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Double Bass ACME (vs LDS and EA)

#21
Adrian Cho said:
In terms of tone, unfortunately I can't try out either a B-1 or an LDS 3-way 1x8 without purchasing them. Fortunately they both have return options so that's good.
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I'm glad that you have the return option as well. I played through KJungs
B-1 at his house once, it's a nice, light cabinet, and sounded good in his living room, but I'm gun shy with rear ported cabinets since I've had trouble with them in the past. Personally, I've had better luck with front ports, they say that port placement doesn't effect the sound but my ears
tell me otherwise.


Adrian Cho said:
I think I will order my Acme with the optional pole-mount and I believe Don does offer the same option. I have a pole stand from when I had the Pub and it's a nice thing to use especially (I would imagine) for two cabinets.
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Sometimes elevating the cabinet is a good thing, even though it de couples
the speaker from the floor. I use a Gramma from Auralex Audio to slightly elevate the VL's slightly, it seems to improve the bass definition. But, it's another thing to carry around!

Ric
 
#22
Ric Vice said:
I'm glad that you have the return option as well. I played through KJungs
B-1 at his house once, it's a nice, light cabinet, and sounded good in his living room, but I'm gun shy with rear ported cabinets since I've had trouble with them in the past.
Click to expand...

Well, you are in luck (sort of). The Low B-1 is side ported! :D
 
#23
Yes I am using the Gramma now too. I used it with the Pub and it was good and helped ensure a more consistent sound regardless of the venue (walls, crowds, etc. are another matter). It is another thing to carry but at least it is light and if you have everything on a trolley than it just stacks up (I put it on top of everything else).
 
#25
I have an Acme Low B-1, and it's a great little speaker cabinet. To me at least, it's somewhat an aquired taste however, and probably not for everyone. Compared to many other speaker cabinets, the low end on the Acme Low B-1 is in no way hyped. It is very extended however. It is really kind of surprising at first to hear the fundamental of each note, especially in the lower registers, reproduced so accurately. The Low B-1 will cleanly reproduce an open B or C on the bass, and open E is effortless. At the same time, the Low B-1 has no midrange honk, added warmth or other coloration that many other speakers have. Quite honestly, I miss that coloration at times, but, at other times, it is absolutely thrilling to hear such transparency and accuracy.

The Acme Low B-1 is relatively inefficient, which is a trade off for such extended low frequency response from a small box. It is also not really for high SPL reinforcement, and, to me, sounds best for lower volume work. The Low B-1 is really like a portable studio monitor. Like a good studio monitor, it has a very neutral sound, with very flat and wide-range frequency response. The main drawback I can see is that, since it so neutral, the Low B-1 doesn't have the kind of sound that cuts through a loud band or a noisy environment like some speakers do. Given the right situation however, I really love the sound of the Low B-1, and it can be so transparent that it almost disappears, (almost like you're not using an amp at all).

Although Acme uses carpet covering on the Low B-1, it is entirely different than the covering on any other cabinet I've owned. The stuff Acme uses is really tough with very short pile, and doesn't seem to have any of the problems other carpet does. The carpet on the Low B-1 that I use still looks new.
 
#26
Thanks for the post robgrow. Well I just placed an order a couple of hours ago and Andy says it will ship late next week. So I'll see what happens. One of the problems with my setup is that gut does not really cut through so it is quite possible that the B-1 on its own will not be a good thing for me but when combined with the LDS for bigger gigs, it may be a good thing.
 
#27
Yo Adrian - I got to watch out for you! It looks like you've fallen under the Tombowlus spell (and you thought his avatar was passive!) :ninja:

I guess you'll soon join a rock band, have a fine BG made for you and tour Ohio! :bassist:

Seriously, I think Tom deserves an All Salute! as I was and do consider myself a humble disciple of his Bass Museum.

I'm sure you've read the posts, but I'll bore you to tears with a summary. I went from low-fi to high-fi with my first Contra amp (leaving behind a pile of Edens, CXL EA's, Mesa, etc...). I was happy for many months. But being the restless type, and reading so much glory about the Clarus/B1 combo for DB, that I had to try it. And Andy is so good to buy from, it was easy. I went Clarus-Focus and B1 crazy for a while after that, having 4 B-1's at last count to cover any situation (with a Phil Jones Briefcase thrown in for kicks). I thought I was done. But alas...reading so much about the VL208, I was in the market again to try to find one. I ended up with (in ascending order of quality IMHO): a Wizzy, Accugroove Tri208, a VL110 and a VL208. Each knocked the B1's out of my collection. Lastly, of course, was the the little engine that could, the LDS 1x8 (all of this, by the way, is thanks to the tireless reporting of All Salute! Tombowlus). And don't you know it, the LDS was the champ. It was the afterthought in my purchasing too. Now with an LDS 2x8 and the 1x8, both 3 ways, I'm out of the cabinet market (we'll see how long this lasts!)

