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Do it all 15" driver

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Drop1

Mar 28, 2019
1,601
1,796
#1
Im looking for a well rounded 15" driver.

Would be nice if the driver can handle both ported and sealed. I'll can build test enclosures and adjust things until I'm happy.

I just don't know which drivers to look at. I just want the driver to be able to cover as much sonic territory as possible.

Im not worried about hitting a specific load or power handling. I'll build it out and buy an appropriate amp. Just a solid, reasonably priced driver.
I just need to be pointed in the right direction.
 
#3
agedhorse said:
It will be a challenge to find a driver that does both ported and sealed “well”, depending on your definition of well.

There are certainly drivers that will do both “mediocre”.
Click to expand...

Thank you for responding.
If you have a suggestion either way, ported or sealed and a good driber for that application I'd be grateful.

I have more info for you.
The cab will never need gig levels of output. It will strictly be used in my studio at low and moderate levels.
I figure info that may open some doors on options.
I have no use for anything over 110db from 2 15s and that the extreme high end of what I'd need.
 
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#4
For a sealed cabinet (~3CF per driver), the Eminence CB-158 is pretty good, the Delta 15A isok but has some peaking due to system Q around 60-100Hz. Box needs to have a fair amount of acoustic damping applied however to get these results.
 
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#5
agedhorse said:
For a sealed cabinet (~3CF per driver), the Eminence CB-158 is pretty good, the Delta 15A isok but has some peaking due to system Q around 60-100Hz. Box needs to have a fair amount of acoustic damping applied however to get these results.
Click to expand...
I have piles of damping materials in many different varieties. Everything from stuffing to multi layered foam with mlv sandwiched in the middle.
My biggest issue with this venture is I don't have a raw driver reference for bass cabs like I do for home and car audio. So I appreciate your suggestions. Even if I deem the driver doesnt fit my desires, it will give me a point of reference to work out from, so thank you.
 
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#6
Just get a Subway 115 and be done. I've used this cab for so many gigs in every fashion and it's still unbelievable to me that a 15 can handle all I put through it. Way varied styles of music at all levels and it reproduces everything I need to hear and with authority and yet all the soft nuances that one would want also. An absolute fabulous cab all around.
 
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#7
Danny C said:
Just get a Subway 115 and be done. I've used this cab for so many gigs in every fashion and it's still unbelievable to me that a 15 can handle all I put through it. Way varied styles of music at all levels and it reproduces everything I need to hear and with authority and yet all the soft nuances that one would want also. An absolute fabulous cab all around.
Click to expand...
I can build a really nice 215 cab for ~ $500 to $600.
Even better, I can build it oversized and internally reduce volume to help tune it to the room..
If I were planning to gig with it, I'd absolutely buy something off the shelf, but I'm not. It's going to sit I'm the studio. Building it oversized also allows me to change drivers as frequently as I want. Reducing airspace is is essy.
 
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#9
Drop1 said:
Im looking for a well rounded 15" driver.

Would be nice if the driver can handle both ported and sealed. I'll can build test enclosures and adjust things until I'm happy.

I just don't know which drivers to look at. I just want the driver to be able to cover as much sonic territory as possible.

Im not worried about hitting a specific load or power handling. I'll build it out and buy an appropriate amp. Just a solid, reasonably priced driver.
I just need to be pointed in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Celestion pulse 15"

That speaker rocks.

Very full sound. More of a vintage vibe. Rather than just throwing low end out there.

And, they're reasonably priced at 150.

Screenshot_20240513_155455_Samsung Internet.jpg

Celestion PULSE15 - 15 inch Bass Guitar Speaker
Screenshot_20240513_155707_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
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#14
Right now, I have 3 single 15" cabs with different Eminence drivers in them.
Whilst they're good, they don't delight me the same way my old Crate cab with the Celestion TF1530 did.
No, I had no idea about cab specs and parameters when I swapped the speakers over (out of necessity) but the end result was beautiful.
It was often described as "lovely and warm" by much more experienced players than me.

The only other 15" drivers I've had experience with are B+C (Italian?) and Etone (Australian).. Etone aren't the most recognised or top quality brand one might instantly think of when considering bass drivers but they do make a good 15" that might be suitable for your needs and worth checking out.
 
#15
Drop1 said:
It's the chase that I enjoy.
Click to expand...
What chase? Are you expecting to find some mythically wonderful sounding speaker that is completely unknown?
It seems to me the chase could be completed much more quickly by randomly changing EQ settings every few seconds than randomly changing speaker drivers to achieve the same thing every few weeks...
 
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#16
abarson said:
I have one beef with Celestion: they don't provide any guidance as far as compatible cabinet design. They don't even say if the speaker is good for sealed or ported applications.
Click to expand...
Everything works great in a sealed cabinet. Also, I have mine inside an Ashdown abm 115 cab. It's ported. It's awesome.

But, you can always ask them about anything not listed.
 
#17
crazyBassClown said:
What chase? Are you expecting to find some mythically wonderful sounding speaker that is completely unknown?
It seems to me the chase could be completed much more quickly by randomly changing EQ settings every few seconds than randomly changing speaker drivers to achieve the same thing every few weeks...
Click to expand...
If it does what I want it to do, I won't be changing drivers at all. Im.just building it in a way where it "can" be adjusted if I want.
By your logic, only one company should make cabs cause they all sound the same with enough processing (which is actually kinda true, at lower volumes anyway. Speakers are dumb. They just do what you yell them to do...)
 
#19
spiritbass said:
I know it's relatively low-power, but the most well-rounded 15 I've ever experienced was a JBL E-140 in a 'tone-ring' cabinet. Clear and present across the range (powered with a black-face Walkabout) with no need of a tweeter. :cool:
Click to expand...
It is so efficient you don't need a lot of power! I have a cab with 2 Altec 421as that will drive you out of the room with 100W or less.
 
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#20
Drop1 said:
By your logic, only one company should make cabs cause they all sound the same with enough processing
Click to expand...
By my logic, most speakers are completely irrelevant full stop because the bass is just di'd to the PA anyway. Knock yourself out on your search though...

PS most of the difference people care about is in how it looks and marketing rather than how it sounds between brands.
 

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