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Aguilar DB810 or Bergantino NV610

Timm Grimm

Timm Grimm

Tune low, play slow
Aug 6, 2013
614
127
Colorado
#1
To start, I've never played a show, where the musicians in the room didn't come up to me when I was done to get a closer look and tell me how amazing I sound. I currently run an Aggie DB810 & a SWR Big Bertha 215 loaded with Faitals. I've been gas free for over a year for cabs. I recently realized the issues I have with this rig, most specifically, the DB810. I find the lows to be a little loose and are capable of being slightly farty. I've eq'd that out of it, but that planted the seed of doubt. Now, there's a NV610(sealed) local and he's willing to trade straight across for the DB810(ported).( The DB810, while in perfect working condition, it has a fair amount of rips in the tolex.) I'm really stuck on this. Based on all the research I've done, my brain tells me that this is a good deal, but I've loved this rig since the day I put it all together. The NV610 doesn't have a horn, but to be fair, i run the DB810 with it off. Another aspect of this is that I'm powering these with a (custom) Meatsmoke dual channel rack pre > Carvin DCM2000L @ 600w per cab. The DB810 has a power handling of 1400w rms and the NV610 is 750w rms. That limits the setup combinations for this poweramp, but I haven't needed to take it quite that far/loud. The part part of this is aesthetics. Having that tallboy DB810 in my rig is just pleasing to the eye. Thanks ahead of time for any advice you may give.

Tim
 
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#7
Timm Grimm said:
... I recently realized the issues I have with this rig, most specifically, the DB810. I find the lows to be a little loose and are capable of being slightly farty. I've eq'd that out of it, but that planted the seed of doubt....
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I have no experience with either cabinet but this statement raises a red flag. Has the Aguilar always been a little loose and farty, or is it something new? If it is a new issue then maybe it's possible there is damage to a woofer(s)?

If not, then maybe use of a high pass filter would resolve the farty problems if it is just an over excursion issue.

I bring this up only because switching to the Bergantino may not resolve this problem.
 
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#8
Primakurtz said:
Hi Timm-
Having literally owned both, I would keep the Aggie. The Berg is a fine cab, but no better in the lows. A lot easier to move around!
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Kurt, my Man. Thanks for the advice. Considering I bought all of these cabs from you, I'm going to go with your advice on this.
Pat C. said:
I have no experience with either cabinet but this statement raises a red flag. Has the Aguilar always been a little loose and farty, or is it something new? If it is a new issue then maybe it's possible there is damage to a woofer(s)?

If not, then maybe use of a high pass filter would resolve the farty problems if it is just an over excursion issue.

I bring this up only because switching to the Bergantino may not resolve this problem.
Click to expand...
I do think it's an excursion issue. My cleans are glorious. I'll respond more on this in a little while.
 
#10
The looseness is just a fact with ported cabs, IME. Especially when A/B'ed with a quality sealed cab.

The NV610 is the best can I've ever played, hands down. It's tight, punchy and present. It's easy to move and probably much lighter than the aggie. Think of it as the ultimate fridge and if that's attractive, you won't mind the loss of height and your back and ears will be happier.
 
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#12
Timm Grimm said:
I do think it's an excursion issue. My cleans are glorious. I'll respond more on this in a little while.
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By "cleans are glorious" do you mean there is no farting when using clean sounds? And there is farting when using dirty sounds? Typically lows tend to get reduced when overdrive kicks in, but with that Meatsmoke pre-amp you're probably in a whole 'nother world of dirty tone production compared to most.

I'd still be curious if a 35 or 40Hz HPF (ex. Fdeck )would help clean up the looseness.
 
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#13
Pat C. said:
By "cleans are glorious" do you mean there is no farting when using clean sounds? And there is farting when using dirty sounds? Typically lows tend to get reduced when overdrive kicks in, but with that Meatsmoke pre-amp you're probably in a whole 'nother world of dirty tone production compared to most.

I'd still be curious if a 35 or 40Hz HPF (ex. Fdeck )would help clean up the looseness.
Click to expand...

This. Now also throw a Fuzzrocious Demon King (with a little clean blended in and on 90% if the time.) in front of that and you get the idea. I can hear/feel no loss of lows in my dirty tone. I'd like to point that I'm really nitpicking with all off this. A further explanation of my rig is: my Meatsmoke pre is a special bird. It's actually 2 separate pre's in one rack. Mono/dual input, 2 complete eq's, 2 separate boosts, combined or independent outs. I run it as such; after the mono in, I have each pre set independently into separate channels of the carvin poweramp and then from carvin it's one channel for each cab. So after the mono input, each cab has its own preamp and separate channel I/O of the power amp. When I say I eq'd the looseness/fartyness out, I lowered the bass (slightly) for only the aggie and it tightened right up.

Ballpark eq for each cab:
Aguilar DB810 - slight scoop with bass just under 12' and highs just past 12'. This cab conveys the nastiness of my highs and overall tone.
SWR 215 - flat for cut and fullness.

End result = monstrous

The carvin has a built in hpf but it effects both channels and I can tell there is a slight loss off the low-lows.
 
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#15
Timm Grimm said:
I got that, but I can't. Important part I left out. Its a decent drive and we're meeting in the middle. If the consensus is to keep the 810 then I'm going to avoid it all together.
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If you ever gig 'halfway in the middle', maybe he'd bring the berg for you to demo on stage with your band. My NV610 doesn't seem all that impressive noodling around solo, but is always amazing on stage with my bands...

PS:
My NV610 does really well with fuzz/overdriven tones too!
 
#16
CL400Peavey said:
Maybe with crappy ported cabs.
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I own Aguilar cabs (DB112 NT's) that I use in addition to the NV610. They are great for small gigs and practice. Are they crappy? IME, they are of similar quality to the OP's 810 (I've played that cab as well). They are looser than the NV610... Period. Especially as the volume increases. Unless you've played an NV610 A/B'ed with the Aggie's you just wouldn't know.
 
#17
anderbass said:
My NV610 doesn't seem all that impressive noodling around solo, but is always amazing on stage with my bands...
Click to expand...

That, IME, is the secret magic of the NV610. It's honestly not that impressive sounding of a cabinet when played by itself. Its mojo comes from how it sounds in the mix, particularly how it sits in that sweet spot right above the kick drum and its ability to sound "big" without necessary having to be loud.
 
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#18
There will be a large difference between ported and non ported for sure. I switched from the Ampeg 8x10 to the 6x10 and the ports made all the difference to me and my personal tastes/ears. The 8x10 is sealed and it is tight and punchy and clear and all around amazing, but I like the floor to rumble a little more from the ported 6x10. Your Aggie 8x10 is ported and the berg isn't. I've never played either so Im no help,but the two ampegs I own are two different monsters and I prefer ported in my music playing style of rock. And adding the son of Bertha.. I think that's something I'd like to hear!
 
#19
NV610. All subjective of course, but it sounds great in a mix, punchy and tight but still musical and fluid. It can handle all the fuzz, wah, octive, and overdrive I can throw at it.
What I always appreciated about it though is that it is a very balanced cab, and very easy to whip around with the handle on back of the cab.
 
#20
The NV610 will have much less max volume, if that matters to you. A DB410 would be more of a fair fight on that front. They are both amazing sounding cabs. The NV puts a distictive sonic stamp on your tone that is impossible to EQ out. The DB is also colored, but you can get it quite clean with a little EQ.

If you want tighter lows, you could also just turn off the 2x15. Not sure this "sealed cabs are tighter" discussion matters much if you are running it next to a ported 2x15.
 
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