Let’s begin… So, with this new range of speakers at my disposal, the rst thing to point out is that they all were able to be accommodated in the boot of my car, albeit with a little ‘Tetris’ style creativity. This takes care of the question about portability I guess. They are all fairly lightweight, even the TX15, the largest in the range, which posed no problems going in or out of the car and was able to be carried up some stairs with another speaker at the same time without any real concern. Across the board, they all share similar design aspects. There are handles on either side of the larger models, with the more compact TX8 only having a handle on the top surface, which all share as a common feature. This, I found was very handy for moving them around when one hand was the only option. All models are pole mountable and all feature bevelled edges on the rear for use on the oor at an angle should you so wish. But, each de nitely has its own sound and indeed, each serves a certain purpose better that the others.
TX8
This is the most compact speaker in the range and as the name suggests, it features an 8 inch low frequency driver. When you consider the cabinet design of this box and look at how much of the rear panel is angled, it is easy to see how the design team at Alto were thinking of this as mostly being used as a floor monitor speaker, and it makes sense too. It is compact enough to allow for a range of these to be set up across the front of a stage without intrusion and it delivers a bright, vibrant audio response. Although pole mounts are included, it doesn’t offer any extras on the input side, just an in and a through port on XLR connectors, so any control over the tone will have to come from the signal source. It can still be used for small vocal and acoustic guitar applications, but the lack of bottom end in these speakers will limit the use as a front of house speaker.
TX12
I know many of you will agree with me when I say that this is the most usable speaker from the range. As is so often the case with any selection of powered PA speakers, the 12 inch driver seems to deliver the most workable audio reproduction. This is, in my opinion, the best sounding speaker in the TX Series and so would be my choice for use with a small band, duo or solo performer. It delivers a very well rounded sound that isn’t harsh when the volume is driven and projects a tight bottom end that is present but not beyond control. For those of you looking for an almost hi- sounding speaker that will work well for both vocals and instruments alike, this is an excellent powered box that doesn’t need to hide behind fancy features and over-baked claims of grandeur. The TX12 simply sounds good and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
TX15
This speaker won’t necessarily suit everyone’s needs. It is, of course, the largest in the range as it features a 15 inch driver. Because of this, it is slightly heavier and more cumbersome. As I said before, I had no problem carrying these up some stairs with one hand. Still, I understand that there are a lot of musicians that are looking for a PA that ts within a certain size and weight range and often the cabinet needed to house a 15 inch driver is never going to meet those requirements. However, this size driver and speaker is going to be a hit with those who are playing dance music and need some extra bottom end in the mix. For DJs who are looking for a portable PA system, this speaker is going to be right up your alley. It still delivers plenty of punch and a sharp high frequency response, but does so with a bigger bottom end than the TX12 could ever hope to achieve.
