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Need to get a used 112 cab, looking at very different ones, needs to be compact

T

toughluck

Mar 18, 2025
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530
44
#1
So I actually do need to get a 112 cab. The 110 I'm using (Joyo B110) sounds great at low volumes, but has bad power compression despite being rated for 100 watts and goes very thin after a few minutes.

The cab will pair with a tc electronic BH550 amp and I need a cab for rehearsals, but if it turns out to be good, I'm probably going to upgrade it to my main gig rig. For rehearsals, my most important consideration is for it to be compact. Low weight is secondary, but if my main rig gets updated, low weight will help me carry it around.

The cabs I'm currently looking at are:
EBS Classic 112CL
Hartke HD112
TC Electronic RS 112

These are withing my budget and available locally (more or less).

From the specifications, they're all pretty similar, They all go low enough, they all play loud enough, they're all praised by their owners.

Am I correct in assuming I'd be happy with any of them or are there any pitfalls to look out for?
 
#3
toughluck said:
So I actually do need to get a 112 cab. The 110 I'm using (Joyo B110) sounds great at low volumes, but has bad power compression despite being rated for 100 watts and goes very thin after a few minutes.

The cab will pair with a tc electronic BH550 amp and I need a cab for rehearsals, but if it turns out to be good, I'm probably going to upgrade it to my main gig rig. For rehearsals, my most important consideration is for it to be compact. Low weight is secondary, but if my main rig gets updated, low weight will help me carry it around.

The cabs I'm currently looking at are:
EBS Classic 112CL
Hartke HD112
TC Electronic RS 112

These are withing my budget and available locally (more or less).

From the specifications, they're all pretty similar, They all go low enough, they all play loud enough, they're all praised by their owners.

Am I correct in assuming I'd be happy with any of them or are there any pitfalls to look out for?
Click to expand...
I have two of the Eden EX-112 cabs, both are in 4Ω. I got one specifically for use in small venues like brewpubs. I would use my DNS-410 for all other gigs. So I bought it in 4Ω to get the most out an amp by itself. Never planned on buying a second one. The first night I played through it though I liked it so much that I ordered a second one the next day. From there I would use just one of them for small venues being driven by my Eden TN-226 amp (225-watts rms). For medium-sized venues (the bulk of our gigs) I would take a second one along and use my dual power channel Eden WT500/800. Got a lot of compliments on my sound with that rig but had to use my full size class AB solid state amp because it did not have an amp that would handle a 2Ω load back then.

The cabs themselves are very compact. My Eden TN-226 amp is a class D amp and also very compact and weighs just 30-lbs with its Neo speaker. I can actually bring in my bass, gig bag, amp in it's shoulder bag and my bass in one trip...very handy! It is really compact because instead of a separate tweeter horn, it uses a whizzer cone (cone within a cone) for the high mids and highs. Whizzer cones often produce thin and brittle highs, but not this Eden cab. It was designed by David Nordschow (founder of both Eden in 1976 and DNA in 2009) and it just sounds great. It will handle 300-watts rms and has a sensitivity rating of 101db with 1W/1M.

Here's my small venue rig. Notice how nicely it fits within a chair:
TN226PlusEX112_600x846.jpg


And here's a shot of what was my rig for medium-sized venues for about a year before I got my DNA endorsement and bough a DNS-210 cab by DNA. You can really see the compactness of those cabs in this picture. Notice I turned the cabs sideways to line up the ports on the cab and my "normal" Eden amp is hanging off the sides of the cabs giving it a bit of a "T" shape. You can see the whizzer cone distinctly in this photo.

2x12_Set-Up_600x917.jpg


Here's link to the info on it from the "Old" Eden website - Eden EX-112 cab
Price on them at the time was typically between $269 and $299. Used they typically command those same prices. I could probably let you have one of mine for $250 if you're interested in that. If you think you might want to run two of them down the road though, I'd suggest you get them both in 8Ω because most amps can handle a 4Ω load while not a lot of amps now days can handle 2Ω. Check sites like Reverb and E-bay for used ones too.

Eden also came out with a new series of cabs within the last couple of months and they have an Eden Nova Tone 112 cab as part of that mix. They are $259 new from Gear4Music but you have to order it through their UK site and you may have to pay duty to get it into the US. They do not handle as much power as the EX-112 cab. The EX-112 handles 300-watts rms and the Nova Tone 112 handles just 200-watts rms. The EX112 uses speakers designed by David Nordschow and the newer Nova Tone 112 does not.

