Mackie Thump15A Powered PA Speaker 15" - 1300W

96
GEARANK

96 out of 100. Incorporating 950+ ratings and reviews.

Street Price: 

$370
Mackie Thump15A Powered Speaker 15" - 1300W

Gearank High Notes

Rating Source Highlights

Website Source *Rating Value
Audiofanzine BeyondR 100/100
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm's adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.

Overview

The Mackie Thump 15A was a powered speaker that offered a powerful and punchy sound, especially in the bass range. It had a 15" woofer and a 1.4" titanium dome compression tweeter, driven by a 1000W Class D amplifier and a 300W Class AB amplifier, respectively, for a total of 1,300 Watts of peak power. It also featured a built-in 2-channel mixer with Vita preamps and “Wide-Z” technology, which allowed it to handle different types of sound sources directly, such as mics, line-level signals, and instruments. It had four speaker modes that optimized the sound for different applications: music, live, monitor, and sub. This speaker was ideal for DJ sets and electronic music that required a solid bottom end, as the 15" speaker could move a lot of air in the bass range. Some users found the bass response to be too much, but this could be adjusted by switching the speaker mode to “live”, which reduced the low end. The speaker also had a monitor mode, which pulled 2 kHz to reduce feedback on stage, but it still had a fair amount of bottom end.
The Mackie Thump 15A is now a discontinued product and has been replaced by a newer model. It was a great pick for those who wanted a big sound without needing subwoofers. However, it may still be available to purchase through third-party sellers or online marketplaces.

Specifications

  • LF Driver: 15" with Ferrite Magnet
  • HF Driver: 1.4" Compression Driver
  • Amplifier: Class D (LF), Class AB (HF)
  • Output Power Peak: 1300W (1000W HF + 300W HF)
  • Frequency Response: 32Hz-23kHz (-10dB)
  • Maximum Peak SPL: 127 dB SPL @ 1m
  • Crossover Frequency: 24 dB/octave @ 2kHz
  • Enclosure: Polypropylene
  • Mounting: Pole, Floor
  • Inputs: 2 x XLR-1/4" Combo (Mic/Line/Hi-Z)
  • Outputs: 1 x XLR (Mix Out)
  • Controls: 2 x Gain, Main, Speaker Mode
  • Dimensions: 27" x 17.4" x 14"
  • Weight: 34.8 lbs.

Cons

  • Look elsewhere if you don't want a lot of bottom-end; particularly if you're looking for a mid-range focused stage monitor

Pros

  • Despite the strong bottom end it works well in most genres
  • Also sounds good as an instrument amp which is facilitated by both Line Level & Hi-Z inputs
  • Best option in this price bracket for producing strong bottom end without a sub

From "The Best Stage Monitor" guide

Cons

  • Overkill if you don't need/want the bass /response
  • 1 Year Warranty and reports of mediocre service
  • Sharp corners can get dented

Pros

  • Strong Low Frequency Response
  • Good for Drums, Keyboards, Bass
  • Has a Specific 'Monitor' Voicing
  • Main PA Speaker Capability

While a 15" woofer may be excessive for some, it is particularly useful for drummers and bassists. It is also great for those who need to hear low-frequency sounds with great clarity and power, like EDM musicians and DJs. This extra bottom end makes the Thump15A one of the best DJ speakers for FOH and stage monitor use.

With its 15" LF driver, this powered floor monitor better emphasizes low frequencies compared to its smaller siblings. But aside from its bigger woofer, everything else about this powered monitor speaker follows the same specs and configuration as the Thump 12A. This includes having a 1,300 watt Class D amplifier and Mackie's Dynamic Bass Response technology.

Many bands and DJs use this as the main FOH speakers for their PA System. And it's also often used as stage monitors for drummers who use electronic drums. It's also great for keyboardists, electronic musicians, bassists, and even guitarists who use guitar modeling processors.

It includes a DSP driven 'Monitor' mode to tame that bass 'thump' for floor use especially. There's also a mode for use with a subwoofer that can be used for taming the bass even more. There's a 2 channel combo mixer and built-in thermal limiter for speaker protection.

If you're looking for a generic vocal monitor, then the extra power handling of this unit is probably overkill. But, if you need a monitor that can double up as a DJ Speaker, with extra emphasis on bass frequencies, then the Mackie Thump15A is highly recommended.

Tech Specs

  • LF Driver: 15"
  • HF Driver: 1.4"
  • Power Rating (RMS): Not Specified
  • Power Rating (Peak): 1300W
  • Frequency Range: 32Hz-23kHz (-10dB)
  • Maximum Peak SPL: 127 dB
  • Inputs: 2 x XLR-1/4" Combo
  • Outputs: 1 x XLR (Mix out)
  • Mounting: Pole, Floor Wedge
  • Weight: 34.8 lbs.

Rating Source Highlights

Website Source *Rating Value
LiquidAudio Stefan 85/100
AudioFanzine JimboSpins 80/100
*Displayed values are prior to the Gearank Algorithm's adjustments it makes when evaluating the source.