Moving to college soon and looking to downsize from my Aguilar SL410 to a light cab that I can easily transport by hand for long periods if needed (moving to Boston). The main cab I'm considering is the GRBass AT110 weighing around 10 lbs. I'm mainly planning on running it through my tonehammer 500 but I have also considered getting the active version of the cabinet to be able to run my EBS Microbass3 preamp through the cabinet. Was wondering if I should go for the 4 ohm option or the 8 ohm -- was most likely going to get the 8 as my main bass has a pretty hot 18v 2/3 band preamp so want to avoid any chance of distortion or overheating. Any thoughts help. Thanks!
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Looking for advice on 8 ohm vs 4 ohm cabinet
- Thread starter thatbassguy06
- Start date
Ohm load has nothing to do with distortion or the output of your bass.
I'd recommend doing some homework on exactly how ohm loads work so you don't wind up buying something incompatible with whatever you are using to power it.
I'd recommend doing some homework on exactly how ohm loads work so you don't wind up buying something incompatible with whatever you are using to power it.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,949
- 5
- 220,575
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
If you are planning on using with your TH-500, the 4 ohm version is completely inappropriate as the amp has enough power at 4 ohms to destroy the cabinet with out much difficulty at all. The 8 ohm version is the only one I would consider recommending for that amp. Now if you had an amp that was 200 watts at 4 ohms, then the 4 ohm version might be more appropriate.
that's got nothing to do with anything
my vote is any small bass cab should be 8Ω so you can use two of them for bigger shows. a 4Ω version of the same speaker will theoretically get more power out of the amp but is often less efficient, meaning the extra power doesn't give you any more volume. so a small 4Ω cab will still not be loud enough by itself but now you can't add a cab with many amps
Get the 8 ohm cab so you can add additional 4 ohm or 8 ohm cabs if needed. The Tonehammer 500 goes down to 2.67 ohms so if you were to run 2 x 4 ohm cabs you might have some trouble. There’s not too much of a volume difference anyway between the 4 and the 8.
The V2 Tonehammers can handle 2.67 ohm load. The V1 Tonehammer 350 and 500 only handle 4 ohms. I do think the V1 700 can go 2.67 ohms.
Hopefully the OP knows his amp.
Even if you don't think you'll ever buy a second cab, I'd recommend buying the 8Ω Version. The difference in max sound is only 3db and often (not always) the 4Ω is not as sensitive as the 8Ω version of the cab.
I ordered an Eden EX-112 back in 2017 because I needed a small cab for small venues that refused to let me roll in my DNS-410 cab by DNA, even though I could certainly play it at low levels. It just flat out scared them and the main reason I got one was because we played at a small brewpub almost every Friday hosting their open-mic night. We'd play for an hour from 7 to 8PM and then start going through the sign ups. If we didn't have enough sign ups to take us to 9:45 or so, then we'd get back up and play until then. They closed at 10PM. I had to play through a small Peavey 112 combo there and I never could get a good sound out of it so I bought an Eden EX-112 cab to play with my Eden amps. It handles 300-watts rms and has a Neo speaker, so it tips the scale at 30-lbs.
I made the mistake of buying it in 4Ω because I was only going to use it at small venues and had other cabs for medium-sized venues, large venues, outdoor venues, and Music Festivals. The first night I played through it, it sounded so good that I ordered a second one the very next day. Then I used the two of them for my mid-sized venues. Because I bought the first in 4Ω, I also got the second in 4Ω. I didn't have an amp that would handle a 2Ω load at the time (4Ω+4Ω in and industry standard parallel connection = 2Ω connection to the amp0, I had to use my Big Eden WT500/800 amp because it had two discrete power channels that could produce 400-wats rms each. My Eden WT500/800 weighs 37½-lbs in its rack and I could have used a different, 19-lb Eden amp, with the two of them if I'd bought them in 8Ω instead of 4Ω. Almost all amps will handle a 4Ω load while not a lot of them will handle a 2Ω load.
Also these EX-112 cabs are very compact because they use a whizzer cone (cone within a cone) for the high mids and highs instead of a separate tweeter horn. Because they are so compact, my big Eden amp hangs over the ends of the cabs even when I have them stacked on their sides to align the ports. A couple of months later I bought an Eden TN226 (225-watts rms, weighs 4.7-lbs.) to use with just one cab at a small venue. That actually is perfect for a small venue and Washington state has over 400 brew pubs that are usually small venues. I can carry everything in or out in one trip. I need to use my cart to move both cabs, my bass, gig bag, and amp in when playing medium-sized venues.
