I'm really excited to know how [the Rumble 200 combo] sounds with an extension cab. Unfortunately, my music store doesn't have a single extension cab in stock. I'll have to order one sight unseen.
I play the Rumble 200 combo on top of a Rumble 115 cab from time to time and the sound is perfect to my personal ears. I haven't played with the 210 cab connected mostly because moving amps around my living room is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube.
I tend to use matched speakers (as much as true matching is possible in mass-produced components) just because. That said, I believe a lot of the sonic improvement that comes from stacking cabs (aside from the line array effect, which is substantial) is a result of getting the driver closer to the height of your ears. In my opinion, getting the drivers in line with the listener (me, the bass player, in this instance) is the single biggest factor in how we perceive our tone. If you are standing close to speakers sitting on the floor, the sound is blasting past your knees, not your ears. If you angle speakers so they sound better to you, you may be short-changing the audience 25 feet away. Or when I'm sitting on my sofa, noodling along with TV or the stereo, I am WAY off-axis from my amp and the tone misses a lot of treble and sounds muddier than when I am standing in front of it. This is sort of off-topic to your questions, but I'm adding it as a qualification to other parts of this reply.
That leads to my next question. For those that use the 200 with an extension, do you use a 115 or the 210? I see the 115 is wider than the combo.
I like matched drivers. But, as far as I can tell, ANY additional drivers oriented correctly will make improvements to your sound and power. The size difference does not bother me. I understand how visual mismatch could drive some folks crazy but it just doesn't bother me.
Just curious as I won't be able to order both to try. I know the rule about mixing speakers and won't go down that trail in this thread. Thank you for answering my concerns so quickly. Cheers!
Like I said, I'm a fan of matched drivers but compared to the other factors (line array effect, correct orientation) it is the least important factor. And anyway, going against the rules is how much of our modern sounds came to be. Overdrive is one such example of how people "abused" their equipment until they got the sound they wanted. Experiment away with different drivers and orientations. Who knows what sonic breakthroughs await! My inclination is less adventurous so I tend to stick within what is considered the norm.
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