EVs, Still a Viable Choice?

[Chickenwheels]

This, and the graphs on Page 2, explain my perspective. The graphs show evenness across frequencies for the L, and a spike in the high mids/low highs for the B, which I found disagreeable. That said, the Bs are fatter down low according to the graph, so no disrespect to those who prefer them. Here is what's in my living room/practice room right now. It is the EVMs which are hooked up at the moment. Candidly, if I had a gig that called for more horsepower, I'd take the two TL-606 cabs instead of the Berg. I think I could control the EQ enough to make the EVMs fill the room and survive, but I wonder if I would regret it. Comments welcome.

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I’ve got a pair of TL606s. They’re fantastic at big gigs...provided they’re not over powered. I typically used a GK400 or 800RB. Unique tone.
I use a Bergantino CN410 mainly now. It’s a different sound. And easier to lug about.

 

[logdrum]

Sorry to derail into guitar cabs. I still have the Mesa "Diesel?" 1 X 15 cab with those big grill openings. It's in the barn currently. Aren't those EV 15's?

I love that cab using the 400+ or an SVT CL or GK800B. Can't really crank the amps mentioned but man they are so good for salsa and reggae smallish gigs though otherwise you need PA or blow the cab. They are more middish than a 4X10 but a really sweet sound. I think from what I heard on the new Subway I-15, they were able to keep the same vibe.

EVs are notoriously heavy. When I changed the stock speakers in my Mesa Heartbreaker combo, I think I pushed the combo weight to almost 100 lbs. Love the sound.

 

[Omega Monkey]

I have an ProLine EVM 15B that I got maybe 10 years ago, NOS off ebay. I loaded it into a early/mid 80s Carvin B115 cab I got cheap. I figured the Carvin had the original driver from 1982 or whatever, but turns out it was a Black Widow, which actually sounded pretty good. Anyway, I think I paid like 70 bucks for the cab, and sold the BW for $60. Add the $150 I spent on the EV with shipping, and $160 for a really well built, cool looking 1x15 cab is a damn good deal.

Anyway, the thing sounds awesome. I mostly agree with most of what's been said about its sound. Definitely "musical" in a way that a lot of cabs/drivers really aren't these days. There are definitely copious mids, but not really in a harsh way, it just really fills out the sound. I wouldn't say it's muddy or boomy at all, at least not in the Carvin cab (probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a TL606, but not exactly).

So yeah, it's definitely still a viable choice (although to be fair I haven't used that cab in a while, but that's because I have a bunch of cabs and only so much space I do like to break it out now and then). It was my main/only cab for a long time, and I did a number of gigs with it, with a variety of basses and amps. The only real downside is the damn driver weighs like 22 pounds or something.

I also had a JBL M-151 in the cab for a while, that was great too (same driver Ampeg put in the Gene Simmons cabs). I think as you go further back into the past, at least with the well respected speaker companies, since in a bass cab you often didn't have mids or tweeters, they really had to make a single full range 15 sound as good as possible, and some of them were really successful. I even have a pair of late 70s/early 80s Cerwin Vega 15s and I've put one of them in the Carvin cab too. Those are great, but a bit dark for bass, although they sound really cool for sludgy doomy metal guitar stuff.

 

[Brassmonkey71]

After 35 years of playing, I have found my perfect sound: EVM15L (1x15) powered by a Phil Jones D-400 and a SansAmp rack. I play either a Ric 4003 or an American Professional Jazz bass (w. flats). The EVM15L is wonderful if you like the brightness of the bridge pups I prefer to use.

 

[rovito]

I still drag one or two of these around. Not heavy but awkward to pick up. I paid $90 for one and $45 for the other maybe twenty years ago. Stock.

 

[Brassmonkey71]

I still drag one or two of these around. Not heavy but awkward to pick up. I paid $90 for one and $45 for the other maybe twenty years ago. Stock.

View attachment 3810740

The GK MB200 is one fine amp too. I bet that rig sounds great.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Not heavy but awkward to pick up.

I suppose "not heavy" is a relative term. At one time, a long time ago, I would have agreed.

 

[agedhorse]

I suppose "not heavy" is a relative term. At one time, a long time ago, I would have agreed.

Same comment applies to stepping on a scale these days

 

[Count Bassie]

I had a Sunn 215S cab with a couple Sunn drivers in it, and a friend and I were carrying it over a threshold onto a small set of steps leading out from a house. as we got over the threshold and I back onto the landing he said, "This thing's heavy!" I said, "The speakers are 22 lbs each." We both burst out laughing as we kept moving onto the staircase.