Small venue set-up fits nicely in a chair. I was surprised how good the bottom end was with this cab.:
Medium venue set-up requires a bit more room although it fits on a milk crate, and my amp is heavier. Both sound basically the same, but the 2x112 stacked gives a little bit better bottom end because of the sonic coupling between the two cabs. I got a lot of compliments on my sound through this rig over the two years it was my primary set-up for medium-sized venues.
Although I now have a DNA-800 amp that will handle a 2Ω load and only weighs 4.8-lbs., I switched to a DNS-210 cab for indoor venues in late 2019 when I was accepted into DNA's Endorsing Artist group. That DNS-210 handles a LOT more power and is lighter than carrying both 112 cabs. It was also a more expensive cab than the two EX-112's with a lower bottom end (can replicate the primary down to 34Hz) and even better clarity.
The only way I'd go with a 4 ohm cab is if it had at least two drivers and could handle ~500W or more @ 4 ohms. And that's only in relation to the amp I currently have, knowing it's safe to pair them together. If you're looking at a 1x10, then like everyone else here has said, 8 ohms. Protect your gear and allow for expansion down the road. Good luck with this and school!
For the dorm room you might want to get an audio interface with a physical mute button and a set of headphones. Add Ipad, tablet, and apps. Get an acoustic / electric bass for a quiet option. Students in the house type of thing.
Connect stereo nearfield monitors.
All still expensive for dorm room or student housing. Risky to have in that kind of environment.
And a gig worthy rig might best be held on stand by until needed.
Just some ideas on campus property management and campus life. Usually stripped down.
Then, when you find a place to rock go get your rig.
That is my thinking on this.
Myself, I took an Aria M style mandolin into college with me, in a case. It was different then.
But today I might get a small but guitar focused audio interface and headphones to go along with the instrument. In this way I could try to work on my musical ideas without worrying about disturbing people. The mandolin was quiet and worked good for that acoustically.
In conclusion, I recommend taking the most stripped down rig possible.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,949
- 5
- 220,575
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Generally, the 4 ohm single driver cabinet will be less sensitive, thus worse off in the bigger picture. It wouldn't be able to handle the power of a TH-500 anyway, so the 8 ohm is the best choice all around.
A 2 driver cabinet with a pair of 8 ohm drivers doesn't suffer from the sensitivity challenges of 4 ohm drivers to begin with, so this would be a good choice too.
As a minimum I suggest that you consider impedance, power handling, and sensitivity.
Impedance:
1. With a tube amp you get the same power as long as the amp sees the expected load. For example if you have a 100W tube amp with 4 and 8 ohm outputs, you get 100W at either impedance.
2. Solid state amps often* make more power as the impedance goes lower (* check the specs). If you have the V1 TH500, it is rated 250W at 8 ohm and 500W at 4 ohms.
Speaker Power Handling:
1. In general you should make sure the speaker's RMS rating is at least as much power as the amp can deliver. This can be tricky as speakers have different power ratings.
2. RMS Power--This tells you the long term power level the speaker can handle without overheating the voice. This is what most companies provide. GR Bass indicates the power rating of the AT110 is 300 RMS (AES standard).
3. Mechanical Power--This is related to how much a speaker cone can move before it starts to incur damage. The problem here is the mechanical power handling at low frequencies can be significantly less then a cab's RMS power rating. Unfortunately most companies don't tell you anything about their speaker's mechanical power ratings.
Sensitivity and Usable Power:
1. This tells you how efficient a cab is and allows you to deduce how loud it can play with usable power. Most companies provide sensitivity expressed as the SPL measured at 1 meter from the cone, with 1 Watt applied. GR Bass indicates the sensitivity for the AT 110 is 98dB 1W/1m.
2. Usable power is the lower value between how much power the amp can deliver and how much power the cab can handle. If you get an 8 ohm cabs the usable power will be 250W which is how much the amp makes at 8 ohms. If you get a 4 ohm cab the usable power is 300W because that is how much power a single AT 110 is rated for.
Calculated SPL:
If you know the usable power and sensitivity expressed at 1W/1m, you can use this formula.
Calculated SPL = 10Log(Usable Power) + Sensitivity
Calculated SPL of 8 ohm AT 110 = 10Log(250) + 98 = ~122dB
Calculated SPL of 4 ohm AT 110 = 10(log300) + 98 = ~122.8dB
Neither of these options provide what I consider adequate headroom. If you cab can't play loud enough, the tendency is to turn it up, which may result in damage.
So the 4 ohm cab should be able to play slightly louder, but there is a problem. How will you know when you hit 300W? The speaker won't necessarily tell you it's suffering damage till it's too late. So the 8 ohm cab is a safer option and it gives up < 1dB.
