FS: BFM Omni 10

[SeismicAssault]

SOLD!

I've got a Bill Fitzmaurice designed Omni 10 loaded with Eminence Beta 10A's. This is a 500W cabinet at 4 ohms. I built it about a year ago, and it has been at our rehearsal space since then, except for 3 shows.

The sound is fantastic, and this cabinet can get really loud ... I'm not sure of the exact weight, but I'm estimating it's about 65 lbs. All construction is made from 1/2" baltic birch.

The condition of this cabinet is fantastic. No wear on the carpet or corners (as it rarely even been moved).

The 4 tweeters have an on-off switch, so you can turn them off if you don't need the extra high-end boost.

This cabinet is solid as a rock. The carpeting is done very well ... the only thing that isn't perfect with the carpeting is that you can see the seams on the top of the cabinet if you get up close. You can see them a little in the pictures.

The size is 26"x20"x16".

$250 plus actual shipping. Let me know your zip code, and I can give you a shipping estimate. I'm in zip code 03033.

Trade bait:

Mesa Boogie M9
Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 115 (8 ohm), black grill

Here's some pics:

[Count Bassie]

PM sent.

[kesslari]

Bump for an Omni - I play through one, great cabinets!

[NickyBass]

It looks like a 2x10 with 4 tweeters. Is that correct? I've been interested in the BFM cabs for a while now. Is this designed to deliver cleaner lows? I'd want something that pushes a ton of clean low end.

[PaulNYC]

here is a link to the SPL charts: http://www.billfitzmaurice.info/foru...hp?f=12&t=2344

[SeismicAssault]

It looks like a 2x10 with 4 tweeters. Is that correct?

Yes, that is correct ...

[SeismicAssault]

Price drop! $250.00 plus actual shipping.

[cracker75]

PM sent.

[SeismicAssault]

Also, willing to trade (along with some cash) for a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 115 (newer model with player control network and black grill) in excellent condition.

[iualum]

...ALL the BFM cabs are tremendous...and L-O-U-D...this one can probably out-perform just about any 212 around, if not all...and an excellent price also...

...no affiliation with the seller in any way, shape, or form, just commenting...

...good luck with the sale...

[MarkA]

Curiosity-bump for all the BFM fans out there:

I know BFM designs have a big rep here for being well-thought-out, function-driven, and generally performing very well. Just looking at these pics, though, with the speakers way back there and partially obscured by that big horn thing (I mean, a cab is a box with the speakers at the front, right?), I get an impression of big-but-boomy, kind of indirect/cavernous sound. This is pure surmise, I admit.

I know these cabs are supposed to get loud and extend low, but how would you BFM players (iualum, kesslari, anyone else?) characterize the sound of your cabs up-close? out in the audience? dry/reverberant, smooth/harsh, tight (low end)/loose, etc.?

As relates to this specific cab, do you find that four (yikes!) tweeters get harsh/hissy? How hard (or necessary) would it be to put an L-pad in place of the on-off switch?

[SeismicAssault]

I know BFM designs have a big rep here for being well-thought-out, function-driven, and generally performing very well. Just looking at these pics, though, with the speakers way back there and partially obscured by that big horn thing (I mean, a cab is a box with the speakers at the front, right?), I get an impression of big-but-boomy, kind of indirect/cavernous sound. This is pure surmise, I admit.

I actually believe this is not true ... the horn is this model actually helps focus the sound. I'm not an expert in the design of these, though. That's why I let an expert like Bill F. design it, and I bought the plans. To my ears, though, it's exactly the opposite of big-but-boomy. Very focused sound.

I know these cabs are supposed to get loud and extend low, but how would you BFM players (iualum, kesslari, anyone else?) characterize the sound of your cabs up-close? out in the audience? dry/reverberant, smooth/harsh, tight (low end)/loose, etc.?

I haven't really heard it from the audience point of view, but I'll try to describe the sound. The way I set up my amp, I actually don't try to push a lot of low end out. I mostly keep the mids and highs boosted a little, and the bass is turned down a little both on my amp and my bass. My guess is that this cab may not go as low as a lot of other cabs, but I'm not actually going for that sound. The sound is very tight, with a quick response, though. I think the 10 inchers respond quickly, and don't have that lagging / flubby sound that some larger drivers may have.

As relates to this specific cab, do you find that four (yikes!) tweeters get harsh/hissy? How hard (or necessary) would it be to put an L-pad in place of the on-off switch?

The tweeters haven't actually been harsh at all. I don't know if it's the fact that they're piezos or what, but I can barely tell the difference with them on or off. I keep them on all the time, but I could turn them off and probably wouldn't notice the difference. I'm not sure how well an L-pad would work with piezos. I don't think it would be necessary, though. There is a 4 ohm resistor in series with the tweeters, but that is there to help prevent high frequency oscillations (I believe).

[SeismicAssault]

Also willing to trade this (along with cash) for a Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout 12.

