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Eminence Kappalite 3015

K

knw

Dec 8, 2008
69
0
#1
Share your experiences with these speakers if you had the chance to try them out.

States how they sound to you and what you think they are capable of doing. (lows, mids & highs)

Also the type of music you play trough them?

How do they sound at really high volumes?

I'm just trying to get a feel of what they sound like before I order a pair of my own.

I know that the sound would very from different enclosures/amp/basses but I'm only interested in your personal experiences with the speaker. You could also include your setup as well.

Thanks.
 
#2
Great speaker for bass. I had one in a lopoline cabinet which is a very compact 1x15 box. The biggest amp I used with it was an AI Focus. Sometimes pushed but never really cranked to the max. The speaker never broke a sweat.
 
#3
The word is they are one of the best standalone 15 drivers you can get for bass these days. Based on the specs if you stacked two of these you'd be able to level buildings, and make the majority of 8x10 cabs out there wet themselves.

I just ordered a Dr. Bass 3080 (2x Kappa 3015 LF and one 8" eminence mid, soft dome tweeter) not too long ago, based off of the recommendations pretty much everyone gives for the 3015LF. The word is the 3015 is close, but covers up to tweeter crossover range a lot better, so you can skip the mid - just not get quite the same low end.
 
#4
Lots of information on TB about this speaker, highly rated by BFM. I put one in a small, ported single cab to shave a few pounds off of it. I removed a 200 watt 4 ohm Emminence from the cabinet, the 3015 is 8 ohms.

My impression of the 3015 versus the speaker I removed, other than it being about 7 lbs lighter: The 3015 has a significant amount of mid range. I never use a mid-range scoop setting on my amps, except when I use this cabinet. While this cab sounds louder with the 3015 volume wise, it lacks the bass resonance I got with the other speaker. The 3015 handles the low B in the cab I use. I use it with a 200 watt tube amp and 450 watt pre/amp setup. Hoping the light weight Carvin BX500 works well with it.
 
#6
this is the speaker I plan on putting in my avatar b115... still waiting on the money though :[
its often mentioned how well they work as a stand alone.... how well do they work with other configs? I have an avatar 210 (also waiting to be reloaded) or with a 410?
 
#7
I was (am) still using my old, old EV TL 606 (15") cabinets when I blew out a driver. I was on the fence as whether to recone the EV or not, but decided I should probably move on after 25+ years, so I replaced it with a 3015LF. I retuned the box with WinIsd but am building a new optimally-sized/tuned box specifically for the 3015.

The LF has much less mid-range than the old driver & roughly the same volume with using the same amp. I don't know if there is a break-in period for them, but it seems to be smoother than it was initially.

The lighter weight is noticeable, even in an otherwise heavy cabinet. My new box itself will be MUCH lighter to take advantage of the weight savings.

I'm looking forward to getting the new cab finished in the next few weeks.
 
#8
rpsands said:
The word is the 3015 is close, but covers up to tweeter crossover range a lot better, so you can skip the mid - just not get quite the same low end.
Click to expand...

Well, there's still a gap there between the 15 and the tweet - especially off axis where it really matters - just not as much as a 3015LF would exhibit.

* * *

3015 has great sensitivity and because of good xmax/excursion and thermal power handling while not going real low sounds tight and articulate, and only a high tuning in a real small box does it get much of a midbass hump (there's where the tight sound would get hurt).

Boxes bigger than around 3 cubic feet aren't needed and actually lower its ability to get hit with a lot more power, and boxes less than maybe 2.5 cf really waste its potential.
 
#9
I'm gonna be running 2 kappalites with another 2x15's cab ... both cabs are powered by different amps.

But I would like them to preform great as a standalone 2x15 cab.

How punchy are the kappalites alone? Can you get a serious punch out of them compared to a 8x10 with a svt head :hmm:?
 
#11
greenboy said:
Well, there's still a gap there between the 15 and the tweet - especially off axis where it really matters - just not as much as a 3015LF would exhibit.

* * *

3015 has great sensitivity and because of good xmax/excursion and thermal power handling while not going real low sounds tight and articulate, and only a high tuning in a real small box does it get much of a midbass hump (there's where the tight sound would get hurt).

Boxes bigger than around 3 cubic feet aren't needed and actually lower its ability to get hit with a lot more power, and boxes less than maybe 2.5 cf really waste its potential.
Click to expand...

I guess I should probably measure my cabinet before I order
 
#13
Shane Carter said:
It seems that most users are going for a light weight rig with these speakers. To me, having 2 2x15 cabs defeats the purpose. My SVT and 810 is an entirely different use than what I would use a neo 15" speaker for. Just my .02
Click to expand...