Extension Cab Benefits:
1. If you choose the 8 ohm cab you have the option of running pair if you ever need more volume than one cab can provide.
2. Usually an extension cab will be connected in parallel. If you add a matching cab in parallel, the combined impedance is 1/2, the combined power handling is 2X, and the combined Sensitivity is +3dB.
3. Pair of 8 ohm AT 110s
Impedance:
1. With a tube amp you get the same power as long as the amp sees the expected load. For example if you have a 100W tube amp with 4 and 8 ohm outputs, you get 100W at either impedance.
2. Solid state amps often* make more power as the impedance goes lower (* check the specs). If you have the V1 TH500, it is rated 250W at 8 ohm and 500W at 4 ohms.
Speaker Power Handling:
1. In general you should make sure the speaker's RMS rating is at least as much power as the amp can deliver. This can be tricky as speakers have different power ratings.
2. RMS Power--This tells you the long term power level the speaker can handle without overheating the voice. This is what most companies provide. GR Bass indicates the power rating of the AT110 is 300 RMS (AES standard).
3. Mechanical Power--This is related to how much a speaker cone can move before it starts to incur damage. The problem here is the mechanical power handling at low frequencies can be significantly less then a cab's RMS power rating. Unfortunately most companies don't tell you anything about their speaker's mechanical power ratings.
Sensitivity and Usable Power:
1. This tells you how efficient a cab is and allows you to deduce how loud it can play with usable power. Most companies provide sensitivity expressed as the SPL measured at 1 meter from the cone, with 1 Watt applied. GR Bass indicates the sensitivity for the AT 110 is 98dB 1W/1m.
2. Usable power is the lower value between how much power the amp can deliver and how much power the cab can handle. If you get an 8 ohm cabs the usable power will be 250W which is how much the amp makes at 8 ohms. If you get a 4 ohm cab the usable power is 300W because that is how much power a single AT 110 is rated for.
Calculated SPL:
If you know the usable power and sensitivity expressed at 1W/1m, you can use this formula.
Calculated SPL = 10Log(Usable Power) + Sensitivity
Calculated SPL of 8 ohm AT 110 = 10Log(250) + 98 = ~122dB
Calculated SPL of 4 ohm AT 110 = 10(log300) + 98 = ~122.8dB
Neither of these options provide what I consider adequate headroom. If you cab can't play loud enough, the tendency is to turn it up, which may result in damage.
So the 4 ohm cab should be able to play slightly louder, but there is a problem. How will you know when you hit 300W? The speaker won't necessarily tell you it's suffering damage till it's too late. So the 8 ohm cab is a safer option and it gives up < 1dB.
Extension Cab Benefits:
1. If you choose the 8 ohm cab you have the option of running pair if you ever need more volume than one cab can provide.
2. Usually an extension cab will be connected in parallel. If you add a matching cab in parallel, the combined impedance is 1/2, the combined power handling is 2X, and the combined Sensitivity is +3dB.
3. Pair of 8 ohm AT 110s
A. Impedance 1/2 of 8 = 4 ohms
B. Power rating 2 X 300 = 600W
C. Sensitivity 3 + 98 = 101dB 1W/1m
D. Usable Power 500W. The TH500 is rated 500W at 4 ohms.
E. Calculated SPL Pair of AT 110s pushed by TH500 = 10Log(500) + 101 = ~128dB.
If the specs are reasonably accurate, a pair of AT 110s pushed by 500W is likely to meet most of your volume needs unless you play stupid loud.
From my experience, I'd steer you away from the GR powered cab. I had one - the 110 - and had issues with it. Great company, but if there's a problem you're dealing with guys in Italy. Tell us more about how you intend to use it - gigs, type of band, etc. Can then give you my suggestions, other than what to avoid.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,949
- 5
- 220,575
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
That would work well for the small (<200-300 watts at 4 ohms) heads.Really though, how much POWER does one need to feed 1 10" speaker?
I find it quite interesting that they even offer a 4 ohm 110...
T$
8 ohm cabs have brought me joy, happiness, and satisfaction. 4 ohm cabs have brought me woe, config issues, and the actual perceived difference in sound levels is usually far less than you think. Unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure you will never ever ever use a second cab, go with the 8 ohm.
8 ohm 112 if you're going to be playing electric bass w/ drummers at volume. If you're only playing upright or lower volume jazz the 110 can work. I would not get a GR cab if this is something you're going to be schlepping to gigs and rehearsals constantly, there have been numerous issues reported w/ their robustness which is just the consequence of being so extremely lightweight.
If you need a lightweight cab I'd suggest Barefaced.
If you need a lightweight cab I'd suggest Barefaced.
