Powered speakers or Monitors for home use?

[tonybanksfan]

Trying to decide what to buy for my Kurzweil keyboard use at home. Right now I’m not in a band and may want something to use for that purpose but at the moment I just want better sounding speakers for my personal enjoyment.

I do have the Spacestation but it’s not tickling my fancy. I also have a nice QSC K8.2 but it’s not a pair and it doesn’t work that well as a single unit.

I’m on a limited budget so can’t be doing anything fancy.  
So the Motion Sound 612 has caught my attention but it’s a little pricey and I’m not sure if it would sound better than a pair of the QSC’S?

I could try to sell either my Spacestation or my single QSC or both and offset the cost of a Motion Sound but will it be worth it? I could use it if I join another band.

Or buy the matching QSC and try that but I have my doubts I’ll be happy with that.

Then I’m also thinking maybe buy a pair of monitors instead, maybe like the Yamaha HS 8? I heard they sound good. I don’t do any recording or anything where you need the flat response of a monitor so not sure if that’s the way to go.

I just want speakers where I can really enjoy some lush rich sounding audio that won’t break the bank. I play mainly classic rock and pop, lots of piano stuff, but sometimes organ and left hand bass too so maybe need the bigger speaker like in the MS?

The main use will be at home and I really don’t care about the weight of it.

Any solutions, suggestions?

Both my Spacestation and QSC are like new and available for sale if anyones in the market for those.

 

[Motif88]

HS8's here... I had the original NS-10's and an Hafler Amp in the 80's.

You'll be happy

 

[timwat]

Another vote for prosumer studio monitors at home. 

[zxcvbnm098]

Regardless of what you get, I would echo the suggestion that you get studio monitors rather than stage amplification or powered PA cabs as were those things originally mentioned. 

 

The quality of studio monitors, even at the lower price points, are really pretty damn good these days. Put them on some nice stands at head level and you'll get excellent quality sound, great stereo spread, and far more headroom than you'd likely ever need. 

[drawback]

You can get a pair of great sounding studio monitors for every budget. It’ll depend on what you want to do in the future, but selling your SS & QSC will bring in more than enough to finance them. With an eye on gigging again though, I’d probably sell the Spacestation to help finance the monitors and keep the K8 to pair up later.

[RABid]

I've used everything from decent 5" two way studio monitors to 15" JBL Eon powered PA speaker. 5" does not cut it. For studio monitors at least go up to 8". Even then, the difference between my Roland RD2000 through 8" studio monitors and much larger powered PA speakers is like moving from a small spinet to a big grand. My middle ground is EV 12" 2 way powered speakers. Good sound. Good price. And light weight considering their size. If I had to cut back to only one set of music speakers in the house it would be my EV ZLX 12P's. And remember, you can start with one.

[Docbop]

You want something for home the a pair of nearfield studio monitors are the way to go.    The Yamaha HS-8's mentioned earlier are good.  I am currently using a pair of Kali Audio IN-5 monitors I like a lot.   The good thing about studio monitors is they develop a full sound as lower volume than powered monitors meant to project into a large room.     

[jazzpiano88]

Definitely not for everyone, but I use a setup that covers both mid-sanity audiophile reproduction for listening to music you love,  and amplification for the keyboard setup at home. I would suggest pricing individual components that fit your budget.  Mine are shown below.

 

Editorializing on home listening, I find it important to be able to achieve really good sound at home and not join the bandwagon that has thrown out audio quality in the name of convenience and deprived generations of what used to be strived for. 

 

Dedicated Amplifier (NAD C375BEE w/ DAC)

 

Full Range Speaker Cabs (Klipsch Cornwall)

 

 

[CEB]

Usually… cans. 

[tonybanksfan]

51 minutes ago, drawback said:

You can get a pair of great sounding studio monitors for every budget. It’ll depend on what you want to do in the future, but selling your SS & QSC will bring in more than enough to finance them. With an eye on gigging again though, I’d probably sell the Spacestation to help finance the monitors and keep the K8 to pair up later.

This is the way I’m leaning…

[tonybanksfan]

13 minutes ago, JazzPiano88 said:

Definitely not for everyone, but I use a setup that covers both mid-sanity audiophile reproduction for listening to music you love,  and amplification for the keyboard setup at home. I would suggest pricing individual components that fit your budget.  Mine are shown below.

 

Editorializing on home listening, I find it important to be able to achieve really good sound at home and not join the bandwagon that has thrown out audio quality in the name of convenience and deprived generations of what used to be strived for. 

 

Dedicated Amplifier (NAD C375BEE w/ DAC)

 

Full Range Speaker Cabs (Klipsch Cornwall)

 

 

That amp and speakers must sound sweet, I can only imagine, nice !

[tonybanksfan]

12 minutes ago, CEB said:

Usually… cans. 

Yep, this is what I usually use because my wife has a home business and I have to behave, but when she’s done her work day and especially, if she’s out of the house…, I like to let loose and let her rip as best I can.

[jazzpiano88]

2 minutes ago, tonybanksfan said:

That amp and speakers must sound sweet, I can only imagine, nice !

