• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Advice needed - (2) 8 ohm cabs vs (1) 4 ohm cab

I like the idea of having just one 4 ohm cab - maybe a 4x10 or 2x12 - and having one less thing to carry and transport while still getting max power from the amp. But, would there be any really big sound advantages to going with 2 cabs? I can get a very nice 8 ohm 4x10 cheap, but I'm hesitating because I'm not sure a single 8 ohm would be enough and not sure I want to carry a second cab. Any thoughts?
 
A friend just did a straight-even comparison between a 112 and a 212. Tonewise, the 212 got lots more low end, the 112 pretty much rolled right off below 70Hz. So when people said their two 112 cabs didn't give them enough low end, there's the reason. It's not just the ohm loads or number of drivers, it's also cabinet design.

So before you just make a decision based on numbers alone... TEST GEAR OUT. Go try two 8-ohm 410's, compared to one 4-ohm 410. Try different 410's. Try ported vs sealed.

I'm convinced that if you do enough research and enough road trips to stores, you'll find a single 4-ohm cab that will get you what you need.
 
There is something about 2 cabs that seem to be greater then the sum of their parts. having said that, it all depends on what you need and what you are willing to carry around.

i like the idea of a single 4 ohm 410 as opposed to a pair of cabs for transport but in many cases, a pair of 210 cabs might be a lot easier to load into a small car or carry up stairs by yourself.

I have a pair of 112 cabs (Ampeg) that can sound pretty big together and are easy to move but I think a single 4 ohm 410 would knock them out in a side by side comparison, depending on the brand of 410.
 
The advantage of two 4-10"s is getting one up at ear level. The disadvantage is moving two medium weight speakers instead of one giant one (not much of a disadvantage if you ask me). I really don't think there's any real appreciable difference between 2 cabs and 1 if they have the same amount of speakers.

The advantage of 1 speaker cab at 4 ohms is obviously more volume to feed the one cab. The disadvantage is lack of expandability if you own a head that won't do 2 ohms. My Markbass LM II won't do 2 ohms and there are many others. So before you get a 4-ohm 4-10", you have to decide if it's worth it to trade expandability for power.
 
That's a rather unfair comparison. Sure, a 4x10 would probably beat out a pair of 1x12s, but that could be due, in part, to the 16" difference in speaker area. A pair of 1x12s vs. a 2x12 is an applicable comparison, or a pair of 2x10s vs. a 4x10.

+1. I'm more interested in a comparison of a pair of 112s vs. a 212.

The OP stated that he compared "a" 112 to a 212, and goes on to say that's why you hear people say a "pair" of 112s does not have has as much low end as a 212. So I am curious if you meant that you compared two 112s to a 212?
 
A friend just did a straight-even comparison between a 112 and a 212. Tonewise, the 212 got lots more low end, the 112 pretty much rolled right off below 70Hz. So when people said their two 112 cabs didn't give them enough low end, there's the reason. It's not just the ohm loads or number of drivers, it's also cabinet design.
So you're saying that a 2-12" cab sounded better than a 1-12" cab? Big surprise there. All things being equal, one speaker driver always sounds inferior to two. Always. No exceptions. The comparison should have been using two separate 1-12"s wired together vs a 2-12". I would bet there would be a little difference, but they do amazing things with small packages these days, so I bet the differences are less than we think.