1x15 or 4x10?

[Joeykun]

Both!

 

[Alexander]

If you can only buy one cab, I'd get the 410.

But, I really prefer either two 115s or (even better yet) a 210/115 to any 212 or 410 I've tried. To my ears, they just sound better and are modular too. I posted on here before I bought the 210, given what I heard about mixing drivers. Got a bunch of different opinions on that. Tried it myself and the combo is amazing.

 

[Lobster11]

I was surprised to see BassmanPaul say that a 4x10 and a 1x15 were typically a poor match. It was a staple pairing of Trace Elliot rigs for a long time and I can get pretty much any tone from mine. I also have the 4x5 bright box that finishes off the high frequency response. I'd say use a 4x10 for punk, or if you have a 1x15, find a crossover horn cabinet too.
View attachment 3862952

I hope @BassmanPaul will chime in to speak for himself, but I'm pretty sure what he will say that a 4x10 and 1x15 certainly can sound good together if they were designed to be used that way, but that any random 4x10 combined with any random 1x15 will often not sound/work well together.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I did use the word 'typically'. LOL

The pairing can sound good up to a certain level. After that the 15 starts to be stressed whilst the 4x10 is still cruising along happily. That's how the 15 gets damaged. As usual there are exceptions to every rule.

I really feel that the pairing showed up in advertising 'cos Marketing wanted to show both cabinet styles in one photo.

It's also true that a 4x10 would be more able to produce lows that a 15" driver. It's also true that some 15" drivers can produce an awful lot of highs. In reality the only thing a driver size can tell you is the size of the hole it needs in the baffle.

I would also agree that Acme speaker cabinet are superb and their control of a Low B is wonderful.

Trace Elliot are not the last word on speaker cabinet design.

 

[seamonkey]

These are the specs, they claim both equally has the same spl, but the 4x10 has more treble and it has a horn in the middle providing more of that punch

Those both say "Max SPL"
That's what you get to hear just before they catch on fire.
It's unfortunate that Bass cabinet measurements suck worldwide.

I hope where you buy them from offers a couple of week trial period where you can return them if they don't work out.

 

[smarthound]

No criticism of yourself was meant BassmanPaul! It's just that in contrast to you, I'd always heard that pairing a 4x10 with a 1x15 or 1x18 gave you a potential better range of frequency response.

And no, Trace Elliot are certainly not the last word on speaker cabinet design. Just ask my chiropractor!

 

[buldog5151bass]

Speaker size does not inherently have a tone (without having heard/played that cab, there is no way to comment on tone, but likely the 410 will be louder). Different people have different desired tones. As others have said, a 410 is a bad pair for a 115. When in doubt, start with a 210, plan on adding a second when needed. Stack vertical.

 

[Jim Carr]

Just thought I might mention that a 115 in the form of a fEARful 15/6/1 will kick the "behinder" of most 410s. That is all.

 

[ChadTheRat]

In my experience speaker size itself doesn't really mean diddly squat. A speaker cabinet has so many variables, including the room that's in and how many people are in that room. I think the presence or absence of ports, and their size, could affect the overall tone as much or more than the speaker diameter. 15s are quite commonly rather bright.
The reality here is that if you're going to buy something you've never heard, you're taking a risk. Nobody in here can be your ears for you. Especially if it's a unique brand. I say grab the 410 and let us know if you love it or hate it. But be prepared to buy and sell a few cabinets to find the sound that works for you. You might get lucky, but you might not.

 

[Astronaut]

No criticism of yourself was meant BassmanPaul! It's just that in contrast to you, I'd always heard that pairing a 4x10 with a 1x15 or 1x18 gave you a potential better range of frequency response.

As said before and elsewhere, most usually, both of those configurations are meant to be “full” range cabinets. And also most usually, the 4x10, “overpowers” the 1x15 at handling wattage. Still, some believe that the bigger speaker will act as a sub-woofer by just adding it to the rig.
It won’t.

 

[ChadTheRat]

As said before and elsewhere, most usually, both of those configurations are meant to be “full” range cabinets. And also most usually, the 4x10, “overpowers” the 1x15 at handling wattage. Still, some believe that the bigger speaker will act as a sub-woofer by just adding it to the rig.
It won’t.

Exactly. All bass cabinet speakers are in fact woofers. You could add a horn for the hi's but a lotta folks find them to be too brittle and just turn them off anyway.