Gear Review: JBL’s IRX112BT Powered PA Offers Brawn and Flexibility in a Portable Package
When amplifying an acoustic guitar, there’s often a tradeoff between the portability of a small acoustic amp and the power and full-range sound of a heavier and more expensive PA system. JBL’s new IRX line of Bluetooth-enabled powered PA speakers offers flexibility and power in a surprisingly lightweight and affordable package. The 112 model ($379 street) features a 12-inch woofer, tweeter, and 1,300 peak watts of class-D power, while weighing only 27 pounds. The 112 is just shy of 24 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. Multiple well-placed handles and a molded body make the speaker easy to carry. The 108 model ($329 street) has an eight-inch woofer, weighs 17 pounds and shaves several inches off of each dimension. The speakers are designed to be mounted on a pole, or placed on the floor, flat or angled—especially handy when used as a monitor.
The back of the speaker provides a pair of 1/4-inch/XLR combo inputs, with separate volume controls and an XLR through output that can be used to connect a second speaker or a subwoofer. The IRX offers four EQ presets. JBL recommends the flat setting when used as a monitor. The music preset produces enhanced bass response, while the speech preset is optimized for spoken word applications. A vocal or “karaoke” preset adds a high-pass filter at 100Hz and is meant to be used with a subwoofer. Bass boost and automatic feedback suppression buttons round out the sound-shaping controls.
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The IRX speakers also support streaming music from Bluetooth-enabled devices, and it is possible use a pair of speakers to stream stereo sound. You can also enable a ducking mode, in which the level of the streamed music will be automatically lowered when speaking into a microphone.
In use, the IRX112BT sounds clean, with plenty of volume. Although you could plug an instrument or dynamic mic directly into the speaker, it would be best to use a mixer as an input, because the EQ presets don’t offer a lot of control for acoustic guitar. For testing, I drove the speaker with an L.R. Baggs Venue preamp. The speaker produced a surprising amount of bass, and a big sound. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I was unable to test the speaker in a performance venue, but the IRX (or a pair) should easily handle an acoustic performance in a medium-sized venue.
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With plenty of power, light weight, and easy handling, and an affordable price, the IRX112BT and its smaller companion are worth considering as part of any acoustic amplification setup.