 

[Brad T. Bass]

Hello Sleeping Thread. My 2 cents. I posted a thread a while back gathering opinions on the TL-606 cab, regarding port covers on or port covers off / EVM-15's vs. Eminence Kappalite 3015’s. Lots of great discussion.

TL-606 (Beating a Dead Horse again).

I had (4) TL-606’s that I built to EV specs YEARS ago. I ended up putting the port covers ON the (2) with the EVM’s {My Speakers on hand were (1) each an EVM-15L & an EVM-15B}. To my ear they sound pretty sweet as a tag team under my ACC 150. As was discussed above, more than I’d want to schlep anymore either, so relegated to my Jam room.

The other (2) Cabs, I loaded with 3015’s, Port Covers OFF & extending the port length (as suggested by member BogieBass, THANKS!!!). I added 2.5” to the length. (nothing scientific, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, but a simple Mod.), under my Carvin BX1500 (lots of flexibility for tone shaping) & I don’t need any roadies.

"You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself"

 

[hbarcat]

The EVM 15L (or even the B) is a great speaker IF you don't need more than say 150 watts RMS per driver (for bass applications). It has a unique mid voicing that nothing else has IMO. We used these extensively at Mesa back in the day.

The EV15 is all I've gigged with for the past 20 years. I used to haul around an EV B-215M (2×15" + 6" mid) but it got too heavy for me about 10 years ago and I've since gone to a TL-606 with a single 15.

I've tried other, much more modern cabs, and simply like the sound of the EVs better. As @agedhorse said, these speakers have a unique midrange voicing that nothing else has. I also use a Mesa amp (Basis M2000) which is a incredible combination to my ears.

It must be noted that I always play with a low stage volume. My amp is only 300w at 8 ohms but I never push the master volume past 4. I'm extremely careful to keep the low frequencies rolled off. The EVs (especially the 15L) will fart out if you try to shove too much below 50 Hz into them, and they will quickly fail.

For a lot of people, these limitations make the EV15s non viable. I can't see myself using anything else.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Hello Sleeping Thread. My 2 cents. I posted a thread a while back gathering opinions on the TL-606 cab, regarding port covers on or port covers off / EVM-15's vs. Eminence Kappalite 3015’s. Lots of great discussion.

TL-606 (Beating a Dead Horse again).

I had (4) TL-606’s that I built to EV specs YEARS ago. I ended up putting the port covers ON the (2) with the EVM’s {My Speakers on hand were (1) each an EVM-15L & an EVM-15B}. To my ear they sound pretty sweet as a tag team under my ACC 150. As was discussed above, more than I’d want to schlep anymore either, so relegated to my Jam room.

The other (2) Cabs, I loaded with 3015’s, Port Covers OFF & extending the port length (as suggested by member BogieBass, THANKS!!!). I added 2.5” to the length. (nothing scientific, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, but a simple Mod.), under my Carvin BX1500 (lots of flexibility for tone shaping) & I don’t need any roadies.

"You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself"

Nice one.
I came to the same conclusion with my EV15L & B combo: Step down was better for me. It just seemed cleaner in the mix.
Unfortunately my pair are pretty much retired now due to the wonders of Bergantino

 

[Count Bassie]

The EV15 is all I've gigged with for the past 20 years. I used to haul around an EV B-215M (2×15" + 6" mid) but it got too heavy for me about 10 years ago and I've since gone to a TL-606 with a single 15.

I've tried other, much more modern cabs, and simply like the sound of the EVs better. As @agedhorse said, these speakers have a unique midrange voicing that nothing else has. I also use a Mesa amp (Basis M2000) which is a incredible combination to my ears.

It must be noted that I always play with a low stage volume. My amp is only 300w at 8 ohms but I never push the master volume past 4. I'm extremely careful to keep the low frequencies rolled off. The EVs (especially the 15L) will fart out if you try to shove too much below 50 Hz into them, and they will quickly fail.

For a lot of people, these limitations make the EV15s non viable. I can't see myself using anything else.

I'm figuring a hi-pass filter set at 50Hz will handle that. Also I've discovered that even dub-reggae doesn't need a stage amp to shovel 40-50Hz to bring the goods. With pa, it just isn't necessary.
I do have a DIY 210 that I drop next to our drummer for the lows-hit. He and our keyboardist are from St Thomas, and are used to the old-school, low-budget approach, so they need their fix! But bass guitar is kind of a psyche-trip for lows anyway- you're not delivering fundamentals most of the time, you're getting away with harmonics and mids, probably has to do with the reason for @agedhorse ' remarks about these particular speakers. Not bass-heavy, but suited to the nature of bass guitar. Fun discovery.

