Eden 4x10XLT vs. SWR Workingman's 4x10(t)

ez-rhino · #1 04-25-2011, 03:46 PM

Hey folks, just wondering how people would pit these two cabs against each other. Would be running an Ampeg B2RE thru either cab.

I'm thinking of phasing out my Hartke 4x10 Transporter cab with one of these guys.

I understand they are not top of the line, don't have that kind of $$ to spend anyway, just wondering what people think of the two, if they had a choice of one over the other, which one, and why?

Looking for pro's and con's of each.

What say ye?

HolmeBass · #2 04-25-2011, 03:52 PM

I'd pick the Eden XLT. It's not light, but it sounds excellent. In the 90's it was the state-of-the art 4x10 and often used for backline. The SWR Workingman's stuff is not their highest quality stuff, I don't think it would be comparable in terms of tone and volume. If it was SWR Golight or Goliath then they'd be comparable quality, it would just be a question of preference. (And I prefer the Eden cab's tone to SWR Goliath cabs, but that's a subjective personal opinion.)

jimbilly · #3 04-25-2011, 03:59 PM

The 410xlt was/is a pro quality cabinet. I've owned a couple, but I've never owned an swr workingmans 410. Like stated above, the swr is a budget cabinet. I'd choose the Eden.

MrLenny1 · #4 04-25-2011, 04:05 PM

Eden XLT. I originally went to buy a Nemesis cab, a budget Eden similar to
SWR Workingman. The sound & quality were night & day. I got the Eden.
Eden could handle more power with no breakup.
Look for XLT 4x10 used. They are a bargain.

LiquidMidnight · #5 04-25-2011, 04:06 PM

I concur with what everyone is saying here. I never really dug the Workingman/pro stuff. Those enclosures always sounded bland to me...very Peavey-esque. That's not a slam against Peavey, but I'd just like to hear a little something more from SWR.

As stated, the Eden is a pro cab. It kind of struck me that you said that you know it's "not top of the line." It may not have the boutique mystique of some other cabs, but it is a top of the line cab in terms of quality. Now if you like the Eden voicing is a different story.

Corporate Boy · #6 04-25-2011, 04:10 PM

I was about to say the same thing about the XLT. Lots of people still use Eden/XLT stuff. Its old, so its not trendy anymore. There have been a lot of rumblings about Eden's quality control. I hate to mention that because I love my Eden gear, but both by cabs, 1 amp and 1 combo are at least 7 years old, so they weren't the same company. I don't know the changes in the manufacturing process on the XLT, but theoritically it should be close to the original design, just built in different factories under a different parent company. That Cab is still a beast. When I was faced with this decision 13 years ago, I went with Eden because SWR affected my tone way too much.

It should be noted the brains behind Eden and some SWR stuff has started DNA amplificaiton. I haven't personally tried Dave's new stuff yet, but if I was ever in the market for a new cab, I would make sure I would try DNA. DNA is still on the pricey side.

ez-rhino · #7 04-25-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

I concur with what everyone is saying here. I never really dug the Workingman/pro stuff. Those enclosures always sounded bland to me...very Peavey-esque. That's not a slam against Peavey, but I'd just like to hear a little something more from SWR.

As stated, the Eden is a pro cab. It kind of struck me that you said that you know it's "not top of the line." It may not have the boutique mystique of some other cabs, but it is a top of the line cab in terms of quality. Now if you like the Eden voicing is a different story.

So is the Nemesis the Eden budget line? Maybe I misread something somewhere in my research.

BigOldHarry · #8 04-25-2011, 04:36 PM

What is the goal here? The three cabs you listed are all distinct sounding boxes. What do you hope to get by "phasing out" your Hartke and replacing it?

ez-rhino · #9 04-25-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

What is the goal here? The three cabs you listed are all distinct sounding boxes. What do you hope to get by "phasing out" your Hartke and replacing it?

My goal here and now is to hear opinions from other folks who know about these two cabs, before I pull the trigger and buy one or the other.

mark107 · #10 04-26-2011, 05:40 AM

I had the 410xlt back in the 90's, and grew to hate it. I didn't have REAL low end (very little in the 40-60hz area), had no mids whatsoever, and the high end was all clank, due to the horn. It was loud, of course, but the tone was whack. I've liked every cabinet I had since better. The fact that it weighed 98 lbs didn't help.

