Mesa PH115 ???

[Dallyd31]

In my quest for a 410 cab, I have located a Mesa PH410 cab locally that I am going to look at early next week.
The guy who is selling it mentioned that he also has a matching Mesa PH115 and that he would sell the pair to me for a good deal if I wanted them both.

Seeing as I have never tried the 115, my question is, is it a good cabinet, and is it a good stand alone cab ( for rock with a Trace Elliot V4 all tube head). And would it match well with the PH410 ? I have heard reports both ways about hop the 115 will match up with the 410.

I was never considering both cabs, but now I am wondering if it may be a good modular rig..either use the 410, or the 115...or stack both for bigger gigs.
I am currently using a Berg NV610.

 

[RickenBoogie]

The pairing of a 410 with a 15 is among the worst possible, even though it's a popular choice. Please read up on this, right here in the amps forum, for the full story, but bottom line, bad mis-match.

 

[Daniel Piper]

Don't get it. The ph115 is an awesome cab On it's own though. Pretty deep lows with some nice upper mid grind.

 

[Dallyd31]

Don't get it. The ph115 is an awesome cab On it's own though. Pretty deep lows with some nice upper mid grind.

So, don't get it...because it isn't a match with the 410 ? Admittedly I am a bit confused because you said it was an awesome cab.

 

[steamthief]

Go listen to the stack with your amp. It might sound really good together, it might not. If not, and the deal is right, you could flip the 15 to offset the cost of the 410.

 

[klejst]

The pairing of a 410 with a 15 is among the worst possible, even though it's a popular choice. Please read up on this, right here in the amps forum, for the full story, but bottom line, bad mis-match.

I agree with this. However you may find you like it, it's your call. Both are good cabs though.

 

[Dallyd31]

Would I be better off then to match the 410 with 12's...or another 210 do you think ?

 

[Horny Toad]

Would I be better off then to match the 410 with 12's...or another 210 do you think ?

Your best would be to match two cabs of the same type. Two 4x10's or two 1x15's.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Would I be better off then to match the 410 with 12's...or another 210 do you think ?

You are better off MATCHING cabs.

That means same cab, same speakers, same specs.

*IF* you want to match a 2X10 with a 4X10, they need to contain the same spec speakers (only difference if one cab has 4 speakers, the other has 2).

You would also need to make sure that the 4X10 is a 4 ohm cab, the 2X10 is a 8 ohm cab, and your head can handle a 2 ohm load.

That way, each speaker in the total 6X10 setup is getting the same amount of power.

 

[Dallyd31]

In this particular case I was looking at a Mesa PH410 and a Mesa PH210...both 8 ohms.

That way I would have a modular rig...a 610 when I need it and a 410 when a smaller cab will suffice. And of course, easier to lug around than a 610 .

 

[Bass_Pounder]

In this particular case I was looking at a Mesa PH410 and a Mesa PH210...both 8 ohms.

That way I would have a modular rig...a 610 when I need it and a 410 when a smaller cab will suffice. And of course, easier to lug around than a 610 .

Not a good choice...............

The 8 ohm 2X10 will be getting the same amount of power as the 8 ohm 4X10.

That means that the 2 speakers in the 2X10 will be getting 2X the power of the speakers in your 4X10.

 

[Baird6869]

The pairing of a 410 with a 15 is among the worst possible, even though it's a popular choice. Please read up on this, right here in the amps forum, for the full story, but bottom line, bad mis-match.

True, I guess but worth a try IMO...

A frend's Mesa 115 sounded great with his Mesa 210 and my Ampeg 115 sounded great with my Ampeg 410. There can be exceptions...

I just bought a Mesa PH410 and personally would run a PH210 with it if I needed more cabinet...

 

[Mystic Michael]

So, don't get it...because it isn't a match with the 410 ? Admittedly I am a bit confused because you said it was an awesome cab.

The issue is whether the PH410 and the PH 115 are a good match for one another - not their respective degree of quality (although each one is very high-quality).

It is possible for each cab to be of exceptional quality, yet still not a good match for one another. Dig?

MM

 

[Dallyd31]

Not a good choice...............

The 8 ohm 2X10 will be getting the same amount of power as the 8 ohm 4X10.

That means that the 2 speakers in the 2X10 will be getting 2X the power of the speakers in your 4X10.

Interesting...

The guy I am buying the PH410 from has a stack that consists of a PH410 and a PH115. Both 8 ohms. Would this be the same issue here ?

