QSC K12 - Review

[ITGITC]

For what it's worth...

 

It's worth quite a bit. Those are the two powered speakers I would consider for my next purchase.

 

Of course, I'd still want to hear them both myself before pulling out the plastic.

 

Years ago when I bought my EON 15PAK, I set up my K2000 at the music store for a test drive. At that time it was the best solution I could find for a keyboard amp that worked well with acoustic piano sounds.

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

 

[ITGITC]

It's nice to be the proud owner of a new pair of QSC K12 speakers!

 

Yeah.

 

OK, technically they're not mine. Chris - the singer in our band - bought them yesterday at my, ummmmm, suggestion.

 

We'll be trying them out Thursday night at a new club in the area. Kind of a private-yet-public party.

 

We've invited a few choice friends and coworkers who will probably bring their friends. If it's anything like the last gig we played, the fire department will stop by to give us another warning that we've reached the capacity of the room.

 

I love when that happens.

 

I heard the K12 in GC last weekend and was very impressed with the bass extension and smoothness of the horn. I'll let you know what I think after the gig.

 

Happy Friday guys.

 

Tom

 

 

 

[humannoyed]

It's nice to be the proud owner of a new pair of QSC K12 speakers!

 

Yeah.

 

OK, technically they're not mine. Chris - the singer in our band - bought them yesterday at my, ummmmm, suggestion.

 

We'll be trying them out Thursday night at a new club in the area. Kind of a private-yet-public party.

 

We've invited a few choice friends and coworkers who will probably bring their friends. If it's anything like the last gig we played, the fire department will stop by to give us another warning that we've reached the capacity of the room.

 

I love when that happens.

 

I heard the K12 in GC last weekend and was very impressed with the bass extension and smoothness of the horn. I'll let you know what I think after the gig.

 

Happy Friday guys.

 

Tom

 

So...meanwhile you'll have them setup at your place to try out with your keys right?

[davinwv]

I played my first jazz quartet gig with my new K8s last night. Instrumentation was: tenor sax (not mic'ed), drums (not mic'd), upright bass through a Polytone amp, and Numa Nero -> Garritan Steinway -> M-Audio Firewire Solo -> K8s.

 

Even in a crappy room, these things sounded great! Far better than any other actives I've used. Once we got a good balance, everything sounded awesome!

 

Tom, it's funny that you mentioned the smoothness of the horn. I thing the horn design, coupled with 500w of power going there, really make a difference on sharp transients, and, in turn, makes acoustic piano sound much better!

 

I had hoped to compare Normal and DEEP Modes last night, but did not get a chance. I will do so on my next gig. In DEEP Mode, these little guys have tons of low end!

 

I bought the K8 Totes as well, and these made load in/load out very easy!

 

[bhodaway10]

Davinwv, do you put them on poles or on the ground?

 

 

[Tonysounds]

I love the K12s for my key rig; when in stereo, they go on top of my 8space midi rack either side by side, or spread out with one on top of my Speakeasy RocBox.

 

Lately, just been using one with my Speakeasy leslie on top of my midi rack, and the K12 on its side on top of it.

[Dave Ferris]

I played my first jazz quartet gig with my new K8s last night. Instrumentation was: tenor sax (not mic'ed), drums (not mic'd), upright bass through a Polytone amp, and Numa Nero -> Garritan Steinway -> M-Audio Firewire Solo -> K8s.

 

Even in a crappy room, these things sounded great! Far better than any other actives I've used. Once we got a good balance, everything sounded awesome!

 

Tom, it's funny that you mentioned the smoothness of the horn. I thing the horn design, coupled with 500w of power going there, really make a difference on sharp transients, and, in turn, makes acoustic piano sound much better!

 

I had hoped to compare Normal and DEEP Modes last night, but did not get a chance. I will do so on my next gig. In DEEP Mode, these little guys have tons of low end!

 

I bought the K8 Totes as well, and these made load in/load out very easy!

 

Got my eyes on these Davin. Keep me posted how they are working for you.

[davinwv]

Davinwv, do you put them on poles or on the ground?

I put them on these little Quiklok BS-313s:

 

http://www.quiklok.com/catalog/?p=productsMore&iProduct=165&sName=BS-313

 

That way, they still have a low profile as if they were in wedge configuration, and they point up toward me. The only problem is that the rear vertical support on these stands obscures one of the rear imputs on the K8.

 

I played my first jazz quartet gig with my new K8s last night. Instrumentation was: tenor sax (not mic'ed), drums (not mic'd), upright bass through a Polytone amp, and Numa Nero -> Garritan Steinway -> M-Audio Firewire Solo -> K8s.

 

Even in a crappy room, these things sounded great! Far better than any other actives I've used. Once we got a good balance, everything sounded awesome!

 

Tom, it's funny that you mentioned the smoothness of the horn. I thing the horn design, coupled with 500w of power going there, really make a difference on sharp transients, and, in turn, makes acoustic piano sound much better!

