After many years in the wilderness, I'm thinking of going back to Bag End w/ the coaxial tweeter. Can you offer other suggestions for cabs with a smooth/natural top end (not harsh, clacky, or overly hyped)?
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Cabs w/ natural sounding top end
- Thread starter sumeursault
- Start date
What I like about the Genzler Bass Array cabs is just that - not harsh or clanky.
Near field listening I can become aware of the crossover (<>800 hz?), but at audience distances the array and woofer blend beautifully. Also excellent off-axis.
There is no user panel control over the array, but if there were, maybe I'd want a few hundred Hz +/- control over the crossover point. That said, my 12-3 SLT is great as it is.
Near field listening I can become aware of the crossover (<>800 hz?), but at audience distances the array and woofer blend beautifully. Also excellent off-axis.
There is no user panel control over the array, but if there were, maybe I'd want a few hundred Hz +/- control over the crossover point. That said, my 12-3 SLT is great as it is.
I have two Barefaced cabs (One10 and Super Compact) without tweeters, they do have smooth top end. And I've been told that the horn on the Big Baby is very smooth sounding too.
Interesting, I actually play thru a Subway 1x15 now. While the highs aren't overly hyped or harsh, I wouldn't say that they're smooth on account of what I perceive to be an upper mid bump.
I owned the Baer ML series with mid drivers, very smooth mids and high end. Depending on what size speaker you’re looking for, I now have the Bergantino Ref II series 115 cab. No tweeter or mid drivers (like the NV115 had) but I don’t miss it at all. Fantastic sounding cab, and might have a higher power rating than the Bag End cabs.
Bergantino has the reputation for smooth highs.
My understand is the voicing of the Subway cabs varies a bit from model to model. However, I get the impression the 15s are closest to FRFR.
The tweeter has a level adjustment. Try turning the tweeter all the way down and see if the high-mids are still hyped. If not, turn up the tweeter to the point where the hyping begins, and then back it off a hair.
My understand is the voicing of the Subway cabs varies a bit from model to model. However, I get the impression the 15s are closest to FRFR.
The tweeter has a level adjustment. Try turning the tweeter all the way down and see if the high-mids are still hyped. If not, turn up the tweeter to the point where the hyping begins, and then back it off a hair.
They take EQ better than any cabs I’ve had. Even better than the Bergs I’ve had. I have a 112/115 stack
The Genzler Array cabs are definitely innovative. Be interested to try one.
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
I love my Genzler BA cabs and the MAS 210 Flex is also very nice and smooth, although the Genzler BA-12s are easier to manage.
I also hate the clanky sounding cabs. So many cabinets have a very lumpy frequency response that bears no resemblance to the sound that you are sending to the front of house. I have a Sunn 200S that is really fun, but I usually add a mic to the mix to get the character of the cabinet out to the PA.
I also hate the clanky sounding cabs. So many cabinets have a very lumpy frequency response that bears no resemblance to the sound that you are sending to the front of house. I have a Sunn 200S that is really fun, but I usually add a mic to the mix to get the character of the cabinet out to the PA.
I guess I don't hear the same thing as you but I usually sit in front of my cab, that might change my perspective of it. Oh and I run my tweeter wide open 80% of the time.
Those are not my everyday settings on my amp
I’ve found cabs that use a properly crossed-over mid driver in leu of or in addition to a tweeter are the smoothest I’ve encountered.
Examples of those that I’ve used are a pair of Baer 12/6 cabs, an older Dr.Bass 212/6/1 and a very old EV B15M. All have very smooth mids and highs and a smooth transition from woofer to mid driver. In my case, I modified the EV cab to use modern drivers and improved the crossover, extending the cabinet’s range and power handling and making the transition even smoother.
Other cabs I have tried that exhibit these characteristics are AudioKinesis, fEarful/fEarless Greenboy designs and, to a lesser degree (not as smooth or natural but not bad), the Avatar 12/6 but I’ve only tried these cabs out and haven’t clocked enough time on them to really judge them like I have the above cabs.
Bergantino makes great sounding cabs with great clarity but I don’t think they’re as smooth as cabs with dedicated mid drivers (just my take). I also find them to be a bit scooped.
Epifani cabs lean towards more highs and a less scooped sound than Bergs but I, personally, find them less smooth.
Examples of those that I’ve used are a pair of Baer 12/6 cabs, an older Dr.Bass 212/6/1 and a very old EV B15M. All have very smooth mids and highs and a smooth transition from woofer to mid driver. In my case, I modified the EV cab to use modern drivers and improved the crossover, extending the cabinet’s range and power handling and making the transition even smoother.
Other cabs I have tried that exhibit these characteristics are AudioKinesis, fEarful/fEarless Greenboy designs and, to a lesser degree (not as smooth or natural but not bad), the Avatar 12/6 but I’ve only tried these cabs out and haven’t clocked enough time on them to really judge them like I have the above cabs.
Bergantino makes great sounding cabs with great clarity but I don’t think they’re as smooth as cabs with dedicated mid drivers (just my take). I also find them to be a bit scooped.
Epifani cabs lean towards more highs and a less scooped sound than Bergs but I, personally, find them less smooth.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,958
- 5
- 220,615
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
There’s very little mid emphasis on the 115, a little more on the 210/112 by comparison.
This impression also depends on the voicing of your amp,
Agreed.
SUNN 200S!!!
Slowly I turned…
That was one the favorite cabs of mine I got to use as a kid. The other was the 361 of the famed 360/361 combination.
In fact I went with the Mesa Subway 115 because there were some qualities there that reminded this old man of the fabled 200s
