I'm still enjoying my new KP-100S. I have been getting very good responses from my music programs lately.

I just shipped off my JBL Eon10 G2. As I was putting everything away, I looked at the specs of the JBL. The frequency response is nearly identical: 65hz-17000khz for the Motion Sound and 70hz-18000khz for the JBL. So the JBL's bass response is similar to the Motion Sound - and possibly the smaller speaker size of the Motion Sound colored my first impressions of it.

The JBL is a lot lighter 23lbs. vs. 38lbs. and a lot more powerful: 200watts versus 100watts. Still, I no longer have the phase cancelling effect on the piano sound of my PSR2000.

Yesterday, I asked the residents and staff at a nursing home if they noticed any difference in my sound - I've been playing there for three years, and I've been using the JBL for the last 9 months. They all said they haven't noticed any difference. So any difference in the sound is probably very subtle.

Since it's a tax write off, and since I wouldn't mind a little more bass, I have ordered some replacement speakers for my KP-100S. The amp comes with Eminence Alphas, and I'm replacing these with an OEM Eminence 8" speaker that weighs about 2 1/2 lbs. more apiece, but has a frequency response of 40hz-5000khz. The Alphas are rated at 65hz-5000khz. I'll keep everyone posted if there is a noticeable difference. If not, I'm returning them.

This upgrade will make the amp weigh 43lbs. Heck, for 12lbs. more I could have the KP-200S. But 12lbs. might be the straw that broke this camels back. And besides, I don't think the KP-200S would fit in the trunk with the rest of my gear.

Beakybird

Interesting thoughts. Please let us know how the new speakers work out.

I received the oem Eminence speakers from Orange County Speaker repair. However, it is late at night. Baby and wife are sleeping. I'll have to try them out tomorrow.

The speakers were very easy to exchange. All I needed was a screw driver. The speaker wires are clipped with banana clips. As easy as pie. Well tomorrow will be the proof that I didn't cross any wires. Let's see, the black wires went on the left, or was that the right ... Just kidding.

The new speakers weigh about 3lbs. more than the Eminence Alphas. I'm interested in hearing if the frequency response of these oem speakers (40hz-5000khz) translates into better bass than the Eminence Alphas (65hz-5000khz).

I was struck that there is nothing in that cabinet but a lot of empty space. Is it like that with all amps? I wish they had created space to store cables.

I'll keep you posted.

Beakybird

Hi Larry (beakybird): Looking forward to your A/B test comparison test results between the stock KP-100S Emminence Alpha woofer & and the new OEM woofer which claims to improve the lower end bass response by 15hz.

As a KP100S owner myself, I'm more than anxious to hear the results of your findings. - Scott

I hope the amp is capable of producing the extra low end that the speaker can handle. It's possible that the new speakers will get the same frequency sent to them. I hope you get what you want.

Bass response with new speakers is superior. Bass sounds great with flat eq and with pumped up bass. It doesn't sound like a 15" subwoofer, but it's definitely deep enough to get people dancing. I'll be going to a job this morning where I can turn it up a lot more. I think this was a good investment. Incidentally, the difference in the low end specs is 25hz. That's a lot of audible bass.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 05-09-2003).]

Keep in mind that a 25-hz additon at the bottom end is a lot of expansion in bass. The difference in speakers, however, probably means you're moving a lot more air volume, which translates into a lot more gut-thumping bass as well. Good luck on the job today!

Gary

Hi Beakybird: GREAT news ! Curious to hear how EZ or (difficult ) it is to swap out the speakers and what special tools are required. Is this basically a plug & play deal, or does it require soldering skills as well?

I'm really anxious to hear how the KP-100S works out on your gig today. In addition to the deeper bottom end, does the added 25 hz (sorry for that arithmetic error earlier) add depth & warmth to the mid range as well?

Do the new woofers affect the overall maximum volume of the unit at all?

Also,does the additional 5 lb weight make a substantial difference in ease of transport in/out of your gig-mobile?

Currently I take out the small Tyros subwoofer box (TRS-MS01) for added bass, so hoping the KP-100S woofer replacement will fullfill what the TRS-MS01 provides.

Larry, looking forward to getting a more detailed report from you soon, as it looks like I may be following your lead on this.

Scott

Wouldn't a KP200s solve all this in the first place, instead of buying New Speakers for a "Brand New Amp"?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-09-2003).]

Could the KP200s be used for small as well as larger gigs/jobs?
Starkeeper

Another important factor: how much did the replacement woofers cost, and has anyone asked Motion Sound if replacing the woofers would void the amp's warranty?

