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2 1x15's or 1 6x10?

OP. As you can see, there are strong opinions favoring 10's and 15's. This is due to personal preferences, current playing situation and limited experiences that made a lasting impression. Keep in mind that after you have worked with (played through) many 10's, 12's and 15's, that there is no identifiable tone characteristic consistently attributable to any given size speaker. Even dispersion differences do not consistently exist - nearly all of them are designed for controlled breakup mode operation in the upper mids and highs. Very likely, your most efficient path to success is to discuss your needs with a couple knowledgable custom cab makers and choose the solution that you most feel good about and is within your budget.
After playing through 15's such as JBL D140s, Jensens, EVM-Bs, Eminence 3015s, through all sorts of cab designs including folded horn, ported and sealed. And, 10's such as Hartke, (4.5XL) and SWR as well as 12's (whappo jr.) it is my opinion that 10s in general have a rougher lower mid-range than 15s and 15s have a rougher upper mid-range than 10s (jmho)
 
You need good sounding cabs, 10 or 15 can be fine, you need to find ones you like is all.
I like 15s in individual boxes, because they load easier than a single giant box of 10s. Loading giant boxes is frankly awful, and so I have two boxes. Also, reliability. I might blow one, but I have another.
I also like the sound of 15s, which means nothing. Everyone likes what they like.
I run the new Celestion 15 "Pulse" in my boxes. The lower one is an old Traynor YS15 box, closed back. The top one is a random box that had an HH 200 watt that exploded under the Ampeg. I find a pair of 400W Celestions holds up very well under the Ampeg ;)
 

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After playing through 15's such as JBL D140s, Jensens, EVM-Bs, Eminence 3015s, through all sorts of cab designs including folded horn, ported and sealed. And, 10's such as Hartke, (4.5XL) and SWR as well as 12's (whappo jr.) it is my opinion that 10s in general have a rougher lower mid-range than 15s and 15s have a rougher upper mid-range than 10s (jmho)

Most, though not all cone drivers are maximally flat through the lower to middle mids, up to the first breakup mode. I have a couple 10's that are remarkably smooth through the lower mids (and higher), but also have run into a few real nasty ones due to really severe breakup modes (guitarists seem to like them...).
 
15" speakers will give a very different sound than 8" or 10".
Smaller drivers have more punch.
Bigger drivers have more bottom end.
At a live gig, if you want people discern the individual notes you are playing instead of just a bottom groan, stay with the smaller speakers.
Consider one cabinet with one 15" and a separate cabinet with two 8" or 10"
 
15" speakers will give a very different sound than 8" or 10".
Smaller drivers have more punch.
Bigger drivers have more bottom end.
At a live gig, if you want people discern the individual notes you are playing instead of just a bottom groan, stay with the smaller speakers.
Consider one cabinet with one 15" and a separate cabinet with two 8" or 10"

This post is just filled with all kinds of bad info. Don't even know where to start.
 
So right now I'm running an ampeg v4b reissue through a fender pro series 6x10 cabinet but I'm thinking about going with something easier to travel with for a cabinet. I' looking at some 1x15 cabs and am considering 2 of them so I can have the stack if I need it or split it for smaller gigs. I'e never really put much thought into speaker size and its effect on tone. Just looking for opinions based on personal preference, would you rather a 6x10, or 2 1x15 cabs, and why? Picture of my current rig.View attachment 2809890

I have two Eden Cabs. One is a D-210xlt and one is D-210xst, both 8 ohm. If I was going to do anything different is I may swap out the xlt cab for a 1-12. But as it is. I like what I have, a lot. 15” cabs are off my list.
 
In general the answers are physically clear:
- a bigger speaker favors the lowers range and it beams more / is more directive higher up which can be bad up stage close nearby
- a smaller speaker has better dispersion but can't give deep lows as a 15 can

combining 1x15 and a 4x10 isn't a really great solution because you also get the flaws of both

the solution is to use a crossover and use both; a larger woofer for the deep lows and a midwoofer for midhigh; these cabs combine the deep lows and great dispersion for on stage; they are far more versatile and you can get more sounds out off it.

to get the typical old 10 inch sound you can simply equalize the deep lows out
 
Last edited:
h2otorched
I’ve played JBL D140s with a Silverface Bassman, 2 horned port
cabs with Cerwin-Vega 15s that I custom designed with a SVT, and
a custom designed Karlson folded
horn cab with a 15” Electrovoice, powered by a BGW power amp, also
powered one of my CV cabs with
a Sunn 200s. I’ve used Ampeg
8/10 cabs for showcases...and I
prefer the sound of fifteens.
Fifteens, driven by tubes with flats
on a short scale bass! Punchy and warm with zero distortion!
Old school.
❤️
 