It's been awhile since I did the math, but I think with enough watts that two 3015 in a 215 can more than keep up with a SVT 810 which would be starting to fart by that time. The 215 would be voiced a little lower. And two 3015 could easily shave as much as 16 pounds from the same cabs loaded with non-neo 15" drivers of similar or lesser potential.
 
#14
I'm not disputing the math, or specs. I'm saying once you're going over 100 pounds, it does not matter to me whether it varies 16 pounds either way. I'm sure it matters to some people, but to me, if I have help loading and I need the juice, I'm taking the SVT.
 
#15
Shane Carter said:
I'm not disputing the math, or specs. I'm saying once you're going over 100 pounds, it does not matter to me whether it varies 16 pounds either way. I'm sure it matters to some people, but to me, if I have help loading and I need the juice, I'm taking the SVT.
Click to expand...


A 2x15 with a pair of Kappa3015s could weigh in at 70lbs + or - a few. 15lbs from 70 to 85lbs is a lot :)
 
#16
Shane Carter said:
It seems that most users are going for a light weight rig with these speakers. To me, having 2 2x15 cabs defeats the purpose. My SVT and 810 is an entirely different use than what I would use a neo 15" speaker for. Just my .02
Click to expand...

Well weight is not really my issue here...it's really secondary to my debate...I wouldn't mind it being less heavy but not a huge issue...some odd times I can't use 2 of my 2x15's so I just have to use 1 with my most powerful amp cause of the space on stage and such. I'm very accustomed to the SVT/810 generic combo I was just wondering on what everyone had to say about a 2x15 loaded with kappalites compared to the classic SVT/810 sound.

With that being said after playing with 15" speakers I can't really go back to 10" speakers.
 
#17
i have an old peavey 215 that i loaded with 3015s. i heavily researched cab/speaker design (mainly thanks to greenboy!) and decided the 3015s were the best alternative to just replacing the old black widows.

background: i play aggressively. my preferred tone is what i would call an even balance, good lows, moderate mids and moderate treble for some twang (but not too much). i used to play a 410HLF that worked well for me for awhile, especially in my old band. after gigging a lot with my current band (loud, upbeat rock/grunge/ska/psychedelic/whatever you wanna call it), i realized that i could not get a decent sound i wanted out of it and i did not have enough power to drive it. no money for a new amp and wanting to only use one cab, i was in a pinch. i traded it for the 215 and cash and used the cash for the 3015s. before replacing it there was still one good black widow in the cab.

the 3015 compared to the black widow is similar (to my ears). the 3015 has more mids for sure and took a week or three to get used to. i was also transitioning from using a hefty amount of "contour" to none whatsoever just a month or so prior to acquiring the 215. it also has more volume at the same wattage.

the cab: old (late 60s?) peavey shallow version 215. net internal volume is about 2.6~2.7 cu.ft. per speaker in separated chambers. it has the large middle vents that span the width of the cab and is probably tuned somewhere in the 50-58hz region. i added cheap mattress topper foam to dampen the walls and external additions of strap handles and casters. i wired the cab with 12 gauge speaker wire in parallel to run at 4 ohms.


all in all, i love the mid hump from this cab, easier to cut through with the power i have (300w @ 4ohms) and easier to adjust EQ according to the venue. it will not honk unless you EQ it to honk. i seem to have more headroom now due their efficiency and just all around better sound and projection. solo and band setting. i shaved a good chunk of weight by going with these speakers, too! and to who posted about what does it matter after a certain point: i can load this cab in my grand cherokee on my own. i doubt i could do it with black widows in there. so far it is one of the best decisions ive made as far as getting a good sound goes.
 
#18
knw said:
With that being said after playing with 15" speakers I can't really go back to 10" speakers.
Click to expand...


i agree, especially the typical 10" speaker arrays. after reading a lot around here, i finally learned why i was hearing the things i heard with my 410HLF. i love my 215!:hyper:

forgot to add in my previous post that the 3015 loaded 215 i play has such a much more rounded output than most rigs ive tried. maybe i did say that...
 
#20
Based on some of the earlier threads on this driver it seems that this driver, for all its plusses, when driven to full power is a beast that needs a very rigid baffle structure. Some of the Carvin thread postings talked about never being able to solve the cabinet buzz problem for example - like the thing was just vibrating the cab apart.

Greenboy (and others) what is your experience in this regard? Is reinforcement of the baffle prudent or is the usual 3/4 inch multi-ply sufficient?
 

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