QSC CP8 1000W 8 inch Powered Speaker Reviews

I have had the CP-12's for a few years now - they are great! but I recently found out I needed a smaller pair of speakers for live personal monitors (I do everything in stereo) in a high class bar venue gig I've been doing. I'm a guitar player / singer and do a one man band live looping thing with an amp modeler (Headrush). I was struggling to find small speakers to complement my setup - give me a satisfactory guitar and vocal sound like I get with the CP-12's, but have a smaller footprint. I went through 3 other sets of speakers before getting the CP-8's - wrestling with harsh mids and highs on the guitar tones. The CP-8's are perfect for me and the 8" woofer puts out an amazing amount of tight low end thump I need for kick drum and bass sounds and the mid's and highs are clear and articulate without being harsh in any way. I should have just got these in the first place (cheap musician) and saved myself some time and effort. Sweetwater and my salesperson AJ are outstanding and made this happen for me with ease. Get these CP-8's and you won't be disappointed! Oh, also, I used them the other night at another gig I do in a small indoor Winery bar...and they were perfect for the space without looking daunting. I'm still keeping the CP-12's for bigger outdoor area gigs...though I imagine these would work as well.

I can admit that I'm a speaker junkie from way back but my recent purchase of 2 QSC CP8's has become my go to for just about any live performance. Mind you I'm speaking in terms of my 3-6 piece band and vocalists playing mostly to 100-150 person events. These CP8's deliver clarity and a smooth natural low-end that is simply great and ideal for our vocalists! They are lightweight and make great monitors as well when using house systems. Their carrying cases, that were part of the bundle are well made (though wish they made the side pocket a little bigger for the 6ft power cord). Ryan Murphy at Sweetwater always makes my shopping experience simple and great!! Thank you!!

Our church has a "dead corner" with regard to the sound and original speaker positioning on the ceiling. With high attendance expected for Easter we needed to have seating available in every corner. This speaker filled in beautifully and all were able to enjoy the guest musicians and worship service without sound issues.

Playing at small to medium sized venues as a solo acoustic artist these are magnificent. Highs are audiophile clear and the lows are absolutely accurate.

First of all, I just want to give a shout out to Dave Brow and the Sweetwater team. They always deliver great customer service, competitive prices and fast delivery.

I have been searching for a monitor solution for our 3 piece rock/pop band. In-ears didn't thrill me and the hot-spot monitor I purchased didn't do the trick for me. I was looking at the QSC CP8 and the Bose S1 as possible options for a compact and relatively light-weight solution. My bandmates went with the Bose S1 and I decided on the QSC CP8. Both are comparable in terms of size and cost. While the Bose offers battery power and bluetooth, I opted for the QSC which suits my ear a little better and has a bit more power.

I already own a pair of QSC K12.2 speakers and a pair of QSC KS112 subs, so I am familiar with the sound quality and durability of the brand name. The CP8 is QSC's lower end product but to my ear, sounds great. The controls are a bit more limited than the K12.2, but I mostly plan to use this as a wedge monitor, so I don't need some of the other bells and whistles. So far, I am really happy with the CP8. It doesn't have quite the rounded bass end that the K12 speakers do, but it is also an 8 inch woofer compared to a 12 inch in the K12.2. Being the bass player in the band, I did want some bass in my monitor and the sound does cut through the stage mix quite easily. Testing it with a recorded song, it seems to have a really nice balance in the frequency spectrum. I suspect I could use a pair of these for speaking engagements and with a sub, probably a small-medium DJ gig.

Coming in at around 21 pounds and roughly 16"x10.5"x10.5", it is nice and compact.

QSC delivers again.

In reading the reviews on these great litle QSC CP 8's, while helpful, it seems not many full time working event mobile DJ's have reviewed them, and most of those who have treat them like their best and perhaps only use is as a booth monitor or a bedroom setup, while IMHO nothing could be further from the truth. I own three of the QSC K series 12" speakers and a matching QSC sub, too, and I love them, but as I got up in age, I got tired of dragging those heavy workhorses around to every event where they were often, overkill. Now I guess the term heavy is subjective, but, for an older guy like me who works alone, it's not fun hoisting those babies up on stands night after night, as I prefer to confine my weightliting to the gym, not on the job. But don't get me wrong my K12's aren't unusually heavy for speakers of this size and quality and they sound great, and I'm sure for a younger stronger man or for those who have helpers, these might not be considered very heavy at all. But back to the CP 8's, so far I've used them at a big corporate holiday party, just two up on stands and they filled a big room with more than enough sound to rock the place all night long, with surprising bass response. I've used them at a wedding of 200 people with a small Beringer sub I also bought from Lucino, my Sales Engineer, at Sweetwater and the combination was perfect. The past two weekends I've done daddy/daughter, mom/son dances, one at a community center, and a second at a school, both in large full size gymnasiums, and using just the two speakers on stands turned out to be just fine. Parents were on the floor in couples dancing up a storm while the kids were bouncing around like kangaroos. So many stopped at my booth to say how good the sound was and how, the previous year they had a DJ who unpleasantly blasted them all out of the gym, ruining the event experience. These little speakers rock, especially with a sub. The sound is clear and clean with great bass, and they go all night long without breaking a sweat. Now don't get me wrong, don't pack two of these thinking you're going to do the half-time show at the Superbowl, but don't hesitate to use them at events. Once speakers reach the appropriate volume for an event, the fact that I have huge boxes that can pump out 4x more sound, means nothing to me. If you're a DJ wondering if these are appropriate for events, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what these have to offer without requiring a trip to the orthopedist for shoulder pain after you haul them around. I hope this helps. Lucino my sales engineer and myself were talking and I told him I call these my Baby 8's. I for one love them. QSC quality, great price point, and easy portability. What more could you ask for?