If you are looking for a 410, try the swr Golight. I have one of those now, and I think it sounds very good. And it's 56 lbs. The Hartke Transporter stuff is pretty awful, so really anything you buy will likely be a step up.

ABNJbassplayer · #11 08-16-2011, 06:13 PM

Hi: Did you pick the Eden xlt? If so, was it the 4x10 at 700 watts and 8 ohms or the one at 4 ohms? I just bought a used Ampeg b2re and used Eden xlt at 8 ohms. They sound great together, but since the b2re is running at 250 watts at 8 ohms right now because of the 8 ohm cabinet at 700 watts, the limit light on the amp is going off frequently. Amp is up between half and three quarters of the way and gain at 3/3 of the way to get appropriate volume with band. Curious if you are running into the same problem with limit light. I'm sure that hooking up another cabinet will reduce this stress when I run at full 4 ohms.

Also, have you hooked up to Eden with another cabinet yet. If so, what are you using?

ABNJbassplayer

Quote:

Originally Posted by ez-rhino

Hey folks, just wondering how people would pit these two cabs against each other. Would be running an Ampeg B2RE thru either cab.

I'm thinking of phasing out my Hartke 4x10 Transporter cab with one of these guys.

I understand they are not top of the line, don't have that kind of $$ to spend anyway, just wondering what people think of the two, if they had a choice of one over the other, which one, and why?

Looking for pro's and con's of each.

What say ye?

ez-rhino · #12 08-16-2011, 07:05 PM

Hey there,

No, I didn't go with the Eden, the guy who posted the ad on craigslist never responded to my inquiry, and I was in a pinch for a cab, so I happened to find an Ampeg BSE 410 (the mating cab in the Ampeg B series), which is only 200W @ 8 ohms.

If you can find a 410 running at 4 ohms, I'd suggest you grab one. I hate lugging more than one cab around if I don't have to, and in my situation, I don't have a need for more than 1 right now. I do want to exploit all 450w from my B2RE, when I find another cheap matching cab to what I have now, I will grab it.

I don't have the issue with the limiter, as, the B2RE is just a power amp at this point. I typically don't drive the gain past 3 to 4, and the master past about 7 to 8, otherwise, yes, it clips. This is the other reason I chose the BSE410, it's designed to mate with the B2RE. You're gonna need to play around with balancing the master and gain to milk as much as you can out of it without clipping.

Just so long as your Peak light doesn't come on, I wouldn't worry about the limiter, that's just to let you know that it's getting on up there.

The rig I pieced together consists of a Line 6 Pod XT Pro, then onto the BBE 362, then onto the B2RE, and out to the BSE410. It sounds fantastic.

FWIW, I control the volume thru the Line 6. You're just gonna have to play it by ear with the limiter so you don't damage anything. The Eden's 700w capacity should handle everything the B2RE can throw at it, but it won't get all 450w of the B2RE at 8 ohms (you know this already, duh).

Paired with the B2RE, it cuts right thru where I've used it (sub work at churches, my band practice, etc,.).

I gotta recommend something to compliment the B2RE - get a BBE Sonic Maximizer. I found a cheap rack unit (the 362) for $20 used at a local Guitar Center, it's like night and day with that B2RE, it never sounded so good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABNJbassplayer

Hi: Did you pick the Eden xlt? If so, was it the 4x10 at 700 watts and 8 ohms or the one at 4 ohms? I just bought a used Ampeg b2re and used Eden xlt at 8 ohms. They sound great together, but since the b2re is running at 250 watts at 8 ohms right now because of the 8 ohm cabinet at 700 watts, the limit light on the amp is going off frequently. Amp is up between half and three quarters of the way and gain at 3/3 of the way to get appropriate volume with band. Curious if you are running into the same problem with limit light. I'm sure that hooking up another cabinet will reduce this stress when I run at full 4 ohms.

Also, have you hooked up to Eden with another cabinet yet. If so, what are you using?

ABNJbassplayer

Son of Bovril · #13 08-17-2011, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark107

I had the 410xlt back in the 90's, and grew to hate it. I didn't have REAL low end (very little in the 40-60hz area), had no mids whatsoever, and the high end was all clank, due to the horn...

I'm sorry, did you just say the eden xlt had no mids?

mark107 · #14 08-17-2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Son of Bovril

I'm sorry, did you just say the eden xlt had no mids?

That's what I said. I put an eq in front of it and tried to boost mids with no apparent effect. Probably my least favorite cabinet I've ever owned. And I've owned a ton of cabinets, literally.