• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass the new AI Ten2

jweiss

jweiss

Jul 5, 2007
562
40
Park City, Utah
www.sci.utah.edu
#1
Looks like they thought of nearly everything with this new combo. 2x10, 800 watts at 4 ohms, and 28 lbs!

ten2_lg.jpg


http://www.acousticimg.com/products/prod_ten2.html

Hadn't seen any discussion on this side, what you think?

That 23 lb 2x10 extension cab would be cool too, great with my clarus/focus. Maybe I could get an "airhead" cab and plug in my amps.

http://www.acousticimg.com/products/prod_ten2ex.html

Cheers,

Jeff
 
#4
FYI, pricing for the combo and cab has been announced effective today:

TEN² Combo - List $1699, street preorder price is $1399 until June 30th, after which it will be $1539

TEN² Speaker Cabinet - List $699, street preorder price is $569 until June 30th, after which it will be $629
 
  • Like
Reactions: dave79
#6
jweiss said:
Thanks Bob!

Sorry if I missed it in the other thread, but have you had a chance to hear the new cab yet?

Cheers,

Jeff
Click to expand...

I played the prototype in my home, but I prefer to wait until I get a production model before going into too much detail. The prototype cabinet, as it is custom molded, is heavier and has a slightly different character than the final cabinet - not a huge impact, but I still think it wise to wait, and I also would rather get it up on stage, too.

We were able to compare the TEN² side by side with the new Coda+ (both having the Cabrio Docking System) and a current Series III Contra. The additional power/headroom is nice, and the TEN² is really a departure from the original Contra design. If you imagine how it might sound you might be right ;) -- the more in yer face sort of forward facing conventional cabinet but with the soundstage you get from the downfiring woofer. Same sort of neutral and uncolored sound Acoustic Image built their reputation on. It's still not a rock and roll amp (4x10 players need not apply), but I think it will bring a lot of the folks who preferred a more direct sound back to the fold.

I'm looking forward to getting a production model on an acoustic and electric gig.
 
#8
Just heard about the TEN².

My first thought: I wish the front 10 had an attenuator so you could balance the level with the downward 10. Instead, you could just face it towards the wall creating both a horizontal and vertical reflection. In theory it seems interesting.

OT: I've used cabs before in that way for slab gigs. You'd be amazed how much bass you hear.
 
#9
LarryR said:
Just heard about the TEN².

My first thought: I wish the front 10 had an attenuator so you could balance the level with the downward 10. Instead, you could just face it towards the wall creating both a horizontal and vertical reflection. In theory it seems interesting.

OT: I've used cabs before in that way for slab gigs. You'd be amazed how much bass you hear.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea Larry! I sometimes move the bass into the corner of my practice room and it really blossoms there. I would think that the characteristics of the walls in a specific club could drastically change the sound depending on what the surfaces were made of. IMHO the addition of the front firing speaker was to add clarity to the floor speaker, since for some of us, that was what the Contra lacked. The attenuator is a very nice idea. I wonder if AI ever considered that?

Ric
 
#10
LarryR said:
Just heard about the TEN².

My first thought: I wish the front 10 had an attenuator so you could balance the level with the downward 10. Instead, you could just face it towards the wall creating both a horizontal and vertical reflection. In theory it seems interesting.

OT: I've used cabs before in that way for slab gigs. You'd be amazed how much bass you hear.
Click to expand...

I've used an SWR baby blue (2x8) in a ten piece wedding band in just this exact way. First time I did it, the guitar player looked at me like I was nuts. He soon changed his mind. Only worked optimally for me in the right room, though.
 
#11
Bob Gollihur said:
I played the prototype in my home, but I prefer to wait until I get a production model before going into too much detail.
We were able to compare the TEN² side by side with the new Coda+ (both having the Cabrio Docking System) and a current Series III Contra. The additional power/headroom is nice, and the TEN² is really a departure from the original Contra design. If you imagine how it might sound you might be right ;) -- the more in yer face sort of forward facing conventional cabinet but with the soundstage you get from the downfiring woofer. Same sort of neutral and uncolored sound Acoustic Image built their reputation on.
Click to expand...

bob, when you say a real "departure" from the contra, what do you mean? in terms of tone or how the sound is distributed? i assumed the latter, but since i have a contra i am very curious.
 
#12
The Contra is not "in your face" like the most common speaker cabinets are, and that doesn't only have to do with the speaker configuration. The Corus, with a different woofer than the Contra, actually sounds more like a cabinet with a forward-facing woofer.

The TEN², with its forward facing woofer has more of the "in your face" direct sound. Some here and elsewhere comment that the downfiring arrangement of the Contra doesn't work for them in their gig environments — perhaps this will, along with the higher sound pressure levels it offers.

I can't wait to get one out on a gig.
 
#14
I am really curious about how this amp will sound. I haven't tried an AI cab since the original iteration. I love the heads but just have not been onboard with the downfiring thing. However, if this amp will do a small electric bass gig, I would love to check out.
 
#15
pbasswil said:
So Bob, two months later, have you gotten one out on a gig? On your product page you say something like "having put it through its paces"....

-- Peter Wilson
Click to expand...

I have taken one for use in two 5 string electric bass situations; sorry, no URB gigs yet (very slim this season).

In neither case did I stress the amp, both were low to moderate volume situations, one a blues band rehearsal, the other a casual outdoor bayside open patio party gig on a concrete surface w/two guitars & drums. I really need to get it out in a more typical club situation as neither of these are average settings; my Contra would have handled either.

In addition to the two above experiences, some "Living Room observations" are that the whole presence of the amp seems a bit thicker, and I don't mean fatter, but more firm. The front firing woofer obviously presents a more direct presence, but it still is reminiscent of a cab with a rear port, given the character of its downfiring woofer.

It's very impressive, and as with the other combos, it puts out high levels of sound despite its modest stature. I need more stage time with it for a fuller assessment, both an URB situation and a higher volume situation that stresses its capabilities.
 
#16
I am not really expecting it to replace a big electric rig (2x12's), that is unreasonable IMO. However, if it has a more direct upright sound and enough volume to do a small/medium electric gig (i.e., close to what a Markbass 121P 1x12 combo will put out), I think it will be a nice small rig. With the Cabrio setup, you could have the Ten2 and a cab for kill volume (I dunno, Schroder 2x12 or Epi 3x10) and that's it.
 
#17
Wilbyman said:
I am not really expecting it to replace a big electric rig (2x12's), that is unreasonable IMO. However, if it has a more direct upright sound and enough volume to do a small/medium electric gig (i.e., close to what a Markbass 121P 1x12 combo will put out), I think it will be a nice small rig. With the Cabrio setup, you could have the Ten2 and a cab for kill volume (I dunno, Schroder 2x12 or Epi 3x10) and that's it.
Click to expand...

It's this 'Jekyll and Hyde' potential which has me eyeing the new Ten2--that and the built-in plate reverb etc, etc.

BTW. Does anyone know how long the Clarus+ section of this new amp has been around?

Thanks.
 
#18
MIJ-VI said:
It's this 'Jekyll and Hyde' potential which has me eyeing the new Ten2--that and the built-in plate reverb etc, etc.

BTW. Does anyone know how long the Clarus+ section of this new amp has been around?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Nearly nothing new here, really, it is essentially a Series III Focus 2 in a different chassis.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back