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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
works for me. it would be interesting to hear the same bass with same amp through the 1203 and the birdhaus. i went back to the fretted bass/1203 clip you did a while back to contrast them. it was hard for me to tell if the difference i was hearing was due to the 1203 or the different bass
The 48 is a different beast from the 46. I'll spend time going back and forth between the cabs .
The 48 is 4 ohms the 46 is 8 ohms. I've been running the 46/1203 together , plug in on the 46.
The 48 is 4 ohms the 46 is 8 ohms. I've been running the 46/1203 together , plug in on the 46.
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
WOW. Thank you! !
Yeah, that post of Shrigg's was pretty sweet! Makes me think I need to raise the price!!
... just kidding.
Thank you very much.
There aren't very many 6" and 8" woofers out there that are suitable for electric bass, in my opinion. I think I picked two of the best off-the-shelf units, but neither is deliberately "voiced" for electric bass. Now once we move up into the 10" realm, we have a fair number of woofers that are indeed voiced specifically for electric bass.
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I just bought a 1533 and I can guarantee that the low end is not a problem and you won't be wanting for more. Like Duke said, I have three other cabs that advertise better specs but don't perform nearly as well in the low end.
The 1533 kicks a@@.
The Hathor 1533 and the Birdhaus 48 are right about equivalent in price. Both soo tempting to pair with my v1 Thunderchild 112...
Edit: Wait.. there's a 4 ohm Hathor 1203? Ohhhh myyyyy. ^^
Edit: Wait.. there's a 4 ohm Hathor 1203? Ohhhh myyyyy. ^^
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- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
The Hathor 1533 is a bit more efficient, and probably goes a little bit louder despite having lower power handling (500 watts vs 800 watts). On paper at least, the low end extension of the Birdhaus 48 is a bit deeper, with the ports open. Weights are similar, but the Birdhaus 48 is a lot more compact.
Which sounds best is a matter of personal preference, and personally I prefer the Hathor cabs... which shouldn't be surprising, as I put a fair amount of effort into getting them to sound a certain way that appeals to me. But the Birdhaus cabs arguably serve the band better, as they do a better job of delivering your groove to the people on stage with you, who in turn will do a better job of conveying it all to the audience.
The 4-ohm Hathor 1203 substitutes the new-ish stock 4-ohm 3012LF woofer for the stock 8-ohm woofer. Since your Thunderchild cab is also 4 ohms, I presume you have an amp that's happy with a 2-ohm load?
After our conversation of a few months ago, yes. I've used the wonderful Talkbass classifieds to acquire a 2-ohm capable amp.. entirely in preparation for purchasing another cab from you good sir.
Hey Duke, you may have mentioned it before either here or elsewhere/in an email, but are there any tonal changes to the 4-ohm 1203 vs. the 8-ohm one with the custom driver?
Also, since the stock 3012LF is not your custom "high 4-ohm" driver (as in the 15) that model can't be outfitted and used effectively with your 4/8-ohm switch, correct?
Yep. I have a 4 ohm 1203. It simply kills. Handles more volume with low end clarity from the B string that I find hard to believe.
Hold the presses!!! Paging @DukeLeJeune
4ohm 1203 you say?!?!?!? So can I replace my 8ohm 1203 speaker with a 4ohm then in the same enclosure? As you stated above Duke, I would love to run both my TC112 and hathor 1203 as a 2ohm load. If so, where can I purchase the 4ohm speaker to replace it? You mention that it is newish-stock so does that mean it is not a custom speaker and can be purchased from parts express, etc.? Thanks!
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
After our conversation of a few months ago, yes. I've used the wonderful Talkbass classifieds to acquire a 2-ohm capable amp.. entirely in preparation for purchasing another cab from you good sir.
Sweet!
So is 2 ohms becoming the new 4 ohms, sort of like low-B is the new low-E?
The only cabs I'm using a custom woofer in these days are the Hathor and Thunderchild 115's. I'm using the stock 8-ohm Kappalite 3012LF as standard in the 8-ohm Hathor 1203 and in the Thunderchild and Hathor 212 cabs, and the (relatively new) stock 4-ohm Kappalite 3012LF in the 4-ohm version of the Hathor 1203 and in the Thunderchild 112v3.
The 4-ohm Hathor 1203 is a little bit darker sounding because the woofer has a higher voltage sensitivity, so it's a couple dB louder in relation to the mid.
Since the stock 4-ohm Kappalite 3012LF is a "high 4 ohms" woofer - voice coil DC resistance of 3.89 ohms - it is possible to add the "4/8 ohm" switch to a 4-ohm Hathor 1203. I'd have to add a separate circuit board for the resistor bank, but it can be done.
Yes, actually you can just swap out the woofers and get away with it. When I build a 4-ohm Hathor 1203 the crossover values are different, but it just so happens that the 8-ohm crossover parts values will work. As mentioned above the 4-ohm woofer results in a bit darker-sounding cab, and because the "midrange smoother switch" filters are designed for the 8-ohm version, they result in a bit deeper reduction of the upper mids when used on the 4-ohm woofer, but it's not necessarily "bad" and it's not dangerous.
In fact, the 4-ohm Kappalite 3012LF is factory rated a 550 watts!! So its thermal power handling is pretty darn high. This is because they went with a thicker wire in the voice coil in order to get the impedance down to 4 ohms.
And the power handling may actually be even higher than that. Normally Eminence tests their woofers at higher and higher power levels until they fail. Well they tested it at 550 watts for however long the test is supposed to last, and it didn't fail. But they just decided that that was a high enough power handling rating so they stopped there.
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Sounds awesome Duke. I will probably look into you doing a 4-ohm 1203 with the switch to add to my 8-ohm one rather than a second that is the same. It makes sense for getting a little more out of a low powered head and 1 cab, and then flip the switch to 8-ohms when using both.
Is it fair to say that aside from your comment that it'd be a bit darker, the two would play nicely together with the resistor network engaged on the 4-ohm cab?
Is it fair to say that aside from your comment that it'd be a bit darker, the two would play nicely together with the resistor network engaged on the 4-ohm cab?
- Nov 24, 2008
- 4,343
- 7,163
- Disclosures
- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
I guess so... less top end, just because the woofer got louder, but the midrange driver didn't.
If you decide to buy the 4-ohm Kappalite 3012LF, I'd request that you at least consider buying it from Leland Crooks at Speaker Hardware. Leland is a friend and a huge asset to the bass player community with the kits that he offers, and I'm pretty sure his prices on Eminence woofers are competitive with anybody's.
Thanks, I didn't realize something like that would be of interest! The resistors-on-a-board will add slightly over one pound in weight.
Yes they would play very nicely together.
Absolutely Duke, I will.
And a little reduction in mids for me is not a bad thing anyway. I like mids but like them a bit smoother with some growl. Perhaps it would bring it closer to the Thunderchild territory then which I love! Love my TC112v1!
I didn't either until this discussion. I had been weighing the idea of a second 8-ohm 1203 vs. a 1533 with the switch which would give similar flexibility, but I think the 4-ohm/switchable 1203 is closer to what I need giving the flexibility to have a single 4-ohm cab but keeping both the tone/response of the 1203 (which I think I prefer to the 15xx cabs, from what I gather) and the smaller form factor too. 1 lb more on a 1203 is still a very light cab.