 

I had hoped to compare Normal and DEEP Modes last night, but did not get a chance. I will do so on my next gig. In DEEP Mode, these little guys have tons of low end!

 

I bought the K8 Totes as well, and these made load in/load out very easy!

 

Got my eyes on these Davin. Keep me posted how they are working for you.

Will do, Dave. So far, I give them a big thumbs up! I even practice through them at home.

[bhodaway10]

The sound those little guys reproduce are great it's really unbelievable.

[Floyd Tatum]

I played my first jazz quartet gig with my new K8s last night. Instrumentation was: tenor sax (not mic'ed), drums (not mic'd), upright bass through a Polytone amp, and Numa Nero -> Garritan Steinway -> M-Audio Firewire Solo -> K8s.

 

Hi, Davin

 

I'm interested in those K8's as well, or possibly K10's, as possible replacements for my Eon G10's. Although, the G10's do a pretty good job, and they're working ok, so I have no immediate need to replace them. I just like to keep an eye on what's available, in case I decide to act.

 

That sounds like the kind of gigs I do too, jazz-type gigs in smaller rooms. Although, occasionally, there's a need for more volume in a larger room, or outdoor concert, or what-have-you. Do the K8's have enough juice for that? Have you used them at larger gigs, or with loud drummers, etc.

[ITGITC]

The K10 and K12 can be used as wedge monitors. The K8 can't.

 

Locally, GC and Sam Ash carry the K8 and K12. The DooFuss at Sam Ash had no idea there was a K10. Nice guy, but I would have expected him to know that.

 

Sweetwater has the full line, but as of yesterday the K10 and K12 were on backorder.

 

Listen to the K8. If they're as smooth-sounding as the K12 and you've got some greenbacks... you'll probably walk out with a pair.

 

 

[NoahZark]

I was all set to get the EV sxa360 when these came out. Has anybody been able to do a comparison?

 

that is a very good question. Anyone?

 

I haven't had a chance to A/B the K12s and EV Sxa360 in the same room, but I did listen to them both recently in separate rooms just a couple of days apart (one at my local GC, one at Chuck Levin's). For what it's worth, I preferred the K12. Cleaner. Punchier. Less compressed.

 

Then again, I should confess I've now listened to the EV SxA360s a bunch of times, and I just don't get the love affair with that box at all. I've auditioned it using full range material (i.e., a favorite reference CD), which perhaps is not the best way to assess its performance as a keyboard monitor or a PA main for a band, but I'm telling you, I just plain ol' don't like it. Given the rave reviews that I've read on this place, I keep thinking that my ears must be deceiving me -- or that I need to re-think whether my ears are a reliable source for judging sound quality. But I still keep getting to the same place: That speaker isn't for me.

 

I will say this, though: The sales guy at Chuck Levin's told me that, in his opinion, the EV blows away the K12. Not even a comparison, he said. He also said that the K12 is also a lesser version of the QSC HPR122i, which, with its birch cabinet, is weightier than the K12 but also perhaps smoother sounding (to my ears).

 

Anyway, all this powered speaker stuff has me so confused, I'm tempted to abandon them altogether and go back to using separates (power amps and unpowered speakers). One thing for sure, though: My first generation Mackie SRM450s need to go. The shrill is just too much.

 

Finally, I'm curious: For those of you playing bars and small clubs, how many of you use powered speakers for your PA mains versus the unpowered alternative? (Maybe I should start a new thread with that question?)

 

Noah

[davinwv]

I played my first jazz quartet gig with my new K8s last night. Instrumentation was: tenor sax (not mic'ed), drums (not mic'd), upright bass through a Polytone amp, and Numa Nero -> Garritan Steinway -> M-Audio Firewire Solo -> K8s.

 

Hi, Davin

 

I'm interested in those K8's as well, as possible replacements for my Eon G10's. Although, the G10's do a pretty good job, and they're working ok, so I have no immediate need to replace them. I just like to keep an eye on what's available, in case I decide to act.

 

That sounds like the kind of gigs I do too, jazz-type gigs in smaller rooms. Although, occasionally, there's a need for more volume in a larger room, or outdoor concert, or what-have-you. Do the K8's have enough juice for that? Have you used them at larger gigs, or with loud drummers, etc.

 

I've only used them on this one gig so far; however, they have plenty of power. I can't imagine ever needing to turn these guys all the way up, even at a loud rock show.

[ITGITC]

Finally, I'm curious: For those of you playing bars and small clubs, how many of you use powered speakers for your PA mains versus the unpowered alternative? (Maybe I should start a new thread with that question?)

 

Noah

 

The idea is to add a sub or two if you plan to use these for FOH.

 

IMO, 2 K12 would be nice for monitoring your keyboards in stereo.

 

Of course, some prefer mono. It depends on the size of the venue, AFAIK.

 

The club where I'm playing Thursday is a small enough room that I plan to run my PC2X in stereo. I'd LOVE to have a couple of K12 on the floor - one on my left, another on my right.

 

 

[jarrell]

Davinwv, do you put them on poles or on the ground?

