MKeditor
Experienced
The Great FRFR Shootout.
Probably five minutes after Dr. Cliff created to the black box and exclaimed, “It’s alive!” there has been a search for the perfect way to amplify the gizmo. Those of us that are of the FRFR persuasion (Full Range Flat Response) hunt for the most transparent system that adds the least amount of flavor to the signal. The goal is to produce an identical tone through all systems. We want the audience to hear the same guitar tone we hear through our speakers regardless if it is live or recorded.
Our quest has not been easy. Many of the speakers that are considered to be good candidates aren’t readily available to be auditioned at your local music store. Even players who live in small towns can try a Marshall, Fender or VOX amp without leaving their state. Some of the favored FRFR monitors you won’t find in stores. I suppose if you are really ambitious you can travel to the top of the mountain in Italy and beg the FBT monks to let you try one. If your last name is Trump or Rockefeller you could just order them all then choose. The rest of us poor schmucks are just trying to make the best choice we can. Everyone on this board has been sharing what information and experiences they have had with this or that. The problem has been that no one has ever had all these speakers in the same room at the same time…until now.
A few of us pulled our gear together in an effort to hear for ourselves what the top contenders have to offer. DISCLAIMER: We are not rocket scientists. We left our slide rulers and pocket calculators at home, but we did bring our ears and years to sample what most here consider the front runner FRFR speakers. We wish that all of you could have flown in to be with us, but unfortunately we were told the Fractal company jet was in the shop. I video taped some of the test and had hoped to share it with you. I find that an audio or video clip conveys more than 500 postings of people’s opinions. For this video I used an AKG C 1000 S microphone. I have had decent success with it as a room mic for live recordings. After reviewing the footage, I am sad to say that the audio just doesn’t document what we heard live and feel it would probably confuse rather than bring clarity to the discussion. In hind sight I wish I would have spent some time testing microphones. Perhaps my Lawson L47 would have been a better choice. Therefore this review will just be based on the findings of our in the field testers.
We tested four of the usual suspects. The Atomic Reactor, QSC K10 and the offerings from FBT: The 12MA and 8MA.
The first test was with recorded music. I have found this to be very revealing compared to guitar tones which are much more subjective. I find that frequency shifts in the human voice and acoustic instruments are much more obvious than electric guitar. I choose Shadowfeet by Brooke Fraser. Brooke’s vocal was mixed very dry. Her naked vocal accompanied by just a piano in the first verse, then the addition of drums for the chorus followed by the rest of the band for verse two had just the right build to let us hear different attributes of each speaker.
The second set of tests was with us playing my Suhr Standard through the Axe-FX. We limited this to just three patches otherwise we might still be there experimenting.
Here is what we found:
FBT 12MA:
It was unanimous that 12MA did the best job in reproducing the recorded track. To our ears the 12MA didn’t add or omit frequencies. All the other speakers had to have tweeters boosted, roll off switches by passed and grill cloths removed in an effort to try and match but in the end they just weren’t as smooth as the 12MA. Interestingly, guys switched back all the above changes on the guitar tests feeling that their speakers were too bright otherwise.
When we switched to guitar/Axe-FX the opinions were more splintered. No doubt our individual tastes preferred some tones over others. I personally like the 12MA best for my tri-stereo patch. None of the others had the highs as clear. Some of the others guys preferred the high end rolled off, though. Of course the patches were built on my system, so some might conclude that the home team had an advantage. I would like to think that since the 12MA reproduced the track the best that the patches were what you would hear through an honest system.
QSC K10:
The QSC K10 was a close second for reproducing the recoded track. There was only a slight dip in the low mids. We would have liked to have had a K12 to compare and wondered if it would have closed the gap. The Axe/guitar patches sounded excellent and one patch in particular sounded better to us on the K10 than the 12MA. I personally like the fit and finish of QSC’s products the most of those reviewed. Even the blue LED is a nice touch and a testament of the streamline quality of QSC.
Atomic Reactor:
Easily the biggest cabinet in the line up, the Atomic Reactor has the familiar look of a traditional guitar cabinet. The Fratomic was the only tube powered system we tested. In our recorded music test, the big bugger placed last even after cranking the tweeter and even removing the grill cloth. The high end still sounded dull. This could be due to the design of the cab/speaker to be limited to guitar tones. When it came to those geetar sounds, the Atomic sounded good and full. Raz thought he felt just a little more immediacy to the attack of his pick but I wasn’t able to detect it when I was playing.
FBT 8MA:
These little watermelon sized cabs may have been diminutive in size being about half as big as the 12MA but they packed excellent tone. We were all amazed at what came forth from the little guys. I had heard this pair before when jiagap first purchased them.
At that time I had a pair of QSC HPR122i’s. Though the 8MA’s were a fraction of the size, their clarity convinced me to sell my QSC’s and invest in my current 12MA’s. Even though I had heard them before, they still didn’t fail to amaze me at what they do.
The 8MA’s sounded very smooth when listening to the recorded track. The FBT clarity has a transparency that is so clean. The low end was there but there was a little something missing that words are failing me to articulate. It wasn’t a huge deficiency. Just a slight dip.
The same can be said for the live guitar/Axe test. Just a slight dip in the low end. The coaxial design projects sound from a central area that is tight and focused. I fund that it not only is more pleasing to the ear in close proximity but interacts better with the guitar.
I will say that these speakers don’t carry the room like the others tested. Sound falls off pretty quick after a short distance. This is understandable with their size. Even the best set of headphones that sound huge will diminish when held a foot from your head. The 8MA’s were made to be an up close and personal monitor. They are excellent at meeting that goal. They would make splendid personal vocal monitors that contain their dispersion.
The bottom line:
We agreed that the speakers tested were all good options. They execute their duties well and all are up to the task. People will make different choices based on slightly different needs or aesthetic style.
My personal thoughts:
I am very happy with my FBT 12MA’s and out of those tested they meet my needs the best. I greatly value how well music plays back in speakers. That barometer is the one I use to determine my FRFR choices. Nevertheless, FBT is not easily found in the USA. I have always suspected that there had to be a company with a strong presence here that could provide an equal or better product. If I were in the market today, I would seriously look at the K12’s. They sound great and you can go to any Guitar Center and hear them.
Thanks to Raz and jiagap for contributing to this test. I am sure they will share any thoughts that I have failed to include. No doubt this won't be the end of the discussion but will just inspire more conversation. Of course by the time you have gotten to the end of this page there will be new challengers to consider. The journey never ends.
Enjoy!
