Help! I don't know how to choose a replacement speaker for a ported/vented cab

Is that the original or replacement. If replaced or original but damaged, maybe call GK and see if you can get an original replacement.

 

Did you try the cab before you bought it? Is it too late to return it?

I agree with @BadExample that (assuming you decide to keep the cab) your best bet is to get the proper GK replacement speaker.

 

If it is returnable, that might be a pretty good option since you'll be in for a lot more than $100 if you replace the speaker, and there's no guarantee you will like the result.

 

Ask Eminence customer service. Be sure to have complete and exact cab measurements.

 

Specifically, need internal dimensions of the cab and internal dimensions of the port(s). Rectangle ports HxWxD, round diameter x depth.

 

You need to decide what you want to accomplish. For example; just get the cab to 'work', maximum volume, fat punchy bass tone, deep pillowy bass, aggressive mids, etc. Any driver that fits in that cab will make sound. To get maximum volume or a particular tone you'll need to tell us what your goals are, and, as others have said, provide interior cab dimensions and porting details (if any).

 

You could end up with a great speaker that sounds worse if you don't do the measuring. @AstroSonic is really good at picking out speakers for existing cabs. If you absolutely need to get a speaker without measuring, like if you have no thumbs, I'd suggest getting one of those that work in both sealed and vented cabs. If the tuning is totally wacked for the new speaker, you could at least seal the port(s).

 

Eminence Beta 12 is a good 250W budget priced driver, but you need to check the cab dimensions match their specs for vented enclosures. And think about what power handling you need of course.

 

It's worth doing a little bit of homework as others have said, because the bad sound that you're trying to fix might actually have been the result of doing exactly what you're talking about and just throwing in a 'good' speaker without finding out if it would work well in that particular cab!

 

Post pics of the cab, and the offensive driver.

 

Also, you might inspect the cone and frame closely for any numbers, if you haven't already. It would be good to know if it's a junk or wrong replacement.

 

There really is no such thing as a good speaker for a ported cabinet. The driver and the box need to match and that's the beginning and end of it.

A possibly revealing expedient, before you spend any money, would be to simply block the port with a blanket or something and see how it changes the sound.

Those of a experimental bent might choose to go further and try adjusting the port size to see if they could tune the enclosure to suit the speaker, but you need to be of a nerdy disposition to get into that stuff, and without knowing what the driver is it might not be possible to get a good result anyway, for example if you have a specialist guitar speaker in there a good bass sound is probably unachievable.

 

You can also measure the inside and cal US Speaker. They will put the dimensions you give them into their software and offer you several ootions based on budget and tone goals.

But, as other have said, the answer you want doesn't exist. There is no do all good speaker for all ported cabs. There are only crapshoot speakers (meaning it might sound great and it might not) and speakers made for a cab with the dimensions of yours.

Best of luck with your hunt.

 

Bass drivers can be classified as being optimized for either vented or sealed cabs. Some are made to work in both, but are not optimized for either. Ported cabs differ in tuning frequency and internal volume. These are both critical, and are chosen to work with a drivers engineering characteristics (TS parameters). So some drivers that are optimized for ported cabs require larger cab volumes, while others work best in smaller cabs. This choice (cab volume and tuning) also strongly affects the excursion limited power handling.

So, in order to help you, we need the cab internal volume and dimensions of any ports, your tone goals and your budget.

 

Basslite S2012
Deltalite II 2512
Kappalite 3012HO
Beta12A2

Are the usual canidates for 12" fullrange system.
Sure didn't post it but as long your box is around 1.6 to 2 cubic feet and tuned around 48 to 55hz any those drivers be fine. Its newer GK box so sure its within tolerance of many 12" drivers.

Keep in mind the thermal ratings will vary with those drivers from 150 to 400 watts. But realistically with typical 4 to 6mm xmax speakers and a single 12 " expect to get 100 to 170 watts of powerhandling before 10% distortion. With a single driver.

 

Some will only work well in sealed cabs, some will only work well in ported cabs, some will work OK, but not great, in either. All will give a different result depending on the cab specifics. That's why there are hundreds of drivers to choose from.

That's not what it says. Read the fine print. The data sheet chart is with the driver mounted on a 2x2 foot baffle placed in a wall. Below roughly 150 Hz everything changes, depending on the cab it goes into.
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