considering 1x10, 1x12 or 2x10

i'm starting over after selling my gear. i couldn't decide what amplification to get so got a fender bronco 40 to tide me over, but it's time to upgrade from there. got a carvin BX250, but when i plugged it into my old 15" carvin combo, even turned waaay down (i mean, whisper quiet) it woke up my husband and the neighbors, which despite dialing in a rich sound, the bronco with its 10" speaker didn't do. unfortunately while the bronco sounds great turned way down, i'm not happy with it when turned up to jam at even an at-home level when playing with just a guitar.

since i'm not playing out at this point, i'm thinking of getting something that doesn't have much boom for now, then adding another cab later (and possibly a louder head). i'm gonna be on a budget for this one that can maybe stretch to $450 max. the 10" speaker in the bronco would actually be fine, but some of the 10" cabs i've tried farted out at even fairly low levels, and i would like what i get to sound good.

the thing is, the rig i played for years was an 18" with a 2x10 for a little more volume and highs. my combo has a 15" speaker. i haven't played through a single 10", 12" or 2x10" cab in a home setting, so i'm not sure which cabs/sizes might sound good with nice bass without traveling through the walls and disturbing sleepers when turned way down in the middle of the night but will still deliver for jams.

considering hartke hydrives, as i liked the one i tried at sam ash (not sure if it was a 2x10 or 2x12, though, as i wasn't considering a cab at that time). i liked the switchable impedence. TC has a couple K series on my list. i don't like really bright or sharp highs, so not so sure about GK. i love ampeg, but mostly have loved the 15s for their boom, so not the thing to get for now.

suggestions and advice definitely appreciated.

 

my main concern is that the sound doesn't travel much when turned way down, not volume or tone. tone comes next, volume isn't a concern at this point.

 

i was thinking of one of those. the only time i tried one, the sales guy had kicked up so much drama that by the time everything was plugged in and working i was totally frazzled. maybe i'll go elsewhere and try one out.

 

my main interests are having a rig that will let me play alone at night without bothering anyone - which i have been doing without concrete or headphones - and to be able to play jams without drums.

 

give a bit of a bump in the lows?

 

i won't mind getting a second one if i like the first. i'll head off to sam ash soon and try it out. i think they had the hartke, too.

i played with it a bit, but the sound seemed thin and not boomy when it woke my husband up - seemed like it had less bass than the bronco, but i play very close to the nighttime amp, so perhaps the sound developed further out.

 

my husband sleeps with a white noise machine, and till now he's slept through my playing fine. i don't recall my ubass ever woke him up, either. are you playing with an acoustic ubass or a solid body? i'd think the solid body models would be hard to wake someone up with, but some people are very light sleepers.