QSC K8.2

[StanC]

Hi,

I would like to downgrade (for weight sake) from a K12 to K8.2.  Being very satisfied with the 12, the QSC is a natural choice for me.  Of course none are available anywhere due to pandemic/supply chain/paused manufacturing, etc. . .  So I am debating waiting it out or accepting a comparable substitute.  Suggestions?

 

Thx!

 

 

[AnotherScott]

I think I'm going to be selling my K8.2s, I wouldn't rule out shipping but would prefer local sales... any chance you're in the NY metro/CT area?

[DJkeys]

I also have a brand new K8.2, opened the box for testing:

 

https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/msg/d/north-las-vegas-qsc-k82-new-open-box/7455198342.html

 

  Shipping would be pricey, but still cheaper than buying from a dealer.  Where are you located?  I am in Las Vegas-

 

-dj

[cassdad]

I found the 8 inch speakers simply too lacking in bass punch / volume needed.  So I went with 10’s (Yamaha DXR10), and am very pleased.  Reasonable weight (somewhere around 30# each).  I got the roller cases for each one, and transporting them is about as easy as one can get (ie. moving 8 inch ones would be really no easier).  YMMV.

[AnotherScott]

6 minutes ago, cassdad said:

I went with 10’s (Yamaha DXR10), and am very pleased.  Reasonable weight (somewhere around 30# each). 

Funny, I have a DXR10 I need to sell as well. And a JBL PRX612M, and a couple of RCF ART. Somehow I've manage to amass a collection. 

 

But around 30 lbs is still too heavy for me, in part due to the sheer volume of what I need to bring, since I'm also usually bringing the PA. So I'm usually bring 5 powered PA speakers, between the mains, the monitors, and my keyboard amp. It adds up. So it's not just "are you willing to bring something that weighs 30 lbs" but "how many 30 lb things are you willing to bring." ;-) Right now, I expect that the heaviest piece I will bring, which approaches 30 lbs, is the YC73.

[vonnor]

I just got a QSC CP8 - it's a 1000w version of the K8.2 (2000watt) and is currently in-stock at a few of the usual places.

 

So far I like it. It is placed on my rack and is only about 1 metre away from my ear. I haven't tested it in an actual live situation with drums and guitars at stage volume yet, but I did open up the throttle a good bit over the weekend in my practice space and was happy with the punch and low-end. I feel it actually made my go-to pianos cut through better.

 

ymmv.

 

It's only 21lbs and easy to carry.

 

~ vonnor

[U.Honey]

I'd be curious if anyone has had a chance to compare QSC CP8 vs. K8.2. The CP8 is 6 lbs lighter, and lighter on the wallet too. I'm using EV ZXA1 at the moment and wonder if a switch over to QSC CP8 would upgrade the sound.

[Docbop]

3 hours ago, cassdad said:

I found the 8 inch speakers simply too lacking in bass punch / volume needed.  So I went with 10’s (Yamaha DXR10), and am very pleased.  Reasonable weight (somewhere around 30# each).  I got the roller cases for each one, and transporting them is about as easy as one can get (ie. moving 8 inch ones would be really no easier).  YMMV.

As a Jazz guitarist much smaller range than piano I found 1x8" didn't have enough low end.   Then I got 2x8" cabinet and love the sound for the size,  having that second 8" really filled out the bottom.   To me it's all about amount of paper pushing air.   10" was my favorite speaker for guitar and bass until I tried a 2x8" cab, the two 8"s have more paper than a 10" and push more air. 

 

FWIW for bass I love 2x10" cabinets, punchy, lots of low end, excellent note definition and small in size. 

[DJkeys]

I run two K8.2 speakers in stereo and have to roll off the bass.  For me, that speaker puts out a lot of low end for being so small.

 

-dj

[b3plyr]

I've got the same issue as Scott - I want to reduce weight and the number of things I carry. Right now I use 2 - K10.2s, which have great low end but are getting on the heavy side. I also have a single K8.2 that I use for a monitor. I have found it has quite a bit of low end too. So, while I really like the QSC speakers, I would love to find a lighter alternative. I play in a duo and while I can do without a heavy low end, it would still be nice to have for when I need it. 

 

Scott - what are you thinking about going to?

[AnotherScott]

8 minutes ago, b3plyr said:

Scott - what are you thinking about going to?

I'm sticking with the EV ZXa1, which is what I've used most often anyway. For a low cost alternative, I was impressed by the Alto TS308 in a brief audition. Not as good as the EV or the K8.2, but still good.

[jeffincltnc]

6 hours ago, vonnor said:

I just got a QSC CP8 - it's a 1000w version of the K8.2 (2000watt) and is currently in-stock at a few of the usual places.

 

No it isn't.  The CP8 is most definitely NOT a 1000w version of the K8.2.  CP series is an entirely lower end line of products by QSC than the K series.   The differences between the CP series and the K.2 series are far more different than just the wattage of the amplifier.

[HammondDave]

I purchased an  Alto TS308 for rehearsals.  Its very light, good mids and highs. They cost between $250-$325 each. For gigs I have my trusty EV's. Both options beats overpaying for QSC's.  

[timwat]

I have used Yamaha DXR8s for many years - I A/B'd them with the original QSC K's (and everything else I could find in that price range @ GC at the time), and felt the Yamahas were warmer than the version 1 QSCs. I've never laid hands on the version 2s to demo them. Still pleased with them at their price point.

