QSC K12.2 Review & Tips, after 1 year of use.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 เม.ย. 2019
- Let's examine the QSC K12.2 speakers after using them for a year. How much louder than the legacy K series are they? How about the DEEP function being gone? Check out this 'after 1 year' review.
0:51 Initial thoughts
2:52 New mesh coverings
3:14 Powerup time
4:24 DSP thoughts
7:16 Why I use rear only LED
7:54 Cooling system review
8:15 The covers
8:41 Final thoughts
My business:
Website: www.andrewyatesdj.com
Instagram: djandrewyates
Gear: www.andrewyatesdj.com/equipment.html
Excellent 1 year review. Thanks for the time you put into this!
Thanks Tim.
Great video. You getting to the point and laying everything out clearly is a breath of fresh air.
I appreciate that!
WHEW...……. the way it started off I was waiting for you to say they're junk as I missed your review and just bought these but, it sounds like I did my research.... Great...
Always ran these on default but you are right, run them in live and the vocal range is accented more with an overall crisper feel to the audio spectrum. Thanks
Great review! I mixed a show on a couple of these recently and they replaced the KW122's. I was very doubtful that these would perform as well, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did. More in the headroom department plus better processing in my opinion.
Great review. Thanks for the tips. QSC has a great product.
I personally run 4 k.2/12.
4 k-subs
2 ks118.
A big rig. However I was asked to do a small gig. 100 people no problem... until they changed the room when I got there.
250 people in big room.
Had just 2 x k2/12 and 2 k-subs.
Well had it running very hard was a bit concerned at peak of the night. At the end put my hand on the amp area just "slightly warm."
Never clipped. So for me I was very impressed, and continue to be so.
Sweet
Your full set up must found amazing
An honest review. Tanks!
I reckon the drivers inside are well less open up you see i did with my rcf stamped drivers! Deep function did work! Have they or updating there subs yet? Is this new k.2 got better tweeter driver
Nice review. Thanks
Great Info...….. thanks Bub...
Thanks a lot for this great review, Andrew. Very helpful. (And thanks for speaking in a natural, normal voice rather than trying to sound like a morning-show D.J. with a lame attempts at being funny, as so many TH-cam reviewers do 🤣) Keep up the good work.
Portable power source for one of these speakers for 2 hours of play? What size portable battery would I need? thanks
great rundown! Ive also have owned them for a year now and i have to say it is one of the best purchases ive ever done. As far as headroom and power, even for large venues amd larger crowds i dont even use my subs, theyve been collecting dust because these speakers are so powerful and ive never gone past the 2 oclock mark
I'm doing some research and I can't decide between this QSC K12.2 or Bose F1 812 ? I'm looking to expand and buy subwoofers later on but I just don't know wich brand to get married to.. I want to use it for Live shows and DJ shows as well.. what do you recommend?
Have you considered using QSC TouchMix for mixing? They are directly mated to the cabs.
What would be the optimal setting with these subwoofers if Im using the K12 QSC Tops and 2 or 1 QSC subwoofers 80% or 100% crossover etc. Party for about 100-200 ppl? I have Rane One Mixer?? 4 speaker or 3 speaker setup.
Great review! I have a some of these and I love them. Thinking of getting some CP8s for my small house parties. Thanks for sharing.
they get hot quick
Great review!! I have a question for you. Is there any way to use the 3 mm iPod jack and connect the two speakers together with an XLR still? Or will the 3 mm jack only work for that one speaker?
I read on another post that one guy adds 2 dB to the lows, and cuts 1 - 1.5 dB on the two highs for DJ EQ settings. That would make sense to run the Default or Live settings that way, so you would have a little more low-end, without going to the overly low-enhanced Dance setting. Again, great job!!
Thanks. You can use the 3mm jack and XLR with the "ABC" out to go to your next K12.2 (or any other speaker technically...). That is the output for all three channels, so make sure you don't have anything in input A or B you don't want going to the other speaker.
As for the EQ, the internal EQ of the K.2 series does now allow 'pushing' of the signal, only reducing so as to not promote any possible distortion. You can add bass with an external mixer obviously. I really like Default or Live and post EQ on my Yamaha MG mixers or directly with the DDJ-SZ.
@@AndrewYates Thanks for the info on the micro-jack! I just found out tonight as well about not being able to boost any of the frequencies with the internal EQ. I also have a Yamaha MG (20) mixer, so I boosted the lows about 2-3 dB on the board. Haven't used the K12.2s live yet...with Covid looming.
