2x10 Combos advice: Peavey 210TX vs GK Backline 210 vs Hartke HA3500+210 cab

Do you own a keyboard amp?

 

I love Hartke products so I’d vote for Ha3500 + 410

 

That makes sense. 1 210 may not be quite enough for some gigs. 2 210’s stacked vertically would be sweet. The 2nd 210 is closer to ear level. And no phase cancelling either.

 

I vote Hartke.
Perhaps two 210XL’s stacked vertically would be better than a single 410 for better portability and floor space.
This is the set up I want to get (with a 3500)...I wish i never sold mine 20 years ago...

 

The 210XL cabs are a little small, the HyDrive 210’s are a bit larger, can handle more power and more low end. When stacking the two cabs vertically, the HyDrive 210’s bay be a little more stable because of the larger footprint. If you can get those it would be better...

 

I owned a backline 115, and while an OK amp, they are not American made and do not compare well to the higher end GK offerings. Keep that in mind.

The Peavey should be a solid work horse amp.

The hartke stuff, though higher in price, will likely be very good and also modular so you can change as needs change for less money. Good luck with your search!

 

The 210XL sounds great with my GK 400RB, so I wouldn't hesitate to mix brands if you go modular. For combos I'd probably go with the Peavey, but I don't have experience with that particular model.

 

I used a pair of Hartke 210XL's for about a year and a half, I am a fan of sealed cabs, and liked the sound … I used them with either an MB200, GK400RB (had several) or the bottom amp of an 800RB … the only caveat I can throw out if buying these cabs used, is to be sure of your source, as I have seen a few used that had speaker issues … they are not a deep voiced cab with no porting, I would guess that some are cranking to lower EQ to try and compensate, and the drivers not liking it … cabs are solid, and stack vertically well … the 410XL is much heavier, and a ported cab … very popular cab back in the day, and two versions still floating around out there ...

I wouldn't suggest using the 410XL and the 210XL together with one power source and splitting the power … with both cabs being 8 ohm, the power will be divided equally, and the 210 receiving the same power as the 410 … with an 800RB, you could run the 410 with the 300 watt amp, and the 210 with the 50 watt amp …

Just to consider, there is a 2.5XL that is a ported cab, should you prefer that voicing, but harder to find ...

 

Stability was never an issue with the Hartke rig I have used. I always liked this rig.

 

Since the Hartke Hydrive cabs have been mentioned and you mentioned your age I would add the HyDrives are lighter weight. I have a HyDrive 4x10 I like the sound of and don't mind carrying even though it has casters. I like it better than the GK neo 2x12 I had before and the weight is similar - I also had noise issues with the GK neo's spring loaded handles.

 

I have owned and/or played everything on that list, except the GK Backline. My preference would be the Hartke HA3500 and the Vx410 (cheap cab but lightweight for a 410), or the Ampeg SVT3 + Ampeg cab of your choice. Im not a big fan of the Ampeg PF210 or the PF500, but it would be fine (long history of reliability problems with the PF500 heads so be careful...but it is a good sounding head).
I owned the Peavey 210 combo for 20 years..its still kickin! Both Carvin cabs are a nice choice, and the BX500 is a nice head, however again the BX500 have too many reliability issues. I really love the newer Hartke HD cabs as well....but unlike a few here, I never could never get much out of the Hartke 210XL's on their own, unless they were sitting on top of a Hartke 115XL.
You have a lot of solid choices there...however if you had access to a Fender Rumble 500 combo, I would move that to the top of your list

 

If you're going to add another cab down the road be sure you start with an 8 ohm cab now. Reason for that is most amps can handle a 4 ohm minimum load, but not a lot of them can handle a 2 ohm minimum load. If you get an 8 ohm cab now (such as your first 210) then you can easily had a second 8 ohm cab later because two 8 ohm cabs hooked up in parallel (industry standard connection) = 4 ohm load. If you start with a 4 ohm cab and your amp can't handle a 2 ohm load, then you won't be able to add a second cabinet later or it could damage your amp.

 

I like your organization in the spreadsheet.
Keep in mind that there is no reason why you can't mix amplifiers and cabs from different vendors.
Also I would avoid Carvin as they no longer build or support bass equipment.

 

With those options I would probably go Hartke. The peavey will be the most reliable but I always find I need some eq/preamp pedals when using peavey bass gear which adds to the cost. I do like gk’s stuff but not the back line models... underpowered and unreliable in my experience. The Hartke will last a long time, give plenty of power, and I personally always liked the baked in Hartke sound.