8", 10" or 12" Tops

[PearlWhiteGT]

I recently acquired a single QSC KSub and now trying to decide what tops I should match it with. This system will be used for my own family gatherings and backyard parties. Originally had a pair of behringer 15" tops with a single 18" behringer sub and it worked great for my purposes but was more of a pain in the ass to lug around and also took up too much space in my room. My plans were to downsize in the equipment but still keep a good sound system if possible. My thoughts were to just sell everything and purchase a pair of used QSC K12's since they provide pretty decent bass but I had a offer to trade my sub for the KSub so did that deal. It sounds pretty good and takes up less space, also easier to lug around when needed. Based on my needs, would you guys recommend 8, 10 or 12 tops? Any advice and help would be much appreciated.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

It only takes a pair of ten inch tops to keep up with an 18" sub, a pair of eight inch tops to keep up with a 15" or 2x12" sub. You never needed a pair of fifteens to go with an 18" sub. Either they were total overkill in every respect or you didn't have enough subbage to keep up with them.

[DJ Bobcat]

When I first decided to start my mobile DJ business, I really knew virtually nothing about PA systems and speakers, and I didn’t know anybody who did. However, I knew (know) what sounds good. The first speakers I bought were 15”. I figured bigger is better; right? Not the case though. They sounded a little too muddy. So I bought a pair of 12” speakers. They were MUCH clearer and crisper, but I still wanted to add some big thump, so I bought a pair of 15” subs. I would have gone with 18” subs if not for the weight. The 12” speakers sounded good with the subs, but I decided to try a pair of 10” speakers and VOILA!!!... PERFECT!!! The 12” speakers were relegated to backup duty. I wish I had found this forum and got all that good advice before having to go through that evolution, but it all worked out.😊

[PearlWhiteGT]

Thanks. Honestly I had no idea what I was doing when I purchased the behringer system. I came across some 15" tops on craigslist and got them for cheap then later on came across the sub which I got for cheap. Now I'm just trying to do it right and get the correct tops to match. I even thought about selling the KSub and just purchasing some used K12's but I like the idea of having a sub. Would two K8's and the single KSub sound better than two K12's with no sub?

[DJ Bobcat]

...Would two K8's and the single KSub sound better than two K12's with no sub?

It kinda depends. K8’s are gonna be OK for small venues and audiences, but don’t scale up very well when you need to play larger venues IMHO. 10’s worked for me with two subs, but I could scale down to a single sub for smaller gigs.

Bill Fitzmaurice is an expert and can give you better advice than I.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Would two K8's and the single KSub sound better than two K12's with no sub?

For sure. Your mains have to be on poles, so the tweeters are above head height. Your subs should be on the ground, preferably close to a wall, clustered together if you have more than one. You can't do that if you don't have separate mains and subs.

[conanski]

Would two K8's and the single KSub sound better than two K12's with no sub?

Yes and it's not even close, a 3 way system with a dedicated sub will always sound better than a "fullrange" PA cab on a stand, the only caveat is the K8/Ksub combo may not get as loud overall. If you want to add some more scalability to the system go with k10s to start and add a second sub down the road if you feel the need.

[PearlWhiteGT]

Thanks guys. Any benefits of going with the 10.2 vs the older 10?

[light-o-matic]

What those guys said.. two K8's will keep up with a ksub and give you better results than a pair of 12's without the ksub. The K10 has a little more output and would be a better choice if you had it in mind to add a second ksub down the road or if you want to use them without the sub for ****** purposes. But either way you go you'll be pretty happy. I did a couple of house parties with my EV ZXA1's and a sub, those are also 8 inch but rated only 123 dB max output where the K8 is rated 127 max.

[PearlWhiteGT]

I like the idea of going with 10" tops without a sub for ****** purposes. Are the QSC 10.2 worth the extra cost compared to the QSC 10? How about the EV ELX-200-10P? How do they compare to the QSC K10.2?