Fender FR-12 compared to PXM-12. My experience so far.

I picked one up from Sweetwater earlier this week and one of the first things I noticed when I turned it in was a really loud hiss. Playing at a low bedroom level while my family was sleeping and the hiss was as loud as my output. Did some measuring the next morning and had an ambient room noise of 28-30db, and once I switched on the FR12 putting the meter right next to the grille it jumped up to around 65db with the volume at 0 and nothing plugged in. Then at about 3’ away I was still getting readings around 50db.

Called Sweetwater right after and they said that sounds way out of spec and would send a new one. Still waiting on that but seems I got a pretty bad one. Hissing aside, the sound was solid after dialing the bass back on the controls a bit! Hoping a new one will be even better.
 
dotdude said:
I picked one up from Sweetwater earlier this week and one of the first things I noticed when I turned it in was a really loud hiss. Playing at a low bedroom level while my family was sleeping and the hiss was as loud as my output. Did some measuring the next morning and had an ambient room noise of 28-30db, and once I switched on the FR12 putting the meter right next to the grille it jumped up to around 65db with the volume at 0 and nothing plugged in. Then at about 3’ away I was still getting readings around 50db.

Called Sweetwater right after and they said that sounds way out of spec and would send a new one. Still waiting on that but seems I got a pretty bad one. Hissing aside, the sound was solid after dialing the bass back on the controls a bit! Hoping a new one will be even better.
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I'm curious if the new one will be better. I hope so...
 
Following this thread. Thanks for all who have contributed. I really like the look of the FR12. Currently my rig is my FM3 or Friedman IR-X going to the fx return of my Victory V4 (class D power amp) and to my Zilla 1x12. Great tones. I also have a Redsound MF10 which is really good (albeit a bit dark) however it just doesn’t look like a cab..Most of my gigs are small pubs / clubs so the cab on back line is perfect and for bigger venues I also go to PA. Wondering if the FR12 would be a good and lighter solution but still give me that cab punch? I see it has a class D power amp which is great. Thoughts?
 
I'll defer to gigging musicians for definite answer but I can tell you these get stupid loud. I can't see them not working well for what you need as described.
 
3 Chord Rock said:
This has me really interested. MY pair of CLRs has been the grail tone for me in terms of FRFR. Unfortunately, one is dead and the other dying, and after one failed attempt at customer service with Atomic not sure I'll ever hear them again ,and not willing to buy another pair. Tried the PXM, and while it sounded great at higher volumes, at bedroom volumes the CLRs just seemed to deliver what I wanted in clarity and fullness. My FM9 presets translated really well to the CLR.

So there's the background I'm coming from. I don't expect any two monitoring solutions to sound exactly the same, but I'm curious as to how well your presets work withe the CLR and Fender, especially at moderate room volumes. If the Fender has more of a Cab feel that's a bonus. Reading how excited you are comparing the two has me really thinking I should try one. I'm not really super picky, and if it's an enjoyable experience the price alone could make it worthwhile to me, knowing replacement cost if needed someday wouldn't hurt to much. Any more insights appreciated
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Pretty funny, I'm in the same boat I have one dead CLR and another dying - interesting that these things get so much positivity on here (not arguing great sound) despite the durability and customer service issues. It's been a huge hassle working through their customer service process which probably merits its own post. The sound from my FM3 to the CLRs is great, but with how unreliable the CLRs are build-wise and issues mine are having, I've been using a PXM for band rehearsal/live setting and my presets sound 95% if not just as good as the CLRs plus the build quality feels infinitely better.

