Help. Frustrated. Kemper Kabinet isn't my solution.

  • Hey all,


    I'm frustrated. I am NOT a gear head. I just want to play guitar and want it to sound amazing. I'm fortunately at a point in my life where I could spend a little bit on a product so I bought the Kemper Profiler HEAD (NOT the PowerHead). I only use headphones while playing and for obvious reasons this gets tiring and is limiting. So I wanted to get a speaker/amp/cabinet so I could no longer use just headphones. I previously asked this here in another forum question but failed to bring up this very important point.


    Embarrassingly, I just purchased the Kemper Kabinet, thinking this would be the best reproduction of sound yet only after reading and watching YouTube vids, I've again, embarrassingly, realized my Profiler Head will NOT power this Kemper Kabinet. I'm correct in my thinking, right? The Kabinet will not work with just the HEAD, right?


    This then leads to my next question. What should I buy? I literally JUST want to hear all these awesome rigs without wearing headphones. That's it. That's all. I'm not going to play live; I'm not going to tour; I'm not become a YouTube star and upload videos. I literally just want to have fun playing guitar, using these great variety of rigs, with the speaker sound coming back at me as awesomely as possible.


    Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. The online store (a very popular one) is easily allowing me to return the Kabinet and suggested the Headrush FRFR-112 2000-watt 1x12" Powered Guitar Cabinet. Another other recommendations?

    Thanks in advance.

  • No worries, mate. You have two options: you can just get an external power amp to plug in between the Kemper and the Kabinet. Or you exchange the Kabinet and buy monitor speakers.


    In my opinion: The Kab is more the amp in the room feeling. Monitor speakers are better to sound like what you know from records. If you want to play along a record for example, monitor speakers are great and closer to the headphone experience.


    P.S: Don’t get the other FRFR. The Kemper Kone in your Kabinet is better and worth a power amp just to use the speaker imprints.

  • You have two main options; get a solid state amp that mounts into the back of the Kemper -like a Camplifier, or just get a solid state amp -like a Seymour Duncan Powerstage.


    Another option is to use monitor out to any amp head or combo or powered PA/monitor.


    But the two options below are better suited to use with the Kabinet.


    https://digitalguitargear.com/camplifier/


    https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/powerstage-170


    The HR-112 is a decent option. You can buy 2 and run from Kemper main outs for stereo. You can also use Kemper monitor out on 1 of them or just the left main out.

    Larry Mar @ Lonegun Studios. Neither one famous yet.

  • I have unpowered HEAD and I tried Kabinet with poweramp (TC electronic BAM200) and I returned the Kabinet, wasn't much difference to DXR10, which I had then.


    Soon I am going to try Laney LFR-112, which seems to sound much better than all-praised DXR10.


    I think Headrush FRFR-112 2000 is just another plastic speaker, and you will be dissapointed, because it will not deliver that amp-feel which we all crave for.


    Studio monitors will translate the profiless well, but the sound will be tiny, flat.


    To have an amazing sound, you need a guitar canibet hooked, to a Kemper (any amp) :)

  • With the Kone speaker currently out of stock, I've been using an old Fender Mustang III (version 1) with the stock Celestion for monitoring during rehearsal. I go monitor out from the KPA into the return. Mild tweaks (very mild) and it sounds great.

    When available, I'm going to put a Kone in the cabinet and build a power amp into the back of my Toaster (I enjoy this kind of stuff). The Mustang can't handle the 4ohm Kone speaker without melting.

    If you want a Kabinet (and it is the best way to hear the amp-in-the room sounds of a KPA) - check out the Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 or similar.

    Headrush is inexpensive (comparatively) and not a bad choice - but you're still getting a mic'd cabinet sound and whatever the Headrush adds or removes from things. Nothing at all the amp-in-room the Kabinet provides.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I have unpowered HEAD and I tried Kabinet with poweramp (TC electronic BAM200) and I returned the Kabinet, wasn't much difference to DXR10, which I had then.

