I just noticed this PA system, which I haven't seen discussed at the Café before.

The Galaxy Audio "Traveler" looks like an upgraded PASO-type unit, with true 50-watt power and two internal 12-volt batteries. The wireless transmitter has 96 selectable frequencies, which might be overkill for some folks. The whole thing weighs about 26 pounds. The beltpack also has a battery life indicator, a great idea, and you can get a pole/tripod speaker stand for the unit, also a good idea.

A check of the distributor list indicates that Guitar Center, Sam Ash and a variety of other dealers carry the unit [at least in New Jersey], which is a good sign.

Click HERE for more info. Anybody own and have experience with this unit? SETH

Hey Seth,
Interesting unit but as we have spoken in length before,I cant believe this unit can run 4-6 hours on a 2.9 amp/h batt unless the volume is really low or perhaps voice only. I would guess about an hour with voice and music on that size batt.

Andy

Andy, I checked the specs and the unit has TWO 2.7 amp batteries, so I think the 6 hour claim is reasonable, especially if the unit doesn't have the optional internal CD or MP3 player. Adding music would definitely cut down a lot on the run time, as you said. SETH

What's the price?

Frank, the system sells for $899 on the B&H Photo website, click HERE to view.

I didn't check other websites for comparison prices. The distributors listed on the Galaxy website don't list the unit on their respective websites, for some strange reason. Might be that the product is fairly new, but still . . . .

Seems a little on the pricey side, but maybe not. By comparison, the PASO is a 30-watt unit (although it's advertised as 50-watt) and sells for about $575. For 50% more wattage and double the battery capacity, the cost rises by 50%. And I guess for either unit, you are paying something for the convenience of having everything in one package, no speakers to connect, no separate wireless receiver, etc. (This can be a blessing or a curse, depending on your point of view.)

The Galaxy unit has an 8" speaker, the PASO uses a 6". This probably helps push more sound out, but if you are using it primarily for speech, I don't imagine there would be much difference in sound quality. The Galaxy unit is slightly larger (18x12x9) than the PASO (12x8x8) and about twice the weight of the PASO (26 pounds versus 12 pounds). That's still manageable, just more to lug around. But if you need the extra horsepower, then it's not a big deal.

I just remembered that PASO also sells a 50-watt model (advertised as 100 watts; FCC, where are you?), click HERE to view. Might be interesting to compare prices and specs. SETH

Just checked the PASO Soundcaster 50-watt model, it is $1200 with a "free" CD player that normally runs about $225, so the base model would probably be about $1,000, or $100 more than the Galaxy. Click HERE to view. At 20x14x12, it's a little bigger than the Galaxy unit, and also weighs more at 37 pounds. But it also has two 4.5 amp-hour batteries, which may account for part of that difference.

If anyone has experience with the Galaxy unit, I'd be curious to hear about it. The 30-watt PASO is plenty of power for my present needs, but I'm always interested in new things. Maybe if I start getting bigger crowds, I'll need a more powerful PA!

Finally, as I noted the PASO is a good product, but in my opinion, it is being being sold with hyped-up claims. For example, the wattage is constantly overstated, as noted above. Now I see that the optional matching companion speaker is advertised as providing "extra power." While it will provide extra coverage, it won't provide any extra power; it is an unpowered speaker and runs off the main unit. Nice product, lousy advertising! SETH

The 'Paso' is 27watts RMS according to http://www.chiayo.com.tw/producs/focus_01_1.htm ,
these people make it. although it is possible they change it for special orders but I doubt it.
So, Seth we have all nominated you to buy the Galaxy unit and tell us how it handles.

Andy

Thanks, Andy, for the nomination, I guess now everyone will be sending in donations to purchase a Galaxy PA for me to evaluate.

As I noted before, my 30-watt PASO unit fills my present needs; if it was any louder, it would probably irritate and draw criticism from neighboring vendors. The PASO provides just enough "sound reinforcement" so that it fills the immediate area with my voice, without upsetting nearby vendors. I don't have to yell to be heard, and I don't have to worry about competition from background noise or music. While you want enough horsepower to cover you and even have a little reserve, there's no need to buy more power than you need.

So while I'll have to decline the honor of this nomination, I think you should be the one to test it out, Andy, with all of your good PA experience. How about it? SETH