I've owned a ton of speakers over the years and these sound the best. I love how easy it is to use and it has plenty of headroom for solo performers from small/medium size venues. I like that they are light weight and easy to tote around. I wish it had bluetooth capabilities for playback of music during breaks but that isn't a dealbreaker. I'm willing to sacrifice that for incredible sound. I own two of these and they held up great over the last year. Throw a small mixer in front of it and you are good to go! I also like that they make a rain cover for the speakers (sold separately) that you can use with it while it's outside. You can leave the cover on and still play through it. If you are a solo performer or need a small speaker for dj'ing or a personal monitor for band situation, buy this. You won't regret it.

I used QSC mains and subs (KW122s and KW181s) at the church I ran sound for and also for weekly city gigs. They were hands down the best speakers I've ever heard. I wanted some for my house but $ for a speaker package was a bit much for personal use. I bought these and although they are "low-end" QSCs, they're still QSCs and they have that unmistakable clarity. They sound great in my house, they sound great in the backyard, and they sound great to all the neighbors. I had to turn down the gain on the back so they don't completely hate me and call the cops. They would be more than adequate for a mid-sized banquet hall.

I have used the speakers at small venues as mains. They sound fantastic. They work great as monitors they work great as side fills. I installed this particular speaker in the back of our church to fill in the sound where there are gaps.They sound fantastic. Very little eq if any.If you have extra money go for the ks more power is always better.I don't need to be that loud to get my point across.The mounting bracket was very good and easy to install.Thanks Sweetwater you're a blessing.

This small but mighty lightweight powered speaker is one of the most versatile and useful pieces of PA equipment we have. The connection capabilities work in almost any situation. Last week, the sound system in one of our lecture halls malfunctioned. We were able to connect the speaker to the professor's computer and make a seamless transition with minimal classroom disruption. We also use the pair of speakers for our combo concerts. They have more than enough power to fill the room with sound.

These powerful speakers are crisp and clear with plenty of bass for their size ( and very sturdy). I primarily use them for small venue open mic sessions; I use one as FOH main and other as a monitor and performers often comment on the great sound. I would not hesitate to use these for main speakers for a full band medium size venue. They could handle the load easily. For larger ballroom size setting I pair them with 2 JBL 612 main speakers an use the CB8 as monitors. I've purchased a lot of gear over the years and for my money these are the best quality and value available. If I find need to purchase replacement 12" speakers I will go with QSC for sure.

I fell in love with QSP powered speakers after using them at festivals and arenas with the events' pro sound contractors! Using this CP8 as a floor monitor is a whole new world for on-stage clarity! And the built in "floor monitor" setting takes it to the next level, making setup effortless. Try it, you'll love it!

Use this little dynamo speaker first time today in a nice size room . It was amazing . Tried different setting on the contour , till found the right one .I'm using a korg Pa3x keyboard . I took both inputs out the keys into both input on the CP8 .. I could only put the volume under 9 o'clock . The only disappoint was NO EQUALIZER . I'm going to use a small Yamaha mixer that will help with tone . Other wise , a great little cabinet .

I ordered one of these about a year ago and have not regretted it one bit. I play fiddle and do quite a bit of singing in an acoustic trio and also a full 5 piece band. I never leave home without this piece of gear. It's compact and light enough to go anywhere.

When I was shopping for this I went back and forth between the CP8 and the Bose S1. I think I would have been happy with either one, but the QSC CP8 is robust sounding, no frills, get the job done, piece of kit. I happen to be using it for my personal monitor but this can easily handle a small room as a main for an acoustic act such as mine. These are very similar to the original K series that got replaced by the K .2's. I also own a pair of K12's which rarely leave the house after purchasing the CP8.

Bluetooth and battery power(S1) are tempting but this does exactly what I need it to do. Small footprint, lightweight, and sounds nice and clear. Best gear purchase I've made in years(besides the Boss AD-10 seen in the photo

What's not to like about these things? They sound fantastic, and they can actually work as mains, especially if you have some subs. Or even if you don't really. I'd say they were very loud and clear for an 8" speaker, but the fact is? I've played speakers that were 12" that couldn't come close to hanging with these. I bought two 12" CP speakers when they first came out, and two of these for monitors. They are way overkill for monitors, as they can get so loud that they're basically ripping your face off, and doing it in a way that's still very clear and good sounding. So much for your hearing. THe 12" do even better. My whole system besides my Soundcraft ui24 is QSC. It wasn't cheap, but it sounds phenomena.. Highly recommended. These are more than adequate for most regular users vs dishing out the big money for Ks.

I've had these speakers for about 9 months. Mostly they get used at my church for personal guitar or keyboard monitors. But I've used them for mains a couple times. This weekend I put them through their paces for an outdoor wedding of 600+. You could hear clearly from the back over 80' away. The only thing keeping it from being PLENTY loud was the fact I didn't want to blast out the people in the front rows. I received many comments from people amazed by the sound I was getting from these tiny cabinets sitting atop the speakers stands. If you really need full low end, you should bring a sub, but unless you are doing a full concert with Bass, Drums, and Keys, or trying to shake the floor with dance music, these are so much nicer than lugging around big heavy 12" or 15" speakers. They are also lighter, smaller, and louder than my old JBL 510's, and 610's. No fancy digital interface, just a knob to switch between some basic but useful preset EQ options. Simple, straight forward, good quality sound. When I have the budget, I'm getting 2 more. You should get some too.

