Powerhead sounds digital and cold compared to Unpowered

  • My Wife and Daughter concur.


    Right now...


    I'm running the powerhead and the unpowrered version side by side with the exact same settings.


    Unless there is another settings being overlooked...


    The unpowered head sound and feels more natural and warm. Makes me want to play more!


    The powerhead sounds more on the cold and sterile side.


    I'm thinking there may be either a settings I'm overlooking on the powerhead OR...


    The power amp section somehow detracts from the tone?

  • I'm running both heads into my Apollo Twin.


    Same cable into Main Output ( left ).


    Same exact rigs and settings. Clean and dirty.


    Unpowered sounds more natural, warm and musical.


    Powerhead sounds more cold, digital and sterile.


    These are small differences, but enough to make me enjoy playing the unpowered and not enjoy the Powerhead nearly as much.

  • Create some reamping files using the exact same backup restored on both units and if you still think they sound different open a ticket on the Kemper support page. Maybe one of your units is faulty. Units that work as expected do not exhibit any sound difference.

  • No, it's not broken.


    I was thinking there may be a setting I overlooked in the power section or something. I'm only grasping at straws.


    I honestly think the added power section influences the sound.


    This is not a crazy assumption. Added circuitry will influence the sound of any amp. I know this is digital and not analog, but I can hear the difference between these two versions. The unpowered head sounds more natural in a good way.

  • Create some reamping files using the exact same backup restored on both units and if you still think they sound different open a ticket on the Kemper support page. Maybe one of your units is faulty. Units that work as expected do not exhibit any sound difference.

    I don't know anything about reamping files or backups. The best I could do is make a recording of both units side by side. The powerhead doesn't sound broken or faulty, just not as natural as the unpowered. It's spliting hairs I suppose, but enough to make me enjoy playing the unpowered over the powered version.

  • reamping is the only valid way to detect differences, especially subtle ones. If you are confident that there is a difference and you want support to find out what is causing it you need to send a reamped file and a DI track.

    Creating a backup on a USB stick is explained in the main manual that you can download for free from our website.

  • If you're using the main outs on the powered Kemper, you're not using the internal power amp anyway. Only the mono Speaker out would have the power amp, using a speaker cable to a non-powered cabinet like a regular guitar speaker cabinet. You would never connect the speaker out to an interface or a powered cabinet like a studio monitor. If you're not seeing a single Speaker out on the back of your Kemper then it's not a powered Kemper.


    No poweramp. They are both going into my Apollo Twin and coming out of my monitor speakers.

    When you say no poweramp, you mean the monitor speakers are powered, right? Otherwise you wouldn't be hearing anything.


    So if you're using the main outs on both the powered and unpowered Kemper there is no Kemper side power amp involved and you'd be using both as non-powered Kempers. The amp in both cases would be in your studio monitors. So if all setting are the same, both should sound the same.

  • So if you're using the main outs on both the powered and unpowered Kemper there is no Kemper side power amp involved and you'd be using both as non-powered Kempers. The amp in both cases would be in your studio monitors. So if all setting are the same, both should sound the same.

    Yes, this is exactly my setup. There is no poweramp involved. This is why I am concluding the power amp in the circuit simply alters the end result sound whether it's being used or not. The unpowered sounds more natural and musical than the powerhead. Perhaps most people wouldn't hear the difference, I'm not sure. But I know I can hear and feel it.

  • Yes, this is exactly my setup. There is no poweramp involved. This is why I am concluding the power amp in the circuit simply alters the end result sound whether it's being used or not. The unpowered sounds more natural and musical than the powerhead. Perhaps most people wouldn't hear the difference, I'm not sure. But I know I can hear and feel it.

    since you report the same differences after you switched off the power amp we can exclude that one from being the cause. Please follow my advice about creating a backup on a USB stick on the unpowered Profiler and restore that in the powered one for a valid comparison.

  • I'm running both heads into my Apollo Twin.

    The Apollo Twin and/or DAW settings may be slightly different for the two input channels. Even a small gain difference could make one Profiler feel different than the other.


    Try exchanging the two outputs of the Profilers into the input channels. Does doing that change which Profiler sounds/feels better?


    If so, there are settings in the Apollo and/or the DAW causing this issue.


    If not, there are differences in the settings in the Profilers. My guess is any differences are in the Input Menu and/or the Output Menu.

  • I'm using the same input. I'm switching out the cable in the back of each Kemper. If there are any chances, it would be differences in the input or output menu of the Kemper.

    You haven't compared the Kemper settings?


    Just go through the 2 input pages and the 8 pages of Output settings on the two Kempers to make sure they're set the same. There aren't many settings to check so it should only take a minute to check. Or you could just check them in Rig Manager if you're using that for both.


    Aside from that, you're sure the rigs are exactly the same on both? No edits? Nothing locked on one that might not be locked on the other?

  • You haven't compared the Kemper settings?


    Just go through the 2 input pages and the 8 pages of Output settings on the two Kempers to make sure they're set the same. There aren't many settings to check so it should only take a minute to check. Or you could just check them in Rig Manager if you're using that for both.


    Aside from that, you're sure the rigs are exactly the same on both? No edits? Nothing locked on one that might not be locked on the other?

    Not entirely sure regarding input and output settings yet. I will check these tonight after work. Thanks!