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Is an 18 better than a 15?

#3
Yes, it's 3 better! ;)

But seriously, if you want to make a single speaker combo that sounds good for bass and goes reasonably loud you're going to be limited to certain 12" and 15" speakers. Smaller speakers won't have enough volume displacement (apart from some subwoofer 10"s but they'll fail on treble response) whilst larger ones won't have enough mid and treble output and dispersion.
 
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#4
15s are pretty much the sweet spot for bass. They enough low end extension, enough high end extension (depending on the model), enough power handling, and enough sensitivity to make great full range bass speakers (not all of them but many), without having to spend an arm and a leg.

18s can be great for deep sub bass, but not great for mids and highs. So they make much more sense in a multi-way system. 18s are also f-ing huge and heavy usually and require pretty big cabs to get the most out of them.
 
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#5
Omega Monkey said:
15s are pretty much the sweet spot for bass. They enough low end extension, enough high end extension (depending on the model), enough power handling, and enough sensitivity to make great full range bass speakers (not all of them but many), without having to spend an arm and a leg.

18s can be great for deep sub bass, but not great for mids and highs. So they make much more sense in a multi-way system. 18s are also f-ing huge and heavy usually and require pretty big cabs to get the most out of them.
Click to expand...

They're super beamy once you get near the mids and treble range.
 
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#6
If you're building a full range bass cab, you probably like that natural roll off after a certain point, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.

I play with an EV loaded full range ported 15 all the time, and in terms of quality/character of sound, it's pretty hard to beat. Sometimes I like a bit more edginess that requires having a tweeter, but I wouldn't be getting that from a 10 or a 12 either. They'll probably have a bit higher extension and be more portable, but you will pretty much trade off volume and low end. Just depends on what your priorities and goals are.
 
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#9
There are some very nice sounding cabs with an 18" speaker. I don't find that they perform better than a cab with an 15" driver other than maybe being a bit louder.

The bigger speaker will require a bigger cab so the footprint is bigger. It is more difficult to haul as well. You reach a point where any advantages are offset by disadvantages.

On the other hand, if there is a particular combo that you like that has an 18" driver, go for it.
 
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#13
I am a 12 & 15 kind of guy.. I am not a fan of 10s.. I imagine a 410 cab would be the bee's knees.. but it is too much to schelepp for me .. so a lightweight 212 or two 112s or a 115 or t 115s as far as speakers in general go.. as far as a combo goes.. a 112 or a 115 is the sweetspot for me..

I would probably never use an 18" speaker..
 
#16
It completely depends on the application, they are different tools...screwdrivers are not necessarily better than hammers and vice versa, unless you happen to be working with a screw and not a nail. :)

I've used a single 1x15 setup in the past and been pleased with it, but in my current situation it would not be enough volume. They have a special sonic something that I can't quite put my finger on but makes my ears very happy. Identify what problem you are trying to solve with this gear and the solution should be easy!
 
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#17
I had a Peavey 1820 cab (1-18 Inch Black Widow and 2-10 Inch Scorpion speakers). I bought it used for $100.00 and to freshen it up I put two new 10-inch and one 18-inch Peavey field replacement speaker baskets in it. It was an unported cab rated at 400 watts with bi-amp capabilities. That Peavey 1820 cab sounded absolutely amazing powered by a Peavey Tour 700 amp. It had the great mids from the 2-10's and the thunder from the 1-18 inch. Yes, it took some careful equalization and after the knob tweaking was settled it was a serious bass cab. The big drawback was it's Jurassic size. It was over the top Hugh and heavy.
 
#20
Its all preference, practicality and what you want to do and hear. If you're going to be playing more standard stuff, having it as one speaker, and doing the occasional low tunings, or extending with a low B or a maybe little lower, 15's should be just fine. Plus they have become a standard for cabinet extension and most have had the bugs worked out for a really good cab. 18's if done right, can give you lower extension on notes for much lower than your "normal" notes and tuning and can give you extra power and oomph while playing some of the really low stuff. It can get muddy or woofy or can have trouble performing going into upper registers with the cab so just be careful. (Also can be very heavy) All in all its what your tone and your preference is, and what you want to hear. Im on the other end of the spectrum with some super low notes and that has led me to playing an Accugroove 21" sub under a 4x10. For me it works wonders but for others WAY unnecessary. So like I said its just preference and practicality :)
 
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