Hey thanks, great video. Does this model have Bluetooth? Also, if I run iPhone through the cord does it still use max power for that input?Thanks
No bluetooth on the K.2 series. As for the 1/4 mini input for phones etc...I'm not really sure if it will 'max out' very well, but I've goofed around with it and it's been fairly loud without distortion.
Just took two 12k.2s and two 18” k series subs too the bush and omg these things pump. We ran the system at near full for a minute you couldn’t stand within 20 metres of system almost blew our heads clean of our shoulders. The subs are so tight and responsive AMAZING AMAZING so much freaking power and the the sound quality was flawless.
That's all I needed to hear.
Great speaker
Nice Video! Could you please do a Video like this about your ev ekx 18sp. Like a review after some years?
I will :)
Thanks for the review. Do you think these are good for outdoor techno DJ set for around 50 people? Im new to this :)
Yes, absolutely, QSC is great reliable mobile gear. Get a subwoofer for sure though.
Just bought A pair of K.2 and I’m connecting them to JBL 15 inch subs.
This is for live band performance. My concern is the right connection from the mixer . K.2 has hi-pass channel input 2 and subs have hi-pass button, my question is what is the best way to hook up this system to work efficiently and getting the low end to the subs ??
The "Input 2" you're referring to is the "Hi-Z" second input on the 12.2, it's for instruments.
FIRST: Select the low pass frequency on the K12.2. In the menu where it says no sub/80/100/120hz, select the matching frequency that the JBL subs suggest setting tops to, or if they have preset pass filters, match them to one of the 12.2's frequencies. (Probably 80 or 100 hz) You're 12.2 will now only produce sounds above that frequency, the subs will handle the lows.
THEN - Choose either: A) Send sound from your mixer to both the K12.2 and JBL subs from separate outputs on the mixer (like a "master" to the K12.2's and a "booth" output to the subs...etc) which allows separate control of each
B) Send "master" output to the subs, then output from the subs to the K12.2's (likely the most common way..)
I just bought a pair of 12.2....been using K12s.....with K-Subs....per the manual, the KSubs get the input from the mixer......then daisy chain to the K12s.......is that how you connect the K12.2s? The quick start page is confusing...thanks for your help!
If done right, you could technically run it either direction, but yes subs to k12.2 will work fine.
I have Electro Voice 15” XLR-BT 1000w that I will be using to DJ bars mostly….I was thinking about getting these QSC speakers because they are 2000w and my Electro Voice speakers seem to run close to the limit or at the limit and I tried just about all settings possible? Is this a good decision to swap speakers or just keep what I have? Thanks and great review!
EV makes great mobile gear (most recently used the ZXA Sub, ELX and EKX series previously), and with the price increase on these K.2 series, it really all depends on how much you're doing. I like these, use them every weekend for the last several years. If you need a bit more, I would consider maybe the EKX series or especially the Yamaha DXR12-MKII. Those Yamahas are no joke.
Hi do your RCF subs go well with your QSC K12.2 ‘s do they blend well together ?
I made a review of the RCF's, they go GREAT with the K.2 series! th-cam.com/video/TpMen0nM2hI/w-d-xo.html
Great review and you brought up the fact that some frequencies get lost in dance mode which I noticed too so I added more mid range via the EQ to try to “help” it out. My legacy k10s are really well balanced and really hit hard when paired with a sub, so not sure how the original k12s sounded but doin what I can to maximize the use of the K12.2 without having to lug a sub.
They sound perfect for my purpose. However, is there any way to mute Fx ( vocals / acoustic guitar ) in between songs ?
Yeah, buy a mixer
Hey sir, my school is going to purchase 2 new speakers to use at some outdoor dances (200-300 people), in their theatre (200 seat standard theatre), and as PA for a couple of band events. Right now they are debating between 2 bose F1 812 and 2 qsc k12.2. Can you provide any insight for what may be better? The experts at Sweet Wa ter say the Bose because they carry farther and don't drop out once you get to 50-100 ft away. I am looking for some real world feedback. Thanks!
For me, the QSC has additional options like delay, multiple sub crossovers, and multiple presets for various applications (dance, live, monitor, hand mic etc..) which makes it more versatile for a variety of school events in my opinion.
I've had the KW122 for a couple of years now. Anybody compare these two? I know the difference between the KW vs the Legacy was it sounded warmer. The Highs do get a little harsh with my 122's pushed.
The K12.2's get harsh too
Some reviews mention standby hissing noise whereas the original k was completely silence, is it true and it is noticeable? How close would you have to be to hear it? Or only in quiet room?
