Amplification / Speaker system for PA4X

[Christophe]

I'm currently considering a PA4x and since it does not have built in speakers, I was wondering what people used for home use.

Having seen lots of Youtube demos, I'm thinking it will only sound as good as the amp / speaker combination.

I have seen that there is a PaAs speaker option - does anyone have an opinion on it ? What about other keyboard amps etc ?

Years ago I had a Yam PSR6700 hooked up to a HiFi Mission amp and speakers. It sounded fab and you could really feel the music ( I think they could next door as well ) but also every subtlety was reproduced. So I'm looking for Hi Fi , or is it HD these days.

Any thoughts ?

Chris.

[korg1]

On my KRK Rokit 5 it sounds great,well balanced and clear bass.

For Pa use i use a cheap Mackie Thump 15 pair,but it sounds greater on YAMAHA Dbr 10 or DBR12 speakers.

[seaside]

I only play at home and have had for several weeks Korg Konnect.Best I have ever had. http://www.korg.com/uk/products/amplifiers/konnect/ Paid £449 at Andertons UK

[D575]

The PAAS is ok.. but for the money you would spend on korg's PAAS you would probably get a much better sound with a pair of Studio Monitors....i would be inclined to take your PA4X to a music store and try a few different types of monitors out according to your budget...if you do then make sure you use the MAXX-AUDIO EQ (Master EQ) at your demo and should this work out for you and you are not sure how to set up a pair of monitors back at home...check this out as a guide https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/studio ... sitioning/ also worth a mention if you go this route talk to the monitor dealer about "decoupling pads" for your monitors, foam pads are a starting point...

[Marrantz]

I use the PaAS and am very happy with it. Personally I think it has a great sound good bass and a nice full sound.
Very good for home use not for gigging.

Cheers

Steve.

[sdridentity]

For my needs, the selling point for the PaAS was the convenience vs a setup with monitors (powered or with a separate amp): no extra cables (signal/power), no separate power switch(es) and separate volume control(s), no extra stands or shelves.

And the sound quality is quite decent.

[Fransman]

Marrantz + sdridentity: +1 Very happy with it.

Good looking, compact setup with decent sound.
You're right in the middle of the sound.
Ideal for home use, but indeed a bit expensive.
You probably can find better sound quality for less money.

[Christophe]

Thanks for the comments everyone, looks like there is some great kit out there.
I can see the convenience of the PaAs with there being no wires, but I'll definitely check out some monitor speakers.

Cheers

Chris

[mabcomp]

I'm currently considering a PA4x and since it does not have built in speakers, I was wondering what people used for home use.

Having seen lots of Youtube demos, I'm thinking it will only sound as good as the amp / speaker combination.

I have seen that there is a PaAs speaker option - does anyone have an opinion on it ? What about other keyboard amps etc ?

Years ago I had a Yam PSR6700 hooked up to a HiFi Mission amp and speakers. It sounded fab and you could really feel the music ( I think they could next door as well ) but also every subtlety was reproduced. So I'm looking for Hi Fi , or is it HD these days.

Any thoughts ?

Chris.

I have the PaAs Speakers and they are good sounding and useful. To be honest I DO use them on gigs because they act as a good Monitor but obviously not as a substitute for anything. get some Behringer Studio 8" Monitors as they are very good and NOT expensive. Mind you I have still got a problem getting a decent Piano sound from Any Gigging Speakers and Ive tried lots. One comment below says take the PA4 to your Dealer and try it with different Speakers which I think is a sensible idea.

[Mystic38]

Whether you are looking for home use or pa/stage use, you cannot escape the fact that quality requires money... So if you justified the Pa4x even partly based upon its sound quality, then at least give the keyboard the chance to demonstrate it by using quality gear.

I own, and have played through $500 Yamaha HS7's and is certainly good enough for home use, though limited at low end and these would be the low end of anything i would recommend...I also have $1200 KRK VXT8 and of course its noticeably better),.Adams, focal etc...stuff that is good near field monitors.

have also through behringer PA monitors (loud, cheap, serviceable but irritating sound), Line 6 L2t monitor ($800ea and worth it) and QSC K10's, but k12's would be better, or k8s and a sub.

so, for home use, buy the best damn studio monitors you can afford, with at least a 6", and preferably 8" bass driver..they will last a decade, so dont skimp.

for stage use, again buy the best PA monitor you can afford..and if price is an issue, start with one.. you can always use something smaller and cheaper as a personal monitor if needed...

but dont feed the pa4x through low quality gear..it just makes no sense...

