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Anyone else playing an All Tube Head through a Ported Cab?

Are you playing an all tube head through a ported cab?


  • Total voters
    148
I've tried both and personally prefer sealed.
The sound is good from both but when I turn on the full boost channel of my meatsmoke preamp with almost full gain the ported cabs speakers would look like they were about to jump out of the cabinet, my sealed 8x10's handle it fine.
My other example was when I had a swr henry 8x8, that cabinet worked great and sounded good with a solidstate amp but when I started playing my tube heads through it, I blew 3 different speakers, happened with a ported 6x10 also.
I use either a 70 or 77 SVT, a 400+, a peavey classic 400, been pretty settled on my SVT's lately though. Use the meatsmoke as a pedal into the front end of the SVT.
 
I've been running a PF-50T into a home-brew TL606 with a EV EVM-L and it has been a great stage rig.

33500706254_462c8948a6_k.jpg
 
"High damping factor solid state amps are recommended for greatest cone control, but if you have a tube amp, results will generally be acceptable". Per Andy Lewis / Acme as it pertains to "B" series ported enclosures. I voted no as I'm using SS amps w/ tube-esque pedals.

Riis
 
Mostly no, I prefer the sound of sealed 10s BUT I do 'occasionally' use a 1x15 EV and a 2x10 that are ported.

If the cabinet is tuned correctly for the speaker then it really doesn't make much difference other than your preference, period.
 
Thought I'd post this for fun....

I'm enjoying an old Ampeg through my Bergantino HD410 cabs. It's lots of fun with lots of boom...but so natural sounding!

Not knocking sealed cabs at all. I'm learning Barefaced has made some deadly sealed cabs. I've yet to try a sealed Berg NV610 or NV412 but have played through an NV115. It was alright...but my ears liked the ported cabs better. I guess I'm going to have to get used to the bass control being dialed back or the bass cut switched on.

Happy New Year 2018 everyone!

Barefaced making sealed cabs? :eyebrow:
I don't know of any of their cabs that are sealed. Is that some of their very early models?
 
I ran Both of my SVT's through sealed cabs Berg NV 610 and 810 Straight back cabs most of the time. But also ran them and my Fender Bassman 300 PRO through my Ampeg 410 HLF without Issues. The truth of the matter is tube amps can not control speaker runaway like SS amps can so some people tend to blow Speakers with tube heads and ported cabs easier.
 
Barefaced making sealed cabs? :eyebrow:
I don't know of any of their cabs that are sealed. Is that some of their very early models?
No, They use what they call a "Hybrid Resonator" design.
From the 4x10 specs on Barefaced site:

Hybrid Resonator Enclosure
Efficient 10" speakers like to either be in smaller sealed cabs or larger ported cabs. The downside of small sealed cabs is that although they feel nice and tight in the lows, they tend to sound a bit thin unless you use a few 4x10"s at once or stack them with more bassy cabs - plus they don't handle that much bass power before distorting. The downside of the larger ported cabs is that they're rarely large enough, hence that somewhat boomy bass you get from many ported 4x10"s.

Our unique Hybrid Resonator Enclosure has the tight punchy feel of a sealed cab but with greater bass weight yet none of the boom of an undersized ported cab. The broadband resonant loading of the woofers reduces cone excursion and increases cab sensitivity, which together increases the maximum bass output by over 50%.
 
Yes I like the low end a lot better on ported cabs with tube heads. I don’t like the roll off of sealed cabs.

The perceived 'better' low end is actually a tuned bump and the actual lower frequencies are rolled off by the tuning of the cabinet with the port. A port in the front of the cab also introduces some mids that color the sound too. A sealed enclosure has an extended and smoother roll off. Some speakers work better with sealed cabs, especially low mass, fast reacting drivers with lighter cones (which also are cheaper). By sealing a cab it may prevent over exclusion of the voice coils, that's all factored in in the design pf the drivers and cabs.

For me, I love the sound of sealed 10s, they have a punch and a thump that I love with a natural scoop and cream high frequencies that sound way better than any tweeter (IMHO)