QSC K10- Best In Class,
I have been using QSC K10s for close to a couple of years now. I am a solo performer, playing a variety of styles from acoustic singer-songwriter stuff to loop-driven electro-rock. I typically play bars and have probably used these for nearly 100 gigs at this point.
3 K10s along with an Allen & Heath ZED-10FX Four Mono Mic/Lines with 2 Active D.I., 3 Stereo Line Inputs and Onboard Effects mixer make up my whole system, using two as mains and one as a monitor. My previous system was a powered Mackie box and passive 12″ speakers by Community and Yamaha.
I have thus far been thrilled with the significant sound improvement I have experienced. The volume and clarity that these 10″ speakers produce is truly impressive. To give you an idea, I generally play rooms that are one to two thousand square feet in size and rarely turn my mains up much past 50%. At 60-75% levels (with mixer meters peaking around the zero mark) the music will cut through even the rowdiest bar noise.
One thing that’s great about this 10″ model is the throw. With a super-wide 90 degree dispersion angle, sound fills out the space up close within a few feet, depending on placement (I prefer getting them up as high as possible on stands and using the clever 7.5 degree tilt function). The dispersion angle is also matched between the woofer and tweeter so you’re never hearing just one or the other. 90 degrees is ideal for tight performance areas where you want people right in front of you to hear everything.
The trade-off here is that levels decrease quickly as you step back from the speakers. You can hear a significant difference as you get more than twenty or thirty feet away. While that could be seen as a negative especially for public address applications, I find it to be a win-win. It essentially creates a “full sound” zone around the stage for the audience. I personally prefer creating a live music environment where people can hear a loud, full spectrum mix if they like but not have it forced on them wherever they are in the room. If your needs call for a speaker with more reach, the K12s (I’ve used them) throw a lot further and sound awesome as well.
Speaking of sound quality, I will say that while I think the K10 kicks the competition’s a** throughout the EQ, it is especially spectacular in the mids and highs. Just playing an iPod through them, you will hear separated parts of the music in this range that you never did before. As far as your perfomances go, vocals and guitars will sparkle in a way you probably haven’t heard out of a small cabinet.
I don’t want to downplay the bass response on these though. It is huge and far more than you would expect out of these little guys. The frequency coverage is absolutely there and can even be boosted if you utilize the DEEP switch. What you will NOT hear in the lower registers however is a ton of attack. They are more suited to adequately express a jazzy upright bass than they are to throw down the punch you want to hear from electronica or hip-hop (unless we’re talking smaller spaces, they’ll ROCK a house party DJs). Impressive but you’ll find no magic here, that’s why they make the Ksub.
Prospective buyers should also know that the 1 KW amp in these is Class D. That’s not equivalent to 1000 watts in Class A for example. It’s more than sufficient though and Class D amps are great for their light weight and power efficiency. I plug mine into a surge protector that powers a bunch of other devices simultaneously and have never had an issue.
Signal routing is wildly flexible with the fantastic panel on the back. You can do whatever you want with these including play a small gig with one speaker alone. Just plug a mic, an instrument, and an iPod directly in.
Ergonomics are well done too. Knobs and switches are not fancy but easy to operate. There’s also super sturdy, comfy handles on the top and on one side. Carrying two at once is easy (32 lbs. each) and saves you a trip back to the car.
The build quality is solid. I’ve always been careful with them but not used cases or bags and the only damage thus far has been cosmetic. The sides will scuff up pretty easily so use the duffels if thats important to you.
I have not observed any malfunction up to this point other than some buzzing from the monitor once when it got rained on. After drying out, it didn’t happen again. QSC has also put some serious limiting circuitry into these as well to protect themselves from blowing. I have more than once pushed my monitor too hard and reached this threshold. The signal simply cuts out when the the speaker cone experiences too much travel. Once you readjust the levels, you’re back in business with no issue.
I can’t think of…