 

[bigtone23]

This thread makes me miss the EVM15L that I sold several years ago. It, and a bunch of other cool speakers, were sold during a clutter reduction operation before moving into my current house.

 

[Brad T. Bass]

Nice one.
I came to the same conclusion with my EV15L & B combo: Step down was better for me. It just seemed cleaner in the mix.
Unfortunately my pair are pretty much retired now due to the wonders of Bergantino

Just did a little research on Bergantino gear. Probably not in this lifetime. LOL. Retired. I broke the budget just buying (2) 3015’s.

Found a couple of links on Youtube. That looks & sounds like “ONE HECKOFA” Rig !! No, my gear accumulation days have come & gone. Figures, and just when you think you’re done. Thanks a lot for causing unrest, lol

 

[Brad T. Bass]

In this day of super-speaker technology and design, what's the latest buzz on the old-school, standby Electro-Voice drivers? There are the EVMs, SROs, Force, etc...

I'm looking at an Acoustic 106 cab, 215, with a choice of speaker: EV (waiting to find out which), Carvin PS-15s, or Eminence Delta 15s.
I'm leaning toward EVs, esp if they're the EVM frame 15B or 15L...
Thanks for your time and knowledge!

Hey Count Bassie, Just a note, wasn’t trying to Hijack your thread, I just thought that I could add some input to your discussion of using EVM-15’s.

IMHO, There is Nothing like them (Kappalite 3015’s {Non-LF} are a VERY close second). My personal Favorite 15”?: Altec 421’s, but that would be a different discussion & there is that pesky weight thing again. I wish that EV would reissue something like them (EVM’s), using Neo’s & with a higher power rating, but alas, I suspect any tweak they might make to them would affect every other parameter.

That said, being as I’ve been tweaking with both the EVM-15’s & Kappalite 3015’s recently, I thought it might help preemptively alleviate some your future back issues. (Motrin’s aren’t all that expensive). Don’t trust me, just ask about any of us Old Farts on here.

 

[Count Bassie]

Hey Count Bassie, Just a note, wasn’t trying to Hijack your thread, I just thought that I could add some input to your discussion of using EVM-15’s.

IMHO, There is Nothing like them (Kappalite 3015’s {Non-LF} are a VERY close second). My personal Favorite 15”?: Altec 421’s, but that would be a different discussion & there is that pesky weight thing again. I wish that EV would reissue something like them (EVM’s), using Neo’s & with a higher power rating, but alas, I suspect any tweak they might make to them would affect every other parameter.

That said, being as I’ve been tweaking with both the EVM-15’s & Kappalite 3015’s recently, I thought it might help preemptively alleviate some your future back issues. (Motrin’s aren’t all that expensive). Don’t trust me, just ask about any of us Old Farts on here.

No worries! It's a conversation, offerings are all fair game to run with.

I had a nerve issue near a slightly herniated disc at L-1, at the sacrum (bottom of spine for those who've never had to go to a bone doc), and it was miserable. My primary care doc recommended CBD oil before getting a needle to the are, which might miss target and cause even more problems. He said "try conservative treatments first". I did, and that stuff works a charm. I had to get in to the second bottle before I suddenly realized it was working! Been fine ever since.
So I'm sticking with the EVs! Thanks for the note though!

 

[StereoPlayer]

No worries! It's a conversation, offerings are all fair game to run with.

I had a nerve issue near a slightly herniated disc at L-1, at the sacrum (bottom of spine for those who've never had to go to a bone doc), and it was miserable. My primary care doc recommended CBD oil before getting a needle to the are, which might miss target and cause even more problems. He said "try conservative treatments first". I did, and that stuff works a charm. I had to get in to the second bottle before I suddenly realized it was working! Been fine ever since.
So I'm sticking with the EVs! Thanks for the note though!

I hope you’re doing much better! I suffer sometimes too.

 

[WoodyJ]

How about the E-V 15BX speaker that was introduced in the mid-1990's IIRC? Here's the data sheet.

https://products.electrovoice.com/binary/15BX_Engineering_Data_Sheet.PDF

I had a pair of 15BX's in three different amps back when I was gigging regularly and my experience with them was outstanding. I've since sold two of those amps but kept a Showman with a custom 1x15 sealed cab loaded with a 15BX. While it won't keep up with my TT-800 volume-wise, the Showman will go toe-to-toe with the TT's Boogie channel tonally....maybe even a tad better based on an A-B test I did recently with both amps, pictured below.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I had five 10BX drivers spread out among three cabinets. Loved them!