 

Thanks!  Worked my way up over time, which is the benefit of individual components.  Started with the original NAD 3020 slab and some EV PA cabinets in the 90s.

 

One of my housemates was an audiophile that repurposed his Guaranteed Student Loans as Guaranteed Stereo Loans and introduced me to the Klipsch heritage line of speakers.  Was always super impressed.

 

[kaptainkeys]

1 hour ago, JazzPiano88 said:

 

 

Not sure you have enough Yamaha CFX samples in that rig... 😂

[Bobbo Fett]

I closed my studio a few years back and sold off most of the gear. I kept my ADAM P11's to use for home listening and practice, as well as a pair of Sennheiser headphones....both fit my needs nicely.....

[bill5]

JBL 305s.

[cphollis]

12 hours ago, JazzPiano88 said:

Definitely not for everyone, but I use a setup that covers both mid-sanity audiophile reproduction for listening to music you love,  and amplification for the keyboard setup at home. I would suggest pricing individual components that fit your budget.  Mine are shown below.

 

Editorializing on home listening, I find it important to be able to achieve really good sound at home and not join the bandwagon that has thrown out audio quality in the name of convenience and deprived generations of what used to be strived for. 

 

Dedicated Amplifier (NAD C375BEE w/ DAC)

 

Full Range Speaker Cabs (Klipsch Cornwall)

 

 

 

My late father was an opera fan, and these speakers are what used to blast through the house.  Listening to them was an emotional experience.  No sound bar will ever get close.

[Al Coda]

14 hours ago, tonybanksfan said:

what to buy for my Kurzweil keyboard use at home. Right now I’m not in a band and may want something to use for that purpose but at the moment I just want better sounding speakers for my personal enjoyment.

 

Try to listen to a pair of IK Multimedia iLoud MTM ...

Not really cheap, but in opposite to relative expensive studio monitors, you might not have to wrap your head around position in room and acoustic damping too much.

I´ve seen a small studio mixing on these w/ good audible results too,- at least for my ears.

 

Available with or without bundled "Studio Max" software.

 

 

A.C.

[cassdad]

2 hours ago, cphollis said:

My late father was an opera fan, and these speakers are what used to blast through the house.  Listening to them was an emotional experience.  No sound bar will ever get close.

Looked up the weight just for the heck of it = about 100 pounds each!  wow.

[Lou_NC]

17 hours ago, tonybanksfan said:

I just want speakers where I can really enjoy some lush rich sounding audio that won’t break the bank. I play mainly classic rock and pop, lots of piano stuff, but sometimes organ and left hand bass too so maybe need the bigger speaker like in the MS?

You may think I'm nuts, but I'm and old guy and just don't care about that kind of stuff anymore. 🙂  

 

You didn't say what volume you play at, but faced with this very same situation at home, I ended up with a repurposed "home theater" amp, speakers and powered subwoofer.  I play a Hammond XK-3/vent, Casio piano (midi'd thru a sound module) and my mp3's through this setup, and it sounds GREAT at moderate home volume levels.  I picked up my equipment used and don't have more than $400 in the entire system.  People are buying sound bars for their TV's now and dumping mint condition "home theater" setups on Craigslist all the time.  Just some food for thought.

 

Lou

[Irena]

4 hours ago, Al Coda said:

 

Try to listen to a pair of IK Multimedia iLoud MTM ...

Not really cheap, but in opposite to relative expensive studio monitors, you might not have to wrap your head around position in room and acoustic damping too much.

I´ve seen a small studio mixing on these w/ good audible results too,- at least for my ears.

 

Available with or without bundled "Studio Max" software.

 

 

A.C.

I've been using iLoud MTM'a for this very application for the past few years. Very tight sweetspot even by nearfield standards, but they sound great when you're positioned correctly, and for my ears are less fatiguing for playing and sound design than many of the more expensive/more exacting monitors out there. Definitely worth a listen if they're within your budget. Btw--they tend to go on sale 3-4x per year across all retailers for $100 off MSRP--i.e., $299/each. 

[tonybanksfan]

5 hours ago, Lou_NC said:

You may think I'm nuts, but I'm and old guy and just don't care about that kind of stuff anymore. 🙂  

 

You didn't say what volume you play at, but faced with this very same situation at home, I ended up with a repurposed "home theater" amp, speakers and powered subwoofer.  I play a Hammond XK-3/vent, Casio piano (midi'd thru a sound module) and my mp3's through this setup, and it sounds GREAT at moderate home volume levels.  I picked up my equipment used and don't have more than $400 in the entire system.  People are buying sound bars for their TV's now and dumping mint condition "home theater" setups on Craigslist all the time.  Just some food for thought.

 

Lou

Interesting, I do have an old 5 piece surround I haven’t used in about 15 years, I’ll have to look at the inputs on the back of it.

I wasn’t sure pro gear and home gear was compatible but if your doing it then it must be. 

[tonybanksfan]

3 hours ago, Irena said:

I've been using iLoud MTM'a for this very application for the past few years. Very tight sweetspot even by nearfield standards, but they sound great when you're positioned correctly, and for my ears are less fatiguing for playing and sound design than many of the more expensive/more exacting monitors out there. Definitely worth a listen if they're within your budget. Btw--they tend to go on sale 3-4x per year across all retailers for $100 off MSRP--i.e., $299/each. 

