Acme Low-B1 vs Barefaced One10

[Pep]

I’m using an Acme Low B2 with a fEARless F112 and a Mesa WD800. This combination kills it. I have the Low B2 firing forward and the F112 next to it in the wedge position. I’ve played everything from the old tube SVT with 8-10s, Fender Dual Showman, Marshall, Sunn Coliseum, Kustom 250 (4-15s), and so on, but i’ve found nothing that matches this set-up.

 

[Pep]

Perhaps worth noting that Alex, the founder/owner and designer of Barefaced cabs used Acme B2's prior to his own designs.
I have used a B2 and currently have 2 B1 cabs, bedroom practice only at the moment. I love the natural sound of them, and i loved the low B through the B2 when i was gigging, but as others have said, they are not the most efficient. 1 B2 was just about enough in a moderately loud 4 piece band with a 500w Markbass amp.
Never heard a Barefaced cab.

The Acme Cabs are designed purposely to be inefficient to get that vintage sound.
In these days of “efficiency”, it’s refreshing to know that sound is still available.
I own 2 Acme Low B2s and a Low B1. I will eventually sell these when I retire from music, never!

 

[Jefenator]

I've been using Acme off & on since the days when getting more wattage was problematic.
That sure isn't the case now!
It's like my Low B-1 was waiting for the Quilter BB800 to come out.

 

[Pep]

I've been using Acme off & on since the days when getting more wattage was problematic.
That sure isn't the case now!
It's like my Low B-1 was waiting for the Quilter BB800 to come out.
View attachment 5302647

Nice set-up

 

[Pep]

You know, I don't think the intent really is all that different. For both the BB2v3 ("the most accurate representation of the tone coming out of your amp") and and the B-112 ("flat, full-range response across the spectrum"; "full range, low coloration sound"), accuracy is a paramount goal, as contrasted with pleasing coloration. That's design intent, if you like. The execution of that intent is a different matter, in some respects quite different. (Though they start from a similar basic place: 12" plus tweeter.)

But admittedly this is just a minor quibble; I probably have too much time on my hands. Obviously, what really matters is what the cabs do (and, perhaps equally important, don't do) when you play bass through them.

Just to confirm, Acme's going to inefficient due to the low end it produces which is deeper than the One10. Acme's niche is to produce a small cab with substantial low and and I think they've accomplished that.
I own two Low B2s and one Low B1 and love them both. I played with a 7 pc classic/oldies group last night using a Mesa WD800 & an Acme Low B1. I was able to contend with the rest of the instruments without a problem. The Low B1 had to work hard but a Low B2 would have been overkill.

 

[Pep]

Is anybody gigging with an ACME B2 paired with a Bareface 210? There are plenty of rooms where two B2s get lost in the mud, but I sometimes pair one with a GKneo210 and the two seem to give me a better spectrum of sound. I often will let one of the treble folks (guitar, mandolin, or banjo) run through my spare channel. When we do that and I pair the B2 + GK, it seems like they naturally split the sound such that the deep bass comes out of the ACME and the others come out of the GK. Admittedly, the GK210 is not the best cab around, but it is light and packs a reasonable punch and is nice to have as a spare, plus it only cost me $300.

It has been almost two months since I bought another cab, so it feels like time.

On the occasions where I use the B2 + B4 + that 2000 watt Wayne Jones head it rumbles like Godzilla crashing through the crowd while my pants are blowing sideways...!!!

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I can't agree with two Acme Low B2s getting lost in the mud. I've been playing them for about 6 years and never had that problem. I did, however, run an Acme Low B2 aiming forward and a fEARless F112 next to it in the wedge position. The Low B2 definitely covered the low end and the F112 added to the low end plus gave me some mids and highs. Of course those mids and highs were mainly for me.

 

[Pep]

Perhaps worth noting that Alex, the founder/owner and designer of Barefaced cabs used Acme B2's prior to his own designs.
I have used a B2 and currently have 2 B1 cabs, bedroom practice only at the moment. I love the natural sound of them, and i loved the low B through the B2 when i was gigging, but as others have said, they are not the most efficient. 1 B2 was just about enough in a moderately loud 4 piece band with a 500w Markbass amp.
Never heard a Barefaced cab.

Just to clarify, to get the lows that Acme produces takes more power. I don't see that as a drawback. The Low B2 is rated at 350 watts rms. They recommend 400-500 watts. I've played mine with a Mesa WD800 (800w @ 4 ohms / 400w @ 8 ohms) and it sounds fine, but when I use an Ampeg SVT 7 Pro (1000w @ 4 ohms / 500w @ 8 ohms) it sings!!!!!! For me I'd rather bring the watts and get the lows I want.

 

[Wasnex]

Just to confirm, Acme's going to inefficient due to the low end it produces which is deeper than the One10. Acme's niche is to produce a small cab with substantial low and and I think they've accomplished that.
I own two Low B2s and one Low B1 and love them both. I played with a 7 pc classic/oldies group last night using a Mesa WD800 & an Acme Low B1. I was able to contend with the rest of the instruments without a problem. The Low B1 had to work hard but a Low B2 would have been overkill.

Yes. Acme has low efficiency. You got one consequence: You need lot's of power to make them loud. The other consequence is their max volume is low.

I used to own one of the original Low B2. I liked the cab overall. But I often found it lacked headroom. My impression is the woofer dominates the sound and the mid and tweeter were not really strong enough to keep up. So you essentially have inefficient woofers with limited volume capabilities, that outpaces a relatively weak mid and tweeter.

At some volume level the drivers hit a point where increased power just makes the sound more compressed rather than making it louder. If you increase the power too much beyond this point the drivers will be damaged.

Specifications

Model: Acme Low B-2 Series III
Frequency response: +/-3 dB 41Hz to 22 kHz -6 dB at 31 Hz
Power Handling: 350 Watts RMS continuous
Recommended Power: 400-500 watts
300 Watts sine wave @ 30.87 Hz
Sensitivity: 93 dB 1W/1M
Impedance: Available in 4 or 8 ohms
Dimensions: 23″H x 15.75″W x 16.5″D
Weight: 50 lbs/23 kg
​

The RMS power rating is 350W, but the woofers are mechanically limited to 300W at 30.87hz. Recommended power is up to 500W. If you actually hit the Low B2 with 500W at 30.87hz, you're going to need to replace the woofers in short order. I occasionally used a 450W amp with my Low B2, and I found is really easy to clack the woofer voice coils.

Calculated SPL with 350W at 93dB 1W/1m sensitivity = 118.4dB. I played a couple of different rigs rated for about 118dB and always felt they were headroom limited. The got they job done and no one complained, but I found it difficult to hear well.

Specifications (Bareface One10)
Dimensions
(H W D) 38cm 29cm 28cm
15" 11.5" 11"
Weight
Steel 7.5kg / 16lbs
Cloth 7kg / 15lbs
Broadband sensitivity 95dB
Max power 250W RMS (500W clean)
Max Output ~119dB
Frequency Range 30Hz - 6kHz
Impedance 8 ohms
​

The max output is shown as ~119dB. This rating is based on the 250W RMS rating and 95dB 1W/1m sensitivity. Not really a meaningful difference...you would need to compare both cabs. I suspect the One10 would seem louder, but lack the extreme low end of the Acme.

A One10 and One10T stack with 500W would be rated for ~125dB. My personal SPL baseline is 124dB minimum, so this rig would easily meet most if not all of my needs (assuming I like the tone).