2x15

[Bass Boy J]

hello
I was wondering what the best 2x15 cabinet on the market is. Or would a 1x15 stacked on top of another 1x15 get the same sound as a 2x15.

 

[daveman50]

Personally, if I was going there, I'd look at the Mesa Subway 215. Only 60 lbs, rated for 800 watts at 8 ohms, which is a great improvement over the 215's of yore. I have (and still use) an early 70's Sunn 215S which is way heavier than that (160 watts at 4 ohms, so really not a good comparison, but it is loud AF).

Having two 115's of course is a more flexible setup as well as easier to move. I doubt there's an appreciable difference in real-world sound if using 2 identical 115s.

 

[Al Kraft]

Or would a 1x15 stacked on top of another 1x15 get the same sound as a 2x15.

In general, two of the same cab will perform essentially identically to their companion brand version with two speakers in one cab. Some will agrue that the two cab set-up has two high end drivers and may be a little more bright. In the case of say a Mesa SW115 you can simply turn off the horn in one cab (or turn them both down a little) to get a remarkably similar sound to the double speaker cab with only one horn. YMMV, but it won't vary much IME.

In terms of a great 115 or 215 cab, the Mesa SW's are very impressive in every area from quality of build to performance. I own a SW115 and consider it to be the best single 15" loaded cab I've come across in over 42 years of bass playing. On this point, you will likely find a lot of agreement in Mesa circles, but you'll need to let your ears decide as there are a lot of excellent cabs available.

 

[Al Kraft]

rated for 800 watts at 8 ohms

I'm pretty sure the Mesa SW 215 comes only as 4 Ohm nominal impedance cab, but it is rated at 800 Watts RMS (thermal and mechanical) at 50-1000HZ. IME all the Mesa SW line gear is all honestly rated and fully usable at its limits.

 

[seamonkey]

12's are the new 15's

 

[two fingers]

Subway

 

[daveman50]

I'm pretty sure the Mesa SW 215 comes only as 4 Ohm nominal impedance cab, but it is rated at 800 Watts RMS (thermal and mechanical) at 50-1000HZ. IME all the Mesa SW line gear is all honestly rated and fully usable at its limits.

You're right, my error - the Mesa Subway 215 is 4 ohms at 800 watts. (Too late to edit my post!)

 

[daveman50]

12's are the new 15's

Welllll.... sorta.... but not really. I do use 12's mainly, but 15's are different. YMMV, try before you buy.

 

[robd]

Best 215 ever is Electrovoice B2150m

Good luck finding one

 

[Wasnex]

If you want a more traditional tone, check out the Greenboy Dually . I have one loaded with Faital 15PR400s and I am surprised by how light and easy to move around it is. I can lift it up a few stairs with one hand. It can also be ordered with an added tweeter, or with Eminence 3015s in place of the Faital drivers.

The Faitals are super flat, and the Eminence drivers are said to be a bit more muscular sounding. If I were to order a new one I would probably get a Dually T as I like extended highs.

Dually

I have also been a fan of the 15" GK cabs I have played.

 

[daveman50]

The Bergantino NV 215 is also great, but discontinued a long time ago.

 

[Inara]

I'll second the Dually! And I'll highly recommend @dukeorock to build it, if it works for where you live. He built me one out of okoume, and it was a lightweight monster. He's great to deal with as well.

 

[3rdcurve]

I’ve had a hand full of 15s, Faital pro, eminence, Celestion, and I was about to pull the trigger on a SW215 to go with my WD-800. However....the engineering of the new Genzler Ba15-3slt grabbed my attention and I ordered one today.

 

[Rebel Rocker]

Mesa 215, Had mine about 4 or 5 months, Love It!! 60 lbs, Handle and wheels, And will rattle your roof top.

 

[iiipopes]

I don't know what is on the market now. I would look into Ashdown among others. Between 25 and 40 years ago, the 2X15 cabinet ruled. I got mine at the tail end of that era, just before, or overlapping when the 4X10 became "it," or in combination with an additional 1X15. Back then, I had an SVT head, but I never cared for the fridge. So I found a gutted Peavey 2X15. I put casters on it. I added fiberglass insulation to damp cabinet resonances. I made sure the ports were good. Then I installed the best value-for-money drivers at the time: Carvin. Two 15-inch, 8-ohm drivers wired in parallel for a 4-ohm load. I gigged that combo until I got tired of the weight of the SVT and the cost of tubes. Then I purchased a Carvin ProBass 300 for the same cabinet, and gigged it until I sold the cab. I loved the tone and projection of a 2X15 driven by 300 watts. Finally sold the cab and got a SWR Triad, "stereo speaker on steroids."

For some of my current gigs, I would still dearly love to crank a 2X15 cab, but I'm not going to spend the $$$ or risk my back for the weight or size. On the other hand, the Carvin Pro Bass 300 and Triad are still the rig for my band's rehearsal hall, with a new crossover for the Triad to make it much more efficient.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

The description of the Mesa makes me think it’s over the top awesome, but two individual 8 ohm 1x15’s will give you a much more versatile setup. Both cabs for big rooms, one for small rooms.

I’ve had 210s, 410s, 810s, 112s, 212s, but I keep coming back to 15s, and I actually prefer a single 15 if I can get by with just one cabinet. To my ears, a single 15 driven by a tube amp has a sound that is perfect for electric bass and it’s totally immune to any unusual issues that can come with multi-driver cabinets.

Vertically aligned speakers have good, even dispersion and two identical 115s stacked vertically is just about perfect for a lot of different room sizes. It’s obviously your call, but I don’t think you can go wrong with 2 x 115s.

 

[bassfreakah]

i love my 115 swr cab!!!!! put a new speaker in it and WOW!!!! that and a GK 700RB, will do any gig with PA support and sound GREAT doing it.
I got a great local deal on a MINT TRACE ELLIOT 115 with casters. Stack it up and rock the place. I love 15's lots of sweet mid-range to hear your self with.
and also check out the Genzler ba15. it is suppose to be killer.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

hello
I was wondering what the best 2x15 cabinet on the market is. Or would a 1x15 stacked on top of another 1x15 get the same sound as a 2x15.

+ 1 for the subway 215. I been looking at it hard

 

[smogg]

I’ve had a hand full of 15s, Faital pro, eminence, Celestion, and I was about to pull the trigger on a SW215 to go with my WD-800. However....the engineering of the new Genzler Ba15-3slt grabbed my attention and I ordered one today.

Looking forward to your review of the new Genzler cab.

 

[REV]

For years I used a pair of Bag End 15's then I switched to Euphonic Audio Wizzy 12's and I've not looked back. The Bag Ends are great speakers though.