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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby randomwalker » 28 Nov 2017, 10:14

Thanks for great thread.

Question to cphollis: in other/older threads I believe you have said good things about the RCF HD12-a.
Do you have an opinion of K8.2 vs RCF HD10-A Mk4 (which I guess is the most comparable model. TT08 is out of my price range).


When asking the sound guy he just said "QSC and RCF are both good at what they do, but if you want good AP sound on stage you need to go in-ear". (Which is tempting for some gigs but not so much for big band, jam sessions or small gigs with just piano+vocal)


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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2


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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby cphollis » 28 Nov 2017, 13:58

Sorry, I have no direct experience with the RCF HD10-A Mk4. It looks reasonable on paper, though.

In-ear is great, no doubt. But if you want others to hear you ...
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby upbeat » 22 Jan 2018, 19:25

This is a great thread guys!

I'm right now looking for a PA solution with good quality sound to cover pianos, acoustic guitars, sax and the ocassional vocalist. I feel that the K8s would be a good fit, but I wonder how they compare to systems like the Bose L1 compact, Turbosound ip1000 or the likes. Has anyone had a chance to try these?
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby ajstan » 23 Jan 2018, 00:24

I'm also interested in comparisons between the QSC K8.2 and the Bose L1 Compact, as I already have an L1c and am considering adding a single K8.2 as an alternative for practice and to use as a monitor at gigs.

I use the Bose T1 Tonematch mixer, which I primarily use for EQ (and a noise gate), as running direct to the L1c from my NS3 results in a boxy sound with too much bass and to a lesser degree, too much midrange. Once the EQ is dialed in, the pianos sound real, and the organ and synth sections sound great too. I don't doubt that stereo would be even better, but the NS3 really does a great job in mono mode.

If I'm playing alone, or with a singer and/or guitarist at a moderate level, I am very happy with the sound and get compliments from bandmates and people in the audience on how great things sound. So, for those scenarios, I'll happily keep the L1c.

The reason I am looking for alternatrives, is that when I play in a group with a drummer (not even loud players), there are two issues: 1) there is usually not enough space on-stage or in the practice area to place the L1c far away enough for me to catch a good sound, and 2) even if I do, I have to turn the L1c up too high and the sound gets boxy again, so I don't enjoy it as much.

Here's my wish list in order of importance:
1. Loud enough to use at practice with bands with a drummer playing at reasonable volume.
2. Clear sound so I can hear well enough to play expressively when used as a floor monitor and/or placed on a pole close to me.
3. Onboard EQ so I don't have to carry a separate device.
4. Would also be nice to use a monitor/PA combo for my NS3 for smaller gigs (with a drummer).

I think that the K8.2 covers #2 and #3, but would like to hear from K8.2 owners regarding the limits of it covering #1 and #4. Thanks in-advance for any thoughts!
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby CraigW » 25 Jan 2018, 08:58

cphollis, based on your informative posts I just picked up a pair of 10.2’s. They sound absolutely fantastic. I understand your reasons for recommending the 8.2’s (flatter response, broader sound dispersion) but I wanted the 10’s for the marginally better bass response and because they will be my mains for most of my smaller gigs. My only gripe is that the mids sound a tad overboasted on the APs but this may be attributable to the samples on the NS3? Regardless, it is easily managed with a little EQ. Though they are not cheap it’s hard to beat the price/sound quality/portability combination of either the 8.2’s or the 10.2’s.
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby upbeat » 26 Jan 2018, 04:34

Even though nobody has yet replied on the comparison between the L1 Compact and the K8.2, I think I've made up my mind that the QSC seems like the reasonable way to go. The financial factor just dawned on me (duh, right?). I can start out with just one K8.2 for about half the price of the Bose, and add a second one later if I want to go stereo (and feel like carrying it). I still wonder however how much wider the dispersion really is on the Bose.
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby ajstan » 26 Jan 2018, 06:17

The Bose L1 Compact horizontal dispersion is 180 degrees and the vertical dispersion is 40 degrees.
http://professional.bose.com/BOSE/media ... family.pdf

The QSC seems like a good choice. I may wind up trying one myself. FWIW, the L1 Compacts go on sale a few times per year for $849 and include the cover for the base unit and padded sleeve for the extensions. If you have a Bose store or dealer nearby, they are really good about letting you have a trial period with generous return period, so you could also do a comparison if you wanted. Good luck either way!
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby cphollis » 27 Jan 2018, 06:12

Upbeat:

Sorry, I meant to come back here and post an answer to your query, but forgot. You're going in the right direction.

I had a Bose L1 Model II for a while. Bigger, louder and much more expensive than the Compact. If we were doing acoustic-level stuff (think coffee house), it was fine -- almost brilliant. Acoustic guitar, piano, a pair of singers, maybe someone playing the flute?

