Yamaha DXR10 vs DXR12 or DXR15

  • I currently have Alto 112's and they sound OK I guess, but they don't have quite the presence and range of sound that I'm looking for. I like the boom and presence of a Marshall amp and I just can't get that out of these. I'm considering buying the Yamaha DXR10 or DXR12 monitors, but I wanted to check with some of you who may be able to help me make a decision on which would be better for my needs. My initial thought is the DXR12 would provide more low end than the DXR10, but will they be too muddy or just not suited to guitar frequencies (Marshall cabs have 10" spkrs)? I did check out the Camper roll your own monitors and they seem nice, but since I'm in the US, I don't feel great about ordering from EU, waiting for it to ship plus the shipping costs and then building a monitor that I probably can't return if it doesn't sound like I prefer.


    Anyway, I know my Kemper friends out there will help me out with some suggestions so fire away! :D

  • You're right about the bass response in the DXR12 but Marshall cabs use 12" speakers for the most part. That's the boom or low end :)


    I have two DXR10's and the consensus I've found/read is that it all depends on you're application. Some say the 12's are better for low end but they gotta be cookin. I'm not using them for gigs which is why I chose these.


    Mine sound great at med. higher volumes (rehersal/jam) not bedroom volume. If you want bedroom just use your studio monitors.


    Definitely do as @Zappledan suggested and read up, it's a tough decision.


    Welcome, cheers ;)

  • Have you ever heard a dxr at bedroom and rehearshal level with the kpa? If not, I can highly recommend it.


    It's a matter of taste. I checked many systems and the dxr is a very midrangy system. For me not useable for bedroomlevel and too boxy ot better midrangy for live playing, but many guys here love this sound.


    Not my cup of tea. Check it out before buying two of them, if you can. Maybe it's killer for you and they nail your tone preferences. I could not reach the punch and the clearness that I want from the dxr's. I think it's because i like a little scooped sounds with a clear high end punch a la Petrucci. Didn't reached that with a dxr. My final decision was a rcf. Price is nearly double than a dxr but the sound and the punch is so much better imho. But here again, it's a matter of taste. Some say that the rcf is too hifi like. I can't say that. For me the rcf is clear, linear and it has enough power, the rest is the quality of the profile.


    A good friend of mine plays two db flexsys 12" and his sound is awesome. He prefers marshally sounds and the flexsys work absolute great.

  • I just went down this road coming from plexis running 2x12 cabs and currently have had my Kemper for about a month and have already tried many speaker solutions.


    My studio monitors (BX8a's) which are 8 inch woofers are just ok. They make the Kemper sound digital-ish at times and can't get loud enough to play with a drummer but ok for studio play, stereo is kind of fun but it's a totally different feel than a guitar cab. I then realized I could plug my unpowered Kemper into the FX return of a tube amp and then run that into my 2x12 guitar cab. Turn off cab sim and bam, it sounds amazing. The Kemper sounds incredibly tube like, it's a great setup. The issue is... you're really missing out on what the Kemper is so great at, being a chameleon of all these incredibly different sounding rigs. Going through a tube amp for power and a 2x12 guitar cab with greenbacks, all the profiles start to sound very similar and you lose that huge benefit the Kemper provides, playing other people's amazing amp / speaker combos.


    Next I tried a single DXR10. For me, I really liked it. It could get as loud as my JTM45 on full volume through the greenbacks. It's a very nice sound, a shocking amount of bass, it's pretty incredible. On certain profiles at this high volume, it was hard to tell if the sound was coming from the DXR10 or the 2x12 cab. The DXR10 convinced me of the capability of FRFR and how the Kemper could sound awesome at loud volume levels HOWEVER, the DXR10 is a PA speaker and is designed to amplify ANY source, not specifically a guitar tone coming from a Kemper etc. - it's not meant to sound like a guitar cab, the thing is made out of plastic. After playing 20 minutes at a band volume level, this starts to become apparent. The treble starts to get a bit fatiguing and at moderate volume levels, the DXR did start to feel boxy. It just all started to fall a bit short of what I wanted. So I sent it back.


    After a ton more research, I settled on the Xitone Mbritt 1x12 cab. It's specifically designed for the Kemper by Xitone and Michael Britt with the goal of reproducing accurate Kemper profiles AND getting more of that guitar speaker vibe (there are DSP settings on the back to disable the horn so all sound is just playing through the 12 inch speaker like a normal guitar cab etc.). I should receive mine next week so I can't unfortunately comment on the results but I have high hopes. The price isn't cheap, it's roughly $950 new but honestly, when I heard the DXR10 and it's potential, I realized it was worth spending a bit more on a great sounding cab, the cheaper alternatives do show their weaknesses.

