Mackie SWA1501 Powered 15 in. Subwoofer

Extremely powerful. Compact cabinet. Level control.

Item: MACSWA1501

  • Pricing
    • $1,049.95
    • Installment Plan:4 payments of $262.48
    • List: $1,299.99
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    $19.99
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customer reviews

Rate and Review This Product:

88 People rated this product : * * * * * * * * * * 7 out of 10

7 People wrote reviews

* * * * * * * * * * 1 out of 10

"No love for the SWA 1501 or Mackie products"

Feature:
I love the 100Hz built in crossover. Small compact unit and light weight for one person to move around.

Quality:
The SWA 1501 DOES NOT lives up to there name of Mackies. I own two 1400 amps; 6 450s & a pair 350s by Mackie. Have them for over 5 yrs and had only two problems with them. Most spent on a repair $385. The SWA 1501 I had for less than a year with a month left on the warranty. They spent most of there time at the repair shop. I only use them 4 times and each use the amp & driver would burn out within hours of use.

Value:
SWA 1501 would be a bang for your buck if the amp & driver does not go up in smoke.

Desirability:
SWA 1501 is NOT worth it. I would NOT give SWA 1501 to my ex-wife or this I can use to piss her off. It sure did for me.

Sound:
The SWA 1501 sound great and you can feel the bass from a small cabinet when the amp does not burn out.

Ease of Use:
A simple plug-in, but you have to keep an eye on it so it does not overheat the amp which leads burn out amp & driver.

Support:
I still have a month left on the warranty but Mackie refuse to repair the SWA 1501. They claim that they have satisfied my warranty.

Overall:
SWA 1501 would be an awesome sub if the amp did not over heat. I love Mackie products but the SWA 1501 made change my mind about there products and there customer service.

Submitted: 8/18/2008

* * * * * * * * * * 7 out of 10

"SWA 1501 Subwoofer... not all it's claimed to be by the 'Mackie Clan'"

Desirability:
Great, small, can be handled by one person in transporting.

Sound:
I have used this product for a little over a year now. I A-B'd this speaker with JBL, QSC and a couple of other competitors at my local Guitar Center. The Mackie had a tighter sound and seemed to have more presence. But, I've had problems using this speaker on the gig as 'live-band' reinforcement. I've blown through 2 of them already. Maybe it's how much I'm pushing them but I don't believe so. I've been running sound many years and I'm also using 'acucurve' limiter on the subs just in case... The SWA 1501 sounds great when it's working.

Support:
Mackie has no authorized warranty repair in Orange County Califonia. That's just not cool! I had to find out the hard way that when my speaker quit instead of just taking it back to Guitar Center or using OC Speaker... I had to send the product back to Loud Technologies in Seattle Washington!

Overall:
It gets a 7 only because it wasn't totally reliable with my PA set-up.

Submitted: 3/28/2008

Style of Music: R&B, Rock, Reggae, Jazz

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Additional Images:

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Main
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Front
Rear
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Rear Panel
Rear Panel

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About This Product!
Description
Docs
From Our Catalog
The SWA1501 is a 15 in. high output, active subwoofer system. It features a high precision 15 in. transducer combined with application specific amplifier technology. The system is composed of a single, compact subwoofer cabinet with built in control and amplifier Target.

Features:
128dB Peak Output

Extremely powerful system capable of real, professional output levels

Extended bass response from a compact enclosure allows you to enhance and extend the bass performance of any small to medium full range active or passive PA cabinet

Compact cabinet provides highest output per cubic inch possible in its class

Level control (-15dB to +5dB)

RCF Precision high efficiency 15 in. woofer with high temperature inside/outside coil technology

Drivers are designed specifically for the SWA1501 -- no "off the shelf" components

13-ply Baltic Birch enclosure finished in black splatter paint

Cast aluminum side handles

Signal present LED

Limit LED (Indicates that active protection circuitry is engaged)

The transducer used in the SWA1501 system features a 3-inch, inside/outside wound voice coil that offers extreme power handling capabilities. The magnetic assembly used features advancements in coil venting and structural cooling that provides lower temperature rise and substantially improved power compression characteristics.

The amplifier module found in the SWA1501 cabinet is an example of application specific amplifier design that can be exercised when designing active speaker systems. The system uses a proprietary high efficiency, high current amplifier module designed to provide high current levels at all levels of operation. Having access to high current levels, no matter what the power output, is absolutely critical in achieving precise, total control of the woofer mass. This control is responsible for lowering audible distortion artifacts and providing aggressive attack through the operating band pass of the system. The amplifier module is mounted on a large, finned aluminum heat sink. The amplifier system is rated at 500 watts RMS of continuous output and 700 watts peak output.

The SWA1501 features a sophisticated on board control system allowing for flexible integration with active or passive full range or mid/high speaker systems. The input panel accepts line level input signal and has LOOP OUT connectors for signal routing to other devices. It also has HIGH PASS out connectors for connection to active full range speakers or amplifiers powering passive full range speakers. All signal routing is through XLR connectors in L+R stereo or mono. There is a phase selection switch and a recessed level control. The system features thermal protection for the power supply and amplifier module and also incorporates RMS limiting protection for the amplifier stage that limits the amount of long term power deliver to the transducer.

The cabinet is constructed using 18mm thick multi-layered birch plywood and finished in black splatter paint. There is one handle on each side for efficient loading and transport as well as a top, female pole mount fixture.

High Resolution Audio Reproduction
The SWA1501 does not behave like a typical 15 in. subwoofer manufactured by so many other companies. It has been designed using Mackie's belief that live audio subwoofers should focus on the character of the "attack" the device has. They have also focused their energies on the design of double horn-loaded chambers to achieve a significant increase in output and lower distortion characteristics which lead to high resolution performance.

RCF Precision, the same company that provides high-tech compression drivers and woofers for high-end touring rigs like EAW 's KF760, has developed a new woofer for our use.

On-Board Active Electronics with Flexible Rear Panel Controls and I/O
A flexible input panel provides both stereo and mono signal input and output capabilities. There are High Pass outputs that are work above the operating band pass of the subwoofer cabinet. The panel also features four function LEDs that provide Power On, Limit, Signal Present and Thermal condition indication. You can also control the level and phase of the system using recessed controls.

The low frequency amplifier is a unique switch mode hybrid topology that has been extremely successful as used in the SRS1500 active subwoofer. As used in the SWA1501, it provides 500 watts of continuous output with over 700-watt peaks. More importantly the design delivers over 90% efficiency resulting in very little power the heatsink during the demo being dissipated thermally through the heatsink.

Active doesn't mean it has an amplifier bolted on the back, it means seamless integration of optimized electronics that provide complete control and maximum performance. The on-board control system provides crossover filters, equalization, protection for speaker components and electronics as well as real time active vigilance over the operating parameters of the system.
With 15" speaker, 700 watts peak, and 36Hz-120Hz frequency response.

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