Ok, I've had the DXR10 for 3 weeks now, and it have a lot of miles on it (both musical as well as road miles). Three gigs and lots of practice time, plus time at home setting up my patches and rigs. So here are my thoughts at this point:
AWESOME!
Again, I must thank the many, many people who gave me their valued input regarding all the major players in the FRFR powered speaker market. This was critically important for me deciding what speaker to buy. Ingolf and many others did shootouts, and they were extremely valuable as well. It speaks so well of this community of Kemper owners that are so willing to help each other out. I'm proud to be a member here.
First, for anyone looking at a FRFR solution, I will say that you should look at the DXR10 as an absolute top of the line option, not just a speaker that is 'great for the money'. It is flat-out great.
Second, everyone's ears are different. We don't all hear every frequency the same as each other, and that can account for one person preferring one FRFR solution to another. As guitarists, the signal we send to the speaker is a combination of many factors. It starts with your pick and fingers, and includes your strings, pickups, guitar wood, cable, and preamp settings. By the time we connect the cable to our powered speaker, there is a HUGE amount of variance between different guitarists' tone. This has a MASSIVE impact on the resulting amplified sound, and so it impacts our overall perception of the powered speaker.
Third, everyone's needs are different. For me, I need a compact FRFR solution to use as a front line wedge. It has to be loud enough for me to hear clearly (i.e. via a wide angle field) on a crowded stage, and also loud enough for the drummer to hear. The DXR10 is perfect. EXTREMELY compact with a convenient enclosure shape that allows you to lay it flat, lay it angled as a wedge, or stand upright. Plus, it's only 32lbs, yet packs 700 watts. There is so much headroom - I can't imagine I'd ever need more volume. And that's running my patches at least -6dB, or quieter for the mixing board.
Fourth, guitar tone. Once again, WIN. Everyone's ears are different, so that's a given. Second, ALL speakers represent a series of compromises. Speaker systems are imperfect machines, and decisions are made during their design to optimize them for certain parameters. There is no true flat response speaker system. Several come close, and they sound different in their approach to accurate FRFR.
From the very first gig, the DXR10 performed excellently. It cut through the mix without any harshness. Just enough high end. Plenty of low end, too (shattering the 12" is better than 10" speaker myth). The Yamaha accomplishes all of this without any boxiness or booming bass. No shrillness either. I am very happy with this purchase, and am content that my rig is set, without dreaming of any other gear.
