Ok so I FINALLY got to try out the QSC's and I have to say they sound REALLY great... I wanted to try the powered cab thing before I embarked on the quest to find a good power amp to use with my 2x12 cab...
Shawn @ Sam Ash (who was incredible and helped me set this whole A/B scenario up) said even before I plugged my Eleven Rack into the QSC's that I should go ahead and try out the EV SXA250's as well... He said "I'll bet you $500 you'll like the EV better..."
I thought to myself, NO WAY...I'm about to be $500 richer! LOL
After all, it has a 15" in it so I expected it to sound extremely loose and "woofy"...
All of them were set as flat and neutral so as not to be influenced by one over the other by virtue of more bass or more high end coming from one over the other.
So first was I A/B'd the two K-series cabs and I put them to the test of the widest variety of presets on my Eleven Rack from nasty gain to pristine cleans and everything in between even using my piezo and combinations of that with the magnetic pickups. I also had the priviledge of having my best friend who works for Sennheiser who also happens to be an amazing guitar player with incredible ears so I had that going for me too.
My first impression of the QSC's was that they sounded REALLY GREAT and much better than I really thought. I wasn't quite sure how the 11R would sound going into any powered speaker of that size. I actually thought the K10 sounded better than the K12 which I didn't really expect either. The K12 wasn't QUITE as focused to me tone wise and just didn't "cut" and it was a little too "woofy" for me as well.
I do realize that I COULD have adjusted my EQ to help eliminate that or at least curb it a litte, but I wanted to just go with my "go to" presets that I use when I play live since I know they translate well through the PA's I've been running through.
So at that point, the K12 was then really cut out of the equation in my mind and honestly I was already thinking a power amp was probably the way I was going to need to go. It was then up to the K10 to save the day and slay the EV which I REALLY wanted and expected to since I've never been an EV fan personally.
The K10 definitely cut better than the K12 and the cleans sounded really good and the high gain stuff sounded really nice and warm and if I was sitting in my room playing, I do believe I would really really enjoy this thing no doubt.
When I A/B'd the K10 with the EV it was a completely different sonic experience. The K10's all of a sudden sounded like there was literally a thick wool blanket over the cab. The presence was just gone in comparison. Everyone in the room agreed on that. It just doesn't have the clarity that the EV had. The K10 sounded a bit scooped and I lost the mids I so love with the Boogie sims I primarily play with and if you've ever played with a balls to the wall rock drummer, you know how that snare will EAT your guitar up and the K10 to me sounded like that would be the case with the mids it was missing.
The EV... wow... I mean it was literally like I had a guitar cabinet on the floor. It sounded glorious. The ONLY thing I had to do was cut some of the graphic EQ's 3.5k on the 11R (trust me it wasn't like I knew this, my friend Chris suggested it and he was spot on) which I hate with a passion anyway - especially with the Mesa sims and as my friend Chris pointed out, you always want to be able to cut more than have to add frequencies that you may not even be able to add to begin with. I have to say for the extra $60 for ME, the EV was a clear cut winner and not to take away from the QSC's because before I A/B'd the K10 with the EV, both my friend and I were like "oh yeah...thats what I'm talking about..." However, we then heard the EV and we both looked at each other and said to Shawn "Ok now go back to the QSC" and that's when it was completely evident that the QSC was really not in the running anymore at all.
Keep in mind, I am only interested in using it as a reference monitor and for rehearsals and not for a PA or anything for solo acoustic gigs or anything. I do think the QSC's sound more "polished" for lack of a better term which you'd think you'd want, but the clarity of the EV and the fact that it literally sounded warm and fat like I was running a poweramp into an actual cabinet... Yeah that's what really got me and while I expected the 15" to be extremely loose, it was just fat city with my own Mesa presets and on the clean U2 type stuff, it was just shimmery and pristine. Everything I've set up using my reference monitors as home sounded even better on the EV's and that's what I didn't expect at all.
Like my friend Chris said, "It's doing exactly what you want it to do which is simulate the guitar cabinet that you have set on the Eleven Rack." And it does. It sounded identical to my vintage 30 cab. The mids I was missing were all there and the top end was just right and this is without having to sculpt each preset to make it work whereas with the K-series cabs, I felt like I'd have to tweak too much and especially when mixed in with stage volume and a crazy drummer next to me. My 2x12 cuts with no problem and the EV replicates that to the letter so I couldn't be more stoked.
Shawn was right! While we didn't shake on it, he did theoretically take me for $500! He knows his stuff and my buddy Chris who is a Sennheiser rep, was very impressed with his knowledge of PA gear and especially that of EV which I think they push a little more than the QSC's but even still, the proof was in the pudding as they say and the pudding was "G" double "O" "D" Good!
I think I've found the best alternative to a poweramp and cab combo that I've been stressing over. I couldn't find anything I didn't like about the EV other than its about 12-15 pounds heavier, but I think the wood cab construction is what makes it resonate and respond more like an actual guitar cab -vs- the K-series cabs. If you just need something like I need it for which is for reference only in a band / live situation, then the EV is the way to go. The K-series cabs have more bells and whistles which I guess is more beneficial in a PA setup -vs- a monitor setup I don't know.
Here are links to the specs frequency range wise and all that for anyone who is interested in comparing them. The QSC on paper is better in some respects, but with respect to how it sounds in person, I'm telling you that I believe for $60 more, you'll go the EV route.
QSC K10 EV SXA250 It's plenty loud and they had it dialed in volume wise about noon and I had my 11R output master set to about 6.5 or so and it was plenty loud and anyone who has used the 11R live knows that going up one "notch" REALLY kicks the volume up on the 11R and I don't believe I have EVER had it louder than 7 and typically set it at 5.5-6.
I think the construction is more solid and you can do your best Steve Harris impression without the monitor rolling off the stage when your foot hits it... LOL
The QSC enclosure LOOKS WAY cooler, but it doesn't look like it'll withstand the travel conditions I put gear through, though I could be completely wrong just my initial observation though the weight IS just right but sonically at an expense I can live with.
In a nutshell:
EV: 10 out of 10
QSC K10: 7 out of 10
QSC K12: 6 out of 10
There may be a better option out there in the same price range, but I absolutely love what I heard no questions.
Now how to buy one...ok two would be GLORIOUS! Anyone want to buy an ESP GL-256? LOL
I'll make you a good deal!
Craiglist here I come!
Previous Topic
Index