Headrush FRFR 108 vs. Yamaha DXR 10 - my impressions

  • So you think a pair of 1000 watts wedges will give you (almost) the same sound quality at bedroom levels than a pair of 100 watts NFM with the same price? Maybe for playing guitar I wouldn't appreciate the difference, but for other uses like hearing/mixing music the difference should be considerable.


    Anyway I just said that because IngoRockt pointed he'd only use it at bedroom.


    :thumbup:

  • It'll be a good choice. I'll probably get one soon, as I'm starting with a new band in a new rehearsal room.


    So, at home I have the JBL NFM and the DXR, at the first rehearsal room, the JBL EON 610, and at the new room... 108?


    Just one Kemper Stage, but it's easy to carry it and the guitar.


    Times are changing.

  • So you think a pair of 1000 watts wedges will give you (almost) the same sound quality at bedroom levels than a pair of 100 watts NFM with the same price? Maybe for playing guitar I wouldn't appreciate the difference, but for other uses like hearing/mixing music the difference should be considerable.


    Anyway I just said that because IngoRockt pointed he'd only use it at bedroom.


    :thumbup:

    I already repeatedly played music through my pair of 108's in my rehearsal room and it just sounds great, so you have to rely on my 1st hand experience ;) .

    It's much more flat than the DXR10.

  • This will be accomplished by two 108's as well. ;)

    And they are definitely not much more expensive than a decent pair of studio monitors.

    As a bonus, yes, you would be able to use them as monitors for mixing, but it should be noted you should not go on using theses as a professional mixing tool, as they are voiced and not exactly "flat", 108 tends to sound great in general, I have used it as monitors for a whole band and works wonders for small venues, plenty clean and nice projection, but they would hide some things in a studio recording, you need a flatter and more revealing treble for that. Anyway, they are a good choice.

    The answer is 42

  • After a short home test, I must say that I'm more pleased than expected. And than I'd like.


    Somehow it makes me remember a real amp more than the DXR10. Just first impression.


    At first it sounded with to much bass, but the contour switch was activated.


    The external material feels strange, doesn't seem to be a high quality thing. But it did sound very well.


    I'd like to keep it at home for a few days, but I'll take to the rehearsal today, because unpacking/packing the JBL EON 610 for every rehearsal is... Well, it's heavier.


    Let's see how it sounds this afternoon.

  • Bought one a month ago. I went from a pair of 305 JBL + 10' sub.


    Tried at home at different volumes, with a strat for hendrixy stuff and a ltd 1000 with JB for grunge / metal tones.


    For me the headrush did'nt match:

    - tone seemed to be washed, to loose texture. Mid gain stuff felt like light Crunch tones.

    - tone was very coloured. With the neck pickup on my strat it sounded like a middle pickup to me. Very nasal.

    - tone was quite muddy at home volumes.

    - same problems on the floor or on a stand, did'nt change much to my hears.


    I returned it and bought a line 6 powercab (the basic version).


    The Line 6 is not perfect but much more usable at home for me:

    - the texture is there, maybe a little to much, can be harsh on some tones

    - I feel the sound to be much richer, complex, maybe because of the highs that are much more present and hi-fi. Tone is not washed at all. It seems that the Line 6 even adds it's own texture, again not anyone could love that.

    - For me it fits perfectly for a home use: even as whisper volume you have that sound texture, you can play at the volume of an acoustic guitar with a great tone, that's pretty cool for a home user .. bass are not exagerated, the sound has a nice presence, not muddy at all.

    - dynamics are very good, the sound feels really "3d" to me.


    For me the real problem could be the twitter that is a little harsh with pronouned highs, but I think it helps to keep all the sparkle and consequently to get a good sound at home volumes...


    So I kept the line 6...


    Just my own experience....

  • I used the 108 at the rehearsal, yesterday.


    I enjoyed it more than the JBL EON 610.


    But, men... It looks so tiny on the floor, in a corner, that it's like... How do they say in those documentaries? An OOPART.


    Very nice sounding. I even got some feedback that I think I can control when I get used to it. And that's something I miss from tube amps.


    I'll have to roll off a little gain in the lead sounds, because it wants to scream whenever I make a silence between notes.


    So sad it has no handle on top. It would be easier to put it back in the box when I finish the rehearsal (remember: shared room. And some humidity in these rooms at this basement close to the north shore of the island).

  • I guess both, the HR108 and DXR 10 are doing a great job with the acoustic guitar too, are they?


    Thanks for your opinion. I'm just looking for the right FRFR (good for acoustic and the rocking electric). Would like to use it for:

    1. rehearsal either upright into the room or pointing to me as a monitor - the PA in our rehearsal room sounds lousy and very different to my BlueAmps Beast 112 at home (can't get one good sound for both speakers)

    2. at home in the basement for practicing

    3. on stage as my monitor


    Right now I'm bouncing back and forth between the Dynacord AXM 12a, Nova KD12, Laney IRT-X, dB Opera 10, and the Headrush 108.

    Never played one of those.

    Sentiero

  • Some comments from my side without trying to sound agressive or anything, just in an educational note : )


    Ok, first off, there is not such thing as "texture" for tone, there is texture for music composition and appreciation, but not for tone, as texture is a combination of characteristics in an arranged piece of music.


    Second, what you describe as a richer sound, is called tone coloration, the "hi fi" sensation you feel from the amp its caused by the treble, that might be too high for the intended porpouse of the gear, an FRFR


    Dynamics come from the kemper if you are using the FRFR section of the powercab, and very few dynamics come from the amp simulation, which I did not find impressive, the "amp in the room" sound is just a bass heavy EQ with a sharp cut on the 120 Hz area that makes the sound more omnidirectional without too much boomyness (You can get the same trough some EQing with any FRFR cab).


    I did test the powercab when hunting for a FRFR, it was an instantaneous no-no for me.


    As a recommendation, you should always try gear at rehearsal volume, as the powercab sounds tiny with a band (heard it before) and starts sounding digital with the amp cab simulations at higher volumes.


    On the other side, glad you found something you liked : )

    No one here has the same ears, and I can find something displeasing, you might find it just about right for your tastes. The powercab is a fine cab for modelers and kemper, but for me it was too expensive and also bulky for my needs. Try to tame the highs from the EQ out from your kemper a bit down to get the sound as flat as possible, compare with your reference monitors, you will enjoy having more uniformity on the eq across all your profiles, as most of them are pre-eqed to a perfectly usable sound.

    The answer is 42