Best FRFR Speaker: Beginner, Budget & Pro Options [2023]

best FRFR speaker

What’s the best FRFR speaker you can buy right now? Here’s our pick for the top-rated, best-sounding FRFR speakers for beginners, those on a budget, and those looking for a more professional sound…



Best FRFR Speaker

Best Overall By A Mile
  • 5.0
  • Pros:
    • 18 Powercab speaker models with firmware 2.0, plus FRFR.
    • 250 watts (125dB SPL)
    • 128 user presets/IR locations
    • Edit through Powercab Edit
    • MIDI and XLR In/Out
    • Angled stands for use as monitoring wedge
A Close Second…
  • 4.5
  • Pros:
    • Designed for use with Kemper Profiler
    • Outstanding sound quality
    • Comes with a range of settings and controls
    • Simple to set up and use
    • Compact and lightweight
    • Supports other amplifiers and audio interfaces
Best For Beginners / Budget
  • 4.0
  • Pros:
    • Lightweight Design (Just 20 Pounds)
    • 2000W of Power
    • Built-In EQ Contour Control
    • Brilliantly Flat Sound
    • Amazing Value For Money
Best Overall By A Mile
5.0
Pros:
  • 18 Powercab speaker models with firmware 2.0, plus FRFR.
  • 250 watts (125dB SPL)
  • 128 user presets/IR locations
  • Edit through Powercab Edit
  • MIDI and XLR In/Out
  • Angled stands for use as monitoring wedge
A Close Second…
4.5
Pros:
  • Designed for use with Kemper Profiler
  • Outstanding sound quality
  • Comes with a range of settings and controls
  • Simple to set up and use
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Supports other amplifiers and audio interfaces
Best For Beginners / Budget
4.0
Pros:
  • Lightweight Design (Just 20 Pounds)
  • 2000W of Power
  • Built-In EQ Contour Control
  • Brilliantly Flat Sound
  • Amazing Value For Money

As of 2023, these are our top picks for the best FRFR speakers you can buy right now.

We tested a few more than were included in this list but we wanted to keep the list focussed and tight, giving a simple selection of options for beginner, intermediate, and professional players.

Read on for a more detailed breakdown of the best FRFR speakers for 2023…

Kemper Kabinet

Kemper Kabinet

One of the really cool things about the Kemper Kabinet is its pristine sound. If you know Kemper, you know it is big on tone and sound quality, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Designed with the Kemper Profiler in mind, the Kemper Kabinet runs a 12“ speaker that was exclusively designed for this speaker by Celestion. And, again, as you’d expect, it sounds utterly incredible.

The damn thing is pretty good looking too; it’s made from premium materials, is pretty lightweight given its size, and because it is a Kemper product, its reliability is excellent, making it a great choice for the studio and/or gigging.

It was designed to run the Kemper Profiler amplifier, but Kemper knows not everybody has or can afford one of those, so it made Kemper Kabinet 100% compatible with other devices and audio interfaces, bringing it completely in line with the Line 6 option.

Kemper Kabinet Main Features

  • The Kemper Kabinet’s sound quality is a standout feature, thanks to its 12″ speaker exclusively designed by Celestion
  • The Kemper Kabinet is made from premium materials, lightweight, and highly reliable, making it great for the studio or gigging
  • The Kemper Kabinet is 100% compatible with other amps and audio interfaces, not just the Kemper Profiler amplifier
  • The Kemper Kabinet’s overall sound quality is excellent but it does lack some of the finesse and control that you get with the Line 6 PowerCab 112.
  • But the Kemper Kabinet is cheaper than the PowerCab 112 Plus, so there’s that…
  • The Kemper Kabinet is VERY loud, making it ideal for gigging, practice sessions, and recording.

To be honest, this is one of the best sounding FRFR speakers on the market and the reason behind this is its bespoke Celestion speaker – it sounds heavenly whatever you run through it.

So, while the Kemper Kabinet does miss some of the features of the Line 6 PowerCab 112 Plus, it MORE than makes up for it with its overall sound quality which, in our testing, was significantly better and more balanced than the Line 6.

The Kemper sports a standard 4 Ohm impedance, and can cover up to 19 different impulse response styles. The Celestion-designed KONE system mimics all kinds of cabinets, from vintage crunch to modern distortion.