Eden says it is based on David's D-series 112XLT or XST cabs. I actually contacted David Nordschow last week trying to find a 10" replacement speaker for a DNS-410 cab for a fellow here on TB who bought that DNS-410 used. While I was e-mailing him, I asked David if he had been involved with the new speaker cab series by Eden. After he left Eden in 2009 and Marshall bought Eden in 2011 (12-31-2011), Marshall contracted him to design some of their new smaller cabs for them.

I'd hoped Gear4Music was smart enough to do something similar but David said he was not involved at all in them. In any case here's a link to the new Invalid Link Removed Unfortunately they do not have a weight on it, but since it is a larger cab, it makes sense that it will be heavier than the EX-112 cab. Also it looks like they only have them in 4Ω versions right now. Unfortunately I don't know of any Eden dealerships in the US where you could hear or play through them. Probably worth checking You Tube for some demos of it.
 
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#4
Those Nova Tone cabs are very interesting, but I'll need to measure the size available for stowing away the cab when not in use. 48.5 cm might be too much.

EX112 looks fine, though. A single jack input is slightly annoying (I'd need to make a splitter if I wanted to use two) but that's okay. It doesn't go as low as the other cabinets I listed, but it's not that much of a critical requirement (unless it drops off a cliff below 42 Hz and you can hear fundamental E#, but not E).

Pulverizor said:
I might be wrong but the TC RS cabs are no longer in production? I'd cross that one off the list, too old.
Click to expand...
I don't mind it that much. It was released in 2009 and was available at least until 2018 or so. The manufacturer is not defunct and if I were to not consider stuff that's out of production, there wouldn't be much to buy on the used market.
 
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#5
well, all of them will be an improvement over what you have currently. but it's still just only a 1x12 cab and at some level of volume that won't be enough.

a neo cab is usually worth it: it's both lighter and louder than the ceramic one.

a pitfall of TC is the lack of service if you'll need to. based on this, if you're in EU, get the EBS, if in US get a Hartke. they do sound differently tho.
 
#7
Right now the MarkBass NY112p is on sale at MF for $449 NEW!

New York 121 1x12 Bass Cabinet Specifications:​

  • Impedance: 8 ohms
  • Speaker size: 1x12"
  • Bass port: Rear
  • Tweeter: Piezo
  • Power handling: 400W RMS (AES standard)
  • Crossover frequency: 3.5kHz
  • Frequency response: 45Hz-18kHz
  • Sensitivity: 100 dB SPL
  • Weight: 29 lb.
  • 15-3/10" W x 17" H x 14-1/10" D
 
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#8
Everyone will reply with their favorite cabs so you will get a lot of answers.

I use Hartke gear and like it, I have an HD115, an HD210 and two HD112s. I mix and match those based on the type of gig and venue.

For loud rock bands, I find that 2x12 cabs are just enough but I like to have headroom so I generally go with the 1x15/2x10 cabs when playing loud. I use a single 112 or both 112s if the venue is smaller or I'm playing a different genre.

For me, Hartke amps and cabs have been solid and reliable. I can carry an HD112 in one hand and they have a nice, balanced sound to me.

The only negative I can say about Hartke stuff is that I usually have to take off the front grill and tighten all the screws in the speaker cones when I buy a new cabinet. Otherwise, I get a rattle at certain frequencies. Once I do this, everything is solid and I haven't had to touch them again.
 
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#9
toughluck said:
So I actually do need to get a 112 cab. The 110 I'm using (Joyo B110) sounds great at low volumes, but has bad power compression despite being rated for 100 watts and goes very thin after a few minutes.

The cab will pair with a tc electronic BH550 amp and I need a cab for rehearsals, but if it turns out to be good, I'm probably going to upgrade it to my main gig rig. For rehearsals, my most important consideration is for it to be compact. Low weight is secondary, but if my main rig gets updated, low weight will help me carry it around.

The cabs I'm currently looking at are:
EBS Classic 112CL
Hartke HD112
TC Electronic RS 112

These are withing my budget and available locally (more or less).

From the specifications, they're all pretty similar, They all go low enough, they all play loud enough, they're all praised by their owners.

Am I correct in assuming I'd be happy with any of them or are there any pitfalls to look out for?
Click to expand...
Not sure what your budget is, but the old adage, "you get with you pay for" seems to ring true more often than not. If you want one of the best sounding, lightweight 112 cabs out there, I would go with a Mesa Subway 112. It is truly a mighty mite! Weighing in around 33 pounds, it's easy on the back and its dimensions are nice and small (H 15.25 W 19.25 D 18.25). Mesa stands behind their products and their customer service and craftsmanship are top notch. Brand new, their cabs come with a 5 year warranty... how many brands offer that? You can find a used one on Reverb for $800. But if you do a little research, you can probably snag one for around $700. Good luck in your query.
 
