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Author Topic: USL CM860 Booth Monitor / Advice needed Jean-Michel Grin Expert Film Handler Posts: 222 From: Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland Registered: Jul 2002 posted 03-18-2003 01:01 PM                        Hi Everyone, The company who I'm working want to buy a batch of USL CM860 Booth Monitor. My questions are: -What do You think about this equipement ? -Have You experienced some troubles, faillures ? -How about the quality off the speaker and the sound to come out. -Quality off the potentiometer ? -What features offer this monitor ? -What kind of connections are allvaible ? By the past I've experienced some troubles on a CM-35, who's blowed up the output of the amplifiers final stages (the amplifier was a "old" JBL, I don't remember the model) -Got someone a PDF file about the USL CM860 ? I din't found any information on USLinc website about this product. All theses questions beceause were searching for a good quality heavy duty monitor, and no buy a Thanks for your advices, and sorry for my weak English !  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-18-2003 01:03 PM                     In reality there are no good booth monitors in existance that are self contained. But the USL monitors are a very good value and easy to repair when they do break down. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-18-2003 03:10 PM                     I like the Component Engineering Monitors and if it is an economy concern I like the Smart  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-18-2003 04:32 PM                       Smart's okay for the money, but I seemed to recall a high failure rate of the gain control circuits in their 6-channel monitors. Admittedly, this was 7 or 8 years ago. But Oscar's good, so I'm sure any defect has been straightened out by now.  |  IP: Logged Clint Koch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1435 From: San Luis Obispo, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-18-2003 04:48 PM                     Hello Jean-Michel, I have tried e-mailing you yet it has been kicked back to me three times. I would like to send you a little technical information on the CM-680. Please try e-mailing me so I may forward this to you. Clint clint@uslinc.com  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-18-2003 05:24 PM                     USL, in my opinion, has very good equipment. I don't think you can go wrong with their monitors. If your old CM-35 toasted your power amps, I would suspect that there was a wiring interface problem. The possibility exists that the monitor was terminating the PA's balanced output with an unbalanced feed to the monitor. Just use one wire from the neg terminal on the PA feeding the monitor input. The monitor's ground will find its way back to amplifier ground through the equipment rack. If not, just simply make sure the neg terminal of the monitor is grounded. There are no hum issues, and the monitor will not load the amplifier's output. This was a method that was recommended to me by a leading manufacturer and it works well. All my monitors are wired this way. I have had absolutely no problems using this method, and I am sure that most good quality monitors will allow the same type of interface.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-18-2003 11:26 PM                     If you had a JBL 62XX amplifier (black with orange stripe) then it was the amp predestined to blow. The CM-680 is ok as monitors go. As Mark said, none are great but there is a cost reality for what the device is. The CM-680 is differential in, which is necessary for dealing with Dolby's CP-650 or Panastereo processors. The CE MS-100 is lacking this feature. Some of the CM-680's highlights include that it has inputs from both of the Dolby CP-650's output connectors (main and Option I/O) so wiring is a mere ribbon cable away. The monitor can have a crossover built in (digital or analog) and it offers both phoenix connectors and HD15 connectors for the feed to the amps so if you have an amplifier like the QSC DCA line you may use the VGA cables and the "dataports". There is a lot right with the CM-680. On the negative side, I wish it was a bit louder on the amplifier side of the monitor (processor level is fine). The Subwoofer switch should be a momentary switch so it can't be left on (to prevent the kiddies from blowing the little speaker with subwoofer information that it can't really play). It doesn't do "3-way" speakers (The CM-80 does). Where I've installed them, they have done alright (all were strictly monitors, not with the crossover options). Steve  |  IP: Logged Jean-Michel Grin Expert Film Handler Posts: 222 From: Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland Registered: Jul 2002 posted 03-19-2003 03:01 AM                        Thanks to all ! Yours advices are precious for me One more question: We have the choice for a monitor / crossover equipement, between the USL CM 860 or the QSC DCM Digital Monitor. Witch of them sounds better ? CM 860 vs. DCM what could be the best choice ? I'm agree with Gordon and many of You to say that the Component Engineering CM-100 is a good equipement. I've installed various units, troubleless One negative point on the CM 100: They don't have a LED's meter to visualy check the monitored sound... One more time, thank for Your help !  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-19-2003 10:25 AM                     Unless you want the cross over features the DCM is a little overkill  |  IP: Logged

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