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Big E speakers: Pt 2

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#962
The Eagle has landed! Much more manageable than I anticipated, nice finish, and looks badass. Initial impression - I like it ......... I like it a lot.

It was shipped with the switches in the default hifi settings. Very reminiscent of the 8x5. Mids weren't quite as sweet, but very nice. More lows an more heft as was expected. I cranked up the Streamliner 900 to see what she had and was impressed, yet I expected a little more spl. Time to hit some switches. The top three way toggle controls the tweets. One, two or none are the settings. The mids go high (much like the Baer ml112) but I prefer running one of the Ciarre tweets. There is a bright and a dark setting on the second switch which I assume controls the mid padding. Default is dark- when I switched to bright this cab became a rock monster! The missing spl suddenly appeared, everything was fuller and more punchy! I was loving it!! The bottom switch is voicing and when not in the default mode the low end seems to lessen, I like it in default mode. The last is a military arming switch. It is labeled neutral, and I am not positive what it does, when flipping it by itself I couldn't tell much of a difference. Hopefully mike can chime in on how it works, I may not be using it right.

In any case I greatly prefer the single tweet in bright mode with default voicing for rock. I imagine that this cab could work perfect for any genre with all the switching options.

My overdrive and fuzz pedals sounded glorious through the 8x5, and even more so through the 210. I had the place to myself with no noise level constraints (beauty of living in the sticks). I spent 45 minutes straight with it maxed, pedals on, diggin in with a pick. What a fricken tone!!! The pick attack and fuzz through the 8x5 is what led me to sell my CN212, through the 210 it is flat out addicting. I could noodle for hours( and did) with a stupid grin on my face.

This is just a down and dirty first impression, I will get more in depth after some more time. I believe my cab search ends here. Props to Mike and the Big E crew, this is a masterpiece!
 
#963
3rdcurve said:
The Eagle has landed! Much more manageable than I anticipated, nice finish, and looks badass. Initial impression - I like it ......... I like it a lot.

It was shipped with the switches in the default hifi settings. Very reminiscent of the 8x5. Mids weren't quite as sweet, but very nice. More lows an more heft as was expected. I cranked up the Streamliner 900 to see what she had and was impressed, yet I expected a little more spl. Time to hit some switches. The top three way toggle controls the tweets. One, two or none are the settings. The mids go high (much like the Baer ml112) but I prefer running one of the Ciarre tweets. There is a bright and a dark setting on the second switch which I assume controls the mid padding. Default is dark- when I switched to bright this cab became a rock monster! The missing spl suddenly appeared, everything was fuller and more punchy! I was loving it!! The bottom switch is voicing and when not in the default mode the low end seems to lessen, I like it in default mode. The last is a military arming switch. It is labeled neutral, and I am not positive what it does, when flipping it by itself I couldn't tell much of a difference. Hopefully mike can chime in on how it works, I may not be using it right.

In any case I greatly prefer the single tweet in bright mode with default voicing for rock. I imagine that this cab could work perfect for any genre with all the switching options.

My overdrive and fuzz pedals sounded glorious through the 8x5, and even more so through the 210. I had the place to myself with no noise level constraints (beauty of living in the sticks). I spent 45 minutes straight with it maxed, pedals on, diggin in with a pick. What a fricken tone!!! The pick attack and fuzz through the 8x5 is what led me to sell my CN212, through the 210 it is flat out addicting. I could noodle for hours( and did) with a stupid grin on my face.

This is just a down and dirty first impression, I will get more in depth after some more time. I believe my cab search ends here. Props to Mike and the Big E crew, this is a masterpiece!
Click to expand...

Major Score Allert!

:hyper:

Congratulations!
 
#964
Now 3rdcurve since you like neutral and bright it is time to arm and set the DARK SIDE!!!!!

Flip the Arming switch to ARM, without the switch armed the cab only goes from neutral to bright (line connecting switches indicates this connection but may not have been obvious) but once armed you can then select DARK on the Dark/Bright switch and really get the dark started.

Also run up the power to get the full effect of the dark setting.

BigE

Glad you like it so far!
 
#965
A very interesting sound---

Bottom switch out of phase (non-default)
Arm switch up
Dark setting

In-phase I find the dark setting to be a bit much. In the flat (unarmed)setting I find the out-of-phase can be thin. (but might be just the thing in a boomy room)

The Dark setting really gives a great functional sound in the out-of-phase setting. The cool thing is that the E and B string are unaffected by the phase. So this setting gives the low-low cushion and a very flat sound above. The best thing about this---in the Dark setting a speaker protection bulb is engaged. When you crank it it gives a very gentle compression but adds a tubelike warmth to the sound. If you turn the tweets off (the mids go to 8khz) it simultaneously boosts the mids a bit. So you get the MVW (we're saying this instead of Big E) focus in the lows and a bit more aggressive mids and a very nice vintage breakup.
 
