LOUD cabs?

[Thrill-House]

So im searching for a new cab, looking through previous posts on TB, pouring over the various cabs on musiciansfriend, and im a little confused. Some say wattage = volume, more speakers = more volume, and then some say it has little to do with either of those and has to do with things like efficiency, cab contruction, etc.

So maybe i should just ask... what are some ofn the loudest cabs you guys have tried? Im going to be using this cab (or cabs, if i find a pair that would do the job) in a relatively loud metal band, and would like to be able to keep up volume wise in most situations where PA support is not an option. Im going to be using this cab with a Carvin BX1500 btw.

So guys.. what are some LOUD cabs!!??

[Electricblue]

im guessing sensitivity is the figure to look for. As far as I know, thats the amount of power (watts) that it can turn into sound. Look for 98 or better.

[kawika5150]

The Epifani 410's are pretty darn loud, and they can handle it too.

[frankenp]

Yorkville cabinets are loud and pretty much bullet proof. To match my guitarist 5150, I use a Yorkville XC808 and an Avatar 212 (with Delta 12LFAs).

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by Electricblue

im guessing sensitivity is the figure to look for. As far as I know, thats the amount of power (watts) that it can turn into sound. Look for 98 or better.

You can't go by that, because too many manufacturers publish sensitivity figures that are at the least overly 'optimistic', if not downright fantasy. Besides, sensitivity tells you what you'll get from one watt. What determines actual output capability is total driver displacement, and no one except perhaps barefaced reveals their driver displacement.
There's no way to make a valid comparison from anyone's published specs, you have to compare cabs side by side, or accept the advice of someone who has compared them side by side. Comments like "I've got a so-and-so and it's plenty loud!" are pretty meaningless, as they don't objectively compare anything to anything else.

[rpsands]

With typical cabinets at guitar center, more cone area is likely to be the big determiner. Most cabs are pretty similar in overall max_spl, given the cone area being equal (there are pretty much two bands of quality; cheap stuff made out of chipboard with crappy woofers, and decent stuff with decent woofers). There are some exceptions but they're few and far between -- inevitably they are all displacement limited long before their rated wattage figures and no one posts displacement figures, so it's impossible to say without trying them in most cases.

With the BX1500, I'd aim for a single good quality cabinet -- something like a mid-priced 4x10 or a 2x12. GK Neo's are the best bang for the buck in my experience.

Need to post your budget though, before I could say for sure. There are a few boutique options out there that can get the job of a 4x10 done in half the size.

[GrowlerBox]

Bill's designs are the loudest cabs "pound for pound" that I've come across. My 112 is louder than any 210 (or other 112) I've compared it with (a handful), will keep up with a 410, and I expect when I get my second it will outperform most 610 configurations. I've not heard a fEarful, but they certainly have a reputation for loudness.

[AwkwardLoudness]

Originally Posted by Thrill-House

Some say wattage = volume, more speakers = more volume, and then some say it has little to do with either of those and has to do with things like efficiency, cab contruction, etc.

The amp's power (watts), # of speakers or total speaker area, speaker displacement, and cab efficiency are all factors. The cab(s) efficiency is most important. Sensitivity and efficiency are very closely related, though not technically the same thing. The amp's power affects clean headroom volume moreso than overall volume, but the amp's potential is limited by what the cab(s) can handle. The maximum excursion of the speakers (Xmax) is paramount for volume and range on the low frequencies, but not for mids and highs.

Like Bill said, you can't often trust the manufacturer's specifications on their own cabs.

Originally Posted by Thrill-House

So guys.. what are some LOUD cabs!!??

I think the general consensus on TalkBass is that fEarful, Bill Fitzmaurice, Low Down Sound, and Barefaced cabs are among the loudest, lowest, most evenly dispersive cabs especially with respect to their size and weight. fEarful and BFM cabs are do-it-yourself built cabs from designs, but some cab builders will build for them for a fee. The Avatar TB153 cab is similar to a fEarful 15/6 (15" sub woofer + 6.5" mid speaker + tweeter), and that's what I'm using at the moment.

[Sundogue]

fEARful.

FEARful FAQ - TalkBass Wiki

[esa372]

Originally Posted by Thrill-House

what are some LOUD cabs!!??

David Nordschow Amplification: Cabinets

[JGR]

My Bag End S15's have a very high published sensitivity (103dB) and I believe it - they are louder than any other cabs I have owned.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by JGR

My Bag End S15's have a very high published sensitivity (103dB) and I believe it - they are louder than any other cabs I have owned.

Loud they may be, but they don't have 103dB sensitivity. No direct radiating cab does, as a driver capable of that does not exist. They may have 103dB sensitivity in the midrange, say at 1kHz, but not below 100Hz where it counts, and where stated sensitivity should be measured.
This is one of those cases of 'optimistic' claimed sensitivity I referred to above. But it doesn't quite fall into the fantasy category, as some manufacturers make even more outlandish claims.

[MuzikMan]

http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/ You want super loud well here you go. Bill's horn designs are hard to beat in terms of efficiency.

[CapnSev]

+1 to the Bag Ends. My S-15s are crazy loud. I usually only need one of them.

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by MuzikMan

http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/ You want super loud well here you go. Bill's horn designs are hard to beat in terms of efficiency.

True story. And because of their construction they are lighter than horn-loaded cabs of yesteryear.