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Markbass still not using B&C speakers

#21
The new ones all say made in indonesia on them and will have the stamped speaker pictured above. If its one of the older models, it will say made in Italy, but apparently they switched operations a couple years ago without much fanfare. The open box is likely a return. GC has a lot of used one that are made in Italy.
 
#22
That's true but the pictures I have seen of the passive cabs the label doesn't say where it is made - Only the combos and amps do. I ordered it online and they offered a display model for a significant discount. That's why I'm hoping it has been on the floor for a couple years cause they seemed like they wanted to get rid of it. I am hoping there is a way to tell from the serial number or somehow a way to peek at the speaker without cracking it open
 
#23
I believe all the "blackline" 151HR are made in Indonesia as the blackline was always their value line. If the plate on the back doesn't say Italy or Indonesia (take a pic please), I'd unscrew the jack plate and look into the cab. It should be pretty easy to see if there is a black cast aluminum frame or the pictured "gold line" magnet on the speaker. Good luck and thankfully you can always return and order a used one if you're not happy.

back plate.png
 
#24
mikecd1 said:
I believe all the "blackline" 151HR are made in Indonesia as the blackline was always their value line. If the plate on the back doesn't say Italy or Indonesia (take a pic please), I'd unscrew the jack plate and look into the cab. It should be pretty easy to see if there is a black cast aluminum frame or the pictured "gold line" magnet on the speaker. Good luck and thankfully you can always return and order a used one if you're not happy.

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great thanks for the pic and explanation. it is shipping today so hopefully by the end of the week i can report back with something.
 
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#26
Yep, that's exactly what the sticker looks like :(
I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but what sets the indo units apart from the italian made ones? I've heard the term "farts out" and that the box construction/ wood quality isn't as good as before. is there honestly a discernable difference apart from the whole made in xxx country vs made in xxx country? I am honestly curious don't have a bias either way. if the units sound the same in either case then i wouldn't care but that's not the impression i am getting from people who have played thru both?
 
#27
That was why I started this thread. I owned an Italian made one and wanted to buy a pair of the NY121's to use as an alternative to my Rumble 210's(which are made in Indonesia by the way). I gave them the benefit of the doubt and waited till they arrived, but they sounded nothing like my originals so I bought some used ones and am very happy with the sound and the power handling. YMMV and honesty worth giving a try. I found them twangy and not warm at all like my older cabs. I love my Rumble cabs by the way and they sound excellent with the designed by Eminence speakers inside. Personally I feel the new Markbass cabs and amps should be priced accordingly. Why would I want to pay top price if I'm not getting Italian plywood and the Italian B&C speakers? Rumbles are a much better sounding value IMHO. Look forward to hearing what you heard and think of the new design.
 
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#28
What I liked about the markbass initially was the prospect of excellent sound in a small package. i tried an indo version in the store before I realized they weren't made in italy anymore and admit I did like the sound compared to others in the store. what has me curious is how much better the older models are compared to these new ones as I have not heard both to compare, which is what I would ideally like to do. to me the comparison point is key and having multiple models on hand at the same time to switch back and forth to, will reveal more subtle yet important sound differences. there are just too many options on the market to make a meaningful comparison so I went with the first thing that sounded good to my ears. I do think that the markbass products could be overpriced if they are not made to the same spec as before. I wish there were more cabinets targeting the big sound in a small package arrangement on the market.
 
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#29
I have to think that the dynamics of moving all manufacturing offshore created savings that were not passed on to the customer. That said, in the Markbass Club official thread there is a whole discussion about the changeover to stamped steel frame speakers vs. the B&C cast aluminum speakers and the amps being made in Indonesia now. I have not played one of the Indo amps so I can't comment. Again, for me anyway, that didn't save the consumer anything and there are some of us who prefer the previously made products over the new ones. Did you ever get your 151HR and if so, how did you like the sound? Basically, if it doesn't say made in italy, you've got the new "yellow line" speaker. Post a pic of the plate when you can.
 
#30
I did get the 151HR and it is disappointingly the newer yellow line model. I do like the sound it is fat and deep without sounding too boomy but I haven't tried it at higher volumes yet.


One interesting thing I noticed is that the big bang amp I also got with it doesn't sound anything like the little mark III or the combo amp (which I think is still a LMIII). its much quieter and mellow sounding which I wasn't expecting.
 

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#31
Hey, if the shoe fits you know? I'm not saying that some of the yellow lines aren't decent sounding cabs and would be glad to know that people like some of them. That's a lot bigger cab you got than my NY121 which I'm sure has a bigger bottom, but my little NY 121's with the B&C's have a really nice sound that I just couldn't get from those Indo-mark NY121's. They sounded thin and twangy and should have been priced a lot cheaper. Don't know what you paid for that 151HR, but I'm sure you'd be impressed if you played a used one with a B&C stamped frame speaker. I don't know if "tight" is a word we can use to describe how a speaker sounds, but my B&C's sound focused, take a decent amount of power and put out a mighty good thump. Feed that thing some juice and let us know what you think.
 
