Vonyx (Skytec) SPJ-1000A Active 10 Inch Speaker

Overall Average Review Score ... 7 / 10
A fine low budget active PA / Foldback speaker for small venues, rehearsal or (not too loud) party speaker.
Important Note: I would NOT consider this audio equipment to come under the heading of Professional Sound Reinforcement (discontinued as of 2024).

  About Review and Description articles, click to expand

The Vonyx SPJ-1000A (was Skytec SPJ-1000AD) Active Speaker is a symmetrical, compact and low budget unit intended for PA and/or Foldback use.

The two side handles are configured to provide the necessary angle for floor foldback implementation (which as it turns out, is a somewhat questionable design idea).

This bi-amped system comprises of a 10" mid-bass driver and 1" compression horn, squeezed into and ABS plastic shell only just large enough to hold the various components.

Please Note: This article is about the active, powered speaker SPJ-1000A, not the passive SPJ-1000D (8Ω, 300W). The two do not use the same speaker components and cannot be directly compared.

The SPJ-1000A provides a surprisingly even tonality and the output sounds quite clean right up to clipping.

As you would expect with only a 10" mid-bass driver, this kit is somewhat lacking in bottom end. When used in a stereo or PA system, these speakers will benefit greatly from the use of an additional sub woofer (or two) that can can do justice to everything below 200Hz.

In short, probably not enough bass for use as a standalone party speaker (though they are often advertised as such). Depending on your party type and the preferred NAF (Neighbour Annoyance Factor), the twelve inch version may be a better party speaker option

If you are after an inexpensive, lightweight, 100 Watt(ish) active PA speaker or foldback unit for use in relatively tame environments, then the Vonyx SPJ-1000A might be right for you. Particularly in a 'set and forget' permanent installation scenario. Since each unit comes with a line in/out, system expansion is relatively easy.

Might also be useful for practicing when using an electronic drum kit, keyboards, as stereo guitar rig (my old implementation) or as tame foldback.


Claims made for the Vonyx (Skytec) SPJ-1000AD under the heading
of PRODUCT FEATURES include:

• Built-in 400W amplifier with crossover (in an alternate universe, perhaps? ;-)
  
  
• Line and Mic Inputs with Bass & Treble Controls
  
  
• High compression dynamic horn driver
  
  
• Stand mounting with 35mm pole socket
  
  
• 10" Extremely powerful mid-low woofer
  
  
• Wide dispersion horn
  
  
• Supplied Top Hat
  
  
• Daisy chaining of additional speakers
  
  
• ABS impact resistant light weight system (Impact resistant, really ?? ;-)

Points to note about these claimed 'features':

Starting with "Built-in 400W amplifier with crossover" ...

Like most similar active speakers, the Vonyx SPJ-1000AD is not actually a 400W amplifier with a crossover. It is in fact Bi-amped, meaning there are separate amplifiers for both the 1" horn and 10" bass speaker. These amplifiers just happen to exist on the same power amp chip.

In the SPJ-1000AD the crossing over is done prior to amplification with just a simple 6dB per octave passive filter (a capacitor :-)

Info: Conventional crossover networks come after the amplifier and tend to have substantially steeper filter slopes (up to 18dB per octave) using capacitive filtering and inductive damping.

Secondly the 400W claim (in both the literature and on the carton) is misleading to say the least. It is at best something approaching a 150W RMS amplifier (based on the amplifier chip used) with both horn and woofer fully driven.

And lastly the claim "ABS impact resistant light weight system", is well, bullshit and contradicted by my direct experience. But, more on that later.

So with all the good news out of the way, let's get down to the basics.

With the Tone Controls centred (one assumes that is EQ flat), clipping sets in at a surprisingly low SPL (Sound Pressure Level) for a speaker that boasts 400W on the carton, along with an equally nonsensical quoted SPL max of "up to 119dB".

I can only guess that their SPL max of "up to 119dB", was measured just prior to the voicecoil in the Horn melting.

In the real world, boosting the Bass even slightly will have the pretty (and rather annoyingly bright) blue LED Clipping Indicator (secluded behind the front grille) lit almost continually. That's with even moderate input signal levels. And of course, with only Class D power amplification available, the clipped audio sounds very harsh and nasty indeed.

