Loudest/Most Impressive Little Cab?

[::::BASSIST::::]

fEARful 12/6 is hands down my favourite small cab. At 36LBS and sized at a little bigger than a 112, it sounds amazing with oodles of low-end and all the mids you could want. Throw enough power into it and you can quite loud, while retaining great tone.

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[Menno]

I think the Barefaced S12T is very impressive and very loud for its size.

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[Oobly]

Glasstone 212 Lil G. Light, low and loud. It was bound to happen.

Surprised it took so long for someone to mention this little cab. From what I have read it's a good one! Very intriguing. Novel design with the second 12 facing down into the port, makes for a very compact 212.

 

[DrDAV14]

Tone hammer 500 with 2 Arnopol composite Fearless F112's.
Total rig= less than 50lbs and loud enough to do the job.

 

[lowphatbass]

Old Schroeder 1212L...loud, light and a small footprint. It seems to sound it's best on-end w/ the horn on the bottom and the angled interior driver facing upward.

 

[seamonkey]

So I see the OP didn't mention "Lowest"
As in "Loudest,Lowest,Smallest"
Here's some choices, they are trade offs

Size in this case being how compact you want it.

You can maybe get by with less SPL since high power amps are cheaper these days.

Cabs that actually publish measurements are the most honest with these tradeoffs.

 

[eff-clef]

I have 7 different Bass cabs, and I like them all(my fEARful/5stringpocket 1212/66 being the favorite), but I have a Schroeder 21012 BMF that is CRAZY LOUD and growly. I've been using at our ridiculously loud Modern rock band rehearsals and it kills. It is small and light, but ferocious! It still shocks me.

 

[eff-clef]

My Schroeder is the pie that is half SPL.

 

[1958Bassman]

I don't own one, but I have played through a Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout, 1x12 with 8" passive radiator. That combo is really impressive. It gets a deep bass tone with clear mids and highs. It gets plenty loud, too.

8" passive radiator? That's a new one- usually passive radiators are the same size or larger than the woofer. A smaller passive needs to experience much higher excursion when it's in the same cabinet as a larger driver and many can't handle it.

 

[seamonkey]

My Schroeder is the pie that is half SPL.

New Schroeder's are looking good!

 

[dhomer]

No mention of a Faital Pro 8PR200-outfitted 2x8?

I will have first hand experience with a C88 very shortly, but in general these cabs really need a good highpass filter to compete in SPL.. F210 will be a game-changer...

 

[jreynolds2159]

I said it before and I'll say it again. 1-Genz Benz Streamliner 900 head with 2-DNA DNS112N cabs. This is the most portable, loud, sweet sounding rig hat I have ever had. Loud when needed, very nice low end with incredible high end. Very lean and true.
Can't get enough.

 

[b-b-b-bass]

In reference to the pie charts, above, would not two segments increase in proportion while one decreases, instead of what is shown? Should not two segments, each individually be larger than 1/3 of the pie, and one segment represent the remaining less-than-1/3?

Two big slices and one smaller slice. Methinks that would be more representative of Hoffman's Iron Law, 'pick any two'.

 

[Ewo]

Brad mentioned the Glasstone Li'l G above, so I'll add the Baer ML112 to the list. They've both worked very well for me.

A lotta flavors of good in small, loud cabs these days.

 

[IanA]

As already stated, the Baer ML112 is seriously impressive for its size

 

[WingKL]

Nobody mentioned BFM's Jack 10 Lites? The tone may or may not be your cup of tea but there is no disputing they are loud for their size and weight.

 

[iualum]

Nobody mentioned BFM's Jack 10 Lites? The tone may or may not be your cup of tea but there is no disputing they are loud for their size and weight.

You've got that right. I have two Omni 210s (the Jack's predecessor) with Delta Lite II 2510s. Each 4 ohms. Serious SPL.

 

[seamonkey]

In reference to the pie charts, above, would not two segments increase in proportion while one decreases, instead of what is shown? Should not two segments, each individually be larger than 1/3 of the pie, and one segment represent the remaining less-than-1/3?

Two big slices and one smaller slice. Methinks that would be more representative of Hoffman's Iron Law, 'pick any two'.

The pie segments aren't labelled so well, but it does depict Hoffman's Iron law.

"Bass" is how low the cabinet can go.
"SPL" is how loud it can play.
"Size" is really how compact the cab is. It would be an inverse function of the actual size.

For example, Several cabs here have been mentioned that two drivers are shoved into a cabinet sized for one driver. In this case the the "Size" is more compact and it's slice grows, and squeeze down the "Bass" slice. If the SPL grows it squeezes down the Bass slice also.

It's a compromise. Not that anybody doesn't like their cabinet. It's just that there is still no magic bullet around, nothing able to squeeze out more than it's fair share. The same driver used in different cabinets has to obey Hoffman's law.

 

[Mastermold]

My Mesa Walkabout Scout 12" does just fine with a drummer, two electric guitar players and one steel guitarist without any PA support.

 

[RonniePudding]

I was shopping for a 112 and ended up buying a used (older model) Schroeder Mini 10L from another TB'er. It's a cube, 16" in all dimensons, and weighs 21 lbs. For the footprint and driver size, it's remarkably loud.