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Double Bass LDS 2x8 3-way and EA VL208 comparison

#61
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Where's the port on that cab? Are all of the little black triangles along the edge of the blue face porting spaces?
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The black triangles are blocks of high density (11 ply? 13 ply?) painted plywood that the grill screws into. These blocks are permanently secured to the baffle. I assume Don likes the snugness of this kind of grill mounting, even though it's a lot more work to produce, as opposed to using long screws that are 'exposed' on their way to the baffle board.
 
#63
jmain said:
Yeah, that thing is sweet. Nice cab Tbeers. I like the tweeter pad on the side too. What are the dimensions on that puppy? What were your reasons for the layout?
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Well, I sort of just told Don that I wanted a nice 2x8, 4-ohm cab with neo drivers. I said I wanted one like macmrkt's. And he took the ball and ran with it.

But I'm sure if you wanted a particular layout, he could make it any way you wanted....
 
#69
The 1x8 is a 14" cube. Weighs about 21 lbs. I ran it with a loud jazz trio in a 12' x 24' room and it was fine. If you got it and it wasn't enough in certain rooms, I suggest adding the separate 10" woofer option that's mentioned elsewhere. I think the rating is 250w, but I never go by the numbers.
 
#73
Here's a picture of my LDS 3x8" Neo two way cab. I posted a review and pictures in the electric bass site, but thought you DB guys might want to see another version of Don's great, small cabs. The Neo 8's have better midrange response than the traditional 8" speakers that Don uses in his non-Neo cabs, eliminating the need for the mid driver and three way crossover.

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PS.... the extreme blue of the baffle board in this and other pictures of Don's cabs is a result of the flash on the camera. In standard lighting, the effect is very subtle. When I got the cab, I actually thought Don had changed the baffle color to black, until I looked very carefully.
 
#76
Adrian Cho said:
Is this really correct? The 3-way 1 x 8 is 21 lbs? I thought it was more like 25 lbs and the 3-way 2 x 8 is about 35 - 37 lbs.
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Don hasn't quite gotten into the same league as the Epifani guys with his Neo cabs regarding weight. Currently, he is just putting the Neo's in his standard cabs. However, I've heard he is soon to do what the Epi boys have done... use lighter wood, reduced bracing, etc. to take full advantage of the light Neo speakers. I would guess if Epifani made a 3 way, 1x8, it would weigh well under 20 pounds with their cab materials. I assume Don will get close to that as he continues to improve his great little cabs. My 3x8 Neo weighs in at about 40 pounds... I would guess this cab would be slightly over 30 with the new wood, etc.

Ps The 8" speakers (standard vs. long throw vs. Neo) really, really make a difference in the sound... with the long throws really loud and low, but lacking in mids (requiring the 3 way design), the Neo's having enough mid definition to not require the mid, and the standard speakers falling somewhere in between.
 
#77
I am surprised about this. I figured Don was already using lighter wood - I assumed it was the Italian Poplar that everyone seems to talk about. Also, I pretty sure that when I initially put in my LDS order that the guy I spoke to (not Don), said that the neos are basically long-throws. I'm not sure I can believe that a wooden 3-way 1 x 8 would be under 20 lbs, let alone way under 20 lbs. I would expect an 8" and a 5" together to weigh more than a 10" and the lightest 2-way 10s such as the PortaBass or the Flite cabs, are all about 19 or 20 lbs.
 
#78
Adrian Cho said:
I am surprised about this. I figured Don was already using lighter wood - I assumed it was the Italian Poplar that everyone seems to talk about. Also, I pretty sure that when I initially put in my LDS order that the guy I spoke to (not Don), said that the neos are basically long-throws. I'm not sure I can believe that a wooden 3-way 1 x 8 would be under 20 lbs, let alone way under 20 lbs. I would expect an 8" and a 5" together to weigh more than a 10" and the lightest 2-way 10s such as the PortaBass or the Flite cabs, are all about 19 or 20 lbs.
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The 'long throws' are definitely a different speaker (the Neo's may also be a sort of 'long throw' driver, but when Don talks about 'long throws', they are a separate, non-neo thing). I've played through the long throw 2x8's down there, and they are cool (although I'm trying not to comment on the tone, since I'm an electric bass player). I think the Epi 110's are at 21 pounds... so I would assume if they made a 1x8 (even with a little 6" mid driver) that it would weigh less than that. He built my cab about a month ago. I think he is starting to use the lighter wood now... I would make sure he is if your cab isn't done... I was actually disappointed in the weight of mine (since I'm used to the amazing Epi cabs.... my monstrous sounding 410UL only weighs 58 pounds and will knock down a good sized building :D ).
 
#79
FYI.... I'm dropping my 3x8 off with Ric Vice (who has posted on this thread and has a wonderful DB sound and also a very good ear for DB amplicifation). He should be able to give a nice review (positive or negative) of this particular cab. Since Don is charting kind of untested waters, I feel the more info and comparison we get on these cabs, the better. Also, Don is wonderfully open to suggestions and ideas.
 

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