Also IMHO, my KP-200s easily handles small jobs as well as large and I do not find it cumbersome (I'm 6' and pretty strong though). It fits in the back seat of my two-door VW Cabrio easily.


[This message has been edited by The Pro (edited 05-09-2003).]

Nope. The KP200S is still significantly larger (bulkier) and heavier. Donny, as you yourself have mentioned, for gigging musicians who need to transport their equipment daily, the smaller & lighter the load the better. I find the KP-200S a bit too large (awkward) to handle easily for one man. The smaller & lighter KP-100S, on the other hand, is significantly easier to lift in/out of the trunk of my car.

KP-200S:
H 17" W 23" D (at center) 16.75" 55 Lbs.

KP-100S:
H 15" W 19" D (at center) 13" 38 Lbs.

KP-100S with Beakybirds's Woofers 43 Lbs.



Yes, of course, but because I want to always travel as 'light as possible', I reserve my KP-100S for the smaller venues and just take the EV SxA100's to the larger ones.

Scott

The gig went well this morning. I noticed more bass and this pleased me. As far as overall volume - it is the same, or maybe even less. I can't tell. I played in a wide room at a state nursing home. I had the volume up all the way on the amp, but the volume on the keyboard which feeds the amp volume was 3/5 to full volume. If you own the PSR2000, I had the volume at at 1:00 as if it were a clock. I was playing pretty loud for the room. Any louder and I might have had complaints. However, I was never astounded with the overall volume of the amp. I will have a better idea of any volume difference when I return to my weekly gig on Monday.

I didn't notice any difference with the midrange, just improved bass response.

It was super easy to replace the speakers. All you need is a screwdriver. The wires are held with banana clips. It's a no-brainer.

Given that the KP-100S manual mentions speaker replacement and merely specifies that if the speaker is replaced that it be with an 8 ohm speaker, I would think that the warranty still holds.

The new speakers weigh about 2 lbs more apiece. I don't notice the extra four pounds.

The KP-100S would not be suitable for large gigs no matter what the configuration because 100watts is 100watts. If you need more volume than that then you have hit an obstacle. With my business I only have one job on the horizon where I'm going to need to rent two 100 watt Yorkvilles for $18 at this place around the corner. Yes their rental rates are wonderful.

The KP-200S would not be suitable for me because it is so rare that I would need the extra volume. My amp as it is configured probably gets better bass than the KP-200S. The KP-200S is heavier and more bulky. If I did bigger gigs, then I might own both Motion Sound ampsor own a pair of powered monitors to compliment the KP-100S for the smaller gigs.

At 42lbs., the KP-100S is still pretty heavy. It's a lot more weight than my 23lb. JBL Eon, and the JBL pumped out more volume. But I think the Motion Sound sounds better, and it spreads the sound over a wider horizon. The people on the far sides of the room hear the music better than with a mono speaker.

Beakybird

Based on Larry's (Beakybird) recommendation, I ordered, received, and installed the improved 8" OEM Eminence speakers in my Motion Sound KP-100S. I'm pretty amazed at the substantially improved bass response. My finding results matches exactly as Larry described earlier. Beakybird: MANY thanks for both recommending the KP-100S and now these upgraded woofers which make the KP-100S an even more improved pro sounding all in one stereo pa for all small-medium gigs. I utilized the KP-100S alone with my Tyros today for a local society luncheon (solo vocals & arr combo (piano, bass, drums) performing acoustic jazz standards: Cole Porter, Gershwin, etc and it produced a natural acoustic sound filling the room with a warm sounding acoustic bass with pleasingly realistic bass punch. Several people in the audience approached me to comment how impressed they were that such a small PA unit could create such a pleasing acoustic jazz trio sound. In addition to the new woofers, the KP100S's expander provides the impression that the sound of the different instruments (bass, drums, piano, vocals) is coming from different areas in the room rather than from the speaker cabinet itself. This gives the sound a nice spacious open feeling.

Though the KP100S is now 5 lbs heavier with the new woofers, Transport & setup time is still quite convenient, as the KP100S sits perfectly on the large 19" X 12" nose plate of my "Superlite" hand truck:
http://www.pstco.com/superlite_cobra.htm

The only inconvenience involved is lifting it in/out of my car and onto the handtruck.

It's really ez and quick to get my equipment to/from my car to gig venues. The Tyros is wheeled in in its own keyboard case which includes built in wheels, while the KP100S and all other equipment (stacked on top) can be wheeled in on the SuperLite truck in one trip. The KP100S sits on a small portable amp stand angled off the floor. I like that gig equip transport keeps getting easier. - Scott

Yes I can understand size restriction. I play guitar and keyboards in a band and carry both a keyboard amp ( Wharfdale 200 Watt ) and a guitar amp ( Fender Hot Rod Deluxe ) plus keyboard and 2 guitars in my Camaro Z28. Whenever I buy any gear it is critical that it is going to fit in with everything. I'm not buying another car just to carry gear ... and I DO like to drive that Camaro.