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#34
i got to admit i miss my SWR 750 head 210 aguilar are how ever you spell it cab and i had a cab loaded with a 15 EV also had a cab loaded with a 18 when needed I am really a SWR man but the MarkBass sounds good and was easier to lug around, and i sold my big big rig, but if i had to buy again i would try the new smaller SWR heads with 210 cab, around 500 watts. but i do like my MarkBass.
 
#35
Well, speaking of the big rigs I miss my old cerwin vega 18 cab - that thing put out bass like it was nobody's business. It was kind of like the old acoustic 360 design with the driver firing towards the back of the cab. That together with a gauss 2x10 would handle about anything. I don't even have car or van big enough for that thing anymore, but I'd sure love to play through it again!
 
#36
mikecd1 said:
That was why I started this thread. I owned an Italian made one and wanted to buy a pair of the NY121's to use as an alternative to my Rumble 210's(which are made in Indonesia by the way). I gave them the benefit of the doubt and waited till they arrived, but they sounded nothing like my originals so I bought some used ones and am very happy with the sound and the power handling.
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They wouldn't sound the same straight away, you do realise bass drivers (as with any driver) need breaking in before they achieve full cone extension and optimum sound quality!? I'm not saying they are as good, quite probably not as MB have sold out to maximise profits, which most companies eventually do (Trace Elliot did it in the 80's apparently) I'm lucky enough to have an Italian made MB Little Mark II head & 2x10 102HF cab which sound wonderful. And with regard to comments (not sure if it was you) saying no saving is passed on to the customer, not actually true! Around 5 years ago the 102HF cab (Italy build) was retailing for over £619 (best online price) now they are still £110 cheaper at £509. When build initially changed to (originally China I believe) the prices did drop substantially so fair play they did pass on some of the savings and maybe made the change simply to compete in what is an ever expanding market!
 
#37
A lot of the new Markbass gear seems to constantly be on sale a lot of the time in the GC's around here and I see at MF as well. From what I hear that's not because they're selling so well in fact when they were at their peak you could hardly get a penny off on them. I've never failed to get a really good idea of what a speaker sounds like when it was new although I'd agree they don't develop full power handling until properly broken in. There's a lot of threads about advantages of cheap stamped frame speakers vs cast frame and most folks agree the cast frames take higher power a lot better. I love that 102HF cab btw, it has a great sound and is front loaded too.
 
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#39
mcnach said:
when people talk about MB selling out and not being as good as they used to, and using inferior drivers etc... it would be good to have some actual evidence for that. Now THAT would be useful to those looking to buy something. Otherwise it's just hot air that does nothing but confuse the heck out of anybody trying to do a little research.
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In some of the other threads there is other shared information and observations. My information is based on prior experience with products I have owned in the past, current experiences based on the two new ones that I purchased and used over a weekend. I'm not saying anything about selling out or the inferiority of anything they are selling except in how it is different from what they used to sell and how it performed differently from those older products that I used and is constructed differently.

My overall review is comparing with the older models. I experienced a thinner sound with less power handling (before breakup), MDF board instead of Italian polar plywood, stamped frame instead of cast frame speakers. My observations are based on these facts and observations. YMMV - Anyone who has not used the older Italian-made products may have nothing else to compare with so they will have to compare with whatever other retail products available at the store or take it upon themselves to seek out older products and judge for themselves if they are compelled to this brand. You can also read some of the reviews on retailer websites as well, but the purpose of this thread was a heads-up to anyone who had expectations of older features in newer products. In some of the other threads there is other information and observations especially how a lot of this was done under the "subject to change without notice" disclaimer before the word got around and some people bought new items from ads that advertised the older features and were pretty upset about it. If you buy new you can usually return, but there is a lot of the new stuff turning up used so its good to know what you're getting. Hope this helps and everyone has their own sound they're looking for so they may hear things differently.
 
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#40
mcnach said:
when people talk about MB selling out and not being as good as they used to, and using inferior drivers etc... it would be good to have some actual evidence for that. Now THAT would be useful to those looking to buy something. Otherwise it's just hot air that does nothing but confuse the heck out of anybody trying to do a little research.
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Yes maybe I shouldn't have used the term 'sold out' as I'm sure they believe their products to still be of high quality. However IF they have switched to MDF for the cabs that is poor show because, although debatable that this would be detrimental to sound quality, it certainly doesn't have as long a life as good quality ply! And ply, so I've read, has certain 'musical' qualities not possessed by MDF and most people assume that a 'premium' brand would use the better materials for cabinet construction. I guess it's a case of the player trying, rather than buying online just based on a brand name! By the way, how do you rate the Barefaced 2x10..? I've been looking at trying one!
 

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