MK2.5 Stuffed Thing
Ultra portable battery powered PA system ideally suited to street performers, theatre companies and individuals
Please contact me for a full list of options, an order form and current prices. All PA’s are built to order to your individual requirements.
So – you’re looking for the best small battery PA system and you are wondering why should you buy a Mk2.5 ? Well… maybe you should… maybe you shouldn’t. If you were asked which is the best car then you might have an answer, but really it would depend on what you want to use the car for – racing, comfort, family holidays, nipping about town – and so it is with a PA system – it all depends on your intended use. The Mk2.5 is smaller and lighter than its bigger brother the Mk4.5 and is really designed around the requirements of performers who need the smallest and lightest professional PA for international travelling, or for people who want to travel as lightly as possible. The system can be used with one or both speakers, and the optional shoulder bags mean that it can also be used whilst carrying it. It is much higher quality and much louder than anything else available of similar size, with the ability to have stereo or mono sound from two speakers. The compromise that you will make is in spending a little bit more on a handmade bespoke PA, that has been made with your best interests and the planet’s in mind, with no inbuilt obsolescence, can be taken on an aircraft (it meets CAA requirements) and is almost infinitely repairable should you break it. However if you don’t need a small lightweight powerful PA with excellent sound then another PA might well be a better choice – these are only the best PA’s in the world if they suit your requirements and if they do, you will not be disappointed.
At the heart of the PA’s is a ‘Class T’ amplifier chip (sometimes called digital although it isn’t really) made by a company called Tripath. Tripath are no longer in existence, but before they disappeared they designed and patented a range of amplifier chips that many small audiophile manufactures have used for various applications – Google them. Panasonic used the same amplifier chip in a range of car stereos which broke the world record for the highest power output from a standard production car stereo. Wattage figures are almost meaningless as it depends on what you do with the power, what it costs to create it in the first place, how distorted the sound is, and are the figures even accurate ! Wattage figures are notoriously lied about, as well as being measured at RMS and peak levels … however this system has been measured at 80 Watts RMS at ‹ 1% distortion, and calculated at a maximum of 125 Watts in standard configuration. (The Chip is capable of producing 400 Watts in other custom configurations.) It should be enough to say it is very loud and louder than you would think possible from such small boxes.
Musicians I generally advise to use the Mk4.5 as it is slightly more suitable.
And you can click here for the ‘Q thing‘ – an extremely sophisticated remote controlled audio player that can be used with this PA
Testimonials
I just wanted to say how delighted I am so far with your sound system, it’s so easy to get a great sound that’s loud enough for all the outdoor gigs I’ve played. Every performer who has heard it has asked me where I got it, I hope you do well mate, they’re great.
Fraser Hooper (Performance artist, consultant, and theatre director)
Thanks so much for your brilliant after care service and also creating such brilliant kit – Your sound systems are so vital to the grannies.
Martin, Granny Turismo (Street & festival performers)
PA is kicking up a beauty.
Jon Hicks (Performance artist)
I started to play the Stuff & Things system in the Belfast Circus School and was besieged by street performers interested in how such a great sound could come from such a small system. Extensive testing over the next two days only served to reinforce their interest. I have never seen such enthusiasm for a sound system in twenty years in the business. This system is going to be the standard for the Festival of Fools – easy to transport, easy to operate and fantastic sound.
Will Chamberlain (Director, Festival of Fools)
Thank you Nick! Perfect, we went to the music shop and the guy of the shop freak out, and he said that you are a genius, he loved the sound of them…jejejee…So thanks again and congratulations for your work, have a good time!
Shyra & Lipo (Musicians)
IT’S BRILLIANT! thank you thank you thank you thank you! heavenly sound and easy to use, stop it!
Amy Saunders – Miss Behave (Performance artist)
Many thanks, the amplifier (2.5.) Is great. For seven years I always had problems with the sound. Since this year no more thank you.