  • My question relates to DXRs, especially the 10“ size. Dear Owners of DXR 10: would you also recommend using that as your only cab when playing in clubs without FOH? Up to now I‘ve been using a 1x12 EVM12L cab with my powered KPA.

    francisco jent - 2 powered toasters & 1 remote

  • I used to have an EVM12L in an Avatar 112 cab. The loudness is pretty similar, EVM will obviously have a bigger low end because it's an EVM12L and is a 12 inch speaker but I wouldn't be worried about the DXR10 holding it's own in a live situation UNLESS you are in a metal band with a very loud drummer and need a ton of chug punch. I would imagine in that situation where you need extreme volume levels and a ton of low end punch, the DXR10 MIGHT leave you wanting.

  • I tried the DXR 10's and 12's...I definitely preferred the DXR10, which surprised me...in the end I got an unpowered PA monitor which is good enough for me and way cheaper than a DXR, knowing its just for backline.


    For cost and portability, there is very little to beat the dxr10, especially if you are unpowered, but there are other options - however, I found most ( like the friedman and atomic stuff) they were so expensive..


    I also bought a camper, already built and I quite like that. Is it the same as a 2 x12 on full chat, not quite but again I don;t use it FOH, that sound is sorted. If I want a bit of backline, I use my 4 x 12 loaded with v30's and that's ok although smooths out all profiles ( as stated above).. You could alos try merged profiles...


    Where possible, go and try a few out because its very personal what people like..

  • BooUrns I’m curious to know if the Xitone finally reach your expectation. Can you give an opinion on it?


    Thanks!

    I've had mine for a few months now. I also have a DXR10.

    The XiTone MBritt is a great choice. The fact that you can run open or closed back is lovely. I've been running it mostly in open back mode.

    It is more than loud enough to keep up with any drummer anywhere, and very capable as being your only backline, or as a monitor.

    The dispersion is great too!

  • Thanks dmatthews ! If you had to chose between the Xitone and the DXR for good guitar sounds at every volume levels, low to high, for home studio or gig use, wich one would you take ?

    Hi Claude,

    Well... that's a good question, and could easily be somewhat subjective.

    The DXR10 is one of the best bangs for buck you can get, aside from maybe Headrush etc which I hear great things about. It is without a doubt more versatile overall. By that I mean that it has more inputs, and more positioning possibilities for either backline or monitor (wedge pos, standup, pole mount). On top of that, it can reproduce music much more faithfully as it is truly a PA speaker.

    Here's the freq range from the docs (page 13)

    https://europe.yamaha.com/file…5553/dxr-dxs_en_om_c0.pdf


    The XiTone MBritt on the other hand is more spendy as you have no doubt researched.

    That being said it is much more "guitar cab like". By that I mean that not only does it "look" like a 1x12 guitar cab, the freq range is much more focused on guitar, as you can see here:

    https://celestion.com/product/146/ftx1225/


    So even though it has a Bluetooth connection, or additional input, music through it is no where near what the DXR10 can reproduce. This "might" matter if you had desires to play along using either speaker for both tracks and guitar.

    The MBritt also has more DSP options for shaping your tone desires, along with the killer app of open or closed back.


    Blah blah blah Dave... TLDR, just answer the question!

    Ok ok... :D

    The answer is the XiTone MBritt. Why?

    It performs more like a guitar cab.

    It looks more like a guitar cab, and I like that I can set the Kemper toaster on top with no worries.

    The dispersion on stage is just as good as the DXR10

    The projection into the room is excellent.

    The power will easily fill a room of 100+ as backline/only source (DXR10 will do this too)


    These represent my humble opinions, and YMMV.

    Both are amazing, and both will serve admirably for low - high volumes. The DXR10 can be had quite inexpensively (I got mine for $400 CAD used).

    In the end though, I have my DXR10 at home for practice/trying out new profiles etc, and I have the Xitone MBritt at the studio for practice and gigs.

    I hope that helps.


    Cheers,

    Dave

  • Great dmatthews This is exactly the kind of opinion I'm looking for. Never easy to choose but sometime you have to, and since no Xitone is available to make my own opinion, those from people who own and use both cabs are precious. For sure, a used DXR-10 at 400$ CAD was a good deal and I'd take one at that price without hesitation, but never saw one in the past 2 years.


    Should buy a powered cab for my Kemper this year, but maybe I will wait to hear from the new Kemper Kabinet and their price range. Maybe not...


    Thanks taking time to answer!


    Cheers,

    Claude

  • You're welcome Claude, and best of luck in your search.

    I'm also eagerly awaiting the release and reviews of the Kemper Kab/speaker!

  • That about sums up how I feel about both choices, as well. The convenience factor of being able to sit the Kemper on top of the XiTone, without worrying about finding a place to put the Kemper is very nice.