    I have a completely different experience.

    I had used a DXR10 over three years with good results on stage for monitoring, not so good results in playing at home (noisy and plastic mid focused sound).

    BUT with my powered toaster and the Kemper Kabinet I am no longer missing any other gear.

    Is‘nt the TC BAM200 designed as a Bass preamp? Could this the reason that you had not satisfying results?

  • I have a completely different experience.

    I had used a DXR10 over three years with good results on stage for monitoring, not so good results in playing at home (noisy and plastic mid focused sound).

    BUT with my powered toaster and the Kemper Kabinet I am no longer missing any other gear.

    Is‘nt the TC BAM200 designed as a Bass preamp? Could this the reason that you had not satisfying results?

    So I am playing at home and the plastic, sterile sound of DXR10 was acceptable at times. Mostly it was just better than using studio monitors, because they were tiny, flat. DXR10 added a little punch.


    I had a Kabinet, but didn't feel that much more amp-in-the-room as compared to DXR10. I think this still is a compromise, full range speaker in kind of shallow cabinet. Maybe your poweramp (whatever it is) drives it better...


    TC BAM200 is widely used here, even recommended by Christopher Kemper himself as a transparent amp for a Kabinet.


    Have you ever used a Kemper hooked to a guitar cabinet and if so, how it compares to a Kabinet in terms of feel (not profiles' translating accuracy)?

  • Have you ever used a Kemper hooked to a guitar cabinet and if so, how it compares to a Kabinet in terms of feel (not profiles' translating accuracy)?

    Yes I used a nice MegaBoogie cab with celestion C90 speaker and love the sound.

    But the cab colors the sound.
    For home usage and low volume I always switch the bass boost to on with the Kemper kabinet and I then get enough „ompfh“ :)

    Maybe it depends also on genre? Playing rock and six string.

  • Yes I used a nice MegaBoogie cab with celestion C90 speaker and love the sound.

    But the cab colors the sound.
    For home usage and low volume I always switch the bass boost to on with the Kemper kabinet and I then get enough „ompfh“ :)

    Maybe it depends also on genre? Playing rock and six string.

    I play rock, blues and also 6strings. I know that the cab colors the sound, but I prefer the sound that I loved, than uncolored sound that is acceptable :)

  • Get the Headrush 112 or the 108 and save $100, they are both loud enough to gig with as I have done in the past, or just bedroom jam. And more importantly the Headrush powered speakers sound GREAT with the Kemper, its a perfect match imo.

  • Get the Headrush 112 or the 108 and save $100, they are both loud enough to gig with as I have done in the past, or just bedroom jam. And more importantly the Headrush powered speakers sound GREAT with the Kemper, its a perfect match imo.

    Yamaha DXR10 also was the one to sound GREAT with the Kemper, but it was just louder that studio monitors and had a little punch, but was missing amp-in-the-room feeling big time.


    I don't believe that a plastic box with a speaker can give GREAT results with guitar. Off course depending on the expectations.


    Off course Headrush 112/110/108 will sound better than any studio monitors, because of size (louder, more "body"). Better than headphones, because on room acoustics, but it will not sound amazing as algorithm1010 - for that I'm sure one need a speaker in wood/birch enclosure of proper size.

  • Yamaha DXR10 also was the one to sound GREAT with the Kemper, but it was just louder that studio monitors and had a little punch, but was missing amp-in-the-room feeling big time.


    I don't believe that a plastic box with a speaker can give GREAT results with guitar. Off course depending on the expectations.


    Off course Headrush 112/110/108 will sound better than any studio monitors, because of size (louder, more "body"). Better than headphones, because on room acoustics, but it will not sound amazing as algorithm1010 - for that I'm sure one need a speaker in wood/birch enclosure of proper size.

    I dont think anyone would be able to tell the difference between plastic or wood. Especially when dealing with a solid state head to begin with. Plus the last thing you want with any profile is a cabinet adding color.