So once again, the problem here is really in the exaggerated specifications. In this case, being of the sort that belong in a comic book, oh ... sorry, I meant "Graphic Novel".

You know - the kind where the [female] super-hero can lift a bus with one hand (while posing for a selfie with the buss load of kids she just saved, of course ;-)

While it's all very neat, tidy and well laid out, all the components appear to be built to that all too common minimalist specification. Sadly that includes the ABS plastic (egg?) shell.

  I had to send three SPJ-1000AD units back ... read more ...

IMPORTANT NOTE / WARNING: If the SPJ-1000AD speakers are mounted on a stand (which is what they are intended for) ... and they get knocked over, the damage to the ABS plastic case will probably be catastrophic  -  In fairness to the manufacturer, many of the cheaper ABS plastic speaker enclosures would share a similar damage risk.

The smaller size and lower weight (portability) of the Vonyx (Skytec) SPJ-1000A's were among the primary criteria in my choosing to buy these pretty little ABS plastic speakers. Ease of transportation, car space and low to no back stress were all considered, along with performance and price.

I now think I may have been better served with the more traditional and robust rectangular carpet covered MDF wooden boxes (which, in fairness, Vonyx did have as a slightly more expensive option) :-( Oh well!...

Having not actually encountered the MDF version, I am at this point only assuming they would be more robust.

Behind the Grille


Top level - Controls / Mid Level - Inputs / Bottom Level - (Tiny) Power Amp

A look inside the Vonyx (Skytec) SPJ-1000AD Active Speaker is quite revealing. While it is very pleasing to see that they have used a toroidal power transformer (generally an indication of a better/higher quality amplifier), I'm reasonably confident that this is primarily to minimise size and weight (it is lower profile). The speakers and power amp are singularly underwhelming. Also there is virtually no acoustic padding inside the box, probably at least in part due to a severe lack of space.

Speakers (6/10):

The combination of a 25mm (1") Horn and a 250mm (10") Mid-Bass Speaker produce a reasonably balanced and clean output. When the system is driven to clipping, the distortion is coming from the amplifiers, not the speakers.

In May of 2023 you could still purchase a replacement Vonyx D1000A 10" mid-bass speaker (was B10-SP1000A), for around AUD $70 (included shipping).
Perhaps due to a growing demand?

When first available, they were only AUD $30 each, which suggested they were probably coming out of China for under $10 per unit. No longer available by late 2024.

An eBay seller provided the following basic speaker specifications:
      Voice coil: 38 mm (1.5")
      Magnet weight: 0.85 kg (30 oz)
      Output Max 300W
      Output 150W
      SPL @ 1W/1m: 93dB
         

The small magnet and voicecoil immediately suggest low efficiency, as witnessed by the less than impressive SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 93dB.

The small voicecoil also means there will be very little tolerance for overload, because any generated heat has nowhere to go. Once you go past this speaker's 'undisclosed' true limit, it will surely shit itself quite promptly. The Class D amplification chip should generally prevent total destruction ... but over time ...

At the time of original writing, I simply couldn't find a cheaper new 10" mid-bass speaker on eBay. Should you see the photos of the Vonyx D1000A (was B10-SP1000A) 10" replacement speaker, you might notice that it has an impressively large 75mm (3") dust cap. This is just to hide the actual and rather ordinary 38mm (1.5") voicecoil. Looks can be very deceiving.

If one were to accept that these speakers were able to provide a useful and clean 75W RMS per box, you probably wouldn't be disappointed.

Allowing that each 10" speaker can handle around ~75W, with the horn contributing another ~25W (you know, ish), then a maximum system capacity approaching 100W per pretty little box sounds about right.

The remaining specs are nominal and/or as expected for a 10" speaker in this application:
Speaker size: 10", Impedance: 4 Ohm, Frequency response: 55Hz - 4kHz.

The claimed 55Hz bottom end is probably another exaggeration, but of course there are no figures or any frequency response graphs to show how many dB lower the output is at 55Hz. I'm guessing it's a fair bit.

