Different sized qsc speakers

B

Brian Frost

Sophomore
Jan 11, 2011
132
2
18
Chicago
www.narniaproductions.com
So I own a few pairs of k12, and 4 pairs of k10, and used to own 6 hpr122i, so Im very familiar with the smaller qsc line. Personally I find that the k10 keeps up with the k12 in most situations with a sub and only runs out of gas slightly sooner than its bigger brother. I even like the k10 better as a monitor box personally, but I digress.
In a larger setting, will I see any advantage by owning a pair of kw153 boxes? What if I am carrying subs? Will k12 and sub basically equal 153?

My only complaint about the k series stuff is that it gets a little thin in the low mids when you push it hard. It does great until that point and gracefully handles much more than a box of its size and price should, but eventually sounds so so in a larger setting. Is the 153 going to handle some extra volume for slightly larger crowds more gracefully?

Frost
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

My K10 rig + subs gets used as much if not more than my HPR152 + sub or 153 + sub. Since my 153's only come out when I have room for scaffolding, they get used the least. I keep thinking about offering either set of the larger boxes for sale because I simply don't use them as much as I have become more and more comfortable with the K10's as FOH.

I run mostly acoustic music, so I am rarely running at the extremes, but I have had no problem getting 100 dbA at the back of a room with 125 people with the K10's without feeling like I am pushing to the extremes. Of course this is in a setting where I don't have to overcome 95 db of bar chatter.

As a matter of fact I shake my head when people talk about them running out of gas as I have never seen any consistant limiting in any of my QSC boxes.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

ive done 300 people indoors with a pair of k10s and a sub for a 10 piece corporate band with horns 3 vox drum bass guitar keys and although I hit the limiters, and the low mids lost some punch, they held up ok. I think the k12s would have been perfect. But Ive done some outdoor things where the k12 and a sub got the job done but I wanted more. Im wondering if the 153 will give me that extra or do I need to think about an even bigger solution as the k12 and a sub will yield similar results to the bigger qsc.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

For Brian:

I think that you might appreciate the extra headroom with the 153 but i would not expect gobs of extra output. On paper the peak output of the 153 is 3 db higher than the K12, but that peak output also comes with a greatly extended range. Adding the subs to the system will give the 153 a narrower frequency band and that should translate into extra headroom. I have done bluegrass shows with 300-500 people outdoors with the HPR153's comfortably, whether you would get the same good results for rock is really up to your tastes. I think it would be pushing it, but I have never really explored the upper limits fo the system. Probably the biggest I have done is 2 HPR152 and 2 HPR 153 spread over a line of bleachers about 125 feet long with playback music. The listening area was about 75 feet deep with about 1000 students in bleachers. We did get complaints from the neighbors a quarter mile up the road so the output must have been ok in the listening area.

For Robert:

I have the older HPR181's. Rob Spence does has the newer KW181's and from all reports he has been happy with them.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

Ive used the kw181 tho not extensively. Its a very good sub given its size and weight. keeps up with the much heavier hpr181. As a single 18, it will run out of gas if youre trying to get crushing bass out of it. Its not the deepest or the loudest, but for its price, size, and weight, I dont think there is anything better. Im considering getting 1-2 this year.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

Thanks guys. Do you think the KW sub is on par with the VRX918SP? Just looking at all options. I have a pair K10's and for smaller shows with subs they perform great. Ive also used the K10's for small acoustic gigs and again I was a happy camper.

I have demoed a pair of HPR153's and just loved them, sounded great! This was a small out door gig and most of the time we were using some older SR47##X speakers with the dual 15" woofers/horn. If it wasnt for the weight and size of the 153's I would have bought them for my personal use.

I would love to try the newer KW153 boxes, smaller in size and quite a bit lighter weight. A pair of of these over 181's probably (Ive never heard the subs, but I have heard the HPR subs) be a rockin system.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

I've been using a kw153 over kw181 for a number of clients. It's fantastic sounding, light weight and easy. Fuller sound than the k10 speakers. The 153 actually goes lower than the 181 sub, so if I'm not looking for extra punch down low, I don't bother with the subs and it does great.

Whether or not it's enough rig for the gig is sort of subjective, depending on the size and type of gig. I don't think it puts out nearly as much sound as my JBL sr47xx rig. but then, I get a *lot* of sound out of that rig. I do think the QSC KW rig often sounds better.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

The K10's are great little speakers. Add a pair of UCS1P's, and you have a great system. For the next step up, however, you'll need to look outside QSC. The RCF TT25A's over your sub of choice works very well. The next sub we'll be testing is the RCF TTS56A.
Caleb
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

I would think the tiny k10 on top of a ucs1p would look odd and I would think that sub would outrun a k10, but Ive never tried it... I do think a k10 or a k12 on top of most decent single subs makes a really nice smaller system. Ill have to check on the rcf stuff.
 
Re: Different sized qsc speakers

A ZX1 over a TH-115 is also, unique.

I've played with multiple K/KW tops, KW181, UCS1P, various Danley, and now TT25A speakers. For plenty of clean bass on a tiny budget, the K10/UCS1P option is great. Center cluster subs, tops on tripods.

The KW153's and KW181's were disappointing, Meyer was too pricey. The TT25A,s on tripods or flown with your favorite Danley sub(s) center clustered works very well.
 
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