[kesslari]

Originally Posted by MarkA

Curiosity-bump for all the BFM fans out there:

I know BFM designs have a big rep here for being well-thought-out, function-driven, and generally performing very well. Just looking at these pics, though, with the speakers way back there and partially obscured by that big horn thing (I mean, a cab is a box with the speakers at the front, right?), I get an impression of big-but-boomy, kind of indirect/cavernous sound. This is pure surmise, I admit.

Definitely not. Worth looking into horn loading. It's primarily an efficiency enhancer, with added dispersion benefits. There are others who can explain it better - a trip to Bill's website (or to any comprehensive speaker design or acoustic theory site) will explain it far better than I.
Don't go to commercial manufacturer's for explanation, though - they will be explaining why the way they do things is best, but they are limited by what is commercially feasible (affordable) and other market factors.
One thing I can say is that this cab is extremely efficient (e.g., loud for the watts you feed it). And my understanding is that is due directly to the horn loading.

I know these cabs are supposed to get loud and extend low, but how would you BFM players (iualum, kesslari, anyone else?) characterize the sound of your cabs up-close? out in the audience? dry/reverberant, smooth/harsh, tight (low end)/loose, etc.?

Very balanced, strong in the midrange. The Omni10 is not super-strong in the lows, but can be EQ'd for strong lows.
Definitely not harsh.
I used mine as backline for a 3 band gig last month.
I play fretless with a strong mid growl - sounds incredible.
First bassist played a 70's P with flats - very thumpy. Sounded great.
Second played a beatle bass - not the sound I like, but still sounded great.
All the bassists loved it, soundmen love it, and from the audience it was great.

As relates to this specific cab, do you find that four (yikes!) tweeters get harsh/hissy? How hard (or necessary) would it be to put an L-pad in place of the on-off switch?

I wasn't sure about the piezos, and put in a switch to turn them off. I don't turn them off, though. They are surprisingly smooth. My understanding is that having more of them spreads the load and avoids pushing them to the point where they get harsh, but I may have the technical details wrong. Regardless of the "why" the "how" is that they don't sound harsh or artificial.

These are great cabs.

[Standalone]

Originally Posted by MarkA

Just looking at these pics, though, with the speakers way back there and partially obscured by that big horn thing (I mean, a cab is a box with the speakers at the front, right?), I get an impression of big-but-boomy, kind of indirect/cavernous sound. This is pure surmise, I admit.

could you cup your hands around your mouth and say that again? I ain't heard you so good....

[mcrracer]

Originally Posted by MarkA

Curiosity-bump for all the BFM fans out there:

I know BFM designs have a big rep here for being well-thought-out, function-driven, and generally performing very well. Just looking at these pics, though, with the speakers way back there and partially obscured by that big horn thing (I mean, a cab is a box with the speakers at the front, right?), I get an impression of big-but-boomy, kind of indirect/cavernous sound. This is pure surmise, I admit.

I know these cabs are supposed to get loud and extend low, but how would you BFM players (iualum, kesslari, anyone else?) characterize the sound of your cabs up-close? out in the audience? dry/reverberant, smooth/harsh, tight (low end)/loose, etc.?

As relates to this specific cab, do you find that four (yikes!) tweeters get harsh/hissy? How hard (or necessary) would it be to put an L-pad in place of the on-off switch?

How in the world can you make negative comments on a speaker design you have never heard and obviously do not understand anything about? I have built an Omni 10.5 (one 10" plus the tweeters), plus three other designs. ALL of them work as advertised. You need to go to Bills site and try to educate yourself before making yourself look more foolish.

[MarkA]

@mcrracer:

I say, "This is pure surmise, I admit." Meaning, I realize it's just speculation, unsupported by evidence, and I'm being upfront about it. Then I ask for the opinions of people who've actually played the cabs, meaning, "I'm open to being educated." For those who posted their detailed impressions in response, thanks.

For the record, I've visited Bill Fitzmaurice's site before, though I've hardly perused the vast amount of info. and discussion available there. I've visited it again (and searched through some threads on here, and even found a YouTube video or two) since this thread re-tweaked my interest in/curiosity about his cabs. This is w/o your prompting, btw.

My question about possible "boominess" was triggered in part by comments I read in another thread started by someone who built one (Giraffe?) who, while on the whole very positive about his experience with the cab (I remember him saying his Epifani sounded like it was covered by a blanket in comparison) did describe the sound as less direct at close range than a direct radiator (he also mentioned having to get used to the high end). As for looking foolish, well, you should've seen the outfit I had on today -- off white shorts with a white t-shirt. I looked like an old man about to play tennis. If an honest question is all it takes to look foolish here, though, I won't worry about it.