Definitely exciting to hear about how this speaker performs at this price point and might try one out as a possible replacement for my EV live if it gives a more AITR-response, not that I have any complaints with the PXM's current performance. Accumulating another monitor might be a tough ask space-wise but could be worth getting rid of the CLR's and Headrush 108. Also I usually pole mount the EV live for better projection, so I wonder if having the FR12 tilted on the ground will work well enough.
 
im kinda intrigued by these Fender FRs as well. I wonder if Fender would be as good as EV was about the distortion when the note fades on the PXM-12. they were great. paid for shipping..fixed issue done. i have a feeling not that kind fo service from Fender but who knows.
 
jazzgtrl4 said:
im kinda intrigued by these Fender FRs as well. I wonder if Fender would be as good as EV was about the distortion when the note fades on the PXM-12. they were great. paid for shipping..fixed issue done. i have a feeling not that kind fo service from Fender but who knows.
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I’ve seen no issues with the Fenders….they are a perfect match for modellers, especially the Fractal.
They sound like a guitar cab, not a PA.
 
I just plugged in the FR 12 for the first time. No issues with noise or hiss. Set both the AXE FX and FR 12 to noon. It sounds really good. I compared it to the EV PXM, slightly more low end response on the FR 12 and slightly more enjoyable to play through. The EV does sound slightly more clear or detailed.

The differences between the two are not that much.
 
4406cuda said:
I just plugged in the FR 12 for the first time. No issues with noise or hiss. Set both the AXE FX and FR 12 to noon. It sounds really good. I compared it to the EV PXM, slightly more low end response on the FR 12 and slightly more enjoyable to play through. The EV does sound slightly more clear or detailed.

The differences between the two are not that much.
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Is there any hiss at all or is it so low that you don't have an issue with it?

My FR-12 just arrived yesterday and there is a slight hiss but it doesn't bother me. I am also using the high cut at around 10:00 which reduces the hiss even more. I'm been following this hiss discussion and it appears everyone is experiencing some level of hiss, I just need to make a decision on if there is a "bad batch" out there or if @WKSmith 's design findings are the real reason for the hiss. At this point the hiss is minimum for me and I will not be sending mine back to see if the next one is even better.

And yes this unit sounds really good.
 
Gary Wooten said:
Is there any hiss at all or is it so low that you don't have an issue with it?

My FR-12 just arrived yesterday and there is a slight hiss but it doesn't bother me. I am also using the high cut at around 10:00 which reduces the hiss even more. I'm been following this hiss discussion and it appears everyone is experiencing some level of hiss, I just need to make a decision on if there is a "bad batch" out there or if @WKSmith 's design findings are the real reason for the hiss. At this point the hiss is minimum for me and I will not be sending mine back to see if the next one is even better.

And yes this unit sounds really good.
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There isn't a bad batch 🙂 .
I believe there will be a lot of returns turned into Bstock at a discount from the returns and refunds at big box stores. Mostly because the hiss is minimal and is not an issue for most folks, but some people will return them or exchange them chasing that myth.

There is a slight chance that there is a
jfet / bias current issue or part failure... But that is looking like a very long shot after getting deep into her hissy places 😉

I would seriously buy another FR-12 today, hiss and all... if I wasn't buying another BadCat head in about a week. But that's another story for another day.
 
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First Impression: my FR-12 arrived today. Mine is as quiet as a church mouse, no hiss at bedroom level ( using a 1/4" Mogami out of my FM9 to the Fender) Looks great and it weighs under 30LBS! Thoroughly impressed with the sound, best I've heard so far for the Amp experience. (previously using a Mission Gemini II) I do lean towards cleaner sounds and this thing is thick and full with plenty of sparkle. Fine tuning presets for different guitars is a breeze with the eq and high cut right on top. after 2.5 years of going the Fractal way this is by far the best sounds I've made outside of the headphones. Finally feeling like the traditional set up has made it to the modeler world. Only regret having to pony up and get back to Sweetwater for a second one, but then the stereo experience!
 
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Ok, mine hiss pretty loud. It's like taking an old 100 watt tube amp off of standby. It has lower lows and higher highs than my Atomic CLRs. They kind of remind me of the friedmans. I got ear fatigue pretty quick at stage volume. Must be those tweeters. It does sound pretty good but I just love my CLRs the best. I love the looks and angle with the kickback stands and the handle is great for carrying and also the controls are nice on top. I might send them back but I'm going to give them another chance tomorrow.
 
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