Mixing speakers : SAME size but different brands in the SAME cab

[CassiusRegular]

Hi guys,

I have this project with a good friend of mine to build a custom 810.
The guy work is awesome, he mainly worked on guitar cabs and is starting to work more on cabs after spending solid time studing how to make a good cab work. (working on a website, his work here : Login • Instagram )

However, while me are working on the concept, we are having a little doubt on a specific topic : how would mixing same size speakers but of different brands would work ?

I know mixing size can create result/phase issues, but what about brands/model with similar power and sensitivity ?

To be more specific, we were thinking about mixing Eminence Basslite S2010 with Jensen BP10

BASSLITE® S2010 - Loudspeakers | Eminence Speaker

Punch BP 10/150 | Jensen Loudspeakers

The idea behind it would be to get both the mellow punch of the Jensen and the directness of the Basslite in a same 810 sealed cabinet.


Any experience on this ? I know guitarists mix speakers models all the time but not sure about bass ! Any help or advice is welcomed !

 

[Downunderwonder]

Phase response is not determined by diameter.

 

[CassiusRegular]

What are the specific point to look for to avoid phase issue ?

 

[jeff7bass]

Phase response is not determined by diameter.

Would separating the 810 with a baffle (making two 410's) help with phasing?

 

[Bass_Pounder]

You also do NOT want two different speakers sharing the same air space in the cab.

 

[agedhorse]

Would separating the 810 with a baffle (making two 410's) help with phasing?

No. The phase response is determined by the driver’s electro-acoustic properties as well as the cabinet volume and alignment.

You also do NOT want two different speakers sharing the same air space in the cab.

Agreed, when this occurs it’s generally suggested to reduce the low frequency power handling by ~50%.

 

[jeff7bass]

No. The phase response is determined by the driver’s electro-acoustic properties as well as the cabinet volume and alignment.


Agreed, when this occurs it’s generally suggested to reduce the low frequency power handling by ~50%.

Well I imagine the separate 410's could be designed differently but the resulting FrankenCab would be a exercise in futility.

 

[Killing Floor]

It may not perform how you wish.

 

[Downunderwonder]

What are the specific point to look for to avoid phase issue ?

Identical drivers or a degree in audio maths.

 

[Wasnex]

Hi guys,

I have this project with a good friend of mine to build a custom 810.
The guy work is awesome, he mainly worked on guitar cabs and is starting to work more on cabs after spending solid time studing how to make a good cab work. (working on a website, his work here : Login • Instagram )

However, while me are working on the concept, we are having a little doubt on a specific topic : how would mixing same size speakers but of different brands would work ?

I know mixing size can create result/phase issues, but what about brands/model with similar power and sensitivity ?

To be more specific, we were thinking about mixing Eminence Basslite S2010 with Jensen BP10

BASSLITE® S2010 - Loudspeakers | Eminence Speaker

Punch BP 10/150 | Jensen Loudspeakers

The idea behind it would be to get both the mellow punch of the Jensen and the directness of the Basslite in a same 810 sealed cabinet.


Any experience on this ? I know guitarists mix speakers models all the time but not sure about bass ! Any help or advice is welcomed !

It not uncommon to find an old Ampeg 810 with a variety of different drivers. The Ampeg is essentially four 210s. In other words there are four acoustic chambers with two speakers in each.

As long as you have matching pairs in each chamber it might work out okay, but the pair of drivers with the lowest power determines how much power the cab can take. So if you have six 150W drivers in three chambers and a pair of 50 watt drivers in the fourth chamber, that cab will be able to handle 400W. The assumption is all drivers have the same impedance and share the power equally. Since the weakest driver can only handle 50W (8x50=400).

Another factor you probably want to consider is the sensitivity of the drivers. Ideally it's best if all of the drivers have about the same sensitivity. If the sensitivity of some drivers is significantly lower than the others, they won't make much of a contribution to the sound.

A few years back it was fairly popular to drop a pair of Jensen Mod 10-50s into the top compartment of old Ampeg 810s. The Mods come in 32 ohms and were rated for 50Ws. They are a bit lean in the lows, but brighter than the OEM drivers. So the idea is get the lows from the six OEM drivers and get nicer highs from the pair of Mods. I believe it was recommend to run a capacitor with to filter out some of the lows. The 50W power handling is thermal rather than mechanical, so the Mod 10-50 will fart out if driven hard with low frequencies.

Here's a long thread on the Mod drivers: jensen mod 32 ohm 10 for svt . opinions needed please !