I put them on these little Quiklok BS-313s:

 

http://www.quiklok.com/catalog/?p=productsMore&iProduct=165&sName=BS-313

 

That way, they still have a low profile as if they were in wedge configuration, and they point up toward me. The only problem is that the rear vertical support on these stands obscures one of the rear imputs on the K8.

 

 

I use my EV SxA 360's as both my (stereo) monitors and my mains, so they can't be lying back at an angle (except maybe for a very small acoustic jazz volume gig). Somebody needs to make a speaker stand that is just smaller and goes lower than the ones out there today. I considered sawing short the pole that came with my free OnStage stand I got when buying my speakers, but it still would be fairly high due to the height of the tripod base, and in fact the base is much bigger (and wider with the legs spread) than is useful or practical in tight stage setups. The problem is these stands are all made for elevating 50 - 75 lb speakers 6 feet up to project as mains, and I admit there probably isn't a big market for the type of monitor stand I envision.

[_Maximus_]

Great Review, it made me buy a K10, and i am just static, it's the best thing i've ever done to improve my sound, this k series it simply just works for keyboards

[NoahZark]

 

The idea is to add a sub or two if you plan to use these for FOH.

 

TH:

 

Believe me, if my recent quest for RED hadn't depleted my gear fund for a while, I'd be oh-so-tempted to buy a pair of K12s and two of the QSC K-subs to go with them to use as my band PA. When I listened to that combo at GC, it sounded fantastic. Alas, the RED took precedence.

 

Noah

[Aidan]

K8s are right there on my shopping list too!

[Maze Sound]

The K12's do sound real good for the money. The tough decision is which to buy when you compare them to the HPR 122i's. When some friends and I did a side by side comparison using a pair of both and an XS 8, we found a distinct difference, I can easily reccomend both boxes. The HPR's are much warmer to my ears. The horns on the K12's could get a little shrill when played at high (very high) volumes. The horn on the K12 has 500 watts feeding it, but there is some form of limiting going on. I can't think of any horn that can handle that kind of power. Cheaper for the engineers to use a tried and true amp (RMX???) and use a limiter, than design a new one for the horn. I did like the weight difference and either would be a step up from any of the EON's. The only drawback to the K12's was that the box itself marred quite easily. So I would suggest a set of TUKI or Cloud 9 covers to protect them.

[Maze Sound]

To bad that you couldn't throw the QSC HPR 122i into the comparison. For the extra money, IMHO its a no brainer.

[Aidan]

Performing Musician now has a review of K8s + subs here.

[ProfD]

Great Review, it made me buy a K10, and i am just static, it's the best thing i've ever done to improve my sound, this k series it simply just works for keyboards

Man, be careful with that. I'd hate for you to short out your new speaker.

 

 

[jimjmccarty.com]

I have a pair of K-8s and a K-Sub. We have been using them for the last several weeks has my band's PA. We have done several indoor and outdoor gigs. They are great! They are not loud enough to stun small animals at 100', but they plenty loud enough for my blues, oldies, funk, and "whatever else appeals to us" band. The sound quality is great - natural, musical, and even. We receive many compliments about our sound. In hindsight, I would have gone for the K-10s so that they can be used as monitors.

 

I also use just the K-8s as a keyboard amp. I flip them to the extended bass position, and feed my keyboards through a small mixer (Mackie U420). It makes for one of the best sounding rigs I have ever used.

 

All said, a big thumbs up for the QSC K series.

[ITGITC]

It makes for one of the best sounding rigs I have ever used.

 

Thanks for your post, Jim.

 

For Maze Sound:

 

Comparing the K12 with the QSC HPR 122i and the JBL PRX512M, the HPR 122i is 20 pounds heavier than either. (60 pounds vs. ~40 pounds) It's also priced (per Sweetwater) $100 more.

 

For many, 20 pounds is a consideration that must be taken into account - even if the HPR122i sounds a little better.

 

Tom

 

 

 

[NoahZark]

QSC is running a $100 rebate on the HPR122i right now, which puts the price precisely the same as the K12. That makes the choice even easier, since it takes cost entirely out of the occasion: Do you want slightly better sound or 20 fewer pounds?

 

Noah

 

P.S. As my back problems get worse and worse, I know which choice I would make!

[_Maximus_]

I'll take the 20 pounds off Good Sir.

[Aidan]

Yup, me too. Having decided to keep the RD-700GX, I need a little light relief!

[kanker.]

Just got back from GC, tried out a K12. Sounds great. The line level preamp stage is woefully underpowered for the Nord Electro. Very disappointing

[bhodaway10]

Just got back from GC, tried out a K12. Sounds great. The line level preamp stage is woefully underpowered for the Nord Electro. Very disappointing

 

Line level preamp stage? Meaning....

[kanker.]

Meaning you can't drive the amp hard enough to get a decent SPLs out of the thing using the built in line level pre. I don't want to carry a mixer, even a tiny one. If you have the ability to accept 1/4" ins, you should design the pres be able to drive the amp sufficiently, as JBL did with the first two EON iterations.