I play fiddle, mandolin, and acoustic guitar in a busy working band. I needed something small, powerful, clean sounding and at a working musicians price. I use this to monitor my sound on stage and feed FOH through my two Baggs di's. This speaker not only met my needs but exceeded my expectations. The wedge design is perfect, light weight, very simple to use, plenty of power and I believe out performs any other powered speaker in its category. Love QSC! Don't hesitate, buy it! You won't be disappointed.

QSC never fails to impress. I bought 2 of these 1 for me and the other for my band mate for our duo as stage monitors. We were sharing 1 monitor between us.
Well these were a fix.

This speaker absolutely rocks. Is plenty loud, with excellent clarity and fidelity.
Light enough and small enough to never be a loading issue.
I love this petite beast...

I use is as a monitor for my acoustic gigs.
It's small, light, easy to carry & has a BIG
sound !

The "default" EQ setting works perfect for me.

I want another one, this is perfect in very sense of the word. Wish I had one of these some years back.

I am using these for a wedding/corporate live band as vocal monitors. I run K12 mains, these are just a simpler less powerful version. And cheaper! Extremely compact and light. I put them on top of my cable boxes to get closer to vocalist as they seemed better a few feet off the ground. The "stage monitor" setting on the back is a great eq and feature, it's hard to get feedback when in this setting. They work better than my other 12" powered EV ZLX monitors and are much quieter when passive. The EV's might have more low end but for vocal monitors these are my favorite. Not to mention so much easier to fit in my van and load in.

Perfect for my bedroom setup. Very clean sound and punchy bass.

Very Good!!

I have 4 of these installed in a room I built for playing electronic music. Everyone that's heard music played through these speakers has commented how crisp and clean they sound. I would absolutely recommend these to anyone.

Using these in conjunction with a Bose L1 tower for two-person acoustic duo - using these as a "front of house" pa to give us a little more "punch" in crowded or loud venues - small, lightweight, and helps to cut-through the crowd noise and reach further than the Bose alone - Happy with the quality, build, sound quality, and price - solid product.

They are small, lightweight and have plenty of power for the small venues and small bands I do sound for. I started with two, then bought another one, probably going to get one more. Good bass response for such a small speaker, very full and natural sounding even with acoustic instruments and vocals blasting through them at volumes to compete with the drums behind them. I'm replacing two JBL Eon 10's and two EV ZXA1 powered monitors with these speakers, it's hard to go back when it's this good. QSC quality and performance at a lower price point, what's not to like?

I picked up a couple of these powered speakers to use with my Mesa Boogie guitar amp in a wet-dry-wet set up. I like verb and delay to sit after all gain stages in my pedal chain. And since I use the Mesa pre-amp section of the head for a good deal of my overdrive sound, I needed a way to insert a reverb unit AFTER that preamp. That's what effects loops are for! While I was at it, I thought it would be great to take the verb channel and amplify it separately into its own set of stereo speakers.

So I took the signal from the Mesa Effects Send into a Chase Bliss/Meris CXM 1978 reverb. The two stereo outputs of the CXM 1978 were then patched directly to the the two QSC speakers placed on either side of the guitar amp cab. This gave me a luscious and very wide stereo reverb spread. I can make it a subtle room sound or gonzo-ambient with swirling verb tails - or anything in between - but, in any case, the core tone of the guitar remains clear and intact. (The Effects Return on the guitar amp was not used in this configuration). It turns out that the QSC CP8's are excellent for this purpose!

I was tired of dragging around a Turbosound 1000 and started looking for something lighter, but that would still sound great. This little baby is just 21 pounds ….. check! I play in a two-piece group with acoustic guitar and electric guitar and two mics. Everything runs through a Soundcraft board into this little speaker. Since we don't have any low-end bass this speaker handles everything with ease. So, sound quality…… check! Played two gigs with it and have yet to go past 3/4 volume. If you're a solo artist, or have a small acoustic group, you'll love this speaker!

piano/keyboard player. Purchased this for practice, monitoring, and amplification for small venues. I know ultimately that sound quality is a subjective thing but this speaker sounds incredible, in my opinion. I have been an audiophile since the 80's, spending way more $ on home audio than I care to admit, so my main criteria when buying a PA speaker is sound quality. The QSC seems to have a pretty even response across it's frequency response. And I find them to be non-fatiguing at high levels. I also have a Behringer 8" Eurolive which, for the price, is a good speaker and gets the job done but the QSC is on a whole different level. Most importantly, the midrange on the QSC is clear and detailed. Bass is great for an 8" and is quite musical. The cabinet of the QSC seems to be quite rigid, definitely compare to the Behringer, and therefore is less likely to resonate and add coloration to the sound. And, the QSC can go QUITE loud for it's size. I would definitely buy this again. Also, my thanks to Alex at Sweetwater for recommending these - spot on.

Have K10.2s for FOH. This was for a monitor. Works excellently for that purpose and is half what a K.2 costs.

I researched speakers for several months before deciding to buy. I went back and forth between the CP12, Bose S1 Pro, K8.2, and a few others. I perform for a living (magic) and the CP8 has a 90 degree dispersion versus the CP12's 70 degree. I do small to medium size events and venues where the audience is close to me so I ended up going with the CP8, both for size, weight, and the dispersion. I tested a Bose S1 Pro in person at another retailer and was not impressed. It was hissing, didn't feel clear or punchy. Could have been because it was hooked up to the demo system and the EQ and Bluetooth was bypassed.

