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Hartke 210 XL experience

topper

topper

May 22, 2005
1,404
776
Charlottesville, VA
cakefightband.com
#1
I've got a Hartke 210 XL and I'm honestly not thrilled with it. I'm curious what experience others have had with the cab and any suggestions anyone has for improving the sound.

The cab sounds great when used on top of a 115, but by itself I can't get any lows out of the cab without it buzzing or farting even at moderate volume levels.

Anyone else have this experience?
 
#2
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

You need another cab in addition to the 210 to get adequate low end. I ran a Hartke 7000 to a Hartke 210 and 115 for more than a decade. neither cab alone cut it although the 410 does.

Now I run an Eden Metro and either a Markbass 210 or an Acme Low B 2. The Hartke rig gets used at home some times and I occasionally loan it out to my nephew.
 
#3
i "kind of" like hartke. but it has it's plus and minuses.

i will say this. i went out on a limb once and bought a 210xl and 115xl cab. at low and medium volume my bass (soloed -not in a band) possibly sounded the cleanest and purest it ever had. beautiful.

the cabs were lightweight, easy to move, looked cool. that sticker on the grill was a big pain to take off. the 210 had killer pressence and cut, much more than the 115, which had a nice smooth tone, with tight low end, but wasn't that loud.

now the big downside. the rig did not sound good in a rock band setting volumewise and tonewise. the 210xl buzzed metallically when pushed even a little bit. it also overpowered the 115 sonically making the top end to evident.

i had to return it.

i truely believe the 210.5 is a way better cab and is tuned much lower. i watched a guy play in a rock band with the 210.5 as a stand alone with a 5 string without issue. the 410.5 is okay, but too heavy in weight. the only drawback is not control of the horn (5" speaker).
 
#5
the buzzing wasn't the cab or grill it was the speakers. sort of like a coffe can sound. that can't be fixed.

i am sure you could add a port to the 210xl, but why.

just go buy the 210.5 it is already ported and handles lows better, and sell or keep the 210xl for bedroom playing.
 
#6
The buzzing is the sound of those speakers clipping. Aluminum cones sound different when they clip than paper ones. They seem to stay pretty clean right up to when they start clipping, at which point they sound pretty harsh.

I agree with the ditch the 210XL for the 2.5XL comments. The 2.5 is just a much better cab with more low end response. The lack of an attenuator on Hartke cabs with the 5" driver never really bothered me. That 5" driver doesn't really get that twanky obnoxious tone that cheap tweeters can sometimes exhibit. Seems very naturally blended into the tone and puts more of an emphasis on high mids than treble to my ears.
 
#7
The 210 XL was never received well as a stand alone cab, as the 200 watt rating and modest dimensions attest. Just look at all the other 2x10s out there and compare. They're all larger volume, and most are ported. Harke remedied this when they brought out the 2.5 XL, but the power handling still isn't all that great. The 210 XL mainly works as a full range topper with another cab (like the 115 XL), or even better as the top of a bi-amped rig, where no low freqs would be punishing it. And don't even mention the 210 Transporter!
 
#11
...Three speakers later. It was the only one i had, untill i saved up enough to buy an ashdown 210 deep down, not even close in comparison. I'm not sure if i was getting screwed around buy the dealer because I bought i used, or the cab is just garbage to start with.
 
#12
fed11 said:
...Three speakers later. It was the only one i had, untill i saved up enough to buy an ashdown 210 deep down, not even close in comparison. I'm not sure if i was getting screwed around buy the dealer because I bought i used, or the cab is just garbage to start with.
Click to expand...

yeah, I think that ashdown cab is no better than the Hartke IMO except the hartke is cleaner but harsher, while the ashdown is warmer but lacks definition
 
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#14
topper said:
The cab sounds great when used on top of a 115, but by itself I can't get any lows out of the cab without it buzzing or farting even at moderate volume levels. QUOTE]

Same experience I had. A 210XL works well when used in combination with a 115XL, and is doable when used with another 210XL but one is pretty useless by itself. Mine are either going away via CL or else to our rehearsal space. They've been replaced by two GK 115 Neos, which seriously kick the 210XL's @$$.
Click to expand...
 
#16
Been there, done that. Still lacks bottom.
IMG_2132_zpstxoqlkkq.jpg

The GK 115 Neos get me where I want to be.
 

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