Not sure these have enough bass for me. The other thing is I’d like a more encompassing sound than a small sweet spot, don’t want to have to place things in the perfect place to get a satisfactory result. 
If I have a party, or even other musicians over to jam then I’ve gotta have something more substantial I think.

[Irena]

2 hours ago, tonybanksfan said:

Not sure these have enough bass for me. The other thing is I’d like a more encompassing sound than a small sweet spot, don’t want to have to place things in the perfect place to get a satisfactory result. 
If I have a party, or even other musicians over to jam then I’ve gotta have something more substantial I think.

I think you're right about that. The MTMs' bass is surprisingly good for their size and their ARC software helps with placement, but they wouldn't begin to fill even a small room and wouldn't be a good choice for jamming with others. 

[esfusion]

I run my Kurzweil Forte thru Adam A7s. They cost $1500+ and sound beautiful. I run my Kurzweil SP6 thru a pair of iLoud Micro Monitors (300+). I think they reproduce acoustic piano even better than the Adams.  I just Velcro them to the top of the keyboard facing me for practice and facing away for moderate volume band practice.  They are plenty loud in my estimation.  Just throw them in a small shopping bag for transportation.   

 

[KuruPrionz]

4 hours ago, tonybanksfan said:

Interesting, I do have an old 5 piece surround I haven’t used in about 15 years, I’ll have to look at the inputs on the back of it.

I wasn’t sure pro gear and home gear was compatible but if your doing it then it must be. 

Whether they are powered speakers or use an amplifier, use caution at first since a line level out from a keyboard is designed for +4db and most stereo gear is designed for -10db. You could scare yourself to death, and/or blow speakers.

 

Since you haven't used it, you might as well try it. 

One caveat, check to see if your speakers (especially woofers!) have foam surrounds. Those rot and crumble. If your surrounds are foam then maybe just plug them in, blow them up (record it, a slow and painful death rattle usually) and then toss them in the garbage. 

Some speakers use a more substantial rubber surround and better yet are the fabric impregnated with a resin compound. 

Replacing surrounds can be done but it's not a fun project. 

 

It's worth a look anyway you slice it. The biggest difference between the recordings that you listen to and an actual instrument is the amount of limiting and compression that is usually part of the mix down for the recordings. Recordings are a bit easier on speakers than instruments because the "attack" of the notes has been tamed a bit. If they were capable of being loud then they can probably handle it without a problem. 

[Stokely]

Piano is definitely a litmus test.  Playing live through amps or cheap powered speakers is...not great...if you play a lot of piano.

I'd agree with others to get studio monitors if there's no thought to live use.   Really good monitors will be cheaper than really good PA speakers, the ones I'd compare at any rate.  Like take those HS7/HS8 vs say QSC k8.2 or k10.2.   

Speaking of old speakers, I mostly use headphones but I have the same setup I got back in the mid 90s--a Crown 75 watt reference amp and two KRK K-rok unpowered speakers    I just had to go against the grain when everyone else went with NS10s.... I had a friend (who ironically still has his NS10s) check them out and he said they sounded good.  If it ain't broke...though I do wonder how much different/better some newer speakers would sound.  That amp has zero noise I must say, though it certainly doesn't get all that loud.   Both speakers and amp spent years packed away so they don't have decades of constant use on them by any means.

[D. Gauss]

not a fan at all of the yammy h8's.  IMO, the JBL 308P's are really cheap and really good. Mixed a lot of records on those.  if you can swing the dough though, the Presonus  Sceptre S8's are great and also quite loud. To be clear, the Sceptres are totally different from the Presonus eris speakers which i do not like.

[tonybanksfan]

2 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

Whether they are powered speakers or use an amplifier, use caution at first since a line level out from a keyboard is designed for +4db and most stereo gear is designed for -10db. You could scare yourself to death, and/or blow speakers.

 

Since you haven't used it, you might as well try it. 

One caveat, check to see if your speakers (especially woofers!) have foam surrounds. Those rot and crumble. If your surrounds are foam then maybe just plug them in, blow them up (record it, a slow and painful death rattle usually) and then toss them in the garbage. 

Some speakers use a more substantial rubber surround and better yet are the fabric impregnated with a resin compound. 

Replacing surrounds can be done but it's not a fun project. 

 

It's worth a look anyway you slice it. The biggest difference between the recordings that you listen to and an actual instrument is the amount of limiting and compression that is usually part of the mix down for the recordings. Recordings are a bit easier on speakers than instruments because the "attack" of the notes has been tamed a bit. If they were capable of being loud then they can probably handle it without a problem. 

Thanks that info helps me out, in the interim anyways. I’ll still probably pursue a set of monitors in the longer run.

[Tom Williams]

I hope to get some recording monitors one of these days, but for now I play my PC4-7 through a Behringer digital mixer into a pair of Alto 12" bi-amped speakers.  Mixer optional.  It sounds wonderful, especially considering that it's a second- or third-tier brand.  They're handy for small gigs as well.