Anyways, long story short, the CP8 is a beast. The handle on top is great. It's loud. Seriously loud with a ton of headroom. Maybe it's because I went from a Samson 6" 100 watt to this, but the CP8 is incredibly loud to me in a good way. Haven't got to test it with a wireless mic system yet but I love that it has an EQ for speech. And you can set the EQ independently for each channel.

I may have to pick up a second one to have a full system. If you're unsure as I was, order it. You won't be disappointed.

Only downside is no Bluetooth but this isn't a party box. It's a piece of pro gear meant for pro use. I would never rely on Bluetooth for music during my show.

Originally bought a pair to use for solo/duo act, but got a bunch of gigs hosting Open Jams. I didn't want to carry too much stuff, so I used them for FOH vocals. I was nervous about getting enough clear volume (hammerheads can get feisty), but no issues at all. I do have to push the bass for house music but the sound is clear and absolutely smooth. I just bought a third CP8 to use as a monitor, and the three speakers take up about the same amount of space in my car as one of my old 12" speakers. They somehow move a lot of air, and sound great. Love these little things, and they're a great value.

I'm a dj and I normally use just two of these CP8 with a KSC KS112 sub and it's perfect. If I need more sound I add another sub. Oh yeah I've also used two CP8 with no sub for a car show.

I got the QSC CP8 today, and used it at a gig tonight for the first time. This thing sounds great!! I'm a keyboard player in a 5 piece rock band, and have used a QSC K12 as my monitor for the last 20 years. It's always done me right, but I'm getting older, and wanted something lighter, so I took a chance on the CP8. I couldn't be happier. I could hear everything as good as I have with the K12. It's much lighter, takes up very little space, and sounds great!!

I am pretty finicky about sound equipment and I initially bought the more expensive QSC K8.2-- but after testing it I sent it back as I found it had some unnatural and annoying boominess in the low end that I would have had to selectively EQ out. For some reason I decided to try the lower priced CP8, which I absolutely love and have now bought a second one. Perhaps the K8.2 might generate more SPL and handle more abuse, but the CP8 was exceptionally flat and plenty darned loud for a small speaker without sounding "stressed" in the least. One other reviewer summed it up perfectly by saying that the CP8 "punched way above it's weight." I couldn't agree more. Upon booting up my first CP8 to put it through some paces, I noticed that calm, smooth sound and flat frequency response that I usually only encounter in higher-end concert level speakers (Meyers etc). That may sound like an over-the-top comment, but the CP8s are silky smooth and flat (default setting)and will deliver clean bass when asked to. FYI they also sound great as an FFR speaker for electric guitar rigs. Best value I have encountered in a small and affordable speaker package--and only 21 lbs! What's not to like!

I originally purchased a JBL IRX-108BT to serve as a monitor for my QSC K8.2. That turned out to be a major disappointment (my reasons are in my review of the IRX-108BT.) Instead of saving seventy bucks by going with the JBL I got headaches and wound up buying the CP8 (which I should have done in the first place.)

Since most folks will wonder what the difference is between the K8.2 and the CP8, here is my opinion: the K8.2 sounds noticeably better. Some claim that the difference is in the power rating or features, but I took my time and compared one against the other by running one by itself, then the other, and then both together while I took turns concentrating on each. The K8.2 is fuller and richer across the high, mid and low frequency bands. I also played with the EQ while testing (repeating the same cycle through settings.) Same results. The bass is impressive for an eight inch speaker. Very much so. That said, in a live performance situation I doubt you can hear much difference. Too many other variables to factor, such as room acoustics, crowd noise, individually amp'ed instruments, etc.

To be perfectly honest, this speaker is in the same ballpark as the JBL it replaced soundwise. The key difference is this is gig worthy, and I personally would not trust the JBL's reliability. The JBL even beats this one one in features, as does the QSC K8.2. But unless you are running an instrument and a mic through your speaker, sans outboard mixer, you won't miss those extra features. I tested mine with a Mackie ProFX10v3 and thought that the combination Mackie mixer and this speaker was a great combination. Adding the K8.2 as the main and this as a floor monitor, using the same mixer is a lightweight, small footprint sound system that can easily handle most medium venues (100-175 patrons) performing jazz, singer-songwriter and Americana and old style country. Or blues and classic (circa 1950s - mid 1960s) rock.

If you want a speaker that can hold up to lots of gigging, and you want excellent sound either as a main or a floor monitor this will do the trick.

I really like this product a lot, and have purchased 6ea this last year for floor monitors for my 7 pc band and to use for FOH for small clubs for my 3 pc blues trio. The adjustable sound settings and small footprint make tight sound placement a breeze. It's decent on the low end and has a really wide dispersion that sounds great. And the main selling point is they only weigh 21 lbs

As a regular gigging keyboardist, I had looking for something small and powerful that I could use as stereo monitors as well as for small venues. After delaying my purchase for a year I finally bit the bullet and purchased two QSC cp8's at the suggestion of Sean Geyer at sweet water. The sound is outstanding, the footprint is small, and they are extremely light. They also sound great in my studio. I couldn't be happier with the product or my guy at sweetwater. It's like having my own concierge expert that helps me weigh through all of the available options to make the best decision. Thank you so much for your time and patience. I'm SFL. (Sweetwater for Life) !

