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8x10 cab shootout/comparison

austentaciousC

austentaciousC

Mar 17, 2010
833
12
#1
Been searching for a minute here, there seems to be alot of good reviews on the various cabinets avalailable at this size, but id like to see a comparo of lets say, a fender pro and an ampeg svt...baffling design,speakers,construction.

What makes one 8x10 better than another, and if so, which one is best for well...the only thing an 8x10 is really built for?

It would also be cool if we seperated them by their usage i.e being run with a tube head vs. solid state.
 
#2
austentaciousC said:
Been searching for a minute here, there seems to be alot of good reviews on the various cabinets avalailable at this size, but id like to see a comparo of lets say, a fender pro and an ampeg svt...baffling design,speakers,construction.

What makes one 8x10 better than another, and if so, which one is best for well...the only thing an 8x10 is really built for?

It would also be cool if we seperated them by their usage i.e being run with a tube head vs. solid state.
Click to expand...

I'm using an SVT 810E and I love it. Apparently their staple thing is that they use what they call the Infinite Baffle Design.
I've only had a chance to compare it to my other Ashdown ABM 810, and I must say that there's substantially more "punch" with the Ampeg. Depending what you're driving it with, you can get a lot of different tones from it.
I've used my 810E with my Ashdown Evo III 900, SVT 2pro, SVT 3 pro and currently with an SVT 4 Pro and the warmest sound I got was from the 2 pro, with plenty of volume and power. But I like the versatility of the 4 Pro and because I use a whack of pedals, I understand that a Solid State power amp is the way to go.
Works for me anyway ;)
 
#4
Using a Gallien Krueger 810 neo. Ive used the 810e, you can get punch out of it but it's kinda boomy IMO. I liked the fact that it was sealed but I needed a horn. The gk is sealed, with a horn that can be adjusted and it only weights 111 lbs compared to the heavy Ampeg. I've used a 3 pro, and hartke lh1000 with the 810e both have preamp tubes with solid state power. Got pretty good tones but the bottom end just got undefined and rumbly. With the neo I am now using a gk 800rb and will never use another combination. Punch for days!!! I've also used the 3 pro and lh1000 with the neo and don't feel like I'm loosing much. Everything is articulate and the low B string is as clear as the highs.

The gk stuff works great for me because I'm into the middy punchy tone that cuts through a mix and punches you in the gut. If you want just nice clean tone I'd say Ampeg but if you want the ability to go either dirty or clean definitely consider the gk neo. The price is the same as Ampeg. And it has the ability to biamp if you have a head with that capability.
 
#5
I own both... Play both... One is not better than the other. If you look at the websites they are essentially the same thing with three differences. The fender is ported, has a tweeter, and handles more watts. Depends on what kind of sound you are going for. The ampeg is more hey looks at me while the fender fills the room more and blends in better. Makes everything more full. Its still an 8x10 though so your still looking at it. Ummmm, the fender also weights more...
 
#8
I have a flatback SVT with original speakers, so crazy wattage is not the wisest thing. I also don't need to drive it very hard. Normally driven with a 6146B SVT, I have also used my GK MBFusion and was really happy with it. Of course, any dirt in that scenario is coming from preamp tubes, but it worked really well. I've got an MB200 as well, and would love to gig that just for kicks.

Never used a non-Ampeg 810. Lots of 810E around here for backline, of course, but I've never gotten an amp I like to go along with em in those situations.
 
#10
I own the PH810, have owned 3 different Ampeg 810s, and have played plenty of other 810s, including those by SWR, Aguilar, Eden, Fender, Peavey, and Traynor...

IMO, the Mesa is the loudest, and has the most low end, followed very closely by the SWR and then Fender - in that order...

The Mesa, SWR, Aguilar, Eden, and Fender all had excellent highs - and in that order...

The Ampegs all have the most present mids, and although *to me* they don't sound all that great by themselves, they do work very well in a band setting... There's a reason why the Ampeg 810 has been an industry standard for many years - they work, and they're reliable... The Aguilars were fairly mid present, also...

I really do like my Mesa PH810 better than any other 810 I've ever played, but can get the same job done with SWR's Megoliath... The drawbacks to Mesa's PH810 are cost(nearly $2k), and weight(173lbs) - but after 1.5 years of gigging mine pretty much every weekend, I'm still keeping it - if that says anything...

All this is IMO/IME - but I hope it helps...


- georgestrings
 
#13
klejst said:
I was just going to say let the massive amounts of Ampeg 8x10 cab posts flow in :p

They are great cabs though.

I personally would suggest the Mesa/Boogie PowerHouse 8x10.
Click to expand...

IMO, the PH810 is king of the 810s, but the SWR Megoliath runs a VERY close 2nd - is a little lighter, and can be had for a good price on the used market when they pop up...


- georgestrings
 
#14
austentaciousC said:
I would be curious to see an 8x10 run by one of the new modern super light heads that push huge numbers
Click to expand...

rodl2005 said:
Fwiw, TB user SVTB15 uses ampeg 810's with a 'micro' GB Streamliner & reports great results. The Streamliner didn't work for me, but ymmv
Click to expand...

Yep, I was just going to say that. I've got one as well and it's awesome.

Here's a few pics of it:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/d...sary-new-poll-854116/index4.html#post12195495
 
#15
I'm in the market for an 8x10"-cabinet, so I'm following this thread closely. I'm currently running a Gallien Krueger 1001rb-II, but if I can sell it plus some other gear (Mesa Boogie Roadready 1000, GK MB500 and GK NEO212), I'm going for a GK 800rb.
 
#16
The only 810 that I have experience with is the Ampeg. I think that it has been fairly accurately described already, but I'll say again that it's all about the mids. It doesn't have a deep low end and has no horn. It sounds much better with a band than it does by itself.
 
#17
I've got an SWR Workingman's Tower 8x10. I push it with a GK 1001 RB-II. This setup sounds awesome! It's incredibly versatile. I can get any tone out of this rig - loud, full, deep, rich, and articulate. When I crank it, stuff literally falls from the ceiling and the baby cries. At 110 lbs, it's also about 30 lbs lighter than my old Ampeg 810.

Jam on! :bassist:
 
#19
When i was searching for my cab i just went with what sounded right to me. I tried aluminum cones(cant remember the brand), ashdowns,gks, 4x10 ported ampegs with 1x15and I settled on my Ampeg SVT810E which i lovingly call my refrigerator cab. Big, juicy tonality, and indestructible. It tears pictures off the walls with my svt4 pro. it just puts out a wall of sound. like what seventhframe said about the Infinite Baffle. It sounded tighter than the ported ampegs. I have 2x10 subs in my car that are also sealed(i like sealed bass) and theres nothing wrong with ported cabs they are lounder, but imho the sound isnt as clean.
a salesman was saying i could get 2 8x10 ashdowns for the same price as my ampeg, but the ampeg sounded beefier.
I have used my ampeg v4b 100 tube watt head on the fridge, it gives it a much warmer sound. I dont use it much though because its much older than i am :P
 
#20
Not to the letter of the OP, but since the Bergantino NV610 has been consistently touted for years on this forum as the "Ampeg fridge killer" in both volume and tone I would be very interested to hear how it stands up in an AB comparison with these other cabs.
 

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