[chelsea4023]

Hi,
Passionate subject for me. I am a home only player and currently have a pair of Q Acoustic Concept 20 speakers, and a Wharfedale SW150 subwoofer powered by a Denon AVR receiver. I intend to change the receiver for better amplification (possibly Marantz PM6006 or Cambridge Audio CXA60).
I'm also looking at KEF LS50 speakers (which at £800 per pair could be overkill).
My system as it is sounds great (amplifier set to direct) but I'm always looking to improve.
Chris

[Christophe]

Like I said originally, it is only going to sound as good as the amp / speaker system, so same as other things, you will get what you pay for.

Since the PA4X is an expensive piece of kit to begin with, it would be easy to save a bit and plug in a cheaper pair of speakers, but my guess is that to hear it to its full capability it's going to need a decent system. That's what I have noticed about various demonstrations on YouTube - You don't see what it is playing through, so it is unlikely that it is going to sound like that at home, PaAs excepted, as that is clearly visible ( but maybe not plugged in ).

Since I'm not entirely up to speed with this stuff, I don't really know what qualifies as a 'monitor' speaker in terms of audio quality and I'm sure there are lots of LoFi monitors around.

Active speakers or separate amp ? That's another thing.

I like the HiFi option and I will be testing my Mission 753 speakers / Marantz amp, which is definitely overkill but as they don't get used since the record player retired they could get the job ( until the record player comes out of retirement ).

Lots of research / listening to be done then .

[D575]

Like I said originally, it is only going to sound as good as the amp / speaker system, so same as other things, you will get what you pay for.

Since the PA4X is an expensive piece of kit to begin with, it would be easy to save a bit and plug in a cheaper pair of speakers, but my guess is that to hear it to its full capability it's going to need a decent system. That's what I have noticed about various demonstrations on YouTube - You don't see what it is playing through, so it is unlikely that it is going to sound like that at home, PaAs excepted, as that is clearly visible ( but maybe not plugged in ).

Since I'm not entirely up to speed with this stuff, I don't really know what qualifies as a 'monitor' speaker in terms of audio quality and I'm sure there are lots of LoFi monitors around.

Active speakers or separate amp ? That's another thing.

I like the HiFi option and I will be testing my Mission 753 speakers / Marantz amp, which is definitely overkill but as they don't get used since the record player retired they could get the job ( until the record player comes out of retirement ).

Lots of research / listening to be done then .

A good HIFI for home use should work well...tune the system with MAXXAUDIO and those floorstanders should be a blast ...lets us know how this works out .... all the best.

[Asena]

Well for me BOSE L1 B2.
I got 2 of them, I can use them at home, And get perfect sound in Detail , and i can also use them for my gigs.
RECOMENDED!
EXPENSIVE BUT BEST!

[chelsea4023]

Hi,

Sorry for my previous post, I re-read it a couple of times and it looks like a "look what I've got" post. I honestly did not mean it to read like that.
Point is, as a home player (and a poor one at that) I wanted a nice sounding sound system for the PA4X without it looking like a Def Leppard P.A. stack at a live gig. I decided to go down the hi-fi route as this is more wife-friendly.
I've had a succession of Q.Acoustic speakers culminating in the Concept 20's which are an award winning, incredible value for money standmount pair of speakers that sound amazing (last second hand pair I purchased cost me £170). Due to the small size of them I added a basic Wharfedale SW150 subwoofer that cost around £70 (also secondhand). The Denon AVR receiver is around five years old and is obviously the weak link therefore I plan to replace that before anything else. Without spending a fortune, Marantz seem to make very nice stereo amps like the M6006 which get great reviews. I know for a fact that people have combined the Concept 20's with the Marantz PM range with favourable results.

You can assemble a selection of good quality hi-fi seperates, but it doesn't neccessarily mean they will work well together. I have also recently hit some stoney ground by introducing a Xenyx 1202 mixer but that minefield's for another thread.

Christophe, by the sound of it you already have the equipment required. I struggled to find a supplier for the correct cables (good quality ones) jack to phono stereo. If you have any good ones, please let me know the make. Ebay meanwhile have hundreds to choose from.

Chris

p.s. One frustrating thing I find (particularly with piano sounds) is that when you have stereo speakers either side of the keyboard the lower notes predominately come from the left speaker and the high end from the right speaker. Play it in mono but you do lose something in the sound.