And another big score for the Kemper Kabinet? It’s cheaper than the Line 6 PowerCab 112 Plus too. Oh, and there’s 200-watts of solid state power under the hood which means it is properly LOUD.


Line 6 PowerCab 112 Plus

Line 6 PowerCab 112 Plus

With its clean 250-watt power amplifier and custom hybrid coaxial speaker, the Line 6 Powercab 112 Plus is arguably one of the best FRFR speakers on the market when it comes to overall performance and features.

The original Line 6 Powercab sported some really appealing features, but lacked some of the headroom that the new Plus series has to offer. The Line 6 Powercab Plus extends the frequency range and overall fidelity of the speaker.

This thing is jam-packed with cool stuff, as you’d expect from Line 6. And if you’re after the cleanest of clean with respect to sound, the Line 6 Powercab 112 Plus is up there with the best of them with its neutral frequency response from 70Hz to 20kHz and masses of headroom on tap.

You also get access to things like Speaker Modeling mode which lets you instantly load any one of six classic speaker types with the click of a switch. It works too, opening loads of potential for expanding your guitar tone without any additional cabs or pedals.

Designed for gigging, home use, practice, and recording, the Line 6 Powercab 112 Plus is a bit like a Tesla. It can happily trundle along, being all nice and unassuming but it can switch in an instant into a towering colossus of power – you’ve got 250W of power to play with here.

That’s a lot, easily enough gigging and practice rooms. At the top end of the output, you’re looking at 125dB Peak SPL which is enough to fill a fairly large, mid-sized club venue, so, yeah, this thing can cook when it wants to.

It was designed with the gigging musician in mind, and it even comes with a built-in kickstand if you plan on using the Powercab for a stage monitor setup. Line 6 really thought of everything in this design!

On top of ALL that, the Powercab 112 Plus is one robust puppy too. It’s a very solid unit and it looks and feels expensive. But its actual weight, when you go to lug it for the first time, will surprise you – it only weighs 36 pounds (16 kgs).

Powercab 112 Plus Main Features

  • 2-inch LCD
  • 128 user preset locations
  • MIDI In/Out
  • AES/EBU and L6 LINKTM digital I/O
  • Multipurpose second input
  • USB audio interface.
  • 128 third-party speaker cabinet impulse responses (IRs)
  • 250W of power (125dB Peak SPL)

If you already use something like the Helix or POD GO as your main tone hub, then the Line 6 Powercab is made to seamlessly connect to your device using the L6 LINK system. This means you can recall presets with the tap of a switch.

You can even run two of the Line 6 Powercab Plus speakers in true stereo from your device. This opens up a whole new world of effects for stage use, such as ping-pong delay and chorus effects.

As you can probably tell, we really like this FRFR speaker. If you’re already a Line 6 fan and are using one of its other products like the Line 6 Helix, the Powercab 112 Plus is its perfect companion. Trust me, it sounds unreal coming through this speaker.

And if you’re not, no worries – the Powercab 112 Plus will hook up with pretty much any digital processor/plugin you happen to use. I honestly cannot fault this thing. Yes, it is a little pricey. But once you get it set up and running, you REALLY know where all that extra attention went.


HeadRush FRFR-112

Best FRFR Speakers

Simple and unassuming, the HeadRush FRFR-112 is a 12 inch powerhouse of a speaker. With 2000-watts of power, you will never have to worry about being loud enough on stage.

This is not the first time we have talked about the HeadRush speaker before, and it continues to surprise us with the raw power and amplification that it provides.

But is it the best FRFR speaker?

Well, it is half the price of the other speakers mentioned in this article so far, and that does comes at a cost to the user. The HeadRush was designed to work seamlessly with the HeadRush pedalboard system, so it lacks some of the features you get with Line 6 or Kemper.

For example, there are no preset profiles for the FRFR-112, it has one setting that is controlled with a contour knob. So this means spending more time dialing in tones from the source, such as your amp modeler.

But where it lacks in overall features, it makes up for any misgivings by being obscenely powerful. You can do a lot with 2000-watts of clean power and massive headroom for any tone setting.