[Reezekeys]

I just don't get the "not enough bass" comments, but they do come up frequently. Almost as frequently as I'm on here posting that I put a high-pass filter on the output of my laptop rig – because there is too much low end from my two original K8s. That's with using them for left-hand bass work too. To each their own I guess.

[StanC]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions!  After reading them, particularly the bass response, I am still debating which direction to take.  Luckily a bandmate has a couple of K82s we use for vocal monitors.  Best way to test is a live gig.  So maybe we'll swap my K12 for one of his K8s for a night to see if that is what I am looking for.  If so, I may contact you Scott.  However I think I want just one and not the pair.   I am in CT, but on the other side near RI border.  It's about a 2 hr drive to NY border.

 

  

[b3plyr]

Hey Scott - would you provide a comparison between your K8.2s and your EVs - sound and coverage? The weight difference is intriguing. Thanks!

[AnotherScott]

43 minutes ago, StanC said:

If so, I may contact you Scott.  However I think I want just one and not the pair.  

That's fine... I actually own three of them! (The idea at the time was to have one for keys and a pair for main PA.) And yes, I'm in NY but just over the CT border... I could meet you halfway.

 

1 minute ago, b3plyr said:

Hey Scott - would you provide a comparison between your K8.2s and your EVs - sound and coverage? The weight difference is intriguing. Thanks!

It's a tough one. In terms of coverage, my EVs are actually the 100s rather than the more commonly available 90s, which means their dispersion is actually nearly identical to the QSC. I did actually did get to hear the 90 against the 100 at some point, and as you might expect, the only difference was the dispersion of the highs. If you're directly in front of the speakers, the EV90 has a bit more on top than the EV100 has; once you move off axis, the 100 starts having more highs than the 90. Whether conical dispersion is actually preferable or not is a whole other question. The QSC and EV 100 being conical have more consistent dispersion, and you don't have to think about there being any difference depending on whether you use them vertically or horizontally. But the 90 x 50 alternate EV dispersion can be beneficial in cases where you're trying to minimize room reflection or feedback. And a nice feature of the EV is that the horn is rotatable so you can get the 90 x 50 dispersion in the direction you want it, regardless of whether you're using it horizontally or vertically. Rotating the horn is obviously something that adds effort compared to the 100 or QSC which are always the same in all directions, but it still gives the EV 90 an edge over most other non-conical models in that you actually can make that change if you want, most are fixed in one orientation only.

 

In overall tone, I guess I'd say the QSC is a fuller in the mids, the EV has more open/airy highs. There is some subjectivity to this as well. The singer in my band said he thought the piano (the toughest test) sounded better in the QSC. I didn't disagree, but there were things I liked better about the EV too, and ultimately, I felt I could be happy playing through either. 

 

The QSC has some other advantages worth noting though... higher max SPL, and a built-in fan. The EV has no fan, and yes, if you drive it too hard for too long, it can temporarily shut down, so you want to be conscious of that. And for an outdoor gig, you definitely want to make sure you keep it out of the sun.

 

Speaking of wanting to be conscious of not driving a speaker too hard, all these speakers have overload lights on the back, which is useful when the speakers are in front of you (i.e. main PA), but you can't see that when the speaker is behind you or facing you. I've wished these companies would wire a second overload LED onto the front, that I could see while playing. Instead, we're stuck using our ears. ;-)

 

Anyway, there was a good recent thread comparing EV and QSC at https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/181296-powered-speaker-saga-with-a-happy-ending/

 

 

 

[b3plyr]

Thanks Scott. Good info and I should have done a search. I forgot about the recent thread you mentioned.

[vonnor]

19 hours ago, jeffinpghpa said:

 

No it isn't.  The CP8 is most definitely NOT a 1000w version of the K8.2.  CP series is an entirely lower end line of products by QSC than the K series.   The differences between the CP series and the K.2 series are far more different than just the wattage of the amplifier.

No argument here, Jeff.

 

QSC replaced the original K series with their Kx.2 series, which had the beefier power-amps inside, then put the 1KW amps in the CP series. My description was superficial at best, and not meant to be empirical.

 

That being said, I have no direct side-by-side comparison between the CP8 and the K8.2, but I do between the K10 (1st series 1KW) and the CP8 (1KW) and they sound pretty close to me - at least how I have them setup. That could be related to my rolling off the low end as a rule - to stay outta the bass player's tonal range. The CP8 is easier to schlep around.

 

Note my tag "ymmv"

 

~ Bill C.

[cphollis]

The lightest thing to carry to a gig is a pair of IEMs and a few boxes to integrate with FOH.  Since I am not using any of my small powered PA units any more, I've unloaded a pair of K10s, and the K8.2s are on the block.  They are great for what they do, but I don't use them anymore.  I am keeping my RCF TT08a for the occasional acoustic gig, as well as a Bose L1 Model 1S.  Everything else is going -- subs, mixers, etc.

[jeffincltnc]

All good here, Vonnor!  Rock on, brother!

[StanC]

Major vendors, GC, Sweetwater, has been showing backordered for months and still are.  I reserved a copy in February and finally cancelled in July and settled for the CP8.  Where did you order them from?