Switching to a different speaker for your guitar setup can definitely alter your sound. Whether this change is for the better or worse is really a matter of personal taste. When you use a linear cabinet, your amp profiles will more accurately reflect the sound the profile creator intended, as heard through their studio monitors. You might not immediately love this difference, but the benefit is that a linear audio system provides a clearer picture of your tone, making adjustments more precise and informed.
Think about how your guitar sounds through the front-of-house PA system at a gig – an FRFR (Full Range, Flat Response) cabinet aims to replicate that sound. This means what you hear from an FRFR is closer to what your audience hears.
It’s important to understand that the term “FRFR cone” is a bit misleading. There isn’t a single speaker cone that can achieve a truly flat frequency response across the entire audible range. True flat response, especially from around 70Hz to 17kHz, requires a combination of components: a woofer for low frequencies, a tweeter for highs, and a crossover to blend them seamlessly, all within a well-designed cabinet. The fact that different “FRFR” cabinets sound different highlights this complexity.
Regarding using a Kemper power amp with a cabinet, you’re correct – the cabinet needs to be passive or have a way to bypass its internal amplifier.
For a high-quality option, consider a passive CLR cabinet. Many guitarists consider it one of the best investments for accurate sound reproduction in its price range.
If you’re concerned about losing low-end frequencies, it’s more about the overall cabinet design than just the speaker cone size. The CLR, for example, uses a 12″ speaker and delivers solid low-end response.
Hopefully, this helps clarify how a Speaker For Guitar, especially an FRFR type, can impact your sound.