Kasper Gross (Street perfomer)
Current Mk2.5 standard models have :
- Two speaker units (Stuffed and Thing)
- 5 meters of speaker cable as standard (more or less can be supplied)
- Preamp for high power output from low level input devices such as iPods
- Volume / gain control
- Screw lockable inputs and outputs to eliminate crackle / noise due to poor connections
- Ultra-bright blue LED
- Flashing LED to indicate clipping / sound distortion
- Metal speaker grills
- Internal aluminium bracing
- 100 Hz high pass filter to reduce sound distortion from high bass input signals. The filter does not remove all frequencies below 100Hz – it reduces them by a factor of 12dB per octave below 100Hz.
- Aperiodic enclosure venting system
- Smart charger 110 ~ 240 V mains with UK plug (other plugs can be ordered)
- Rubber feet
Additional options are :
- Multiple 3.5mm jack input sockets
- LED battery level meter
- Strap carry handle (goes flat when not in use)
- External power input socket to power from secondary power supply eg 12v battery
- Power output socket to power other equipment
- USB power output to power other equipment eg USB powered mixer or phone
- Shoulder bag with acoustically transparent fabric panel
- Screw locking stereo to mono input converter cable
- Screw locking radio mic cable
- Screw locking stereo to stereo input cable
- 5m extension cable for ‘Thing’
Please contact me for a full list of options, an order form and current prices. All PA’s are built to order to your individual requirements.
Specifications :
- Amplifier : T-Class (audiophile sound quality)
- Speakers : 2x Infinity 6502ix (2 way, 3 Ohm)
- Sensitivity (2.83V, 1m) : 93dB
- Battery: 5.2Ah (large) or 2.6Ah (small) Li-ion battery certified to UN38.3 specifications. Click here for downloadable PDF battery test summary for 7.4v 5.2Ah and this battery test summary for 14.4v 2.6Ah.
- Size (approx ) : 20cm x 18cm x 10cm
- Weight Stuffed : 2.3 Kg / 5.1 lbs
- Weight Thing : 1.6 Kg / 3.5 lbs (+cable)
- Power Output RMS @ ‹1% distortion : 80 Watts (total for both channels)
- Max power output (saturated square wave) : 125 Watts (total for both channels)
- Battery life in Normal** use : 2~6 hours depending upon use and battery size chosen (large or small); maximum battery life approx 10 hours with large battery.
- Recharge Cycles : 500~800 (after which battery capacity will be at approx 75%)*
- Recharge time (approx) : 5 hours
- Fuse : 5A slow blow
** Normal use is deemed as being used to amplify constant Rock / Pop music played at high volume without any sound clipping / distortion from excessive volume, and with a fully charged battery. This time will vary considerably depending upon the volume and type of use.
* Battery energy capacity slowly reduces over time according to many factors. After 500~800 charge / discharge cycles, the expected battery capacity will be 75% of original capacity. New batteries can be easily installed if and when necessary
There is only one input as standard which is designed to be connected to an iPod / mini-disc / MP3 etc., or a line-out socket, or a radio mic set. More inputs can be added when ordered, or if you need a small mixer for multiple inputs, there are a wide variety of active or passive mixers available that will work well, or it is possible to connect and power a USB powered mixer from the PA itself.
The main active speaker unit ‘Stuffed’ can be bought on its own and can be used either with or without the additional passive speaker ‘Thing’ attached.
Since the amplifier chip is a high frequency switch mode one, it emits some radio interference which can interfere with AM, FM, LW, SW & DAB radio signals in close proximity – Radio signals 30 MHz to 300 MHz may not be capable of being amplified with this unit as the amplifier can cause interference with these frequencies. Most radio mics use the UHF frequency band between 300 MHz and 3 GHz and should not be affected by interference and will work well with the PA.
The units are available in custom formats – amplifier only; amplifier with battery and no speaker; extra outputs etc, but generally the best and most versatile option has two speaker boxes – one plugs into the other so you can have the option of a one or two speaker set up – this is a ‘Stuffed and Thing’.
And remember … you are paying for what isn’t there, as well as for what is!