As my HS410 was still in the car from last night's rehearsal, I decided to drive to the music store and take a chance on parking. Got there and what do you know, parking space right in front of the door. So I lugged my Berg inside and set the two other cabs side by side with a Carbine M6 and my SR5 to compare them.
Mesa PH410 - The sumo wrestler.
First impression like previously tried is massive low end and big sound. Kind of scooped in the low mids and very present in the mid mids. A bit throaty and grindy. Would've like a bit more definition in the lows. Burly and heavy but not unruly. All this changed after walking about 15 feet away from the cab. It loses all it's bottom and punch and becomes very thin sounding and the little bit of lows that remains are undefined.
Bergantino HS410 - The ninja.
Tight and focused. Lots of punch and good amount of low end. Even sounding throughout. Well defined but sounded a tiny bit polished compared to the Mesa. Kind of glassy mids but not in a bad way. 15 feet away, loss of punch and bottom as well but really not as much as the Mesa. You could still feel the lows though not as much and though it had less punch the sound was very good and still coherent if you had to power a small room with that only one cab.
Aguilar DB410 - The boxer
The one I was most impressed with. Darker than I thought it would be from previous tryouts in another environment but a very very good balance between big bottom with a nice balance of fullness and tightness, punchy low mids and present mids without being glassy like the Berg. A bit throaty but not grindy. 15 feet away, this was the cab who retained it's nature the most. The sound was still full and punchy.
Mesa PH410 - The sumo wrestler.
First impression like previously tried is massive low end and big sound. Kind of scooped in the low mids and very present in the mid mids. A bit throaty and grindy. Would've like a bit more definition in the lows. Burly and heavy but not unruly. All this changed after walking about 15 feet away from the cab. It loses all it's bottom and punch and becomes very thin sounding and the little bit of lows that remains are undefined.
Bergantino HS410 - The ninja.
Tight and focused. Lots of punch and good amount of low end. Even sounding throughout. Well defined but sounded a tiny bit polished compared to the Mesa. Kind of glassy mids but not in a bad way. 15 feet away, loss of punch and bottom as well but really not as much as the Mesa. You could still feel the lows though not as much and though it had less punch the sound was very good and still coherent if you had to power a small room with that only one cab.
Aguilar DB410 - The boxer
The one I was most impressed with. Darker than I thought it would be from previous tryouts in another environment but a very very good balance between big bottom with a nice balance of fullness and tightness, punchy low mids and present mids without being glassy like the Berg. A bit throaty but not grindy. 15 feet away, this was the cab who retained it's nature the most. The sound was still full and punchy.
