They're covered in blue flock but there's nary a chapati or pint of lager in sight. Roger Brown checks out the Hughes & Kettner Classic Art PA system to see if it delivers more than a chicken dansak

Looking for a big PA system at a low price is something most bands end up doing at some stage in their careers. That umpteenth gig where the PA turns out to be someone's brother's karaoke machine, can drive even the mildest music lover to their nearest MI retailer for an injection of woof and tweeter. Hughes & Kettner Audio have come up with the Classic Line of PA cabinets especially for those after a big sound, without big bucks to spend.

The Classic Line isn't going to give you Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, but it will deliver a big, punchy sound at low to medium volume levels, and as such is ideally suited to pub bands tired of inferior sound systems.

Hardware

The cabinets come in a variety of sizes, ranging from big, free-standing units like the 215/2 to onstage monitors the 122. For this review, Hughes & Kettner supplied the mix with their Classic Art System, a component system comprising two top cabs (CL12s) with 35cm woofers and 90/40° horns, and large bottom cabinets (CL15s) with 40cm subwoofers.

A 250Hz high cut crossover system built into the wall of the Classic Line bass cabs allows you to run these sub-bass monsters in parallel with top cabs like the CL12s without the need for an external crossover system. This is a component system, and if more top end punch is needed, then simply trade up the top cabs to something with a little more range, like the CL152s with 40cm woofer and larger horn.

It's unlikely you'd ever need to do that, however, as the 1200 watt Classic Art System delivers more than enough punch for any venue this side of Wembley Stadium. Both the top and bottom cabinets are rated at 300 watts RMS, with a peak capacity of 600 watts. The bass cabs have an active range from 50Hz to 250Hz, with the top cabinets taking up the baton at 250Hz and carrying it right on up to 19Khz, to allow those screaming guitar lines and expressive vocals to cut through the fug of the pub from hell. A Sound Pressure Level of 100dB watts per metre ensures your signal will penetrate even the ears of that couple snogging in the corner.

"not only built for sound quality, they're also built to last longer"

I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit Hughes & Kettner's factory in St Wendell, Germany late last year, and meet the sound engineers who design these systems. Quality control is up to the usual Teutonic standards, as is the research into acoustics. Undertaken by real enthusiasts, the result is constantly improving designs. So good is their understanding of speaker acoustics, these Classic Line Systems really do output a sound which is more than the sum of its parts, and the fullness and travel of these cabs belies their price and flock covering.

Even the coating is applied by an electrical attraction method which renders the flock impervious to all but the bassist's cigarette butts. So these cabs are not only built for sound quality, they're also built to last longer than it takes the average band to graduate from small venues to stadium events. They actually do look rather smart, the top cabs perched atop the Art Systems' black and chromium poles. Connecting the two halves of the system, they also serve the acoustic purpose of spreading the sound spectrum to every corner of a hall, carrying your thumping bass lines straight to the solar plexus of dancers on the floor.

Performance

In use, the Classic Art System does the job very well, with a clear signal, very bright in the top and midrange, and only falling short on that rumbling sub-bass response necessary for dub or techno installations. As such, this makes the system ideal for rock and pop applications but dance maniacs may want to check it out before investing in it. I took the chance to set up the decks and use the Classic Art System for the MIX Xmas party, and have to report the PA pumped out a very respectable sound out into the wee small hours of the Cambridge night. Certainly the bass seemed rock solid, and there was no trouble with the mids and highs. With a selection of tunes from vintage r'n'b through to acid techno being channelled through this system, some were bound to suffer by comparison. In the event, my only worry turned out to be people fondling the furry cabinets, the drunker they got. Perhaps they thought they were in the back seat of a Cortina!