Good question, I had not even given a second thought to any excess noise. Went back and checked today, and there IS indeed a slight hissing. I could hear it, about 6 inches away, in a totally quiet garage. A total non issue in my book. Not anywhere near a level that will ever be noticeable under working conditions.
@@AndrewYates Whew...……. After all the praising I thought things had gone to Hell but you say it's no biggie and still good... Great Bub!!!
Hi DJ Andrew, so if I was to use an external mixer with these, what inputs would need to be used on the speaker?
I don't know you're exact setup, but generally you would still just use Input 1, set to "line" and go from there. I use a Yamaha MG series mixer at every event and run it this way.
@@AndrewYates Hey thanks for getting back, yes your right, I did some more research and input 1 is where my speaker line goes. I'm using a A&H QU16 digital mixer.
Deep is now dance mode for the most part
I am thinking to get one because I think I blow out my mackie 1300 watt lol so if I do get a k12 I don’t want too much bass going to it so u say default or live it better because I already have a sub so I don’t want no bass get to the k12.2 if I get one
Great review. Heard these at the store and it was like … DAMN!.... clean and fantastic depth from a 12". BTW ….what subwoofer using with it?
Now using RCF 705 AS II with them, review video done:
th-cam.com/video/TpMen0nM2hI/w-d-xo.html
@@AndrewYates still using the RCF? Do you use two subs with two k12.2s?
can u share the name and type of speaker covers you have on those??
They're the official QSC covers, you can get them most places that sell gear. A great investment! www.pssl.com/QSC-Outdoor-Cover-for-K12-Powered-PA-Speaker
Did you do the 1.2.0 firmware update? I've had a problem with my k10.2 low-frequency driver failed and this update is supposed to be the fix for it. QSC is saying without the update and when playing at loud volume the amplifier will not protect the low-frequency driver like it should.
The problem is known to be a possible K10.2 issue only - but as a precaution K8.2 and K12.2 owners are told to update also, so I will be soon to my 8's and 12's. It's a "Windows Only" update so make sure you have a Windows PC or Laptop available to do it.
@@AndrewYates yeah it's kind of weird to me that it's the same amp on all three speakers but just the K10 seems to have the issue, I take it that the settings are set up differently on all three speakers and somehow the K10 was not programmed properly.
I don't understand why people complaining about the boat up time. 10 seconds is not the end of the world lol
its because those who complain about it are those who try to convince their girlfriends that seven seconds is a long time...
Fr! As long as it works!
good info, very detailed since you've run them for a year would you buy again if you had the chance to do it over would you purchase again?
I certainly would. I loved the legacy K series, and was actually nervous that somehow these wouldn't be able to match them. They easily do, and then some. The build quality alone gives me less stress as I'm setting up wedding after wedding realizing that I do not have to worry about them. Legit quality portable sound.
yeah I'm a fan of the k series sound, so if the k2 is as good as you say I'm in. how do you think they stack up against the EV ETX line in there class and size?
ETX is a warmer sound for sure, can get a bit louder also - but it's also a birch plywood cabinet that's about $400 more while being 13lb heavier per speaker at every event you do. For most mobile events, K12.2 is a winner and has tons of headroom, especially with a subwoofer.
Hey, I'm upgrading to one of these.
I'm very confused about the power level.
Normal plugs in a household are 1500watt. The amp is 2000watt even at peak that means at louder volumes there is a chance of blowing the whole circuit?? Very confused
If anyone can clarify that'd be great
I am NOT an electrician, but this is not an issue at all. Speaker companies love to state peak power, and users subsequently love to refer to the speaker as a 2000w or 1500w or whatever - but that is not a very accurate statement. Peak power is what a speaker is theoretically capable of handling - often only for a brief second - but is not an expected continuous load wattage. I run both my K12.2 (and Mackie's, and Yamaha's, etc) on one outlet easily - at very loud volumes for hours, with no issues. A self powered speaker that states 2000w peak, is typically 1000w continuous, and many users are using it even less that that normally.
A wall outlet, either standard 15 or 20 amp or the big ones I've used at some nightclub and concert venues (40amp), are also capable of a very brief overload before they trip - and you'll have to really overload it to cause a trip. A K12.2 is probably pulling between (2-5 maybe?) amps at any given time. We used to plug two older K12's and a HPR181 sub, and six or seven lights into a 20amp outlet at a bar I was at, with no issues - until we added a fog machine, which was as expected - too much.
Bottom line, you'll be fine, enjoy the speakers. Maybe someone can clarify even more than this, but I hope this helped a bit.