We're using the speakers in an outdoor setting primarily to groups of 200 or less. Speaker has a clean sound with several presets if you want to try them. I don't use those (so far). They aren't cheap at about $400 per speaker but the fact they are so compact is a great advantage for our situation. Easy to transport and carry. All good!

It's QSC, so I'm not surprised that it's good quality. Some of the reviews give the impression that it doesn't handle bass well. I plugged my bass into this little guy out of curiosity and now I'm wondering what in the world those reviewers are expecting from an 8 inch PA/monitor speaker. For a practice "bass amp", it works great. In a 2 or 3 piece acoustic group, it should work well in small indoor spaces. Obviously, if you have a real bass amp then use that. I primarily need a PA/monitor speaker for solo acoustic guitar and vocal, and for that it is awesome! I ran my keyboard through it in demo mode - also awesome! Then I connected it to my Mac/iTunes and pumped some of my own recordings through it - again awesome! One of my songs has harmonica, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, and 3-part vocal harmonies - I can hear every part clearly!!! The techie guy inside me wants to take it apart and see what the heck they put in that little box, but I'm pretty sure that would void the 6 year warranty. And volume? I set my testing up in our basement family room (26' x 29') and could hear everything just fine on the main floor - even in the back bedroom of a 3800 sq ft 2-story house. In the same room with the speaker, I couldn't turn the volume up past half way for very long. On a scale of 1 to 10, you can start to "feel" the bass & kick drum at around 6. I did crank it all the way up once to test where the limiter would kick in. The light never came on and I didn't detect any distortion, although (full disclosure) I was only able to handle that volume for a few seconds. My original plan was to buy one and test it out before I bought a second one, but now I realize I probably won't need a second one for what I'm doing these days. For those wondering just how credible this reviewer is: I'm 70 now and have been playing guitar and singing since I was 13. I made a living as a full time musician for 3 years in the mid 1970s (fun for a while, but not a good "long term" life style). I have used & owned several different PA systems through the years. I was wanting something that didn't weigh much and the QSC CP8 is just the ticket.

And two thumbs up for Luke Basset at Sweetwater!! I have also bought on-line from two of Sweetwater's main competitors and have no complaints about their service, but this is the first time I ever got a phone call from ANYONE - to let me know that the product had shipped, but the carrier was having some covid-19 related issues so it would take a day longer than Sweetwater's original delivery estimate.

Love the size and output

-I use the CP8 for my solo acoustic gig. I love it!!
-The handle is nice and sturdy and ergonomic.
-Came with a free bonus QSC speaker tote from Sweetwater that is awesome and oozing with quality; you can access the speaker handle via a velcroed flap.
-Happily, there is no pole mounted screw to mess with; the speaker just sits and rotates firmly on the speaker stand.
-The 1/8 inch mini plug input on channel "C" (that I use for break music from iPod at gigs) works great and shares a gain control with channel A. Using a stereo Y cable I can also run my Digitech Trio drum pedal signal via 1/4 inch instrument cable thru Channel C also.
-Channel A takes a line level signal so works great for my preamped acoustic-electric guitar
-Channel B can work for line level or mic level and has a mic boost button that works great for my microphone for vocals.
-The xlr out works great as a feed to my powered monitor and is post gain so you can hear the balance between the two channels from your monitor knowing it's the same balance as your main speaker.
-It sounds great and works great!! Plenty of headroom and volume. Compact and light and easy to lift and carry and mount on a speaker stand, but still feels substantial and solid.
-For reference, I first run my condenser Shure microphone thru a Boss VE-1 processor and my guitar thru a Fishman ToneDeq processor/preamp; I use the 1/4 inch out from the ToneDeq (instead of the xlr DI/direct out).
-I love this powered speaker.

I have used multiple studio monitors and frfr cabinets in multiple sizes and wattages and price ranges over over the years trying to find the set up that i could use everyday in my apartment and still be able to gig with. I use a Helix and multiple keyboards on a daily basis in a small apartment so having to have different monitors and cabinets is not really do able because of the space. I thought i found the answer when the headrush cabs came out but they lack in a lot of places when used with keyboards and even as an frfr. They seem to have to much power and not enough flat response. I also had a pair of HS8's and they were good if you were in the sweet spot but lacked the power to really get the tube amp sound that the Helix can give you. I saw these awhile back at a local music store and was totally impressed by the sound when listening to music. I wasn't sure how they would sound being used as an frfr. I thought they might be too boomy like the headrush cabs that i went there to check out in the first place. The music store didn't have a helix to use and they also wouldn't let me change the contours that this speaker offers. Their display set up had it hooked up to the qsc sub so I really wasn't able to hear how versatile these things are. I left the store with a pair of headrush cabs. After using the headrush cabs at home i realized they were only good with the helix and were to loud for a small apartment. if you tried turning them down to a decent volume they would sound like total crap. After a few months i sold them to a friend who has a house in the boondocks. He loves them. I thought i would just stay with the HS8's for my home monitoring setup and adjust all my settings when i played gigs(i play with a church choir band). My sales rep, Andy Miller mentioned these to me when i told him about my issues with the headrush cabs and i remembered how i liked the sound at the store so a few weeks ago i decided to purchase a pair(getting free tote bags did help push me over the edge).
I have had these for a few weeks now at home. I have them on the floor like monitor and i keep them set on the floor monitor setting and wow!!! They sound even better than they did at the store, better than the HS8's. Are church has been closed since covid 19 started. Last weekend we thought we would try an outdoor service in our parking lot so we could do some baptisms and just to let everyone know that we are still a congregation. 90% of our church is over 60 so the church was going to rent a P.A. system so everyone could hear. I had these with me when the choir was practicing outside so instead off using these as my monitors we set them up has a small PA to get an idea of what it would sound like when we get the PA we rented. i ran the choir mixer into the line input and i ran the pastors mic input with the mic boost on.
After just a few minutes we realized we didn't need to rent another PA system. The service went great and the pastor even asked ppl to donate a little more so they could get me speaker stands so when we do another outdoor service i wouldn't have to set the CP8's on milk crates. During the service i had the speakers set in the default position and the sound was beyond amazing even outside on a windy day. The speakers are back home now and I sold my HS8's yesterday. The QSC CP8's can do just about anything you need in the way of monitoring your sound, from bedroom practice amp with the Helix, monitors for your home studio, a keyboard amp and an outdoor church service. They are not that heavy and are easy to move around because they are so small. The QSC CP8 packs a lot of punch and a lot of versatility in this amazing small package !!!

