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Replacing blueline speakers in Ashdown ABM combo

H

Hathernman

Jul 24, 2008
42
0
Leicestershire, UK
#1
Thinking of swapping the 15" standard 'blue' speaker in my Ashdown ABM 500 combo - fed up with farting out!
I've already got a Celestion BN15-400S neo in my ABM extension cab and it sounds great, so reckon the same speaker would be a brilliant replacement.
Anyone done this already? Or any other suggestions for suitable replacement speakers?
 
#5
I've seen reports from the other side of the pond that the Blue Lines are OEM sourced from Sica and are cheap bottom of the line drivers, so poor that almost anything would be an improvement, including the BN15-400S. The bad news is that your Celestion, with only 2mm of excursion, is limited to only 50 watts before farting out. So, while using identical drivers is preferred, I wouldn't throw good money after bad with another BN15-400S. The BL15-300X is much better than the BN15, though it pales in comparison to the Eminence Deltalite II 2515 and Kappalite 3015.
 
#6
billfitzmaurice said:
I've seen reports from the other side of the pond that the Blue Lines are OEM sourced from Sica and are cheap bottom of the line drivers, so poor that almost anything would be an improvement, including the BN15-400S. .
Click to expand...

I would be interested in reading these reports that you speak of. Especially the "cheap bottom of the line, so poor..." part. Could you provide a link or post their location?
 
#8
bobalu said:
I would be interested in reading these reports that you speak of. Especially the "cheap bottom of the line, so poor..." part. Could you provide a link or post their location?
Click to expand...

A bloke on http://basschat.co.uk/ recently tested a 15 inch Blue Line. A search there should turn it up.
 
#10
Hi.

bobalu said:
You based your statement on that??? :eyebrow: :rollno: Have you ever even seen an Ashdown cabinet? Jeez dude...
Click to expand...

My guess would be that BFM based the statement on that and the couple of decades of experience with speakers in general, and on his experience in speaker design.

He often come off as a grumpy old man, but as he has a few years behind him, and has to (and does) explain the same things over and over and over again to people wo don't get it, anyone would be grumpy sometimes. If I wore a hat, it'd be off for him for having the patience to teach people over the net for free. Getting nothing in return, well nothing exept complaints ;).

I'd guess everyone's seen and heard Ashdown gear, it's not that rare :).

Regards
Sam
 
#11
billfitzmaurice said:
I've seen reports from the other side of the pond that the Blue Lines are OEM sourced from Sica and are cheap bottom of the line drivers, so poor that almost anything would be an improvement, including the BN15-400S. The bad news is that your Celestion, with only 2mm of excursion, is limited to only 50 watts before farting out. So, while using identical drivers is preferred, I wouldn't throw good money after bad with another BN15-400S. The BL15-300X is much better than the BN15, though it pales in comparison to the Eminence Deltalite II 2515 and Kappalite 3015.
Click to expand...

I know this is an older thread but I've just recently been re-acquanted with the utter hatred I have for my Ashdown combo with four 10" Blueline speakers, or whatever the hell they're called. Maybe they're cheap speakers, maybe they're not. I don't care - they don't sound good.

I plan on using older British-made Ashdown amplifiers well into the future because they're reliable and affordable when bought used, and to their credit, Ashdown IME has good customer service. But I'd like anybody who is interested in Ashdown cabinets with the Blue speakers to know that, well, they suck. Alot. No clarity. No definition. Unless I hit the preamp "shape" button which makes midrange go bye-bye. :crying:

It's not a matter of "vintage" vs. "Hi-fi" tone, it's a matter of Ashdown cabinets sounding...bad...and not responding well at all to effects - in my experience any sort of overdrive/fuzz/distortion effects all turn to indistinguishable mush when put through these speakers.

I can't speak for their cabs with the non-Blueline speakers because I've never tried them, though I'm assuming the cabinets they built exclusively for John Entwistle ten years ago sounded pretty good...
 
#12
Been using one of the original Mag 410 combos - mine was built in the UK. Hav eto agree that the speakers don't really match up to anything else I've connected to the amp. Eminance Delta 15 on it's own seemed better and that a £50 speaker (about $80). Going to try Bill Fitzmaurice's suggestion of a Kappalite 3015 with a big XMax or a Kappa 15LFA (cheaper). I think Bill knows what he's saying - he lives speakers so wouldn't slag off just for the sake of doing it. Like many amp maufacturers, they have to make the books balance and will offer up the least expensive chassis that will just about do the job - then sell you an extension speaker as well.

I'll let everyone know how I get on with the mods. (Anyone want to buy 4 Blue 10" sica speakers? haha)
 
#13
That Kappalite 3015 rocks! Much louder, clearer. I like it so much I've bought another. 2 x 3015 and the MAG throwing out 280 watts (the older UK MAG 250) comes to about 125db on WinISD. Will probably not use the 4x10 part of the combo and just keep the head and two simple 15" cabs I've already built. More portable, lighter, louder, clearer, much more real bass.........Gigging it in a couple of days.

When I did the same analysis with the Sica 10s they farted out at 40 watts - yes that is all 4 at once i.e 10 watts each. Just one of these 3015 will take 300 watts. The amps are great. The speakers.....
 

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