Kemper home use monitors

  • Hello looking to purchase a Kemper unpowered and like the idea of a driven tube amp at bedroom volumes I live in a flat so low volume is a must,I have no intention of playing live and would like opinions on which make of Low to mid price powered studio monitors would fit the bill, I am limited for space so my idea was to have them sat on a bench rather than floor standing, thanks

  • You know, for the price, a used Stealth power amp to a real guitar cabinet with a speaker cable would cost about the same and sound exactly like a tube amp before the microphone with CAB turned off on the KPA.


    Powered monitors are good, and their volume is easier to manage, but the smaller cones just kill the bottom end of the guitar tone unless you have the Yamaha subwoofer which is about $450-500 itself.


    If you're used to real amps, a real guitar cab is the most pleasing.


    The only downfall is it will sound less like the KPA because the speaker on your cabinet won't be what was emulated on the profile (which is switched off on the KPA) but it sounds great.


  • The lack of bass is much less of an issue at very low volume, and is easily more than made up for with the stereo spread of a pair of small monitors. I've run my KPA through a pair of Yamaha HS-5s at very low volume levels, and it sounded really good.

  • I'd vote for Yamaha HS-8's, if you want the low end without a subwoofer, the 8's deliver.

    Kemper Powerhead w/remote & Kabinet
    Focusrite 18i8 (2nd Gen) - Windows 10 - Ableton Live - Yamaha HS-8's - DT770 80 ohms

  • I agree, Frodebro.


    I like the KPA's sound through monitors OR cabinet.
    I'm just saying that coming out a real guitar cabinet "feels" in the room more like a regular amp, and out monitors it sounds like a recorded amp.
    The effects are better out a stereo pair of monitors.


    The advantage of the cab is you can go quite loud and it only sounds greater and greater, whereas the monitors at some point start distorting horribly because they can't handle the volume output as easily.


    Ade Cannon says he lives in a flat, so maybe he never wants to get that loud, so monitors are best. But IF he travels to a friends house, the monitors won't have covers and can rip. Harder to move.


    That said, ONE of my Mackie MR8's can just about keep with a light touch drummer it's so friggin' loud and doesn't distort like the Yamaha's do.


    IF he needs monitors for mixing, then the Yamaha's represent the best overall solution. 2 Mackies would be over-budget maybe. But I love mine WITH my Yamaha's, as they compliment very well, the Mackies doing mid-range well, the Yamaha doing upper and it's subs low end. But even then, I prefer the Cabinet (1x12 nice, 2x12 nicer)

  • These seem to be more than an insider tip and are often compared to the Yamahas:


    https://www.thomann.de/de/swis…h_rslt_swissonic_350076_6


    https://www.thomann.de/de/swis…h_rslt_swissonic_350078_1



    I'm considering these atm. I'm on the 8" M-Audios and while quiet good, I personally feel the stereo image is a bit unfocused. I was on Tannoys before. My first pair was passive and I still miss it. The active ones I had afterwards suffered from the same issue as the M-Audios. The tiny IKs Micro Monitors sound great in that regard, unfortunately on two pairs of those the Bluetooth option would let me down, which was important for me. That's my experience in monitors so far. And still the one thing I am not quite satisfied with yet.

    Gear: Strats & KPA. Plug Ins: Cubase, NI, iZotope, Slate, XLN, Spectrasonics.
    Music: Song from my former band: vimeo.com/10419626[/media][/media][/media] Something new on the way...

  • After a lot of reading up on the subject I have got some sort of list together Presonus E5, Equator D5, JBL LSR 305,Yamaha HS7 and as alot of people seem to recommend Adam speakers the Adam A5X which would be at the top end of my budget.
    Spoke to a guy at a shop that sells Kempers and he rated the Presonus's over the JBL's so that has put me off them a bit. I am only going to be using them in a small room at low volume and then only with the Kemper just wondering if the Adams are over kill for what i need.