These are super small but punch way above their weight!! I paired them with an old k-sub and I was very pleased. They're not quite on par with the k series speakers, but at this cost they rock!

Sweetwater does not sell any saxophones, reeds, mouthpieces, swabs, or any of that other saxophone junk. I purchase everything else from the amazing team at Sweetwater (all of my cords, clamps, powered loudspeakers, pedals, mixers, vocal microphones, instrument microphones, stands, and accessories). My sales engineer Bart and the Sweetwater team consistently take care of me and I appreciate it very much.

My motivation for purchasing this CP 8 was for an instrument monitor. I've already been able to use it for an outside gig and I was very impressed. The crowd was much smaller than anticipated, so the CP 8 was used as the main (my Sweetwater edition Bose F1's with subs stayed in the vehicle). The CP8 amplified the saxophones in a very powerful and special way (my Sweetwater edition Bose L1 Compact makes vocals nice but does not compare to the CP8 for amplifying the tenor and soprano saxophone).

During that outside gig, the CP8 also proved to be a worthy vocal loudspeaker (crisp and clear).

If you are considering this type of unit, I would highly recommend it.
A big thank you to Bart and the SW team.

I blew my Headrush FrFr so decided to give this a shot. Headroom is much better than the HeadRush with my Line 6 Helix and Fractal AX8 sounds great highly recommend for Modeling.

I have these in a home setup with subwoofer. They are super clean and perfect for dj booth monitors.

I frequently provide audio for bands in small bars and clubs. One problem was the space taken by floor monitors. They we often kicked by dancing patrons and the front line of the band had to pushed forward, squeezing precious dance floor area. (Yes, the clubs are that small!) I borrowed a couple QSC CP8s from a friend and tried them as a substitute for my 12" passive monitor boxes. A female vocalist I frequently have the pleasure of working with prefers fairly loud monitors. I knew that if she was pleased with the CP8s, then they would be fine for most other artists in small stage situations. Well, the CP8s passed the test with flying colors. She was pleased with both the sound level and the tone quality. I was able to get plenty of gain before feedback without radical EQ notching. Late in the show, I "sat in" on bass and was able to hear the monitors for myself from a musician perspective. Bottom line, they sounded great!

I own 2 of the CP8s now and plan to add 2 more to my inventory. QSC has done a great job with this model. Fine audio at the right price point.

I use two of these for monitors. The FOH is two cp12s and two Behringer 12" subs. This is enough to do 90% of a working band"s needs. All this and the stands all fit in a 3x4 trailer that you could pull behind a motorcycle! The speakers are Very Clear and clean. I absolutely love them!! Never sound like they"re struggling. Best $... I ever spent for the 12s and 8s.

This speaker is mini powerhouse! It"s 21 pounds, so easy to move and lift! 1000 peak watts (probably closer to 500-550 RMS continuous watts, still really impressive) with silky smooth highs. The tone of this speaker is really good with vocals, not harsh at all. The DSP is good. Music playback is clean and full sounding especially for a 8" speaker. Defiantly see the QSC sound quality in this box! Highly recommended!

I was very surprised at the sound of the CP8. 1000 watts, and it carries great bass as well as the mids and highs. It is a great monitor for my drummer. He uses this and his ear monitors. Love it!

I love this little speaker. I've gigged with it about four times now and I have no complaints. Great on its own for smaller gigs. If you're at a bigger gig with a larger PA, the direct out is really convenient. Very versatile and very portable.

A truly outstanding speaker for the size I highly recommend them.

I rarely have the experience of taking a new piece of gear out of the box and being immediately in love with it - usually that comes after messing with settings and taking my time finding the sweet spot. With this little speaker, it sounded better than any powered speaker I"ve owned from the first strum of my guitar. And it is LOUD! I"ll be using the CP series exclusively from now on.

I"m totally blown away by this speaker. I bought this to use as a stage monitor and couldn"t be happier. I wasn"t sure it could keep up, but it does a wonderful job. It sounds like a much bigger speaker.

