PSR-e463 Onboard Speakers

[dman68]

I'm not a real friend of the onboard speakers, as to me, they just sound hollow, at least to my 68yr old ears.  What relatively inexpensive possibilities are there with some type of externals that would produce a pleasing and punchier sound from highs and lows? I had thought of a keyboard amp but I'd like to maintain the left-right separation. If any of you are using an external setup, I would appreciate hearing your suggestions.

Thanks

[Ed B]

Hi
Have you tried adjusting the internal equalizer? There are 6 settings. Perhaps this may produce sound more to your liking. See page 52 of the owners manual.
Regards
Ed B

[dman68]

Well crap   I missed that one Ed.  Thanks a bunch

[pjd]

Hi --

Are you planning to play solely at home or to play out as well?

For home, there are many powered monitors available from inexpensive to OMG.  They come in pairs, so maybe this isn't in line with an all-in-one unit like a keyboard amp. Mackie, Yamaha, and Presonus are all good. A lot depends on budget.

For playing out, I would still avoid a "keyboard amp." Most folks have gone to powered PA speakers or line array. Again, there is something for every one depending upon budget. QSC and Yamaha are good for powered PA and many people swear by Bose for line array.

More info about budget and intended use would help narrow things down.

All the best -- pj

[dman68]

Hi --

Are you planning to play solely at home or to play out as well?

For home, there are many powered monitors available from inexpensive to ***.  They come in pairs, so maybe this isn't in line with an all-in-one unit like a keyboard amp. Mackie, Yamaha, and Presonus are all good. A lot depends on budget.

For playing out, I would still avoid a "keyboard amp." Most folks have gone to powered PA speakers or line array. Again, there is something for every one depending upon budget. QSC and Yamaha are good for powered PA and many people swear by Bose for line array.

More info about budget and intended use would help narrow things down.

All the best -- pj

Thanks pj, Solely home use. I'm a 68yr old senior who just wants to learn for personal enjoyment. Unfortunately small budget at the moment. Maybe 2-3 hundred. Not gonna get much with that but any improvement would suffice.  I'd like to stay as small as possible with the size and still maintain some decent bass along with crisp highs. Thanks for your suggestions. 

[dman68]

I had a friend mention that a multimedia 2.1 system w/subwoofer would improve the sound.  He suggested a Logitech Z625. Anyone have thoughts on this?

[pjd]

Hi --

There's quite a few studio monitors in the $200 to $300 range (price per pair). Holiday time is a good time to look for bargains.

Just a few thoughts off the top of my head. I'm using the Mackie MR5mk3 (now replaced by the MR524). I would avoid the Mackie CR series. I bought a pair of 5" CR5s and was disappointed.

The PreSonus Eris series has gotten good marks. Same for JBL 305, Tannoy Reveal, and Yamaha HS5. I suggest browsing one of the on-line retailers and limiting the search to roughly your price range. You can sometimes find slightly more expensive models (e.g., HS5) as a discounted open box item.

I'm not a fan of multimedia speakers for keyboards. One exception -- the IK Multimedia Micro Monitor ($300pair). These things are quite small and develop a lot of bass for their size. I heard a demo at Boston Music Expo last summer. Quite nice.

If possible, try before buy.

Hope this helps -- pj

[casiokid]

Don't forget the use of the Yamaha  KS-SW100 subwoofer to enhance the sound of the board speakers  ?

[SeaGtGruff]

IIRC, the E463 isn't listed as being compatible, presumably because it has only the PHONES/OUTPUT jack for audio out (plus USB audio, although that doesn't count in this case).

[dman68]

Thanks to all for the replies

[randelph]

If you've got the 463 it's likely pretty new?  One suggestion if its still returnable is to get the PSR EW410.  The speakers have got twice the power, and when you're dealing with so few watts to begin with, having twice as much gets you a big jump in volume and quality.  Or, you could buy a used PSR EW400, which has the same speaker system, and it also has the advantage of having 76 keys instead of 61.

I've asked myself similar questions many times.  I don't use the features of an arranger board but usually end up getting one 'cause some of them have really good onboard speakers, and they're usually pretty lightweight.

I had a Casio MZ-X500, sells for $1,100, and with 40 watts of power thru 4 speakers, it was a powerhouse.  It gave me great, in my face stereo sound, and I supplemented it with a QSC K8.2, which added a bit more volume and a lot more bass.  What a beautiful sound! 

But now that that's been stolen, I've been using my Klipsch KMC3 speaker with a small keyboard.  Bought it for $180 on Amazon, and what a boom box.  It gives you stereo, has 2 2" speakers plus a 5 1/4" woofer.  This bad boy puts out the volume, bass and quality, does a surprisingly good job for keyboards, super high fidelity (piano sounds great on it, the hardest sound to get right).  It also is a BT speaker, so I use it for music during the day, and at night when I play music it gives me a rich, full sound.  Highly recommended.