I'm looking for a full range small,cheap speaker that I can use to play guitar, bass or keyboard through. I don't want a regular amp. I use my laptop as the pre with AT3 & Ampeg SVX. The first thing that comes to mind is a Kustom 10" powered. Any other suggestions? Of course based on personal use.
Thanks friends.

John,

I am a big fan of Pawn Shops, you might look there as they are always speakers of all sort in the ones I visit.

Good Luck,

Although discontinued by Radio Shack after nearly 30 years, the Minimus 7s are great full-range speakers.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=minimus+7+speakers

Powered

John,

The cheapest full range powered speakers for performance - which is what you want if I understand correctly - are keyboard amplifier packages.

zzounds selection: http://www.zzounds.com/prodsearch?q=keyboard+amp&form=search

Sweetwater selection: http://www.sweetwater.com/c525--Keyboard_Amplifiers/pn1

Another option are powered mains that can be used as well, but they don't have the controls that keyboard amps provide:

http://www.sweetwater.com/c134--Active_Powered_PA_Speakers

The exception is that Behringer with the 3 channel mixer built in - that's actually a cool product - I would call it a keyboard amp!

-Scott

John i have the non powered Kustom 10s and i love them, not huge sound, but very useable. I would expect the powered as the same with ... well power. Should do the job.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/behringer-truth-b2031a-active-monitor-single

or if you need pres

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/behringer-eurolive-b205d-active-pa-monitor-speaker

In regards to the Behringer Truth B3031A
I maybe wrong but aren't studio reference monitors "near field" designed.
Not sure they would work well for gigging.

Bill

My parents store sells quite a few of those Cube amps Mac mentioned. Many happy customers raving about them. Even the the micro cube gets great reviews. I was surprised by them.

I have a micro cube, and while it is totally amazing for what it is, it is not really full sounding enough to play a "full band" through.

For a small area like a living room alone or with a friend or two, I might suggest monitors as well. i have M-Audio BX5A's and I play through them for practice, and they are great. with the doors closed, you can hear them out at the street.

John you might be over thinking this for a small area type system. you don't need anything big and powerful. At my house i can't even use my Kustom 10s, they just are too loud for the neighborhood. My M-Audio monitors are perfect.

I did not use the word, "MICRO" along with Cube.

Check out the Roland Cube series, John.

Like maybe the 60W one...


--Mac

John, what are the specifics of your needs again besides 'powered' and 'speaker'? Do you need a small mixer on-board or ability to use multiple sources into the powered speaker?

Mac, the cube series - aren't they aimed at the guitar amplifier market? I'm wondering if they are indeed full range. I know that they use amp simulation, so perhaps they are full range and rely on the amp simulation to emulate cabinet and speaker non-flat response that is so characteristic of guitar amps.

I didn't see any of the larger cubes that were simply powered full range speaker arrangements. There's a smaller one that is battery powered that looks more like a powered speaker - just curious.

I'm trolling this thread because I am sort of in the market for something similar - a full range self-contained thing, with multiple inputs/simple mixer (my needs, not necessarily John's) and want to have a finger on the pulse of this market. That Behringer unit looks most interesting for the price to me: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/B205D.aspx $150

-Scott