  • I dont think anyone would be able to tell the difference between plastic or wood. Especially when dealing with a solid state head to begin with.

    Properly designed (of which the Yamaha is), no one will hear the plastic vs wood. For guitar-specific speakers? Perhaps a different story. But everything in an FRFR (should) be designed to deliver the least coloration. The power amp won't care about its enclosure, but the speaker will be highly affected.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I can definitely hear a difference between plastic cabinets and wood when it comes to speakers. The wood cabinets have a richer sound. I use the poly cabs for my PA gear and they sound pretty decent but I have heard the difference using the exact same speaker load in poly and wood and the wood sounded a lot better. The poly cabinets are just convenient and lighter weight. The sound difference in a venue is probably not detectable by most people.

  • Properly designed (of which the Yamaha is), no one will hear the plastic vs wood. For guitar-specific speakers? Perhaps a different story. But everything in an FRFR (should) be designed to deliver the least coloration. The power amp won't care about its enclosure, but the speaker will be highly affected.

    I'm good with that, no doubt that a power amp will add allot more color to the profile then plastic vs wood...when it comes to solid state that is. If I am using a Marshall tube amp, thats a different story.

  • Properly designed (of which the Yamaha is), no one will hear the plastic vs wood. For guitar-specific speakers? Perhaps a different story. But everything in an FRFR (should) be designed to deliver the least coloration. The power amp won't care about its enclosure, but the speaker will be highly affected.

    Power amp doesn't care about an enclosure, but speaker moves in this enclosure and why are guitar cabs not built with plastic? I think speaker<->enclosure cooperation plays major role in perceived amplified guitar sound.


    Yamaha DXR10 may be good, for vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar (piezo) but in my opinion the complexity of amplified guitar sound is somehow meant to be played by solid wood/birch cabinet. Just my opinion. Soon I will compare DXR10 to FRFR with birch enclosure and will get back with results.

  • I'm good with that, no doubt that a power amp will add allot more color to the profile then plastic vs wood.

    Not if you use the right power amp. As JEverly pointed out - the same speaker in different enclosures will sound different. Way more than two different clean amps of similar quality.

    Something like a DXR110 was built as a unit. The enclosure, amp, speaker and horn weren't just thrown in a plastic box and called good. There's a fair amount of sonic wizardry that went in to 'tuning' it.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • I can definitely hear a difference between plastic cabinets and wood when it comes to speakers. The wood cabinets have a richer sound. I use the poly cabs for my PA gear and they sound pretty decent but I have heard the difference using the exact same speaker load in poly and wood and the wood sounded a lot better. The poly cabinets are just convenient and lighter weight. The sound difference in a venue is probably not detectable by most people.

    Sure, audience doesn't care if you amplify your guitar with DXR10 od 4x12 Mesa Boogie. They care about emotions that music brings to them. I would say, that people wouldn't know if you play Kemper or 150$ ZOOM.


    But I'm convinced (and will soon have a chance to try) that all the hype of FRFR in plastic boxes falls apart, when the cabinet is solid, heavy and made of wood/birch.

  • Power amp doesn't care about an enclosure, but speaker moves in this enclosure and why are guitar cabs not built with plastic? I think speaker<->enclosure cooperation plays major role in perceived amplified guitar sound.


    Yamaha DXR10 may be good, for vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar (piezo) but in my opinion the complexity of amplified guitar sound is somehow meant to be played by solid wood/birch cabinet. Just my opinion. Soon I will compare DXR10 to FRFR with birch enclosure and will get back with results.

    I think that's all true with tube amps...not solid state.

  • Not if you use the right power amp. As JEverly pointed out - the same speaker in different enclosures will sound different. Way more than two different clean amps of similar quality.

    Something like a DXR110 was built as a unit. The enclosure, amp, speaker and horn weren't just thrown in a plastic box and called good. There's a fair amount of sonic wizardry that went in to 'tuning' it.

    But maybe DXR10 doesn't serve primarily as a guitar speaker, yet it is recommended everywhere.