The QSC CP8s work great for what they are as long as you don't plan on getting too loud. The K8.2s are audibly better, but you pay more of course. Buy used with confidence, they're built like tanks.ogunter wrote: ↑03 Jun 2025, 13:12Hello. thank you for all the comments you have made on this forum. I am still on the powered speaker quest. Any thoughts about the QSC CP8?cphollis wrote: ↑25 May 2025, 13:24 A pair of any of the popular 8" powered units on poles should be fine. They're all pretty good for what they do.
As you spend more to go up in each mfgr's product line, you get a cleaner and more powerful sound, so let your budget be your guide.
A small 12" sub works wonders for both use cases.
Again, my main use is to amplify my 2 Nords, but occasionally use as PA speakers for small combo vocals. Thank you for your time. Mark
For small venues (think 2-3 performers on a restaurant patio) I'm a huge fan of the column array pole designs that include a small sub. RCF, EV, Bose and now QSC make great products in this category. Even though you're playing in mono, you get this great coverage of the listening area every time. The designs include a sub which you'll want, some include a small mixer as well which is convenient. Your APs will sound brilliant.
If you're playing in a larger group and you're responsible only for stage monitoring, consider an inexpensive pair of IEMs. If you have to produce enough volume to be heard over the din, the pole designs work pretty well in that role, albeit in mono.
If you've got your heart set on stereo, stick with the more traditional 8" designs such as the CP8 et. al. Don't forget to use a small mixer of some sort, the current hot product is the Behringer Flow 8.