HeadRush FRFR-112 Main Features

  • 2000-watt speaker designed specifically for electric guitar
  • Full range, Flat response is perfect for amp modelers
  • Tilt back feature for monitoring
  • Two XLR/TRS combo inputs with volume controls and clip indicators
  • Daisy chain XLR output for stereo or front of the house mix
  • Contour EQ to remove highs and lows
  • Lightweight Design, Only 20 LBS

Don’t let the lower price fool you when it comes to HeadRush, this is a fully functional FRFR. If you are on a budget with your live rig, then this might be the best FRFR speaker for you.

Having a dedicated output for the front of the house signal will allow you to know exactly how your guitar tones sound to the audience. You can also chain two of the FRFR-112 units together for stereo options.

The HeadRush FRFR-112 might not have all of the presets that Line 6 offers, or the special-design speaker that Kemper features, but it out-powers both models by a huge margin.

If simple yet powerful is what you need for the stage, then the HeadRush might be the perfect choice. This is a fully transparent FRFR speaker that will let your amp modeler do the heavy lifting when it comes to tones.


Which Best FRFR Speaker Is For You?

Obviously, if you use the modeler that is made for the FRFR speaker, you will get the best results. For example, the Line 6 Powercab is going to work best with the Helix. The same can be said for the other two speakers.

But any of these FRFR speakers is going to work great with your amp modeler of choice. You just need to decide which features are important to you, as a player.

  • The Kemper is great for players that need high-fidelity sounds. It has built-in impulse responses that your modeler may not feature, and this can only add to your arsenal of tone. The Celestion speaker sounds the most organic out of the 3 options. And it is cheaper than the Line 6.
  • The Line 6 Powercab Plus is a no-brainer for anyone that is currently using a Line 6 modeler. The L6 LINK control allows you to save settings directly from your Helix through midi. However, the speaker sounds great with every modeler we have tested it with, so it has the most versatility. If you can afford the extra cash, this is the one to get.
  • The HeadRush FRFR-112 is the “all-around” best FRFR speaker. You can do almost anything with the 2000-watt power limit, and the HeadRush is a great budget option for people who want to buy two speakers for stereo applications, without breaking the bank.

Like most guitar gear, the choice comes down to the player’s needs and budget. The popularity of FRFR speakers has really taken off, since modeling technology has become affordable. Going digital is a great option for the gigging guitarist these days.

You really cannot go wrong with any of these, and more venues are starting to use “silent stage” technology that renders the traditional amp setup obsolete in many ways.

The future is now, and it has never been easier to build a fully digital guitar rig, whether your purpose is to monitor, or have an FRFR speaker as your cabinet.

Best Overall By A Mile
  • 5.0
  • Pros:
    • 18 Powercab speaker models with firmware 2.0, plus FRFR.
    • 250 watts (125dB SPL)
    • 128 user presets/IR locations
    • Edit through Powercab Edit
    • MIDI and XLR In/Out
    • Angled stands for use as monitoring wedge
A Close Second…
  • 4.5
  • Pros:
    • Designed for use with Kemper Profiler
    • Outstanding sound quality
    • Comes with a range of settings and controls
    • Simple to set up and use
    • Compact and lightweight
    • Supports other amplifiers and audio interfaces
Best For Beginners / Budget
  • 4.0
  • Pros:
    • Lightweight Design (Just 20 Pounds)
    • 2000W of Power
    • Built-In EQ Contour Control
    • Brilliantly Flat Sound
    • Amazing Value For Money
Best Overall By A Mile
5.0
Pros:
  • 18 Powercab speaker models with firmware 2.0, plus FRFR.
  • 250 watts (125dB SPL)
  • 128 user presets/IR locations
  • Edit through Powercab Edit
  • MIDI and XLR In/Out
  • Angled stands for use as monitoring wedge
A Close Second…
4.5
Pros:
  • Designed for use with Kemper Profiler
  • Outstanding sound quality
  • Comes with a range of settings and controls
  • Simple to set up and use
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Supports other amplifiers and audio interfaces
Best For Beginners / Budget
4.0
Pros:
  • Lightweight Design (Just 20 Pounds)
  • 2000W of Power
  • Built-In EQ Contour Control
  • Brilliantly Flat Sound
  • Amazing Value For Money

Absolute Beginner? No problem.

Learn how to 10x your guitar playing, use all the latest gear, and record like a professional – all from the comfort of your bedroom!

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