Kemper Powered Kabinet vs Laney LFR-112

  • Hello all!


    I’m looking at investing in the stage, which looks to be perfect for me for live use and also studio use.


    I’ve been researching a lot over the past week and have found lots of people talking about the Laney LFR-112 and how it is a good buy for the unpowered Kemper.


    I’ve also seen that Kemper do their own active ‘kabinet’ which is about £130 more but has additional features for the profiler which may come in handy.


    The questions I have are as follows -


    Does anyone use the Laney that has also used the Kemper kabinet, and which one is better/why?

    Would one kabinet be loud enough for gigging? (We play alternative rock so can get quite loud).


    Have you used one powered kabinet for gigs? The kabinet would be the main source of guitar sound. I probably wouldn’t be crowding the PA with Kemper goodness as we already have backing track and vocals filling them.


    I’ve seen people using two kabinets to achieve stereo but that is out of my budget and I think my partner would kill me :/


    This is the most I’ve spent on gear so sorry for the big post, just wanna make the right choice :)


    cheers in advance!

  • Additional information -


    I’ve been using a fender mustang III version 2 which has been loud enough. It states to be 100W. I know the kabinet is 200W and the Laney is 200W, but I’ve heard that the Laney is louder for some reason. So just worried about being able to match volumes with the mustang, as I’ve got a loud drummer

  • Keep in mind - the Kone and Kabinet are meant for monitoring and give you a true amp-in-the-room sound using the imprints. You can use the imprints with the Laney and might even like the results. But they will not be what Kemper intended.


    Without the imprints, the Laney will give you a mic'd cabinet sound.


    The Kone can certainly work as a primary source. You will get poor results if you try to close-mic a Kone (which is stated in the manual).


    With a 200 watt amp, it will outrun the Mustang III with zero issues. That's from personal experience. I hav a Kabinet, as well as V1 and V2 Mustang III amps.

    I play with a loud drummer and I have zero issues with keeping up. Never even a consideration.

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

  • Ethan,


    Check out this video to find out what to expect from the powered Kabinet. In the video, Thomas Dill is using a powered head and an unpowered Kabinet, but you can expect the same tones and functionality. Listen with good-quality headphones to get the most value out of the video.


    Kemper Tone Tips - Volume 3 - Kemper Kabinet

  • I had the Laney for a bit and really liked it. It sounds very amp-like especially if you turn up the Pure Cab setting. I ended up trading it for some other gear because the pandemic had me not playing live with a band anymore. I would personally recommend that over the Kabinet because you can also use it for other modelers should you decide to try something else out.


    I personally don't see the value in the Kabinet. If you want to have a cab-in-the-room sound just for your own personal monitoring, then use a real guitar cab. If you want to monitor yourself with your profile's cab, then use an FRFR.

  • I never tried the Laney FRFR but I own 2 Headrush FRFR 108 and 2 Yamaha DXR12. I did A/B comparisons.
    I also own a Kabinet, not powered becaus I have the Kemper Power Head. The Kabinet is great! Really !!! If you play clean profiles, and you use the right imprints, you get great results. Same with Gain and High Gain.

    But you can even improove that. Take a 2x12 cabinet and install 2 Kones. That's what I'm using right now and I prefer it definitely over the 1x12 Kabinet (which is great for playing at home). 2x12 gives a fuller sound and a better feel. If you played 1x12 comos before, you might not need it, but if you were used to play 2x12 or even 4x12, give it a try :)


    With the 2x12 Kone loaded cabinet, the sound is so good, that sometiems I just can't stop playing guitar... ;)


    For example the Harley Benton GPA-400 is cheap and works great. So you could have a cheap and very powerfull solution!


    Conclusion: In my opinion, if you just want to hear yourself, you can use FRFR, they can be more practical. If you want to have FUN playing, Kone/Kabinet is a miracle. They also sound great for acoustic guitar... really!

    never thought that I would like the Kemper that much...! 8|

  • Additional information -


    I’ve been using a fender mustang III version 2 which has been loud enough. It states to be 100W. I know the kabinet is 200W and the Laney is 200W, but I’ve heard that the Laney is louder for some reason. So just worried about being able to match volumes with the mustang, as I’ve got a loud drummer

    for me the 1x12 Kabinet was definitely not loud enough with a loud drummer. (some people here seem to have other loud dummers or louder Kabinets) Mine started smelling, so it definitely did not work. I called then Kemper Support and they told me that 1x12 can never replace 2x12 or even 4x12, that's physics ;) I'd have to use 2 Kabinets or put 2 Kones in a 2x12, what I did => Solution for me

    never thought that I would like the Kemper that much...! 8|

  • I tried Laney FR-112 which was supposed to be the ultimate of FRFR, but it hasn't been in my eyes/ears. Boomy is the first word that comes to my mind.


    I had unpowered Kabinet, but didn't find much difference to DXR10, so I returned it.


    What I learned during the time of me playing guitar - learn to play well and that starts from accepting and appreciating how you play and progress. Then you don't care if you play with 8" speaker from Line6 Spider or 4x12 1960A Marshall cab. Off course this does not apply to those, who "can" play. Seeking for good gear is a rabbit hole, when you're not satisfied with your playing.

  • V8guitar had the Laney and now has the Kabinet. He also plays in a fairly loud band so he will give you a good overview.

    Sorry but I haven't had the Laney FR-112, I used to run a Laney amp and a Laney 4x12 though :). I also run the unpowered Kabinet rather than the powered kabinet but it has the same limit of 200watts so should be the same.


    What I can tell you is:


    1) Is the Kabinet loud enough....totally. I play in a loud rock band, I have NO issue in keeping up with the other guitarists 4x12 and have loads of headroom. I have even cranked it up beyond gig/rehearsal volume and none of us could stand being in the room at 50 watts...it was painful.

    2) However, I ALWAYS put my amps through the PA, not for volume but balance. Run any amp back line and anyone past the first 3 lines of people will not hear the guitar.

    3) Don't bother with stereo IMHO. Doubling up will up your volume but I don't think its worth it..