• 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 free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#7,065
Lowendtech said:
That’s where I’m going cab wise, with a few twists. Love it. Congrats.
Click to expand...

For the last 3+ years I used one or two ML112s.
Did you post earlier about cab width accommodating a tube amp? Is that one of the few twists? Maybe a 15 cab width matching the height of a tall Changeling 12?

strost said:
Nice. Hathor or Changeling? I love my Changeling 15. And what’s your assessment of the differences between the 12 and the 15 in terms of tone?
Click to expand...

It's just your "everyday random...typical, run-of-the-mill" Hathor. The rear-firing mids sure seem nifty, but I wanted the 4/8Ω switch.

It's a bit early to draw any conclusions. It arrived yesterday, I won't use it in a band setting for another 10 days, and it'll be two weeks before it is used at a venue. But yesterday I did spend several hours playing, which included a lot of A/B-ing, so here goes:

I used an Ashdown ABM500 with e.q. disengaged (my usual setting), a G&L LB100 with EB cobalt flats, and a custom bass with two pickups, a single/dual coil selector switch, and T.I. flats. (Don't mind the word "flats". Those basses cover a lot of ground.)

There is a definite family resemblance, but as you might expect, they do sound different. I probably wouldn't notice much if not at home for hours going back-and-forth, trying to make one sound exactly like the other. And right now it's a bit tricky balancing my expectations vs. perception.

I compared them at varying volume levels and at different locations in a too-small room. It seemed like the 1203 could sound more like the 1533 (one port plugged) by slightly boosting the Ashdown's 340Hz and 660Hz controls, then a bit of treble cut (7K shelving). But I never made the 1533 sound like the 1203 with that amp's e.q. (didn't try too hard).

The 1203 seems to have a more balanced and polite mid-range, and it is much easier to hear the top end. The 1533 has a more noticeable mid-hump (low mid?), which I think makes the highs seem less present. For a player who is all about bridge pickup burp, the 1533 could be the ticket (not to say the 1203 is lacking in this dept.). I think the 1203 leans a tad more into what folks call hi-fi territory (my reference point is Bergantino HT/HD), due to the more balanced mids and noticeable high end. All this makes the 1203 seem like the smoother of the two, while the 1533 is more growly and punchy.

Keep in mind, these differences are subtle, and I may change my mind about everything after another 10 hours of playing ;).

They do sound great together.

After just one show with the 1203, I knew a bigger Hathor was the right direction, but I gave it a few months before choosing between the 212 and 1533.
For someone who is down with the form factor and wants the closest sound possible to a 1203, the 212 seems like the right choice. It sure would be fun to stack the two together with a 2.6Ω-capable micro.
I was looking to get the most out of a lower powered amp and wanted the box to accommodate the amp width. And I wanted to avoid the "which 800W/2.6Ω micro can unseat my favorite amp" rabbit hole.

There's a part of me that wants the 1533 to sound exactly like 1203, just MORE, because I love the sound the 1203 so much. (It would be fun to hear how the 212 compares.) But I predict the mid-strong voicing of the 1533 will work great in a louder band setting.

Also, the 1533 is such an easy carry, one hand or two. Ergonomic, I tell ya.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: wave rider, RColie, DukeLeJeune and 4 others
#7,066
McFarlin said:
... wanted the box to accommodate the amp width.
Click to expand...

It looks as though your ABM fits perfectly on the stack. The AK 'site lists the Hathor 15 cabs as being 18" wide-is that correct, or is it actually a tad wider?
....and Oh, if it's not toooo much of a hassle, could you please post a pic of the stack with the 1203 vertical, rather than tipped on its' side? Thanls.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: wave rider
#7,069
My internet connection is really slow so I can't quote McFarlin's post above, except for the old fashioned way:

"The 1203 seems to have a more balanced and polite mid-range, and it is much easier to hear the top end. The 1533 has a more noticeable mid-hump (low mid?), which I think makes the highs seem less present. For a player who is all about bridge pickup burp, the 1533 could be the ticket (not to say the 1203 is lacking in this dept.). I think the 1203 leans a tad more into what folks call hi-fi territory (my reference point is Bergantino HT/HD), due to the more balanced mids and noticeable high end. All this makes the 1203 seem like the smoother of the two, while the 1533 is more growly and punchy.

"Keep in mind, these differences are fairly subtle, and I may change my mind about everything after another 10 hours of playing ."

Your description of the mid voicing makes total sense to me. That 15" woofer is louder than two 12's in parallel, so the top end of the two 3" cones run in parallel doesn't keep up as well, plus the vertical stack of two 3" cones loses vertical dispersion relative to a single 3" done. Also, the upper-mid bump (ballpark 1.6 kHz) is more pronounced on the custom 15, hence the growlier growls. The lower mid region is strongly influenced by the woofers' Thiele/Small parameters, and the 15 is a bit stronger there, there's a tradeoff: We don't get the thundering low-lows from my 15 that we'd get from the Kappalite 3015LF.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eaglemachine, wave rider, strost and 5 others
#7,074
20180112_164208.jpg
20180112_164216.jpg
OK so I am one Very happy Kitty with my new to me Demeter into my Hathor 1203.. Wow..
 
  • Like
Reactions: eaglemachine, tombowlus, loopee and 5 others
#7,075
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: tombowlus, wave rider, svtb15 and 2 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back