Better to aim to get speaker that’s right for the majority of your weekly events then, if and when the huge venues want you to play there, hire a sound system in for that night only
My personal favorite currently is the RCF EVOX 12 (15" sub/low end speaker + 8x 4" line array top) when it comes to quality sound, compact format power. Mind you, price range is “slightly” different from the JBL’s you mention.
The RCF’s most likely will be my next upgrade from current Mackie HD-series setup with 1x 18" subs and 2x12" tops. By the way: don’t be dragged into the “you need at least xxx subs” discussion as this depends on venue/location, type of event, type of guests and the actual PA used. I can safely say that up to 150 people in an indoor venue, I need to turn the lows on the SINGLE sub down by 4-6dB!!! Imagine if I had two of those monsters … Recent event I was asked to bypass the sub altogether in an indoor venue packed with about 120-130 people.
There is a rule-of-thumb that says 5 Watt RMS (so non of that marketing PPS, Music Power, bla bla bla levels) per person indoor and double that outdoor. I have used my Mackie PA outdoor at an American Football game from my home team and with the sub at 0dB it was still pretty decent. Mind you, not suitable to have 400 people on the field and doing a mega rave.
At the end of the day my advise usually boils down to this: In the beginning, don’t buy anything but rent. It gives you a chance to build up credits with some rental companies which is always handy. Also try to rent different types and brands to see what you like best. Finally buy something that fits your normal gig size and make sure your business model supports the purchase! For example, you should be able to recoup your investment in the first 14 months. Rental fees typically being around the 4% of cost, this means you have to rent out your gear AT LEAST 25 times (close to twice a month for over a year) to just get your money back and then you have to start earning. Even when you have your own setup, be honest when deciding if it is suited for the gig you are asked to play. If not (both too big and too small!), go to your rental company and get something suitable. Charge your customers the end-user price and get a discount/kick-back from the rental company. Making money right away with zero investment!
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