5w head + what cab for nice lows ?

[Super_Knack]

Hey all! Greetings to all bass/guitar players! I'm new here but was reading forum from time to time. Have a question about bass cab for my Hotone Thunder 5w bass head. Until now I was playing through my 40w 1x10 guitar Engl cab in low volume but it's time to get a real bass cab and there is my question - will this head run 200w cab ? Will the volume be significantly louder and bass deeper ? I love the sound of this small head so would like to keep it and match it with 2x8 or 1x10 cab like the TC electronic or Warwick. I will appreciate any helping comments. Thanks

 

[Wasnex]

Hey all! Greetings to all bass/guitar players! I'm new here but was reading forum from time to time. Have a question about bass cab for my Hotone Thunder 5w bass head. Until now I was playing through my 40w 1x10 guitar Engl cab in low volume but it's time to get a real bass cab and there is my question - will this head run 200w cab ? Will the volume be significantly louder and bass deeper ? I love the sound of this small head so would like to keep it and match it with 2x8 or 1x10 cab like the TC electronic or Warwick. I will appreciate any helping comments. Thanks

Generally 110 bass cabs are fairly inefficient. If they are designed for higher efficiency, the trade off is often low end extension. A guitar cab is likely to have higher efficiency than a bass cab, but less lows.

A bigger cab has a good chance of being louder and fuller. However, it's really going to vary from design to design.

If your priority is higher volume, look for the cab's sensitivity rating. Usually the sensitivity rating is expressed at 1 Watt and measured at 1 meter. The volume will increase by approximately 3dB for each doubling of power. So if you have a cab that is rated 100dB 1W/1m, you get 103dB at 2 Watts, and 106db at 4 watts. The decibel change from 1W to 5W is almost 7dB. So a cab with a 100dB 1W/1m rating should play at almost 107dB with 5W

There is no concern with feeding a 5W amp into a 200W cab. The cab will take the full 5W without complaint.

Impedance is important though. The Hotone is a solid-state amp rated for 4-16 ohms. Do not connect it to a load that is < 4 ohms or you may damage the amp.

Usually solid state amps make more power as the impedance goes down. There are some exceptions, but I would expect it to make full power at 4 ohms, and less at higher impedances.

Note:
Some cabs have a sensitivity rating based on 2.83V. 2.83V at 8 ohms is 1W. 2.83V at 4 ohms is 2W. So if the cab is 8 ohms and has a 2.83V rating, it's already expressed as 1W/1m. To convert a 2.83V rating at 4 ohms to 1W/1m, simply subtract 3dB from rating. For example: 100dB 2.83V/1m at 4 ohms is the same rating as 97dB 1W/1m

 

[johnh89]

I use my Hotone as a preamp into a DIY 20W class D . Normally into a PJB C2 but when plugged into my homemade 1x12 4ohm cab , the difference is astounding . It is built using a celestion speaker with a rating of 98dB . I'll try it without the power amp at the weekend and see what it sounds like .

 

[Super_Knack]

Wow excellent explanation thanks for that!
https://www.thomann.de/ie/tc_electronic_bc208_bass_cab.htm
https://www.thomann.de/ie/joyo_b110_bass_cabinet_4_ohms.htm
https://www.thomann.de/ie/warwick_gnome_cab_2_8_4.htm

Check above please, cabs that I am thinking have no efficiency ratings... Leaning towards TC electronics though. Good choice?

 

[pie_man_25]

Honestly, depends on what you want to do. In a nutshell, volume is more or less a function of watts going into cabs. If you have less watts, you need more cabs.

At five watts, you could plug into just about any speaker without really breaking it. If you want any real volume (like play with a drummer loud) you'd need a lot of speakers to get enough volume. If you're just jamming around? Honestly a 110 or 208 would do it.

 

[Super_Knack]

Its just for jamming in home environment with guitar and electronic drummer.
So I guess 4ohm 200w 2x8 cab will be best?

 

[two fingers]

Hey all! Greetings to all bass/guitar players! I'm new here but was reading forum from time to time. Have a question about bass cab for my Hotone Thunder 5w bass head. Until now I was playing through my 40w 1x10 guitar Engl cab in low volume but it's time to get a real bass cab and there is my question - will this head run 200w cab ? Will the volume be significantly louder and bass deeper ? I love the sound of this small head so would like to keep it and match it with 2x8 or 1x10 cab like the TC electronic or Warwick. I will appreciate any helping comments. Thanks

Welcome to TalkBass?

Roughly where are you, geographically speaking? If you are anywhere near a music store, I would take the head with you and try some out. For lots of reasons, output can vary a lot by model.

 

[el murdoque]

Its just for jamming in home environment with guitar and electronic drummer.
So I guess 4ohm 200w 2x8 cab will be best?

How will the electronic drums and the guitar be amplified?

5 Watts is nothing for bass. With a decent cabinet, it feels like you're getting really loud when you're playing on your own. As soon as another instrument joins in, you drop out of the mix.

If you have the means of amplifying the drums, you could use that for bass as well.

 

[Super_Knack]

Ya I wish but I have only 1 music shop around me, literally. I doubt if they have any bass cab selection...

 

[pie_man_25]

Its just for jamming in home environment with guitar and electronic drummer.
So I guess 4ohm 200w 2x8 cab will be best?

Chances are it'll work, but the thing I'd recommend most is exactly what @two fingers said.

Heck, it honestly sounds like you're just trying to make this work on a shoestring budget with as little as possible. You might be best off just playing through whatever the drummer is playing through until you can get a decent bass rig.

 

[Super_Knack]

Guitar through 30w Engl Gigmaster (with attenuation on medium) + 40w cab and drums through active stereo speakers

 

[johnh89]

TC do not appear to publish cab efficiency ratings . Sadly that leaves you with one option only . You will have to try them out and see if it does what you want it to do .

 

[Super_Knack]

looks like i need to go to the only shop i know and check myself, whatever they have in stock. At least will have a rough idea what I am dealing with. Thanks all for help!

 

[Super_Knack]

Maybe I should go for a cheap 40-80w bass combo and sold the little head? 1x10 or 1x12 Combos are cheaper than 2x8 cab that i was wondering about... Any thoughts on this?

 

[Super_Knack]

Its like a safe play here as in this shop they dont have any bass cabs selection, one 6x10 only. But they have some small bass combos Peavey Max and Fender Rumble

 

[Super_Knack]

its all about a low B sound

 

[Verb the Noun]

Its like a safe play here as in this shop they dont have any bass cabs selection, one 6x10 only. But they have some small bass combos Peavey Max and Fender Rumble

Peavey max combo is fairly muddy from what I remember. Between those two choices, Id lean Rumble.

 

[ardgedee]

its all about a low B sound

Oh boy. The lower you want to go, the more you'll be demanding out of the amp and speakers.

I'm sure that Hotone amp is fine within its limits, but I don't know whether 5 watts out of any amp, combined with any compact speaker, is going to be enough.

 

[Super_Knack]

Will 25w Rumble be enough? Peavey is 150w, more expensive though

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hey all! Greetings to all bass/guitar players! I'm new here but was reading forum from time to time. Have a question about bass cab for my Hotone Thunder 5w bass head. Until now I was playing through my 40w 1x10 guitar Engl cab in low volume but it's time to get a real bass cab and there is my question - will this head run 200w cab ? Will the volume be significantly louder and bass deeper ? I love the sound of this small head so would like to keep it and match it with 2x8 or 1x10 cab like the TC electronic or Warwick. I will appreciate any helping comments. Thanks

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