But if you were playing electric, or over a drum set, it crumbled pretty quickly. No one could hear me over the other instruments. Also mono, unless you buy two. I ended up selling it to a singer/songwriter type along with my Yamaha CP5 which kept wrenching my back due to weight.

Went out and bought my first Nord and a pair of K8s. Mo' bettah' Over the years, more Nords, more amplification. I still have a pair of legacy K8s and use them on occasion.

The L1 Compact would be fine for low-volume stuff. A bit pricey for what you get, but nice clear sound and -- as noted above -- wide dispersion. It'll never even begin to get loud. The K8.2s have reasonable dispersion (105 degrees), a pair can fill most any venue quite nicely as FOH. I use them all the time for that, and we get complements on our crisp sound.

If I had to chose between a pair of K8.2s and a L1 Compact, it'd be the K8.2 every time. Very clean sound, can cover a room, and get LOUD when needed. The only time I ran out of volume was outdoors (always a challenge) playing with a band that was seriously playing too loudly.

I should have brought bigger toys. First time out with them, didn't know better.

If you're using the K8.2s as your personal amplification, buy some shorter stands and a small mixer to stage gain. Put one behind each shoulder, and be prepared for some sonic bliss. You can find cheaper solutions, and better solutions, but I don't think you'll find anything with this much bang-for-the-buck.

Best of luck!

- Chuck
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby cphollis » 27 Jan 2018, 06:17

CraigW wrote:cphollis, based on your informative posts I just picked up a pair of 10.2’s. They sound absolutely fantastic. I understand your reasons for recommending the 8.2’s (flatter response, broader sound dispersion) but I wanted the 10’s for the marginally better bass response and because they will be my mains for most of my smaller gigs. My only gripe is that the mids sound a tad overboasted on the APs but this may be attributable to the samples on the NS3? Regardless, it is easily managed with a little EQ. Though they are not cheap it’s hard to beat the price/sound quality/portability combination of either the 8.2’s or the 10.2’s.


Congrats, CraigW! Not a serious difference between K8.2s and K10.2s in either price or bass response. BTW, I use K8.2s as mains all the time. Sometimes we bring a sub for the drummer, sometimes not.

The first time I ran my APs through them, it was pretty bright. Then again, I realized I had gone with brighter samples and EQ, so some re-evaluation was necessary. And it's different when you're sitting in the mix, it helps to cut through a bit and not get lost in the fog of sonic war.

Best of luck!
Last edited by cphollis on 27 Jan 2018, 06:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Gear Alert: new QSC K8.2

Postby upbeat » 29 Jan 2018, 18:12

cphollis wrote:Upbeat:

Sorry, I meant to come back here and post an answer to your query, but forgot. You're going in the right direction.

I had a Bose L1 Model II for a while. Bigger, louder and much more expensive than the Compact. If we were doing acoustic-level stuff (think coffee house), it was fine -- almost brilliant. Acoustic guitar, piano, a pair of singers, maybe someone playing the flute?

But if you were playing electric, or over a drum set, it crumbled pretty quickly. No one could hear me over the other instruments. Also mono, unless you buy two. I ended up selling it to a singer/songwriter type along with my Yamaha CP5 which kept wrenching my back due to weight.

Went out and bought my first Nord and a pair of K8s. Mo' bettah' Over the years, more Nords, more amplification. I still have a pair of legacy K8s and use them on occasion.

The L1 Compact would be fine for low-volume stuff. A bit pricey for what you get, but nice clear sound and -- as noted above -- wide dispersion. It'll never even begin to get loud. The K8.2s have reasonable dispersion (105 degrees), a pair can fill most any venue quite nicely as FOH. I use them all the time for that, and we get complements on our crisp sound.

If I had to chose between a pair of K8.2s and a L1 Compact, it'd be the K8.2 every time. Very clean sound, can cover a room, and get LOUD when needed. The only time I ran out of volume was outdoors (always a challenge) playing with a band that was seriously playing too loudly.

I should have brought bigger toys. First time out with them, didn't know better.

If you're using the K8.2s as your personal amplification, buy some shorter stands and a small mixer to stage gain. Put one behind each shoulder, and be prepared for some sonic bliss. You can find cheaper solutions, and better solutions, but I don't think you'll find anything with this much bang-for-the-buck.

Best of luck!

- Chuck


Thanks, Chuck! Lots of great insight there. Just yesterday I was glancing through new products, and I came across the new Bose S1 Pro and thought it might deserve a listen (I tend to think everything deserves a listen), but my mind is pretty set on the QSCs because of their versatility and the fact that there seems to be an awful lot of people who swear by them in their price range and even above it. Bose products always seem one trick ponies to me, and their price tag is rarely persuasive.
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