#969
Thomas Ewers said:
without the switch armed the cab only goes from neutral to bright (line connecting switches indicates this connection but may not have been obvious) but once armed you can then select DARK on the Dark/Bright switch and really get the dark started.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, so I was going from neutral to bright and there is a whole other voicing. Wow, can't wait to try this out! This is like the Swiss Army Knife of bass cabs. :bassist:

I gotta say, when I unboxed the 210 it was more imposing than I imagined. The 8x5 looked cool, but the 210 just seems to say "Ima bad Sumbich!" I should also mention that even though the 210 has over 25lbs on the 8X5 I find it easier to lift and move. Handle placement was great, and the wheels are slick. There were other refinements since the first version of the 8x5 as well. The recessed dish for the speakon connectors were a huge improvement.

Being a new technology the MVW cabs have been changing rapidly. It is amazing to see how much they have been refined in just the last few months!
 
#970
I think that it's time to ask Steve (co-inventor and owner---and insane crossover designer) to get his butt on TB and give a concise explanation of the switching on the 210.

And since I'm not competing with amp manufacturers I feel I can say one thing. On a certain amp you have mentioned the wattage ratings are VERY optimistic. I knew someone that tested it and on a wall socket the power was much lower. Much lower. When talking to the manufacturer they said that you have to use regulated power supply to get that power. Which is uncool---not at all indicative of actual power. Even on a top regulated supply they couldn't even get bursts of 900 watts. I can dime that cab bangin' a low B with the 900 watts of my Puma. And being in the same room with that volume level is not something I'd recommend.
 
#972
Mike Arnopol said:
since I'm not competing with amp manufacturers I feel I can say one thing. On a certain amp you have mentioned the wattage ratings are VERY optimistic. I knew someone that tested it and on a wall socket the power was much lower. Much lower. When talking to the manufacturer they said that you have to use regulated power supply to get that power. Which is uncool---not at all indicative of actual power. Even on a top regulated supply they couldn't even get bursts of 900 watts. I can dime that cab bangin' a low B with the 900 watts of my Puma. And being in the same room with that volume level is not something I'd recommend.
Click to expand...

I figured as much. I really want to hit this thing with a dedicated poweramp to see whats really up. I know with the Genz cranked the cab isn't even breaking a sweat.

The dark setting with no tweets gives an old school vibe but better, very cool. This cab should be able to suit anyones preference. STOKED! :hyper:
 
#974
Just caught up on the 210 reading. Very cool. Obviously, it would have more available volume than the 110 but, I wonder, is there much of a difference in tone/feel at similar volumes?

And, Mike, by "dime the cab" I assume you mean hit the edge of fartout?
 
#976
I don't know what the TB consensus is on speaker break-in, but I am confident this 210 has opened up considerably in the last couple hours of playing.

The Dark setting with the tweets turned off nailed the sealed 810 vibe while being a bit more open and articulate in the lows and highs. It sort of reminds me of a b15.

Keep in mind I am running a Streamliner 900 which is a bit shy in the mids with a fat bottom. The Bright setting brings out some aggressive and modern tones that I wasn't able to get out of this amp before.
 
#977
+1 on the B-15. It kind of reminded me of a Showman 2x15, in the dark setting, but much deeper, more articulate, better projection, and sounds the same wherever you stand. Other than that, similar tone.
 
#978
radbass said:
+1 on the B-15. It kind of reminded me of a Showman 2x15, in the dark setting, but much deeper, more articulate, better projection, and sounds the same wherever you stand. Other than that, similar tone.
Click to expand...

Exactly, similar tone but better in pretty much every other way. Getting a bunch of buddies together at on open mic jam this Thursday, can't wait to see how she sounds in a club. Gonna let a couple guys sit in so I can hear from the crowd as well.
 
#979
radbass said:
+1 on the B-15. It kind of reminded me of a Showman 2x15, in the dark setting, but much deeper, more articulate, better projection, and sounds the same wherever you stand. Other than that, similar tone.
Click to expand...

That last line is for me, and other owners I have spoken with the "main thing" in a package of "cool things" that the "Vortex" delivers. You can go wireless and go around the corner to grab a burrito and still hear your bass lines.:)
Obviously hyperbole to make a point. But I have gone into a back room 30 feet or so behind my rig, and out into a large adjacent room etc. Notes are loud and clear no matter where you stand in any venue. And I don't use psychedelics or even cannabis. ;) Never have to worry about the crowd up front and way stage left or right. They will hear you. My drummer does not care where I put my cab anymore. He used to.
 
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