How Low Can You Go?

In his hunt for the ideal drum monitoring system, Scott Holder tries out the new Simmons DA350.

SIMMONS IS GOING old school with the recent release of the DA350 e-drum monitor system. It will immediately remind you of Roland’s old PM-30 or Yamaha’s MS-100DR edrum monitors with its cabinet/two-satellites configuration. It now joins KAT’s HD400 as the only widely available 2.1 e-drum monitor.

One note: with the release of the DA350, Simmons no longer labels the DA50/200S cabinets as “monitors”; now they’re a “practice & rehearsal amp” and “power performance amp”, respectively. I reviewed the DA350 side by side with the DA200S with an eye toward its performance as a monitor as well as a portable PA. The issue, as always with systems like these, is bass response and depth of sound.

The outside

The DA350 consists of a powered subwoofer/controller cabinet and two passive satellite speakers along with tripod pole stands. The satellites have audio/power contacts built into the bottom of each speaker. You can connect them directly to the sub/amp box by sliding them into the corresponding contact; Simmons calls this the “compact mono setup” or as I put it, “Look Ma, no wires!”.

If you attach the two satellites via a pole, they require a single standard, unbalanced (mono) ¼” cable to connect to the sub/amp in “standard mono setup”.

If using it in a stereo set-up, the satellites connect via a standard, unbalanced (mono) ¼” cable the way you would expect.

Inputs are on the upper, rear-facing section of the sub/amp and consist of two sets of ¼’ L/R pairs and a separate RCA or 1⁄8” TRS connection. The latter can also be switched to Bluetooth as you can pair such a device with the sub/amp. L/R ¼” outputs to something powered like a mixer or additional speakers round out the section.