Nigel

Where can I find info on the Wharfedale keyboard amp?

Thanx

Scott

FYI,
Home Depot has the Superlight dolly here in Lousiana.
DonM

As I replied to you in http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/006541.html the Wharfedale Pro I use for keyboard is a powered PA box and not a keyboard amp. But it provides the power and frequency response I need in a compact sized cabinet.

FWIW, I went to the hardware store and bought a set of four wheels, installed them on the bottom of my KP 200 and it rolls around fine, instead of lifting or dragging it anywhere. If you want it to angle up, then put 1" on the back side and 3 or 4" on the front.
Terry

------------------
jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

Scott & others .....

I was wondering how this amp has been working out after all this time good or bad?

Looks as if DNJ has the "new equipment bug".
DonM

I always do ....But it hasnt come out yet..

Sound quality is excellent - especially with the switched woofer. Volume is a bit anemic for a 100watt amp. I have played with a couple of Yorkville 100 watt amps with 10" woofers, and they deliver way more volume. The stereo sound is a good feature, especially since it gets rid of that phasing effect that is sometimes heard with Yamaha arrangers when they are played through a mono source.

For larger gigs, I have been using the Motion Sound with the Yamaha MS50s and I have had satisfactory results.

Making a living doing nursing and retirement homes, the KP-100S is suitable for over 95% of my gigs.

Beakybird

Terry, regarding wheels - why not install the type that click in and out? I did that with an old Peavey and it was great; take 'em out to sit flat or stack; leave the front wheels in to angle up. You have to drill a hole for the shaft, but it shouldn't interfere with teh speakers or the baffling.

[This message has been edited by cassp (edited 01-04-2004).]

HI GANG,
I have been thinking about this KP200s every since this original post came out. How about some advice for this dude.
I currently use either small or big keyboard amps.
The pair of big ones I would like to replace with a single KP200s are Peavy KB100.
I just measured the Peavy and they are 25 inches high x 22 inches wide and 13 inches deep. they weigh 70 pounds each x 2 is 140 pounds and only have one hande on the top.
they have 12 inch speakers with good bass and a 5 band EQ.
What are your opinions on replacing the 2 Peavy's with 1 KS200.
I mostly use technics KN6 or 7000, or the big brute PSR9000.
I have enough room in the motorhome basement for a dozen amps so no problem taking it with me.
I sometimes play for a street dance outside in an Rv park we are visiting. Would they work for that as well as the Peaveys do?
I would appreciate any feed back from you that would help me make a decision.
Best to all
Bebop

Hi Bebop ,

just found it .Here's Dan O's take on the KP200S .........
When you position the peavey kb100's a part , you have a natural seperation . When you play out of the Kp200 , the seperation of sound is coming out of one unit . The player using the keyboard can not hear the stereo sound projection the same way as natural seperation . It's one source , but your audience can recognize the stereo effect and anyone playing with you , if you happen to do a duo or play in a live band.

The bass on the KP200 is very good and the sound is clean . Nice amp and very compact . Dan O'


------------------
Technics,Ketron Yamaha Casio arranger keyboards .
www.keyboardcity.net
1-866-348-8876

Hi Dnj, I continue to highly recommend the KP100S for it's convenience and excellent sound (when going thru the swapped woofers which Beakybird recommends) for smaller venues. The KP-100S, along with the Tyros alone (NO Tyros speakers), is all that's needed for all of my concert type shows of less than 45-50 people. Quick convenient transport & setup: easy to set on a tiny lightweight collapsable tripod floor stand, and plug it into the keyboard. Performs double duty as both personal monitor as well as main stereo out to the audience. I'm able to transport it conveniently on a 'Superlite' Handtruck (pic on right side): http://www.pstco.com/superlite_cobra.htm
This system cuts setup/breakdown time in half, as because it sits more or less on the floor, you don't have to hoist speakers up on to a high speaker stand as you would with a typical 2 separate speaker PA system. For larger gigs where louder sound and more coverage is required, I use my EVs for the audience, and reserve the KP100S or the Tyros MS01's, for personal stage monitoring only. - Scott

Thanx Scott....glad to hear your using it with brand success....its the speaker replacement on a "NEW" amp that annoys me!