I have been using the CP8 since they have come out. For me it"s been the perfect speaker I"ve used other brands However the sound and the articulation as well as the volume and tonality that is thrown to the audience in my opinion surpasses the others. I"ve used a DPA 4099 with a True Systems P Solo mic Preamp direct to the QSC CP8. I"ve use the single microphone like the DPA 4099 clipped onto my guitar into a TouchMix eight and then out to 2QSC CP8 speakers and the sound is absolutely fabulous. There"s a very crystal clear articulation that takes place and there"s no ear fatigue when listening to the sound that"s being produced and thrown to the audience. This provides a much more enjoyable experience to the listener. The speakers are so easy to travel with and fit in just about any trunk. I"ve been playing Winery"s, corporate events, private parties and I"m constantly getting compliments on my tone in the set up. If you"re in Acoustic Musician and serious about your tone this may be the speaker that you were looking for. I"ve also use the speaker with just my paddleboard and amazing results . I"ve done some fashion shows and I just put one CPA on a pole and run my paddleboard to the XLR in and the fantastic sound. That"s true magic in the speakers they do not tire of the year and they generally produce the sound that they are given. As a Spanish guitarist playing in the flamenco style when using the mic it is so important that the speaker faithfully reproduces the sound of the mike is capturing and with this speaker it"s so easy to play with Mike without feedback and deliver stellar sound night after night. As a Spanish guitarist playing in the flamenco style when using a mic it is so important that the speaker faithfully reproduces the sound of the mic is capturing and with this speaker it"s so easy to play with a mic without feedback and deliver stellar sound night after night. The people at QSC deliver excellent service if you ever have questions and stand behind their products and that to me as a professional getting musician is worth it"s weight in gold. They are friendly and honest company to deal with and I consistently tell others about how great the products are that come from QSC . Finally the speakers are easy to travel with and they won"t hurt your back while caring them setting them up and tearing down at the end of the night. The speakers are true working musicians speak

Perfect for a small band...great sound in a little package. Surprisingly good bass response. Jason Koons is my sales guy and is invaluable and a wealth of knowledge.

I had 4 Bose SP1, my big problem was always when needed to increase the volume, they really don"t do the job, decided to get rid of 3 of them leaving one for home (no more gigs) and the money I got gave enough to purchase 4 CP8"s. Well there was events where I must use all of 4 Bose"s. Now? Just ONE CP8 do the job! In fact, I did the sound of my 5 pieces band using 2 of them as monitors and the other two as mains, without that problem of carrying big cabinets! On that 100 people crowd event, they were surprised, and some asked where the speakers were located even one did question where we hide the sub! On my solo performances one channel is for the microphone after my effects pedal and the convenient 3.5mm input allows me to connect my iPad for my backing tracks, because I do several times a week entertainment singing for senior centers. They say I am the best because they love me doing Sinatra, Humperdinck and more and they love that I am the one who carries the less equipment. I invested in a pair of K12.2, when is a big space or crowd I simply have 4 CP8 as floor monitors and the concert is perfect, no need of subs so far!

Light weight, sturdy and sounds great!!

For small gigs, I used to use a Fishman Solo SA220, but higher frequency coverage was inferior where the sound had to never 120 degrees or more. Now I use these as my mains for small gigs, and as stage monitors for larger ones, and they do their job quite well. As mains, I can aim them so that everyone enjoys good sound quality and coverage across the audio spectrum. They're lightweight, allowing me to mount them onto smaller lighter-weight stands, so as a solo act I can reduce the trips to the car. I use an XAIR 18 mixer, and the whole system has all of the control, convenience, and ruggedness that I'd hope for.

Occasionally one of my groups has a few extra vocalists... needed some floor wedges- but didn"t want to buy more K8.2"s to use- several times per year... these are perfect! Got to use them, recently, and had nothing but compliments from said singers! I actually prefer the "knob selectors" vs the digi screen on on my K.2"s...

I"ve been keeping an eye out for a FRFR speaker for my modeling rig. 12" is too big and boomy, so I was leaning toward 10" models, especially the one from JBL.

I was tempted when I saw the HeadRush FRFR-108, but the DSP is too limited to make it really versatile.

The CP8 has everything I need in a 20 lb. package. Oh yeah, it sounds fantastic too.

Bought this speaker to upgrade my a floor monitor. I run an open mic at a local brewery. This cabinet sounds so natural. We have a top notch Dobro/acoustic player and he loved the sound. I ordered a second right away. QSC is the best.

Impressed with the K10.2'a that I have, I bought this as a stage monitor. Have used it once and am quite pleased - it sounds good and is noticeably lighter than the K10.2'a. For my next small venue solo gig, I may use one for house and one for stage mon. Don't need a sub for an acoustic guitar/vocal performance.

This product is amazing! The speakers have a very clear sound with no distortion. I would recommend them to anyone!!!

So moch power in such a small package. Great sound for the size.

Perfect for my Helix. Amps and effects now sound like I know our FOH is sounding. We don't use amps on stage for worship music so I rely on IEM's and sometimes travel out to listen for comparison. The CP8 is great because the sound is very very close and my adjustments at home make sense translating live. It's super powerful with clarity and warmth.

When I began my search for a good modeling speaker, I starting researching all the recommended FRFR speakers. Though excellent sound from those, most were out of my price range.
So in talking with the guys at Sweetwater, one suggestion was the QSC line. Namely the new CP series speakers.

I wanted something compact with plenty of headroom and a good flat response. I decided to quiz the technical guys at Sweetwater on the QSC CP 8. It had a very small footprint, pole or wedge design so I could use it conveniently, packs 1000 watts and weighs less than some lunchbox amps.

I decided to give it a try. Right out of the box it is pure build quality. Two 1/4 & XLR combo inputs with their own gain control, an aux input and a sum output so you can go straight to the console while monitoring from the floor. (should you choose to do so)

So I plugged my pedalboard straight into this little guy, picked a pleasing IR from my cab sim and within minutes I had some sweet tones that were extremely amp-like in sound and feel.

