Mesa ph... 1 2x15 or 2 1x15’s?

[mesaplayer83]

so weird!

maybe they were made for the tube heads?

My guess is that they were made for multiple cab big stage setups, but that's just a guess... I knew I wanted mine to be 4 ohm, because I knew the odds of me ever pairing it up with another cab were slim, and I could always run a pair of 4 ohm cabs off my Shuttlemax 12.0, or even slave an amp if I really wanted that much speaker power on stage... The amount of air that 215 will move is pretty amazing, though - tons of low end, but still has great punch and clarity...

Edited to add - you almost never see PH215 cabs come up on the used market...

 

[mmbongo]

Despite the specs, I really don't see them as being deeper or louder - but definitely MUCH lighter... A pair of PH115s weigh 144lbs, whereas a pair of the SW115s weigh 74lbs...

I believe @agedhorse has stated quite a few times that the Subways are indeed more sensitive and go deeper than the Powerhouse cabs. Not surprising, given the evolution of speaker and cab design.

 

[mesaplayer83]

I believe @agedhorse has stated quite a few times that the Subways are indeed more sensitive and go deeper than the Powerhouse cabs. Not surprising, given the evolution of speaker and cab design.

Yeah, I know that he stated that - but to *my* ears, it just doesn't seem so... I don't want to contradict Andy on something he knows FAR more about than I do, but am just being honest after owning and playing all of them... I played the PH115 side by side with the SW115 more than a few times - I know what it says on paper, and I know what I heard...

That being said, I'm keeping my pair of SW115s, and have flipped my last PH115 - if that says anything about it... Any differences in sound/volume/low end were small enough that they could easily be made up at the amp - but the Subways are SO much easier to gig with...

 

[mesaplayer83]

so weird!

maybe they were made for the tube heads?

Oddly enough, according to Mesa's site, the 8 ohm version is standard for the PH215, whereas the 4 ohm version is an option...

Standard Powerhouse 2x15 Bass Cabinet | MESA/Boogie®

 

[JTacker]

Thanks for all of your insight guys. I really appreciate the info and am glad to be a part of the community.

 

[baxter_x]

I actually owned a pair of PH115s and a PH215 at the same time - you would sacrifice nothing in tone or volume by going with the PH215, only modularity, IME/IMO...View attachment 3091502

How your SW215 compares to the 810?
Am asking as I'm considering selling my Fender 810 neo for the 215.