I was not sure I wanted to go with a 115-410 combo, hence the topic of this thread. Although I have yet to actually hear the stack yet ( I will tomorrow). I currently use a Berg NV610 and wanted to go with something modular that was easier to move around and have the ability to use as a big and a smaller cab depending on the venue.

 

[dukeisdog]

Interesting...

The guy I am buying the PH410 from has a stack that consists of a PH410 and a PH115. Both 8 ohms. Would this be the same issue here ?

I was not sure I wanted to go with a 115-410 combo, hence the topic of this thread. Although I have yet to actually hear the stack yet ( I will tomorrow). I currently use a Berg NV610 and wanted to go with something modular that was easier to move around and have the ability to use as a big and a smaller cab depending on the venue.

Yup, again, matching cabs is the best. IF you try it out and happen to like what you hear... BUY IT. Play what works for you. I've seen several mis matched rigs that have sounded great, but when mixing speaker sizes there is a risk of phase cancellation

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Interesting...

The guy I am buying the PH410 from has a stack that consists of a PH410 and a PH115. Both 8 ohms. Would this be the same issue here ?

I was not sure I wanted to go with a 115-410 combo, hence the topic of this thread. Although I have yet to actually hear the stack yet ( I will tomorrow). I currently use a Berg NV610 and wanted to go with something modular that was easier to move around and have the ability to use as a big and a smaller cab depending on the venue.

There are many issues that come with running mis-matched cabs.

With the "classic" combining of a 4X10 with a 1X15 you can run into phasing issues (frequency cancellations and/or frequency combining that makes for bad sound). However, the biggest problem IS the power mis-matching.

Speakers make sound by moving air (displacement). Typical 15's only have a similar displacement as a 2X10. When combining with a 4X10, the single 15 is most times outgunned, and cannot keep up with the 4X10. It becomes the weakest link in your chain.

 

[RickenBoogie]

+1 to Basspounder. It's more about making sure ANY 2 cabs are paired well. Many things to consider, impedance, power handling, phase response, and the one that usually gets left off, "balancing" between the 2. A pair of 8 ohm cabs, no matter what they be, will each get exactly HALF the power your amp is pushing. If one cab has 4 drivers, they split it 4 ways, and if the other has only 1 or 2 drivers, they also split that same power between them. Imbalanced, and therefore putting the smaller of the 2 at risk of being "over-powered", or pushed beyond their excursion limits. Alot to know, but the easy way out is ALWAYS 2 identical cabs, every time. Even though ANY 2 cabs will most likely sound better than either cab alone, because it's louder, and louder usually sounds "better".

 

[babebambi]

If the 115 is double the impedance of the 410, then there is no power handling mismatch.

 

[Crabby]

I can speak from experience here as I have owned the Mesa 410, 210, and 115 cabs at the same time and compared them all. I actually had a pair of 410 cabs and a pair of 115's and I have tried them in various combinations.

The 410 stacked on top of a 115 was the worst pairing, mainly because the cabs cancel each other out in certain frequencies. Each cab sounds much better on its own.

The 210 and 115 stack is much better balanced but still masks some of the characteristics of each cab when paired together.

The 115 stacked with another 115 is downright shocking in how massive and full it sounds. Adding the second cab seems to make things sound 10 times bigger. The cabs couple together and it's like a freight train of big round tone. I really like that setup.

Of course the pair of 410 cabs worked really well but now we are looking at 200 pounds of speaker and not too many of us want or need that type of heavy lifting.

The 410 with the 210 on top was actually a big surprise and sounded a lot better then I expected. Keep in mind, Mesa uses drivers with double the power rating in their 210 so each cab is rated at 600 watts handling capacity. It's still a mismatch but this pair does sound really good together. I also found that the Mesa 210 sounded sweeter then the 410. A pair of them would be a killer setup although they are heavy and bulky for 210 cabs.

As someone who has owned a ton of high end gear, I ended up keeping my Mesa PH 412 for the bigger stuff and run a pair of PH112 cabs for everything else. They are the secret weapons in the Mesa lineup.

So for the original poster, I would jump at both the 410 and the 115 but would likely then re sell the 410 as they are easy to sell and find another matching 115. Or just keep them and both and use them separately depending on the gig and tone you are looking for. Either one of those cabs on its own will cover just about any gig.

 

[lowendfriend]

When discussing a 410 with a 1x15, the issue is not electronic mismatch; it's sonic interference. The acoustic waves from one disrupt, and variously cancel and reinforce the waves from the other in very unpredictable ways.

Strong advice for the OP's original question: stick with the PH410 cab, pass on the 115 and consider buying another PH410 when you can (if you really need to!)