I was able to go from spanky clean to full on blues and rock lead tones and the speaker handled those with ease.

I am looking forward to experimenting further, but am completely satisfied with this purchase.

Would highly recommend it for any application where you need clean portable powerful sound reinforcement.

QSC quality at Behringer/Alto pricing. I have two of the CP8"s for monitors/small venues. I team these up with the QSC 10.2 and JBL PRX 815....Sonic Heaven.

I recently purchased these speakers from Sweetwater. I perform as a one man band playing left handed bass on keyboards, and using a drum module playing classic rock and country. I recently played an event of about 75 or more people. I put the speakers to each side of my setup both behind me. No feedback, the audience loved it, they handled the keyboard bass, and my vocals crystal clear. I purchased these speakers for my one person show. I have a classic rock band using QSC K10 and K10.2 speakers, either two speakers or four depending on the size of the event. As you can see, I am a QSC fan. I have covers for the K10 speakers and they go on and off very easily. Not so for the CP8's. The covers are too tight, and it is like engaging a wrestling match both before and at the end of the event to get the speakers covered. They should be covered. Sorry, QSC I got an unexpected negative surprise. My email address is required to submit the review, but I do not want it published

Bought two of these to supplement the mains on our PA, and sometimes to use as stage monitors when we're not using in-ears. Didn't want to spend the extra money to get the .2 versions. These do an admirable job. Sound quality and quantity is good. Low end response is great for an 8" woofer. Could probably be used as mains for a solo act or a small group in smaller venues. QSC speakers aren't cheap, but these punch above their weight.

I had need of a pair of lightweight, powerful, multipurpose active speakers, and being cognizant of QSC's well deserved reputation for ultralight amplification as well as their highly regarded K series active loudspeakers, and being in possession of a spankin' new Sweetwater card, I took a flyer on a pair of these. I must admit my initial disappointment when the FedEx guy deposited them on my porch; the boxes were too small, and the speakers undoubtedly inadequate for my purpose. Imagine my despair, when I opened those boxes to find EVEN SMALLER BOXES within. I resigned myself in that moment to shipping them back and ordering something more suitable. But then...if you've read the other reviews, you know how this story goes. I shoulda bought four. And in due time, I will. The preset EQ curves have a lot more going on than simple EQ, to my experienced ear, and I've had yet to NEED to apply EQ to these potent pygmies. In tight spaces, they may require some, but they're brilliant as mains or monitors in the larger spaces, where I work, and the dynamic range is such that they're my new standard for drumming electrically. They beat everything I've ever used, and the bass extension is stunning; enough to accommodate everything, down to the foot of a kick drum, though possibly not enough for sub bass/ EDM. The half star is deducted because the sturdy ABS enclosure is smooth and easily scuffed; one trip in the car left a permanent mark, so if you enjoy the sleek modern look of these amazing little gems, you'll probably want to buy some kind of bag to transport them. I'm certain they're plenty durable, but without additional protection, they won't look so nice, for so long. Even so, the weight/performance ratio make these potent little boxes a stunning value. My highest recommendation.

The power cord doesn't lock. There's no front light. There's no fan. Otherwise, I'm hard pressed to find a significant different between these and the K10s I have (well, obviously the size is different). The case, grille, and handle build quality are identical. The knobs and connectors are robust.

I just got my K10s used for a great price. Otherwise I'd seriously consider the CP series. I don't need the fancy bells and whistles on the new Kx.2 series. I just need a really well-built, nice-sounding speaker.

I don't have golden ears but I have pretty good ones. I played rock, classical, Bluegrass, rap, etc. through this little gem and they all sounded perfectly fine. Nice clarity. But since I'm gigging with this I was most interested in build quality and this is spot-on QSC.

There's a lot of clear, clean sound packed into an 8" speaker. These are just 25 lbs but built like a tank. The controls are simple except the names of some of the preset EQs are not perfectly descriptive. I also find that the presets are not so different from each other. Since the sound quality is great regardless of which setting is used, I it doesn't matter too much. The K10s have a much more pronounced variation in the presets. Overall, I'm very satisfied and already saving my pennies to get a couple more.

I bought one of these recently with the intention of using it as a floor monitor for my guitar rig. I have a 40w amp running into a 4x12 cab with a speaker simulated direct out on the back of the amp that I ran into this QSC. While the monitor does pack a punch and sounds phenomenal, it did not keep up with my 4x12 at all. My band does play loud though so it just didn't work out for me, but luckily my Sweetwater sales rep Kevin was awesome enough to make returning it a breeze. Thank you Sweetwater!

This speaker is fairly powerful for its size and doesn't feedback unnecessarily. There is a lot of power here also.
I use it for a floor monitor for my singer/songwriter gigs in loud bars/restaurants. I also bought it to use as a rehearsal pa and it works well in small rooms/small situations. Very versatile for the price...appears to be fairly rigorously made and so far after the first month is holding up very well.... my prediction is that this will last a long time. It is a great little speaker for the money....i was able to demo it at Sweetwater directly since i live in FW which i find is very helpful. The folks in the store are great.

Only used the CP8 once so far, as a floor monitor in my solo acoustic act, but was pretty happy with it's performance. I've been using a powered speaker with a 15" woofer previously, but this little CP8 did a comparable job in my application. I will need to experiment further with getting the best full range sound, as I use voice, guitar, and sequencing in my shows, but I was pleased with how this speaker handled the gig.