Need help finding replacement Hartke speaker

[jesman0]

I have been doing research on what I can do to replace my blown 115TP Hartke speaker, rated for 150w @ 8ohms. I have the HA3500 head which is 240w @ 8ohms. It was highly recommended to me to get an Eminence speaker. I found this, a Legend CB158. The guy at my local guitar store, Ken Stanton Music, assured me it was fine, but I'd like some more opinions on the matter please.

My only concern is if it will match the cabinet and not tear itself up. Does anyone have any knowledge about replacing Hartke speakers?

[Mooks1881]

I once owned a behringer aluminum cone cab. The speakers seemed to blow easily. Since you have to only replace 1 speaker in the cab you could certainly use any bass amp speaker with an 8 ohm load. The eminence might sound really nice, as they do make good speakers!

Pull the old speaker out and swap it with the new one!

[dhsierra1]

you should get the internal dimensions of the cabinet, taking into account the bracing and calculate the volume. Also check the port diameter and length if it has one (or more). You need to do some homework w/various speakers' T/S parameters and some cabinet modelling software before you throw any old speaker in there.

Likely some of the more experienced TBers will be chiming in shortly and can help there if you've not familiar w/doing this sort of thing.

[lbwdog]

[quote=Mooks1881;10911896]

Since you have to only replace 1 speaker in the cab you could certainly use any bass amp speaker with an 8 ohm load.

Really????...... Any 8 Ohm bass speaker? Well, I guess you could also glue a piece of cardboard in its place, so would that be almost as good?

The eminence might sound really nice, as they do make good speakers! Pull the old speaker out and swap it with the new one!

OK.....Which Eminence would that be now? Any Eminence?....since they "make good speakers".

Edit: Please pardon my sarcasm. I'm getting old and cynical.

[mmbongo]

As long as the cabinet is properly designed, you should be fine. In other words, as long as the size and tuning agree with the new speaker, there will be no problem.

I've never been a big believer in spending 19 hours modeling boxes and studying t/s parameters. I spent 12 years building custom enclosures for car audio and I quickly learned that while each speaker does have it's sweet spot, a good speaker will sound good in a properly designed enclosure. There are tradeoffs in enclosure design, and your enclosure is probably a good basic design. I'm not dismissing all that design stuff as bunk by any means, but I don't think you have to worry about it. Eminence speakers work equally well in sealed or ported enclosures, and your enclosure is probably tuned to 40 hz or so (I have no idea) and as long as the speaker can handle that, you're fine. If you're in doubt, call Anthony at Eminence. He taught me a lot

[Nightlyraider]

[quote=lbwdog;10912004]

Originally Posted by Mooks1881

Really????...... Any 8 Ohm bass speaker? Well, I guess you could also glue a piece of cardboard in its place, so would that be almost as good?
OK.....Which Eminence would that be now? Any Eminence?....since they "make good speakers".

Edit: Please pardon my sarcasm. I'm getting old and cynical.

Couldn't possibly be the one the OP linked to, could it? Old and cynical should read the article

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Eminence speakers work equally well in sealed or ported enclosures,

No driver works equally well in ported and sealed enclosures.

(I have no idea)

Agreed.
OP, to get a proper match do as already noted by dhsierra1. You need to calculate the net internal volume of the cab and the vent dimensions. That will reveal which drivers will work at all. Then you fine tune the choice based on the amplifier being used. With your head a CB158 might work well, but no one can say for sure without the cab specs.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

No driver works equally well in ported and sealed enclosures.

Maybe not for pro audio (not my design realm), but this is not true for car and home audio. Like I said, I did it for 12 years...mostly using Savard speakers (which were manufactured my Eminence) and Image Dynamics. The speakers even came with various enclosure designs for both sealed and ported setups. Heck in the car audio world they make speakers that don't even need enclosures (just bolt them to a baffle in the trunk and go!). Like I said, Anthony at Eminence can explain it better than I can.

And for home audio, many speakers are designed to work both sealed and ported. The enclosures are ported, and you they come with foam 'port blockers' so you can tune it any way you want. In fact, here's proof of speakers that work equally well sealed or ported:
SVSound - Box Subwoofers

[mmbongo]

By the way, that Harkte enclosure is right at 4 cubic feet internal volume after allowing for displacement of the speaker, handles, and internal braces. That's more than enough for most 15" speakers.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Anthony at Eminence can explain it better than I can.

Perhaps, but if I may be so bold, not better than I can.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Perhaps, but if I may be so bold, not better than I can.

I hear ya, Bro!

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by jesman0

My only concern is if it will match the cabinet and not tear itself up. Does anyone have any knowledge about replacing Hartke speakers?

Yes, contact Hartke and order the correct replacement. Then you know it will perform as designed.

[will33]

The Legend models nicely in 4cu.ft. It's really a good driver. Just know that it'll have a nice deep sounding bottom but a subdued top end, not as "crisp" or trebly as the hartke it's replacing.

[jesman0]

Hey, thanks for all the info. I had actually subscribed to this thread expecting emails about replies. My length of time replying to this thread is due to me not receiving any emails about my topic.

There is no way I could possibly find to repair my old speaker or to simply buy a new "Hartke" speaker. Calls to Samson went unanswered.

I went ahead and ordered the linked speaker I originally posted, kind of as a gamble. I had read a ton of reviews about them at places like musiciansfriend and amazon. I know, not great sources, but the positive feedback made me feel it was a worthwhile venture.

The results? Well I have had this thing over a week now and WOW. It's so much better than my old Hartke speaker. Granted, the old one was used almost everyday for 15 years and was very fatigued but this new speaker is better sounding than I ever remember the Hartke being. It sounds great in the old Transporter cab I have and even matched the same mounting holes. The clarity and loudness is just amazing, and quite refreshing. Even with my old 4x10's this rig sounds like brand new. The 4x10's don't seem to be fatigued at all... The 15" had a big crack down the cone.

I have come to the conclusion, after all this time and effort, that big speakers for bass should be paper and the smaller ones can be aluminum. It's a nice mix of warm boom and bright.

So, if anyone else ever searches for a Hartke replacement speaker, I hope they come across this thread recommending Eminence speakers. They just drop right in and sound amazing.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by jesman0

The 4x10's don't seem to be fatigued at all... The 15" had a big crack down the cone.

That's because the 15 had no chance of competing with 4x10s.

[MuzikMan]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

That's because the 15 had no chance of competing with 4x10s.

Ah, you saw that too! Kids, don't mix a 4x10 with a 1x15 no matter what <your favorite bass player> is endorsing. It's a flawed arrangement.