Thoughts on the Ampeg Ampeg SVT610 cab?

f'nar f'nar · #1 08-04-2010, 08:55 PM

Hey fellas, mind if I pick your brain a minute?

I'm a few days away from receiving my inheritance through from my Nan who passed away last year. Basically I'm looking to buy a new head and cab. I basically have $4,400AU which, according to the current exchange rate is about 4,030US.

I'm leaning towards Ampeg at the moment basically because I'm looking for a 6/810 and my only other options are the Warwick and Fender equivalents. There are Aguilar cabs around too but they're ball breakingly expensive.

I have heard mixed reviews about the ampeg SVT610 but most of what I hear tends to be that they more or less do the job of an 810 but are just tighter sounding.

Has anyone had experience with the 610 that could clue me in?

Cheers!

Anarchyok · #2 08-04-2010, 08:59 PM

No experience with that cab, but you could use that cash to buy a GK Fusion and a couple of GK Neo 410s....huge tubey sounding rig, with very deep and lightish cabs....and still have change $700 or so change!

check out bass centre's website

JoeyZ · #3 08-04-2010, 10:23 PM

SVT 610's are ported cabinets and thus are boomier then the non-ported 810. Both are loud as balls provided they are paired with a head that can push em.
I'd take the 610 though, it's a nice cab!!!

eyeballkid · #4 08-04-2010, 10:39 PM

the Ampegs 610s are great... I prefer the ones made within the last 6 years that are actually a chipboard composite over the older plywood models.. ( it goes against my intuition, but they have a better midrange to my ears)

there is one flaw to the ampeg 610 in my opinion. It seems that in the wiring of the speakers the power from the amp hits the speaker in the top left (cabinet right) first and therefore hardest. This tends to make that speaker wear or get over driven sooner.
Ive had 4 of these over the years. Mostly you just have to NOT pump tons of lows at high volumes, and you dont need to as the ported cabinet makes you feel more lows than what exit the speakers.

the fender 610 is in my opinion excellent and the speakers seem to take a beating without crying uncle. It is a bit bigger in physical dimensions and gives you more of a low midrange grunt than the ampegs mid honk.

jordie65 · #5 08-04-2010, 10:43 PM

maybe check out the berg NV610 at bassgeardirects website. the prices are surprisingly good! ive run my AD200B through one of those and it totally blew me away

codeinedreams · #6 08-04-2010, 10:49 PM

I love my ampeg 610. like the 810 too but the 610 fits in the back seat of my car. not playing any major stadium shows, so it's got all the balls I need right now

jordie65 · #7 08-04-2010, 10:52 PM

just checking prices the 610 is listed at $1850..im not sure if they are flexible on the prices but either way that price seems good to me

Gigabajillion · #8 08-04-2010, 11:00 PM

I've used the 6x10 heavily for the past 4 years and have found that I prefer it to my 8x10. As said above it is ported, and thus adding to the low end feel and helping to make the speakers more efficient. Also it has a horn with it's own level, added clarity over the 8x10. It can be driven it pretty hard, 600w to the 800w of the 8x10 really isn't noticeable unless you are wanting it overly loud, where breakup can be heard.

Hope this helps

JimmyM · #9 08-04-2010, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeballkid

the Ampegs 610s are great... I prefer the ones made within the last 6 years that are actually a chipboard composite over the older plywood models.. ( it goes against my intuition, but they have a better midrange to my ears)

you've got the timeline just a bit off there. not sure of the exact years, but to the best of my knowledge, osb chipboard cabs were only made by slm between 2000 and 2005. in slm's final year, they abandoned it for plywood, and loud tech has never gone back to it.

rodl2005 · #10 08-05-2010, 12:05 AM

Thinkin of 'offing' my Berg NV610..... Need $$$$$$ too badly. either that or... hmmmm?

MG Bass · #11 08-05-2010, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordie65

just checking prices the 610 is listed at $1850..im not sure if they are flexible on the prices but either way that price seems good to me

Just send George at Bass Gear Direct an email and I'm pretty sure he'll move on that price. He always does everytime I ask for a deal-

Alexander · #12 08-05-2010, 01:09 AM

I personally hate that cab - seems Ampeg tried to get the best of both worlds of the 410hlf and the 810, but just didn't hit the mark. It doesn't have the warm fat bottom of the 410hlf or the hefty punch of the 810. It isn't very loud, either for its size - all I could eek out of it was an indistinct blur. If you want a big Ampeg cab and have the means to transport it, I'd go 810 all the way.

