Old 200W Ampeg SVT-410HE lack of punch

[mazdah]

I bought this '93 SVT-410HE because I thought it is THE Cab. It isn't.

Four 32-ohm speakers straight from OLD 400W 810E. That should sound sweet, but it's muddy, undefinied and with weak lows. Seriously I have tighter and punchier sound with '01 SVT-410HLF - the lows were more present, but the HLF had clarity in upper register whereas old SVT-410HE is very muddy. HE has better mids (but it's kinda honky because of weak low end)

It's not my amp or my basses. I even changed my beloved flats to rounds to get some clarity - no result. I do not use extreme EQ settings, everything sounds right on 410HLF or SVT-15E (made in china, this cab has more lows AND MORE HIGHS/HI-MIDS THAN 410HE!).

Is this normal? I compared it even with new SVT-810E - the Big One has more lows, more clarity, more punch.

[JimmyM]

I'm wondering if you have all your speakers in phase with each other. That isn't the sound I get with the 410he's, even the ones with the muddier speakers.

[mazdah]

That may be the issue, the cab seems to be quieter than SVT-15E, shouldn't it be the opposite way? And more highs coming from '15 than sealed four tens?

Could you provide me some photos and / or schematics how should it be wired?
I can make photos too, what parts do you need to see if the cab is wired properly?

[JimmyM]

It should definitely be louder than the 15e.

The way to check it to take a 9v battery, plug in a 1/4" speaker cable, touch the battery to each terminal on the cable, and look at the speakers to see which way they move. They should all move the same way. If any of them move the wrong way, reverse their leads.

[B-string]

If one, two or three of the cones move very little those speakers are bad. You can check for polarity and dead speakers at the same time.

[christw]

+1 to what Jimmy said. My SVT610HLF came wired with 2 out of phase speakers. At first I thought I'd bought a bad rig sight unseen.

[grendle]

Gotta stand back a bit from those too if all is well with the cab. The sealed cabs project differently that the ported ones imo. My 8x10 dosent sound right to me in small rooms, a little undefined. Give it some space though and you quickly see why its the king. Once it has some room to project & do its thing its the only way to fly, it sounds live like what the Mic picks up ,up close.

[mazdah]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

It should definitely be louder than the 15e.

The way to check it to take a 9v battery, plug in a 1/4" speaker cable, touch the battery to each terminal on the cable, and look at the speakers to see which way they move. They should all move the same way. If any of them move the wrong way, reverse their leads.

I'll def. try that.

But it would be great if somebody could post photo or schematics of this cab... I'd feel more confident with it

[Downunderwonder]

Dead simple. Only one way to get 4 ohm loading.

4x 32ohm speakers must have all their + wired together and all their -ve similar, then to
+ve and -ve of jack respectively.

The 9v test will tell you without having to look. Very occasionally drivers are mislabled at factory so it's a better test than looking!

[mazdah]

Checked. Every speaker looks to be fine.
Every speaker moved in the same way, few millimetres, maybe a little more (with 4,5V battery). I'm going to try it again - with rounds on bass.