Great video....... Just about to pull the trigger on a pair of these. I DJ/KJ anywhere from basements for KJ and halls (VFW, KOC, Eagles) for receptions 200 to 250 people. How are these for my variety of venues? Are they usable for small Karaoke parties without getting hot? Also, are they quiet without hiss, etc.? I know it's a lot of questions but, you have the real world experience in which I could rely on. Thanks. 👍😊
They play quite well at high and low volumes, like a cocktail hour to a packed dance floor - so they should work very well for you. The K12.2's are quiet, so any hiss will likely come from your original source, if it's good, they'll be good. I prefer to run them on "DEFAULT" and make tiny eq changes as needed track to track.
@@AndrewYates Thanks for the info., Sounds great!! 👍😊
Hello bro, great review, i am thinking to get two of these or 2 RCF j8s ? Can you advise me please!!!
It's all about event size. J8's have a much wider throw (120 vs 75 degree) but won't be as loud overall or throw as far as a K12.2 in a larger room. The J8's sound incredible and a pair would be wonderful for smaller to medium sized rooms. Really good and full sound, especially for vocals. Just depends on overall needs. K12.2 will get louder if you need a little extra boom.
@@AndrewYates so how many people could 2 j8s handle, do they have good base ? if i play Dj dance music, house and mostly everything.. please advise
Would be nice if they added bluetooth to control all the sound setting from an app (eq, etc) and to stream music from a phone/ipad.
True, however I will say that much of the BT speakers out there (at least the few I've tried, including my new Mackie V-Class) are somewhat unreliable with the BT functions & streaming and I don't really trust is at events, especially weddings.
I have the Qsc 10.2. What is the best setting with the onboard eq which will give me the most bass?
The most bass is the DSP "Club Mode" and I would leave the EQ alone. QSC only allows for cutting the EQ on these boxes, not boosting it. Their rationale is that people get in trouble with booted EQ very quickly.
Much appreciated, thank you!
What sub do you use with the k12.2....and do you recommend selling my k12 (legacy) for the k12.2
RCF SUB-705 AS-II, in a pair when need be. If you can store them, keep the legacy K12's, but they do sell pretty easily, mine went quick.
That’s the way the RCF ART 910’s it’s a powerful clean speaker as well
RCF makes fantastic gear. I like the inputs on the K12.2. more, but the 910 sounds wonderful.
I've got one in my possession now that has a power issue and I can't find a video where people will actually tell the problem especially in English.
Too bad there’s no deep setting anymore. Is there an EQ setting to replicate the old deep setting?
In the DSP here "Dance" is the newer version of DEEP. I think like many said when these came out, losing DEEP was a disappointment. So there's a tradeoff: with "Dance" you keep a bit of headroom, but it's not as low as "DEEP" was. "DEEP" was great, but you lost throw and headroom.
"Yes it has the locking XLR's" - I hope they are better than the old K series XLR locks. They vibrate so bad I can hear them at fairly loud volumes. I have to wedge a piece of rubber in them to get it to stop. That, needless to say, sucks!
Much better, no issues and I've had them pretty much maxed out.
“Can’t film with a train going by” LOL
You think you would have been satisfied with 10.2's at your events?
Yeah, probably. I remember the original K10 was basically the ultimate secret weapon: paired with a subwoofer it was truly the best of both worlds in that it was compact, but loud, and threw at 90 degrees (K12 is 75) so it was perfect for most mobile use. I continue to stay with the 12's for just that little bit more, though I typically don't need it.
On my both QSC K2 K10.2's i have the EQ Hz levels all the way down to the 100Hz Low, 50Hz and 200Hz, 1,000Hz and the EQ and Low and High on the lowest Hertz and dB all the way dow nwith the EQ on the IN point. Low 0dB, both EQ's on -6dB and the High's on 0dB. because both EQ point's in the pre'amp, puts out intense mids so i rather minimize that by doing both EQ point's on the -6dB (lowest it can go) and the hertz all the way down to the lowest which is, High's is 0dB of 1,000,both middle EQ's on -6dB of 50 and 200, and 0dB on the Lows. EQ setting's. I feel comfortable with Live setting and also the Studio Monitor setting with my manual EQ input i selected in the built in manual/auto EQ. I think it just sound's much cleaner/clearer like that. i've had my 2 QSC K2 K10.2's for like2 or 3 year's now aswell. I'm thinking of upgrading to the Mackie Thump's to the 15's instead of 12's but 12's are also good sizes but i chose the QSC K2 k10's instead. I have had Rockville 15 800's before and those sounded really good tbh. I wanted to like try another pair/set of speaker's that is alittle smaller and higher wattage and SPL to hear and see the difference. I do enjoy these QSC K2 k10.2's but i've been thinking of soon upgrading to the Mackie thump 15 series... The downside / sad thing is that it doesn't have the App compatiblity and no bluetooth ability. So i wanna try out the mackie thump series that does include the app compatibility and bluetooth ability.