Though the speaker enclosure is ported, the internal volume of this speaker really is minimal and therefore also not conducive to a good bass output level. In short, a pair of Vonyx SPJ-1000AD Active Speakers will work best in conjunction with one or more sub woofers to do the heavy low-end lifting.

Rear Panel & Controls (7/10):

The Vonyx SPJ-1000AD Active Speaker rear panel controls are simple, serviceable and effective. Again, you get what you pay for, being nothing fancy, just the minimum required to do a job.

The Mic Input at the top is provided as a 6mm (1/4") TRS only, with just a Level control. A somewhat nonprofessional approach where a balanced input option would have been better.

The Line Input is provided as two summed RCA (Left and Right to mono) Inputs and a Balanced line Input, again with a Level Control.

There is also a balanced pass through Line Output for chaining additional speakers.

The minimalist Treble and Bass Tone Controls offer 12dB of boost/cut but are probably best left centred or used sparingly for minor adjustments. Any serious EQ'ing should be done before these speakers.

Lastly there are the Clipping Indicator and Power ON LED. The bright Blue Clipping Indicator is hidden behind the front grille. As mentioned earlier, it is advisable to avoid clipping if possible, as the sound of the over-driven Class D amplification is rather harsh.

A small Power Switch and DIN Power Socket sit below the rear panel controls.

Summary:

While the Vonyx SPJ-1000AD Active Speaker is nothing spectacular, it does do what a small and very inexpensive PA system should without a need for tweaking or special consideration. The most serious shortcoming is the ABS plastic case, which will be prone to damage if dropped or mishandled.

The SPJ-1000AD is a compact, relatively light weight and very affordable small venue or rehearsal PA / Foldback option. Probably fine if you don't have a loud drummer in the room. A system using the SPJ-1000AD can of course, easily be expanded and will benefit from the inclusion of a subwoofer or two (personal preference would be to have a sub on each side). Worth remembering is that these things were stupidly cheap at around AUD $220 (originally $150) per box (price last checked March 27, 2024. No longer available by October 2024).

Would also perform fine as a small MC solo/mono PA unit for a use with a single mic. Mic input has a dedicated level control. These boxes are probably not powerful enough for most DJ applications.

Note that this ABS shell range included 8", 10", 12" and 15" options.

Something that might be of interest ... or not ...
After successfully using the SPJ1000A's with guitar for practicing, I subsequently purchased a pair of JBL EON 612 powered speakers to have something 'gig capable'. The EON 612s can output an honest 400W RMS each (but not the 1000W claimed ;-) ... To reduce the level of an EON 612 to be more or less the same output as a max'd-out SPJ1000A, you almost have to turn the output level on the EON 612 off - I am not kidding! Of course a JBL EON 612 speaker also retails for around five times as much as a Vonyx SPJ1000A.

In short, there is no realistic comparison between the pair of EON 612's (which are a solid Professional Grade powered speaker) and the SPJ1000A's, which can only just cut it as a party box, for practicing or for tame rehearsals ;-) ... bear in mind however that there are situations, like small clubs & cafés or even outdoor gigs, where quieter amplification may in fact be required (by law) ... where showing up with some loud JBLs will cause problems ... just saying.

Review Ratings:

• Product Discontinued as of late 2024
• Features - 7 / 10   (simple but effective)
• Sound Quality - 9 / 10   (very good balanced tone for a small system)
• Ease of Use - 10 / 10   (Set and Forget)
• Build Quality - 6 / 10   (ABS Enclosure could have been better designed. Assembly is OK)
• Amplification & Speakers - 6 / 10   (Overrated and only just up to the task)
• Durability & Reliability - 8 / 10   (With normal daily use, exceeded their warranty period)
• Value for Money - 8 /10   (Good if one accepts the limitations. OK for light duty, small PA or Foldback use)
  
  
• Overall Average Score ... 7 / 10

Your Comments:


220701 - (Excellent) Nice to get a review that covers the product in such depth. Well done.

Editor's Note: Thanks.


201211 - (Excellent) Thanks so much for doing all the research omg this was a huge help!

Editor's Note: You're welcome ;-)




Incept Date: Wizard - 170320 (190411)
Last Update: Wizard - 241002