Donny, I know exactly what you're feeling. I even contacted Motion Sound and asked them why they didn't include the improved replacement woofers on their units, and they advised me that it was a price point issue which would have raised the price of the KP-100S beyond what they thought a customer would pay for that unit. I disagree and feel that the extra added expense of incorporating the improved woofers would have been a better decision on Motion Sound's part. Either way, now that I have spend the extra cash on the improved woofers, feel it was worth every extra penny I had to spend for the deeper bass improvement. I think the KP100-S is an idea small single unit stereo PA setup with impressive sound which belies it's very compact size. I'm just a little surprised that there are not more Synthzone members who have chosen to go the Motion Sound KP-100S route as well. - Scott

You have to hear the KP-200s to understand why it is so popular. The stereo sound comes from one source with the KP-200s but the amp includes a "stereo expansion" effect that really makes the sound seem to come from all around the amp. It makes a big difference even if you are seated right in front of the amp, as most users would be. This effect carries over throughout the rooms I've used my KP-200s in and different parts of the sound seem to jump out from different places. I also believe that it does not suffer from the phase cancellation problems other keyboard amps have.

I still maintain that a full PA sounds slightly better than a KP-200s but IMHO the KP-200s is far more convenient. There is no other single or paired keyboard amp(s) made that sounds like the KP-200s. And it has plenty of bass response and power to spare (without replacing the woofers that come with it).

Thanks for the imputs people.
My birthday is coming up in about a month so I am going to email this topic to wife Jann along with Dan's email address.
If anybody wants to buy a pair of Peavey KB100's, I will consider anything over 2.00 a pound
Best to all and thanks for the help
Bebop

Hi Beakybird,

I am curious, putting the low end issues aside, do you think think a pair of JBL EON10s in stereo would have had more clarity, smoothness and natural sound in the mids and highs than a Motion-Sound 100?

Thanks,
rtc

Scott & others .....

I was wondering how this amp has been working out after all this time?

rtc?

Just my 2 cents on this subject. I have a KP-100s. I found it lacking in volume for even small jobs at time. I just got the Logitech Z5500. More work to set up (I am working on that) but similar in weight to the KP-100s. However, the Logitech with 500 watts is a much better solution IMHO.

I haven't gotten or heard the eminence replacement woofer for the KP-100s.

The KP100S did not work out for me. It was not powerful enough. My new setup, two Yamaha MS100 speakers, together weigh about 5lbs. more than the KP100S. But each 100 watt speaker goes way louder than the 100 watt KP100S. The Motion sound speaker's volume output is anemic for a 100 watt amp.

The fidelity was good, but I had lots of venues where I couldn't deliver enough volume without distorting. I perform for elderly folks at nursing homes, retirement homes, senior socials, park district senior events and private parties. Now it is very rare that I am not loud enough. Next week I have a large picnic, so I will rent a subwoofer to augment my sound.

I think that perhaps a better alternative than what I had would be two JBL Eon10 G2s. They go even louder, and I have heard from people that have done side by side comparisons, that they sound better than the Yamahas that I have. The JBLs are slightly larger, more costly, but weigh the same.

I liked the concept of the Motion Sound system, and I overlooked for a long time that it wasn't cutting the cake.

With my current system, I get many many compliments on the quality of my sound system. This wouldn't happen very much with the KP100S.

An advantage of the Motion sound is quick setup. If you go instead with a small powered speaker, like the Yamaha or JBL, you can purchase a gig bag where you can always keep your power cable and speaker cable plugged in. When I get to a performance (remember I play at retirement homes), I put each speaker on top of a chair, I unzip the front face of the gig bag, revealing the speakers, and I pull out the power and speaker cables and plug them in. I use my keyboard to adjust the volume. It takes me less than 10 minutes to set up.

I am certain that a pair of JBLs would offer a more balanced sound than the Motion Sound. My yamaha speakers do, and even though my Yamaha MS100 speakers are rated with a superior bass frequency response than the JBLs, I have heard anecdotally that the JBLs have a fuller bass response, so go figure. Another advantage of two speakers is that you can set them 15-20 feet apart and get real stereo and less dead spots in the room.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 06-11-2006).]

Still using the KP200S with total satisfaction. It has all the bass I want. It travels well in the basement of the motorhome so only an 18 inch lift in and out. I have used it for street dances in an RV park and it covers the entire park with good sound, and brings people from the farthest corner to where I am set up in the middle.
Haven't used the pair of Peavey KB100's for a long while. I use the Z2300 in the home studio, feeding it from the T2 through the mixer and computer.
I have two other pairs of active speaker/amp units but never use them anymore either.
I LIKE THE KP200S
Bebop


[This message has been edited by BEBOP (edited 06-11-2006).]

Thanks Beakybird