, its published figures are measured cautiously, and in a room that means fuller music and cleaner vocals at higher levels. It is also heavier and three times the day rate of the TS210, so be honest about the room: a small hall with a speech brief does not need it, a big hall with music does.
Not always. The speaker has two combination sockets that accept microphone or line level and a 3.5mm minijack for a phone or laptop, with level controls on the rear panel. For a presentation, a ceremony or background music with one microphone, that is enough. Once you have several microphones, a band or anyone riding levels during the event, add a small mixing desk — we hire those too.
For speech and background music, one often is: the 90 by 60 degree coverage takes in most of a hall from a corner position. For music as the main event, a pair is worth it — coverage is more even and nobody ends up standing in front of the only speaker. Tell us the room size and what is happening in it and we will give you a straight answer rather than sell you the second box.
Less often than you might think. The 15-inch woofer reaches down to 42Hz, which covers backing tracks, show music and most live bands convincingly. Add a subwoofer for DJ sets, club-level dance music or anywhere the low end is the point — our Alto TS215S sits underneath and the ZLX pole mounts on top of it.
17.3kg. The pole cup fits a standard speaker stand, and the two handles are placed high and low to make the lift onto a pole manageable, but treat it as a two-person job at head height. Check the rated load of your own stands before you plan on using them; if you hire stands from us, we will send ones that match the speakers.