So right now I'm running an ampeg v4b reissue through a fender pro series 6x10 cabinet but I'm thinking about going with something easier to travel with for a cabinet. I' looking at some 1x15 cabs and am considering 2 of them so I can have the stack if I need it or split it for smaller gigs. I'e never really put much thought into speaker size and its effect on tone. Just looking for opinions based on personal preference, would you rather a 6x10, or 2 1x15 cabs, and why? Picture of my current rig.View attachment 2809890
It all depends how loud it needs to be on stage and how much you're willing to spend. I began (in the 70's) with an 18" loaded W cabinet, then changed to 2x15s, then 1x15. On a big stage I'd probably want a pair of 4x10s, but my 18 piece jazz/funk band doesn't give me much room to move, so my one fearless 112H is plenty. It handles more power than any of my previous cabinets and sounds much better too.
 
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In general the answers are physically clear:
- a bigger speaker favors the lowers range and it beams more / is more directive higher up which can be bad up stage close nearby
- a smaller speaker has better dispersion but can't give deep lows as a 15 can

combining 1x15 and a 4x10 isn't a really great solution because you also get the flaws of both

the solution is to use a crossover and use both; a larger woofer for the deep lows and a midwoofer for midhigh; these cabs combine the deep lows and great dispersion for on stage; they are far more versatile and you can get more sounds out off it.

to get the typical old 10 inch sound you can simply equalize the deep lows out
Architect - see Invalid Link Removed "In general, the bigger the driver, the narrower its dispersion at higher frequencies". A 15" begins to narrow at 900HZ. A 10" at 1350HZ. As our basses operate (mainly) in lower frequencies the dispersion difference between a 15 & a 10 is negligible.
 
Architect - see Invalid Link Removed "In general, the bigger the driver, the narrower its dispersion at higher frequencies". A 15" begins to narrow at 900HZ. A 10" at 1350HZ. As our basses operate (mainly) in lower frequencies the dispersion difference between a 15 & a 10 is negligible.
That's interesting. I wonder how much influence (on dispersion) the depth of the cone and the height and material of the dust cap makes.
 
The best sounding rig I ever played thru was an SVT tube head on top of an 8 x 10 cab (also Ampeg). Would have (and still do!) loved to buy an identical setup, but couldn't/can't justify the overkill, as my gig venues aren't that big. Also, I'm 63 yrs. old and cant afford a muscle-bound roadie!
 
You can't tell how a cab will sound based on the size of the drivers. I am surprised by the number of folks who still believe that.
I gig a NV610 and I couldn't be happier. Such a easy move with this cab. tilt and roll. No, I have not had a load in where I have to climb up set of stairs, but even if I did, I have band mates there to help. What kind of band mate would any of us be, if they were unwilling to help? The kind of band mate that I wouldn't want to be associated with.
A 610 puts the top two drivers close to ear height, requires less volume to hear what I am doing. My old 4x10 and my current 2x10 let my ankles know what I was playing.
So of you guys should take up the flute!
Fishheadjoe
 
In general the answers are physically clear:
- a bigger speaker favors the lowers range and it beams more / is more directive higher up which can be bad up stage close nearby
- a smaller speaker has better dispersion but can't give deep lows as a 15 can

I agree with that.
That's what I chose for my rigs :
- 2x10 (Genz Benz Contour 500 CTR500-210T) + 1x15 (Genz Benz Contour 500 CTR500-EXT115) for rehearsal and/or gigs ;
- Genz Benz ShuttleMAX 12.0 + 2x10 (Genz Benz GB 210T-UB) + 1x15 (Genz Benz GB 115T-UB) for stage.

combining 1x15 and a 4x10 isn't a really great solution because you also get the flaws of both

the solution is to use a crossover and use both; a larger woofer for the deep lows and a midwoofer for midhigh; these cabs combine the deep lows and great dispersion for on stage; they are far more versatile and you can get more sounds out off it.

to get the typical old 10 inch sound you can simply equalize the deep lows out

The Gens Benz Contour 500 stack gives me a nice sound all over the entire spectrum with tweaking possibilities.
I use it with a Yamaha SLB 200 EUB and I like it.