A few notes.
-Stacking cabs didn't do much for me, hence the 2x8 versus stacked 1x8's or a 1x8 with any other. Others said that stacking isn't as good as just going to the next bigger model (if that bigger model retains the quality) and they were right. If you are high volume, your results may be different - I'm not high volume.
-Tom's characterization about the B1 v. LDS v. EA VL is how I see it too. However, I think the LDS clarity is for real.
-When I say a cabinet is 'better' than another, for me this means clarity to hear the DB as it sounds without an amp (OK, there is probably more low 'E' string happening with the cab, but it's too good to leave au natural). Clarity includes all the wonderful sound of the bass - wood, some string and fingerboard, all the slight inflections of your right and left hand attack, dynamics...everything.
-I've also noticed that the more clarity you get, the less feedback you'll find. I don't know why, just an observation. I used to always use the Clarus/Focus notch filter. I never do anymore.
-My testing was only on DB's, both steel and gut. Pickups were K&K, Full Circle and an AMT S25B (thanks to Adrian's posts!) ;)
 
#28
macmrkt said:
Seriously, I think Tom deserves an All Salute! as I was and do consider myself a humble disciple of his Bass Museum.
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Thank you for your kind words. You guys are too kind. I'm just glad that someone else can get something out of this strange obsession of mine! ;)
 
#31
Thanks - Would you say that the wizzy blows the LDS cab out of the water, volume wise, or are they in the same ballpark? I'm interested in hearing about max volume rather than efficiency.
 
#32
basss said:
Thanks - Would you say that the wizzy blows the LDS cab out of the water, volume wise, or are they in the same ballpark? I'm interested in hearing about max volume rather than efficiency.
Click to expand...

Well, as a 1x12, the Wizzy moves more air, plus it is a 4 ohm cab, versus 8 ohm (for most of the LDS 1x8's that I have seen - Don may be able to make a 4 ohm version). I would say that the max volume difference is appreciable, though I'm not sure I would say that it blows it out of the water.

Tom.
 
#35
I guess there are several reasons I've not posted impressions about my std. 1x8. One is that I've not tried most of the other contenders: EA, AI, Acme, etc. Only my GK 150S and Ampeg B-15R. Another is that I've only really used the speaker once with my band, and just haven't experimented much yet and only in my home where the loud volume of my Cleveland doesn't really allow hearing the LDS by itself.

The other reason is that my impressions duplicate so closely what others have said. The clarity is amazing. It cuts through the band such that it seems I can back off on the overall volume (that is, the other lower frequencies I've been used to amplifying) and not be so loud or boomy. Also hearing the clarity and extended highs allow me to hear the nuances and intonation so much better, and--this may be more imagined than real, but--it seems like as a result, I wasn't putting as much pressure on my hands and fingers. I could relax a little and lessen the chance of fatigue and joint stress. All the way around, :hyper:

Now I am also awaiting receipt of Adrian's Pub which I couldn't resist buying ;) , so we'll see what the differences are. I'm hoping that for the extra weight, the Pub should have a little bit stronger E string. It's rated to a cutoff of about 38Hz, vs high-40s (?) for the LDS (I think someone posted that). I'm not missing much low end from the LDS, mind you, but it would be nice to have the option of going with more extension.

Also, I do occasionally use an old 1x15 Sunn "Sonic" cabinet as an extension. I replaced the JBL D130F with a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. With the port covered up it should be flat to about 42Hz. Surprisingly, this speaker has blended fairly well with both the GK and the LDS, without separate volume control or a crossover. With the LDS, there's probably more mud added too, so it's a tradeoff to adding more lows.

I don't really know where the Pub will fit in, but I should be able to sell the GK and buy a head that can be used with the LDS, with or w/o my cool Sunn cab, or as a preamp only with the biamped Pub. Most likely an AI Clarus. That should cover all my bases (and basses! :D ).
 
#36
P.S. Sorry, I guess I was guilty of thread hijacking without realizing it. It just seemed the appropriate opportunity to post my LDS "review," such as it is. Didn't mean to steal any thunder ('nuther pun!) from the Acme, which I've not tried, but it looks very appealing from their website. So check it out too, by all means.

(Mr. Moderator, you can move that post to a new thread or I might figure a way to cut it to a new thread if you so request.)
 
#40
I owned a B4 until I had to go college and had to sell it. The sound quality was AMAZING. You absolutly can't go wrong with acme. I know a fella who has played with Victor wooten a couple of times and he let Victor play through the cab and he thought it was the most amazing rig he had ever heard. Hope you enjoy!
 

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