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Best 12" speaker?

L

lennysj

Apr 7, 2010
12
0
San Antonio
#1
Ok, so I have been thinking about downsizing my rig for a while now. I want to have something portable that I can take to a small venue and add to it if I need to beef it up. I was thinking of getting two single 12 cabs similar to the Eden D112XLT.

I found a cabinet manufacture here in San Antonio and basically I would have the option to drop in any 12" speaker into the cabinet that they build.

So the question now is, what is the best 12" speaker? I was told the JBL 2206H/J. Any other recommendations?
 
#6
Good point. Ok, IMO most 12's have a brighter sound than say 2x10's. So which 12" speaker has a good warm sound. Maybe something with say a stronger lower-mid range than upper-mid range. But also has enough punch to get through the mix and not get muddy. I think that JBL is rated at 600W continuous which seems pretty high, but that is ok with me.
 
#8
lennysj said:
Good point. Ok, IMO most 12's have a brighter sound than say 2x10's. So which 12" speaker has a good warm sound. Maybe something with say a stronger lower-mid range than upper-mid range. But also has enough punch to get through the mix and not get muddy. I think that JBL is rated at 600W continuous which seems pretty high, but that is ok with me.
Click to expand...
good luck getting it to take 600w.

you are generalizing about speakers, btw...you can find bright 12"s and dark 12"s. you can find bright 10"s and dark 10"s. it's all about how it's built and has zip to do with speaker size. also, dropping speakers into boxes can lead to poor results, especially if you don't know anything about tuning your cab and porting methods. at this point, unless you want to devote a few months into learning speaker cab design, you're way better off getting something already made.
 
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#10
JimmyM said:
at this point, unless you want to devote a few months into learning speaker cab design, you're way better off getting something already made.
Click to expand...

I've messed around with WinISD trying to come up with a 2x12 using Eminence Deltalite II 2512's, and I can't tell you how many times I thought I finally had it right, only to learn something new and realize I had it so very, very wrong.

I think I'm getting close now, but hell, I've lost track of how many hours of reading, math, and messing about with WinISD I've spent on it. I wouldn't have bothered if I wasn't in college doing nothing all day except listening to music, playing bass and internetting. :smug:

And I may end up building this cab, hate it, and sell the speakers and burn the timber. Who knows!
 
#11
JimmyM said:
you are generalizing about speakers, btw...you can find bright 12"s and dark 12"s. you can find bright 10"s and dark 10"s. it's all about how it's built and has zip to do with speaker size. also, dropping speakers into boxes can lead to poor results, especially if you don't know anything about tuning your cab and porting methods. at this point, unless you want to devote a few months into learning speaker cab design, you're way better off getting something already made.
Click to expand...
+1.

I'd suggest just getting an Aguilar 112. Very nice sounding cabinet.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




Pedulla Club #45

 
#13
Before you even consider a DIY job, you should get the exact internal dimensions from that cab builder, including the precise port dimensions (and port count). The cab tuning will be the limiting favor for any driver you select, so that's why it's important to understand the cab's characteristics first.

You should also ask the cab builder about bracing and internal lining.
 
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#15
I know this is an old thread but for the sake of the future. I have been working on a similar project and what I am struggling with is getting low frequency response with the ability to handle it (most are just paper cones to tiny paper surrounds and they will rip when deep bass hits) as well as higher frequency brilliance (so paper is where that crisp sound comes from)... Hmm, so what's the compromise. I found this speaker out there that looks like it actually has a surround that can handle some low end bass and is attached to a paper cone. This might be the better option for my bass / guitar cabinet here, take a look:

Invalid Link Removed
 
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#16
Joshua Monger said:
I know this is an old thread but for the sake of the future. I have been working on a similar project and what I am struggling with is getting low frequency response with the ability to handle it (most are just paper cones to tiny paper surrounds and they will rip when deep bass hits) as well as higher frequency brilliance (so paper is where that crisp sound comes from)... Hmm, so what's the compromise. I found this speaker out there that looks like it actually has a surround that can handle some low end bass and is attached to a paper cone. This might be the better option for my bass / guitar cabinet here, take a look:

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...
Never heard of them/it.. Looking at the TS specs and the Freq curve.. you're going to have to put some heavy EQ on it at both low and upper ends... and 300w peak?
Personally.. I'd go with ANY of these ahead of the one you listed.
  • Delta 12LF 1000 watt
  • Deltalite2 2512 500 watt
  • Kappalite 3012LF 900 watt
 
#17
Hmmm, interesting info. Yeah I guess it just depends on how you plan on using it and what kind of cabinet setup you have. I definitely have to boost EQ on the ends but I don't mind as long as I can get the speaker level all throughout the spectrum. Problem with all of those is they don't actually get any subsonic frequencies. Why not? I run through really low freq with sequencers and crazy music machines all of the time. That being said, if you look again at what I was looking at, it has the correct surround to let the speaker move and gets down to 25 Hz (almost to 20 and good enough for me). I am adding a car type bass booster board to the amplifier so I can adjust where I want it. Next on the upper end I'll have to adjust my capacitors and inductors etc to match. Not sure what is in their its been a while. But It's a rebuild cabinet from 1976 Peavey Vocal Projectors. They were beasts with 2 15" woofers, 2 PA-Horns, and 2 Tweeters. I dropped the 2 15's for a 12 for space and hunting that rich 12 bass sound. The crossover has adjustable high end so I can turn up the horns and tweeters as much as I want which solves for EQ problems on the upper end. Thank you though, I definitely think what you have there is what is made for a bass or guitar.. Its just that I want this to be a speaker you could play even Spotify through and it sounds good, like spectacular, not just those instruments! it's a Frankenstein idea I know!
 
#18
s0c9 said:
Never heard of them/it.. Looking at the TS specs and the Freq curve.. you're going to have to put some heavy EQ on it at both low and upper ends... and 300w peak?
Personally.. I'd go with ANY of these ahead of the one you listed.
  • Delta 12LF 1000 watt
  • Deltalite2 2512 500 watt
  • Kappalite 3012LF 900 watt
Click to expand...
Those are peak ratings not RMS watts. I have the deltalite in a cab but to me they are 250 RMS and I have a Kappalite in my Greenboy Fearless F115 at 450 rms real watts. peak watts are not real ratings. You put 900 watts at 35hz those babies be smoking
 
#19
ddezz said:
Those are peak ratings not RMS watts. I have the deltalite in a cab but to me they are 250 RMS and I have a Kappalite in my Greenboy Fearless F115 at 450 rms real watts. peak watts are not real ratings. You put 900 watts at 35hz those babies be smoking
Click to expand...
Yes, I know, and I agree on the smoking part :)
The real problem is that vendors label their speaker ratings in various way.. program, peak, continuous, RMS, power, etc...
Eminence labels the Delta 12LF as 1000w "Music Program", and "Watts" @ 500w.
With the KappaLite specs its 900w Program Power and 450w "Watts".
Deltalite is 500w and 250 with same labels as the Delta.
From those specs on can "assume" program power = peak and Watts = RMS or continuous.
Celestion provides an RMS value.
Seismic uses Peak and RMS
Jensen uses Musical and rated
Faital uses Max and AES.

I posted the peak ratings because most folks can discern that peak is roughly 2X RMS/Continuous.
 
#20

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