Mesa PH115 ???

[Dallyd31]

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.

Great info...thanks ! I actually have a line on a Mesa PH210 locally as well. So I have the option of a 410, 115 and 210. If you think the 210 and 410 pairing works really well, I may actually go that route.
And you found no "power" issues with tow 8 ohms cabs..and therfore too much power to the 210... as described in previous posts with the 210 on top of the 410 ?

 

[Dallyd31]

I picked up just the PH410 today, and boy, does this thing pound. Sounds awesome. Not lacking in the low end, that's for sure...and nice tight focused mids.

Now, to decide if I should add the 210 to make a modular unit !

 

[Gearhead17]

And you found no "power" issues with tow 8 ohms cabs..and therfore too much power to the 210... as described in previous posts with the 210 on top of the 410 ?

That means you are using it within the abilities of the 210 speaker. Which is a good thing, you have volume and tone control in your hands. When adding more speakers to a rig, many bass players end up trying to blast it as loud as possible to compete in a band situation. This usually ends in disaster.

 

[Crabby]

I think the fact that the Mesa 210 has drivers with double the power handling capacity then the 410, allows a measure of safety when running one of each cab together. But again, in my experience, the combo of the PH410 with a Ph210 stacked on top was really surprisingly good. The cabs sounded evenly matched and I noted no obvious frequency masking or phasing issues that are so apparent when pairing a 410 with a 115.

I think as long as you use your ears and don't push the cabs 9(especially the 210) harder then its made to go, you would never have any issues.

 

[Rockbobmel]

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 .

The older Mesa 4-10 Diesel cabs were 100+ lbs alone. I don't know about the newer models. They can't be too much lighter and they are deeper than the Berg.=100lbs.
Seems like a backwards move to me.

 

[walterw]

If you think the 210 and 410 pairing works really well, I may actually go that route.

you missed the point, mis-matches don't work "really well". that one likely works OK, because the 2x10 can take more power per speaker to survive the imbalance. it still means that the 8Ω 4x10 would be coasting while the 8Ω 2x10 was getting slammed.

 

[lowendfriend]

you missed the point, mis-matches don't work "really well". that one likely works OK, because the 2x10 can take more power per speaker to survive the imbalance. it still means that the 8Ω 4x10 would be coasting while the 8Ω 2x10 was getting slammed.

That's right!

It pays to match equivalent cabs. It's like phased array radars or sonars....the elements are all identical and the spacing is held constant. When done properly, they massively reinforce each other. When done badly, they cancel each other.

I've got a Neo 212-II.....If I ever need to mow down a forest, I'll get another Neo 212-II.

 

[walterw]

It's like phased array radars or sonars....the elements are all identical and the spacing is held constant. When done properly, they massively reinforce each other. When done badly, they cancel each other.

or closer to home, it's like sub cabs in a good PA; real live sound companies don't mix different kinds of sub cabs at the same time, and for the same reason.

 

[Dallyd31]

The older Mesa 4-10 Diesel cabs were 100+ lbs alone. I don't know about the newer models. They can't be too much lighter and they are deeper than the Berg.=100lbs.
Seems like a backwards move to me.

Well, I can say that the Mesa 410 is easier to move than my Berg NV610. It's very slightly lighter, but I can pick it up and move it myself, which I can't do with my Berg. I guess the cab being 11 inches shorter helps.

I compared the two cabs last night with my Trace Elliot V4 and I was very surprised by the Mesa. I was fully expecting it not to keep up with the Berg at all, but it did...it was very close. In fact, the Mesa may have had more lows.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Pretty sure the NV is a sealed cab whereas the Mesa is ported. So yes, should be more lows from the Mesa.