Are Avatars hype or the real deal?

[Bob C]

I'm curious about the Avatar B210 Neo. I've read lots of reviews and threads here. Most are positive, but rather vague. Would you consider these cabs good, great or ... just "good for the price"? The biggest turn-off is their "no return" policy.

[zachoff]

They're not my style... Definite modern tone. If that's your style then yup, they're nice, well-built cabs and a great deal at their price point.

[J. Crawford]

I have 2 210s and dig em. Not my first choice, but they were affordable at the time and have served me well.

[RickenBoogie]

The answer is, as you said in the op, "good for the price". maybe even "really good for the price". But, that's it.

[rpsands]

Not a lot of production cabs compete with the TB153 at twice the price.

[username1]

I love my 410 neo. They sound fat and warm to me, not sterile. Considering they come with birch ply cabinets, eminence neo speakers and a foster horn i wouldnt just call them good for the price, they use the same components as other expensive cabs.

[BurningSkies]

Yeah, the other cabs are good quality for low cost traditional style cabs. I have an SB112 that I never really loved.

The only one that I could imagine purchasing these days is the TB153, which in all likelihood kills big name cabs that cost twice as much.

[JimmyM]

Ya, the TB153 is cool looking and is almost definitely the cab to get if you go Avatar. I've heard a couple of the other Avatar cabs before, but never played them. Good enough sounding cab...didn't wow me. And the TB153 isn't perfect, but they use quality speakers and fEarful style thinking...although definitely not to the level of the fEarful.

[lomo]

Heard a couple of their cabs. As posted, the 153 is in another league and kills cabs costing MUCH more IME.

[dukeorock]

I have used a 410 neo that very seriously cool...and I couldn't believe the price...best bang for the buck out there that I've heard...my first choice? No

[insomniac2295]

The real deal. I've had my Avatar B410 Neo w/ Line-X for at least 3 years, which is longer than I've had any other cab

[craig.p]

Bob C, it depends on what you're looking for. When I was cab shopping, I knew what my requirements were: strong fundamentals and second harmonics, a slight dose of lower midrange, but upper midrange and treble unimportant (in fact, undesirable in the interest of correct frequency slotting with respect to the rest of the band). Oh yeah, and VALUE. This is how I decided on a pair of B212s. I also wanted a lot of volume and authority, and the B212 pair certainly delivers that when hit with the right power section. Not sure I'd have been happy with the other configurations. Not sure the 2x10 would've gone low enough for the work I do. The TB153 would've been fine but the midrange and tweeter would've just been along for the ride because my tone doesn't go there. For me, the 410 was the candidate closest to the 212. FWIW, I run my cabs with the crossovers bypassed, so each cab is simply a pair of four-ohm neos wired in series. Hope this helps.

[recreate.me]

For the last six months I have been playing through a 2x12 neo. Its a great cab for the price. Not the best cab, but for it's price used I could not beat it. It was a bit mid scooped at lower volumes and gave a warmer less defined tone, it was a bit slower the say a Mesa cab I had before, and it gave a chunkier distorted tone.
It was great for what I wanted but I you gonna slap and pop I'd look elsewhere.

[ErnieD]

Originally Posted by rpsands

Not a lot of production cabs compete with the TB153 at twice the price.

(Im-)Patiently waiting for my new TB153 to land here on Wed, as per FdX. I first owned used, non-neo B210/B212 cabs with a GBE600. They were abit heavy-feeling later, they served me well but sold off that stack to a pal. GAS ya know.

I now own/gig Epifani UL410's, GB Neox 212T's/112T, Eden D210T, TC-E RS210's. Got gassy again recently and ordered a TB153 to use stand alone w/STM-900.

Let's see if its gonna make me want to stack all my other cabs outback and set fire to them.

[thudfromafar]

The SB112 is a great cab "for the price." At $100 more I would still consider buying one, but not much more than that.

[Scott549]

I have an SB112. Honestly, I have a hard time evaluating it because it's the only cabinet of its kind that I've had. The construction is good. It looks good. It's a little heavy but not too bad. As a standalone with a rock band it's not enough. Paired with a 15" it's OK. I'll probably stick with it.

[IronLung1986]

well i've only ever tried one avatar speaker, and that's my 410 Kappa. they don't make them anymore. it weighs over 100 pounds, which is insanity for a 410. but this has been my one and only gigging cab throughout my 8 years as a bass player, and i would consider it to be almost irreplaceable. why? because it is the ultimate badass and it handles like nothing else i've ever played. its ridiculous weight is no doubt a factor, because as i've said before, it can easily handle volumes that would break most other 410's. and it'll sound GOOD doing it. i've played in some pretty loud situations (sometimes with lemmy-esque distortion and other crap) and the Kappa has never shown even the slightest sign of being pushed too hard. it's a piece of equipment that i've come to rely on and almost take for granted, and it's the only part of my set up that has never been replaced.

[cheezewiz]

I'd say good for the price. I don't think they are GREAT cabs, but there is certainly nothing wrong with them. They really aren't as bargain priced as they used to be, but still great values no doubt.

[shoot-r]

Originally Posted by Bob C

I'm curious about the Avatar B210 Neo. I've read lots of reviews and threads here. Most are positive, but rather vague. Would you consider these cabs good, great or ... just "good for the price"? The biggest turn-off is their "no return" policy.

Bob,
Go to all the major, brand-name, high-dollar bass cabinet manufacturers web-sites.
You'll find Avatar uses the same speakers (Eminence cast frame) and horns (Foster), plywood (13 ply voidless Baltic Birch), tuff-rug/tolex coverings (3 mm), ect., ect., ect. as the higher priced cabinet manufacturers. The biggest difference will be in the price.

I can't speak for Avatar's 12" loaded cabinets or their 410 cabinet but, I gig with two of their 210 Neo cabinets...
I'll put my Avatar 210 cabinets up against ANY 210 cab costing twice as much.

When I was auditioning 210 cabinets for my two 210/vertical 410 rig I was able to try out many other manufacturers 210 cabinets.
The Avatar's sounded just as good, and alot of the times, "to my ears", better than the higher priced 210 cabinets.
The only 210 that I thought was noticably superior was Berg's 210AE cabinets.
The Berg had a sweeter high-end than the Avatar.
The Berg's were $850.00 each, the Avatar's, (at that time), were $319.00 each.

[pasta4lnch]

been happy w/ my b212 . . . good cab for the $$