 

[vvvmmm]

Lemme point out that some guitar cabs are used, even designed this way. Matchless does it with a 4x12" cab, and Bogner with various 2x12". I think Dr. Z does it, also.

Edit: out of curiosity I just did a google, and 65 Amps and Friedman also sell mixed speakers. I seem to recall seeing a Supro or some recent vintage re-issue doing it, also ....

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Lemme point out that some guitar cabs are used, even designed this way. Matchless does it with a 4x12" cab, and Bogner with various 2x12". I think Dr. Z does it, also.

Edit: out of curiosity I just did a google, and 65 Amps and Friedman also sell mixed speakers. I seem to recall seeing a Supro or some recent vintage re-issue doing it, also ....

Guitar world and bass world are two completely different animals.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hi guys,

I have this project with a good friend of mine to build a custom 810.
The guy work is awesome, he mainly worked on guitar cabs and is starting to work more on cabs after spending solid time studing how to make a good cab work. (working on a website, his work here : Login • Instagram )

However, while me are working on the concept, we are having a little doubt on a specific topic : how would mixing same size speakers but of different brands would work ?

I know mixing size can create result/phase issues, but what about brands/model with similar power and sensitivity ?

To be more specific, we were thinking about mixing Eminence Basslite S2010 with Jensen BP10

BASSLITE® S2010 - Loudspeakers | Eminence Speaker

Punch BP 10/150 | Jensen Loudspeakers

The idea behind it would be to get both the mellow punch of the Jensen and the directness of the Basslite in a same 810 sealed cabinet.


Any experience on this ? I know guitarists mix speakers models all the time but not sure about bass ! Any help or advice is welcomed !

Seal the cab as 4 individual 210s.

As far as speakers go, keep them all the same.

 

[Jared Houseman]

Hi guys,

I have this project with a good friend of mine to build a custom 810.
The guy work is awesome, he mainly worked on guitar cabs and is starting to work more on cabs after spending solid time studing how to make a good cab work. (working on a website, his work here : Login • Instagram )

However, while me are working on the concept, we are having a little doubt on a specific topic : how would mixing same size speakers but of different brands would work ?

I know mixing size can create result/phase issues, but what about brands/model with similar power and sensitivity ?

To be more specific, we were thinking about mixing Eminence Basslite S2010 with Jensen BP10

BASSLITE® S2010 - Loudspeakers | Eminence Speaker

Punch BP 10/150 | Jensen Loudspeakers

The idea behind it would be to get both the mellow punch of the Jensen and the directness of the Basslite in a same 810 sealed cabinet.


Any experience on this ? I know guitarists mix speakers models all the time but not sure about bass ! Any help or advice is welcomed !

You might as well make two separate cabs, then you can have three different sounds and two different size options for various applications. If the speaker mixing doesn't work out, you'll still have two fictional cabs on their own.

 

[mikewalker]

...doesn't work out, you'll still have two fictional cabs on their own.

Fictional cabs!! Each with a Schrödinger's cat (potentially) sleeping on top?

 

[Downunderwonder]

Functional methinks.

 

[Pulverizor]

That Basslite S2010 info page doesn't list a power rating for sealed cabs, unsuitable?

 

[walterw]

Any experience on this ? I know guitarists mix speakers models all the time but not sure about bass !

Lemme point out that some guitar cabs are used, even designed this way. Matchless does it with a 4x12" cab, and Bogner with various 2x12". I think Dr. Z does it, also.

nope

Guitar world and bass world are two completely different animals.

yep

with guitar speakers you can mix and match however you want because pretty much all the action happens well above the resonant frequency of the cab, it doesn't really matter.

with bass speakers you have to have the exact right air pressure and excursion and frequency response and everything else with the cabinet or the speakers will sound bad or even blow up. cabinet tuning for low end is a very specific science.

with guitar the cab is just there to keep the speakers off the floor, with bass the speakers are just there to move the air inside the cab properly

 

[Papuzzo]

Everytime I see consensus telling someone not to break the established rules, it makes me think there might be a lot of room for innovation. Do the experiment(s). Just realize that innovation can get expensive and know when to throw in the towel.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Everytime I see consensus telling someone not to break the established rules, it makes me think there might be a lot of room for innovation. Do the experiment(s). Just realize that innovation can get expensive and know when to throw in the towel.

We have had a number of ''innovators'' show up over the years. I can't recall any sucessful outside the box projects.