For the record (again):

-Yes, from what I've read by him here, BFM seems to be a very smart guy, uncompromising in his work and helpful to others. I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

- The vid I found didn't make the Omni (10.5) sound boomy at all. I found the sound in the clip impressive, quick, clear, tight, if revealing up top (fret sound, etc -- I realize I'm judging from a single, compressed clip and that the cab's not the only factor). Here it is for the curious.

- Mr. Seismic answered some of my questions in detail in a pm. He strikes me as a real gentleman, and I'm sure anyone who deals with him will have no reason to regret it.

No dis intended, then or now. Now, can I count this as a bump?

BUMP!

[Crockettnj]

I play through two omni 10.5's frequently (Loaded with the budget MCM drivers). Ive had numerous different drivers in there at one point or another (bp102, s2010, deltalites...) resulting in subtle variations on the same theme.

Very clean and clear with a much stronger midrange presence than most any cab I've tried. Lows can be described as "refined" to be polite, simply not as strong as the mids to be blunt. You can certainly dial out some of the mids and dial in some more lows via EQ.

The cabs sit great in a mix, and to my ears and style less so played alone/bedroom. HOwever I find that solo & bedroom playing usually sounds better with a mid scoop "smiley" EQ" as opposed to a more realistic mid bump for sitting in the mix live.

Due to their efficiency they get a little louder than others at a lower amp setting, and therefore I assume the amp is not running as hot.


Clear, accurate, precise, present, articulate, etc. Yes. They are not innately pillowy, lush, or typical reggae/dub cabs.

Certainly not boomy.

I am building 2 Jacks for comparison.

OH YEAH... BUMP!!!

[mcrracer]

Originally Posted by MarkA

@mcrracer:

I say, "This is pure surmise, I admit." Meaning, I realize it's just speculation, unsupported by evidence, and I'm being upfront about it. Then I ask for the opinions of people who've actually played the cabs, meaning, "I'm open to being educated." For those who posted their detailed impressions in response, thanks.

For the record, I've visited Bill Fitzmaurice's site before, though I've hardly perused the vast amount of info. and discussion available there. I've visited it again (and searched through some threads on here, and even found a YouTube video or two) since this thread re-tweaked my interest in/curiosity about his cabs. This is w/o your prompting, btw.

My question about possible "boominess" was triggered in part by comments I read in another thread started by someone who built one (Giraffe?) who, while on the whole very positive about his experience with the cab (I remember him saying his Epifani sounded like it was covered by a blanket in comparison) did describe the sound as less direct at close range than a direct radiator (he also mentioned having to get used to the high end). As for looking foolish, well, you should've seen the outfit I had on today -- off white shorts with a white t-shirt. I looked like an old man about to play tennis. If an honest question is all it takes to look foolish here, though, I won't worry about it.

For the record (again):

-Yes, from what I've read by him here, BFM seems to be a very smart guy, uncompromising in his work and helpful to others. I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

- The vid I found didn't make the Omni (10.5) sound boomy at all. I found the sound in the clip impressive, quick, clear, tight, if revealing up top (fret sound, etc -- I realize I'm judging from a single, compressed clip and that the cab's not the only factor). Here it is for the curious.

- Mr. Seismic answered some of my questions in detail in a pm. He strikes me as a real gentleman, and I'm sure anyone who deals with him will have no reason to regret it.

No dis intended, then or now. Now, can I count this as a bump?

BUMP!

No disrespect to MarkA and maybe I over reacted to negativity about great cabs, but why would you throw out "unsubstantiated speculation" in someone's For Sale ad? It would have been better if you started your own thread somewhere. The man is trying to sell a great cab, he doesn't need you clouding the issue among his potential customers.

[MarkA]

Mcrracer, I was actually considering picking up the cab for something nice and portable for quieter gigs/practice, maybe a 10.5 would be suffice for that, though, given how much sound these seem to put out (a good thing -- the single 10.5 I heard in the vid was impressive -- I'm sure this is killer). I asked what I thought were legit questions -- I hope, if anything, that the answers they got raised interest in the cab among those who, unlike you (but like me), might not be intimately familiar with BFM cabs. I had questions about this specific cab and saw that several people who had experience with the design had chimed in here. I can see why you might think it more appropriate to ask elsewhere, but it seemed an unnecessarily roundabout approach.

I doubt those familiar with the cabs were influenced by my questions. For those unfamiliar but happening upon this thread, the following has been established:
- The cab isn't boomy.
- The tweeter's aren't harsh.
- Lots of people really like these cabs.

I don't see that as clouding the issue, but I think continuing this discussion here might -- PM me if you like. (Incidentally, my comment that "a cab is a box with speakers at the front, right?" was the one tongue-in-cheek part of my original post.)

Obviously, a lot of people feel strongly that this is an excellent cab/design (my interest in BFM cabs is certainly piqued). The photos look great and the seller seems very good to deal with. Anything I've done to take away from that I apologize for.

Nothing more from me in this thread unless it directly influences whether or not I buy this nice bit of kit.

Peace bump.
-Mark