Big E Speakers

[Badong]

Anywhere near Ft. Worth would be awesome!

[lelandcrooks]

I have a bunch of measurements done, none of which I'm going to publish yet. They're done with HolmImpulse, a piece of free software. They're fine for me to reference to each other as I tweak xovers and things, but they certainly are not accurate enough for public consumption. I hate the software, it crashes a lot, and gives spurious readings once in a while. Still shopping. I know what I want, but the 2k price is giving me pause. Looking hard at ARTA.

The guitar cab referenced earlier is a prototype. Dual drivers in the guitar cabs. Single driver solution with full vortex has been found for subs, but tops just seem to require a pair.

[HartDesignsEtc]

Originally Posted by ba$$player

I have heard they are going to do a listening party near me (Oklahoma). I will call my buddy who knows more and see what I can find out.

True story. Looking possibly at Feb. 23rd.
I'll let you all know when I find out for sure.

[Badong]

What part of OK? Keep me posted.

[HartDesignsEtc]

Yale, Ok... 20 miles from Stillwater, 50 miles from Tulsa

[lelandcrooks]

Oh yeah. Going to be fun.

[radbass]

I stopped at Mike's house with Big Red Six to pick up his TC115 Saturday.We got to try two 2-2x6.5 Big E cabs and a 4x5 through Mike's new Puma 900.The 4-6.5's together were absolutely amazing.The B string on Big's Skjold and Mike's Roscoe were the clearest and most defined of any cab I've heard. We compared them to the TC115, that was very warm and full sounding ,but the clarity and instant response of the Big E's was incredible. It surely takes some sort of strange voodoo to get those tiny speakers to put out that much sound, but the strangest thing was the way they sounded the same anywhere in the room, including above, behind, and next to the cabs. They seem to violate physics. They bend highs and upper mids. I think Mike actually hid speakers around the room, possibly a couple in the dog. These speakers sound better than anything I've heard, but then we plugged in the 4x5. It wasn't quite as huge as the 4x6.5, but it has the sweetest, most natural sound I've heard. I saw a cab that wasn't finished and complexity of these cabs is scary. They have more angles than a used car dealer. Mike's labor rate must be about $2.00 an hour. A lot of what I've read about thes cabs seems like it can't possibly be true, but you have to hear for yourself. By the way,beautiful Roscoe, Mike.

[Mike Arnopol]

Thanks---it was a fun hang!

Well the cat is out of the bag! I've done genetic manipulation with our Greyhound so he can sympathetically and simultaneously reproduce what's coming out of the speaker to give the illusion of that dispersion!

Anyhoo--the final edition of the 4 x 5 (thanks, Duke!) is frustrating. I dig it so much that I'm building an 8 x 5 for electric.Not small (30" x 21" x 11") and not light (likely about 42#) but damn, does it sound good. Close to an uber 15 in volume or a 410.

It's funny--this whole cabinet thing started out with the desire to make great small, ultralight composite cabs.

Oh well.

Just when I think I'm out they pull me back in!

[Mike Arnopol]

And I really appreciate Radbass's opinion. He's been around for as long as me and is a top luthier and cab maker. His opinion means a lot.

And I think I've got my labor rate up to near $3 per hour!

[spiritbass]

Originally Posted by Mike Arnopol

Well the cat is out of the bag! I've done genetic manipulation with our Greyhound so he can sympathetically and simultaneously reproduce what's coming out of the speaker to give the illusion of that dispersion!

You could always supplement your income with standup comedy! Almost every post whets the appetite of my ears to hear these cabs...

[shrigg]

Originally Posted by radbass

These speakers sound better than anything I've heard, but then we plugged in the 4x5. It wasn't quite as huge as the 4x6.5, but it has the sweetest, most natural sound I've heard.

Thanks for the mini-review. I had a really tough time deciding between the m45 and the m46 (did I correctly use the new naming convention Mike?).
I went with the 4x6.5 since I play only electric and am looking for maximum punch. Can't wait! Only 5.5 weeks till my 4x6.5 should be ready.

[HartDesignsEtc]

Big E Loudspeaker Listening party date confirmed.
Feb 23rd - 1:00-5:00pm
Yale, Ok
Old High School Gym, behind the High School on Hwy 51.

Later that evening, we will also be providing sound for The Jake Moffat Band at a nearby club.

[3rdcurve]

Originally Posted by Mike Arnopol

Thanks---it was a fun hang!

Well the cat is out of the bag! I've done genetic manipulation with our Greyhound so he can sympathetically and simultaneously reproduce what's coming out of the speaker to give the illusion of that dispersion!

Anyhoo--the final edition of the 4 x 5 (thanks, Duke!) is frustrating. I dig it so much that I'm building an 8 x 5 for electric.Not small (30" x 21" x 11") and not light (likely about 42#) but damn, does it sound good. Close to an uber 15 in volume or a 410.

It's funny--this whole cabinet thing started out with the desire to make great small, ultralight composite cabs.

Oh well.

Just when I think I'm out they pull me back in!

So the tiny boxes weren't really floating my boat, but the thought of an 8x5 gets me fired up! Please post some pics when you get that bad boy done!!

[Mike Arnopol]

Originally Posted by 3rdcurve

So the tiny boxes weren't really floating my boat, but the thought of an 8x5 gets me fired up! Please post some pics when you get that bad boy done!!

The 4x8 isn't that small. (30x24x16)
It'll kill any 810 and keep up with the most wicked 2x15's.

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by Mike Arnopol

The 4x8 isn't that small. (30x24x16)
It'll kill any 810 and keep up with the most wicked 2x15's.

Mike, Your succinct description is masterful (and sorely tempting!).

How would you characterize the other cabs in the Big E series?

Bonus points if your descriptions offer insights into the personalities of these cabs for those of us who are doublers.

[christw]

My impression is is that they're incredbly clean and sensitive to dynamic and playing style changes while retaining musicality (aural feedback) and crazy dispersion.

[lelandcrooks]

Originally Posted by HartDesignsEtc

Big E Loudspeaker Listening party date confirmed.
Feb 23rd - 1:00-5:00pm
Yale, Ok
Old High School Gym, behind the High School on Hwy 51.

Later that evening, we will also be providing sound for The Jake Moffat Band at a nearby club.

There will be bass cabs there.

[kittyboy]

I have a question that's probably been asked, but I don't recall seeing it:

Given how these cabs "harvest and reuse the energy from the back of the loudspeaker transducer," does that mean that they exhibit less boundary reinforcement than typical cabs?

[lelandcrooks]

Yes, to a degree, but there's more going on than that. TBH, we don't want to get into that aspect of the cabs too much yet. There are some really unusual things that they do that we have no idea how to quantify in a meaningful way via graphs.

The dispersion characteristics are different to say the least. To just say it's 120 or 160 degrees does not tell nor explain what's actually happening in a room. We're not ready to go there yet. The flame wars will be epic.

[VegasGutPlucker]

To those with experience with the M45, they have been described as fantastic upright cabs. UB was about 99% of my gigging last year and I don't see this year going any different. But in the off chance I need to play the old '68 precision slab, would the m45 work at all? I'd hate to spend more for an m46 in the rare chance of playing electric but I also don't want to be stuck. At the moment my crazy88 pulls all the workload but I won't be keeping both, when the m45 gets here. Maybe there aren't enough of these in the wild yet, just wild speculation and Mike's real world experience.