Thanks for this video. I own the K10 and absolutely love the deep bass setting on it. When I lately purchased these K12.2 I was disappointed in the sound as I use it as a wedding DJ and even on the “Dance” mode was missing the Bass punch. So I decided to update the firmware & increase the 4-band parametic equaliser Low output setting to 200hz and bingo that was it made a huge difference. I’ve driven the speakers at 75% or 3'O clock volume and mixer i do not allow it to peak a bit of the yellow is fine but definitely no red. It’s sound superb though with the right amount of deep bass that i like when i have a dancing crowd in front with the speaker at the right hight. Ay comments/ feedback would be greatly appreciated.
There is certainly more headroom on the K12.2 series. I came from legacy K's also and now my events are about 75% weddings, so we're in the same boat. Everyone, including myself loved DEEP on the legacy series, because indeed it sounded awesome. It caused you to run out of headroom faster though, and didn't carry all the far in big rooms etc.
I've really grown to like these K.2 series a lot. Now, I only use them with my RCF subs, so that is certainly a factor. They carry well though and with toasts/speeches at wedding the feedback is minimal when you have to push your mics when guests are holding them 25 inches from their mouth...haha.
I own these speakers and two Qsc k18 subs. No problem with bass lol
We love these speakers mainly used for electronic music parties. Never have we needed to push them the sound is phenomenal for the price $.
We have run them for 48hrs strait in the heat with no problems.
Highly recommended
How did u update the firmware
@Damage 2k15 If you go to the QSC website & look for Loudspeakers/Portable & then select the model you have. Coz, i have the K12.2 i have selected it. On the page select "K2 firmware update - amplifier protection improvements" on this page you have a video showing you how to update the firmware via windows or Mac. Hope it helps...
@@tomhicks1009 Great to read that it works for the kind of music that you play. I've got my QSC K12.2 paired with the 1xKS112 for weddings/ functions up to 100pax. For bigger shows up to 200pax i use my 2xBeta Three 18" bins.
How do you handle feedback..?
My use is exclusively at corporate, wedding, or bar events - but of course ensuring proper mic gain is key, and that nobody stands too close to the QSC. I typically leave the speaker in 'Default', but 'Hand Mic' is supposed to help with feedback issues - depending on the type of use you're employing. I have no issues.
Good review but it's important to realize that the speaker is only as good as the source input quality.Not all mixers have a decent eq and introduce noise
Totally agree
no bluethooth?
No bluetooth. Typically pro applications are not using bluetooth, though a few manufactures do put it in there. My Mackie V-Class has it, but I never use it.
My k10s went into shut down mode before a wedding gig...let me down badly..sold them next day
Frustrating for sure. There was a firmware update that addressed this known issue, which was indeed most prominent in the K10.2's. I have never had these 12's or my 8.2's shut down, ever, with bout 300+ events or so on them
Ye..they were all updated too ..couldn't run the risk again ...they can also sound tinny with a lot of spill of sound from the backs of them ..I replaced with rcf 745s..superior
Are you a DJ, or a musician?
I use the K12.2 in various DJ settings and for presentations with multiple wireless mics.
After 4 yrs has your opinion has changed ?
I would like to know as well.. I have JBL EON 15s and im wondering if getting these K12s would make a significant difference or if it would be a downgrade since K12s are 12inch and the JBLs are 15inch.
I am STILL using these, they've been rock solid. I'm doing about 40 events per year, mostly outdoor weddings. I've got the EQ dialed in, and using RCF 705-ASII subs with them, just great. Week in, week out, just solid performers. Have the K12.2 pair, and K8.2 pair. Typically use them in 'default', using a slight mid/high eq push, and sometimes 'dance'.
K12.2 is typically considered to be a bit better than any EON series. Used the older EONs years ago. The K's are better, how much better is pretty subjective, but I believe it would be noticeable, even vs a 15" EON.
Anything guitar center keeps in stock it's high consumer level not pro
They are WAY too bright. They advertise flat response, but IF that is true, they are using white noise, not pink noise. They have NO low mids.
Expected you to sh#t on them the way the video started
Contradiction
🤔
who cares about the boot up time?
🤔some tech geeks do
QSC is garbage. If you want quality - buy RCF.
Great review! I mixed a show on a couple of these recently and they replaced the KW122's. I was very doubtful that these would perform as well, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did. More in the headroom department plus better processing in my opinion.