If you can get into a Berg NV610, you'll come out light years ahead of the Ampeg (IMHO). From what I heard, the Aguilars are awesome as well, but I've never played through them...

maxbass · #13 08-05-2010, 01:29 AM

For a real Ampeg tone in a 6x10 enclosure, Bergantino NV610

johnk_10 · #14 08-05-2010, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyeballkid

there is one flaw to the ampeg 610 in my opinion. It seems that in the wiring of the speakers the power from the amp hits the speaker in the top left (cabinet right) first and therefore hardest. This tends to make that speaker wear or get over driven sooner.

this is incorrect. the SVT610HLF cab uses six 6 ohm speakers wired series parallel like this:

so it does not 'hit' the first top left speaker any harder than the others.

maxbass · #15 08-05-2010, 03:33 AM

johnk, are you sure the 610HLF is wired that way?
I seem to remember that it consists of two parts, one 8 ohm 4x10 (= 410 HE) and one 8 ohm 2x10 (= 210HLF) wired in parallel for 4 ohm total impedance

johnk_10 · #16 08-05-2010, 03:37 AM

i am absolutely positive.

here's and old post from Dino:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino@Ampeg

Hey Gents,

The speakers in the SVT610HLF are 6 ohms each. And yes, each 210 compartment is ported all the way through to the external ports on the bottom. Looking at the wiring diagram, the cabinet is wired in series parallel but per each side. Each side of three is wired in parallel and then wired to the other side in series giving you the 4 ohm load.

Hope this dispels any "myths"

eyeballkid · #17 08-05-2010, 06:39 AM

Jimmy: youre absolutely right, and thats actually what i knew in my head and i guess i typed that a bit lazy AND poorly that made it sound like the last 6 years from today including the LOUD years and not the last 6 years of SLM.. thanks for clearing that up

JohnK: I trust that youre right as well, as youve been dead on on anything ive read and youre way more knowledgeable about the finer electrical workings of things than I... However, Ive had 4 ampeg 610s over the years..(one of which I kindly got from you, thank you soooo much btw).. And EVERY ONE of em, if driven hard, had an issue with that particular speaker getting 'farty' before any other... I asked our local ampeg rep about it when he was in our local store one day and that is how he explained it to me. He pointed out it was an issue that ampeg was aware of at the time. He said that they were wired as you said, but something about the crossover, or something, made the signal hit that one speaker a fraction of a millisecond sooner than being dispersed to all the other speakers and that obviously that time difference (the speed of electricity and all) isnt a sonic difference but it stresses that one speaker.... he may have been talking out his bum, i dont know... BUT seeing as EVERY 610 ive had gets farty in the exact same speaker, I tend to believe SOMETHING is close to being right about what he said...
If youve got a different explanation Im all ears...
It just makes real world sense to me that if say 1000 watts hits a 100 ish watt speaker 1.5 milliseconds sooner than the rest it could cause stress. And obviously, SOMETHING is.

panama · #18 08-05-2010, 06:43 AM

Holy crap things are expensive down under. a 610 for $1800?!

eyeballkid · #19 08-05-2010, 06:44 AM

thats why theres so many acoustic acts coming from down under!

carbonfold · #20 08-05-2010, 07:20 AM

I owned my SVT610HLF for 4.5years and did heavy gigging. Overall, it is an "ok" cabinet and takes the lead side by side with the SVT810. The only bad thing is that IMO low punch seem to fall off a bit and the cab gives out under a lot push (unlike the 810 which is very punchy). These two cabs have the typical "Ampeg'ish" feel, but the 610 has more roundness and packs a good punch when comparing it to the 810. But the 810 is tighter and much more punchy.

My Shuttle 9.0 was giving this cab a run for it's money and was killing it. This cab would always "fart" or "honk" out on my AD200B, SVT-6Pro, VB-2, and Shuttle 9.0 if I was to really push it. So instead of just getting a new head, I decided to switch up my cab, after 4.5 years of good service.

In order to keep the same size and lighter, I decided to go with the GK 412 Neo. This thing is a power monster! I only wished I had this cab when I had my AD200B or VB2 to try out on. The only complaint on this cab, slightly lacks some of the mid-highs that the 610 was able to achieve, but as for bottom end and punch....... well.... there is no comparision

. The GK 412 Neo pounds the SVT610HLF in the dirt.

I guess all and all, it is all about tastes. But if we are talking huge bottom end and serious punch, the GK 412 Neo packs it <not to jack the thread to GK> I guess it really depends on what "you" are looking for in a cab/rig.