Last edited:
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#10
I'm in EU, so can't take advantage of that.

There are actually a lot of used Markbass cabs, but from what I see, they are VERY polarizing. There are people who swear by them and leave raving reviews, but it seems for every one of them, there are very vocal reviews against them from people who apparently swear at them. I didn't see that much negative sentiment about any other brand.

A lot of people seem to get them, be happy with them and play them. In case of Markbass it's like a lot of people don't like them (for whatever reason) but buy them apparently to punish themselves.

Much as I love orange, I don't like that their gear draws attention to itself so much. But since used Markbass cabs hold their value rather well, it's a moot point, I'd only consider one if it's in my price range.

And I don't have shops that I can visit to try them all out and get a feel about them. There are several stores in my area but if they carry any bass amps, there are mostly just combos. Cabs and heads are unheard of, usually just one or two cabs in a store. I get why, but it obviously means checking them out is impossible.

Aloe said:
a pitfall of TC is the lack of service if you'll need to. based on this, if you're in EU, get the EBS, if in US get a Hartke. they do sound differently tho.
Click to expand...
Does it really matter? I know that EBS is a Swedish brand and Hartke is American, but all their gear is made in China from components made in China, so in case service is needed, parts will come from China.

I'm getting a used cab, so if I have to replace the speaker, I'd be getting something generic, since I don't see replacement speakers for any of these cabs for sale, even for current models.
 
#12
PrestoZoom said:
Everyone will reply with their favorite cabs so you will get a lot of answers.

I use Hartke gear and like it, I have an HD115, an HD210 and two HD112s. I mix and match those based on the type of gig and venue.

For loud rock bands, I find that 2x12 cabs are just enough but I like to have headroom so I generally go with the 1x15/2x10 cabs when playing loud. I use a single 112 or both 112s if the venue is smaller or I'm playing a different genre.

For me, Hartke amps and cabs have been solid and reliable. I can carry an HD112 in one hand and they have a nice, balanced sound to me.

The only negative I can say about Hartke stuff is that I usually have to take off the front grill and tighten all the screws in the speaker cones when I buy a new cabinet. Otherwise, I get a rattle at certain frequencies. Once I do this, everything is solid and I haven't had to touch them again.
Click to expand...
Good to know. If I get the Hartke, I'll be sure to take a look and fix the screws.
Kipp Harrington said:
Not sure what your budget is, but the old adage, "you get with you pay for" seems to ring true more often than not. If you want one of the best sounding, lightweight 112 cabs out there, I would go with a Mesa Subway 112. It is truly a mighty mite! Weighing in around 33 pounds, it's easy on the back and its dimensions are nice and small (H 15.25 W 19.25 D 18.25). Mesa stands behind their products and their customer service and craftsmanship are top notch. Brand new, their cabs come with a 5 year warranty... how many brands offer that? You can find a used one on Reverb for $800. But if you do a little research, you can probably snag one for around $700. Good luck in your query.
Click to expand...
Didn't consider Mesa. Let me look them up... WOW. Nope. Way beyond my budget.

There was actually a Bergantino HT112 cab available until recently, quite a bit above my budget, but while I mulled over it, somebody snagged it.
 
#14
OP, between your choices I would go for the Hydrive HD112 and run it at 4 ohms, being careful not to overload it with all the wattage of your amp - use your ears and back off the volume if you approach distortion. My experience is that a single 12" (or 15") 8ohm speaker is a big let down if and when you're ever expected to carry a medium sized room. In any case you could run that cab at 8 or 4 ohms at will since it's switchable. Plus you can add another 8 ohm speaker to the HD112 in the future and run them together at a total 4 ohm load if you ever need to.

If it was me, in your situation, I would look for a used higher effeciency cab with a higher wattage rating. In your budget you could probably score something like a used 4 ohm (not 8ohm) Schroeder 12PL: 103db efficiency, 700 watts rms, 30 pounds. This would take everything your BH550 amp can put out and would always be a great piece of powerful gear. If you ever need to scale up you could move to a more powerful amp that can operate at 2 ohms (Mesa 800+, GK Legacy 800, etc.), and eventually scale up your cab situation to add another 4 ohm cabinet and run them together at 2 ohms. Or you could simple get a bigger cab to pair with your BH550 to suit your needs. Good luck in your search!
 
#15
toughluck said:
There are actually a lot of used Markbass cabs, but from what I see, they are VERY polarizing. There are people who swear by them and leave raving reviews, but it seems for every one of them, there are very vocal reviews against them from people who apparently swear at them. I didn't see that much negative sentiment about any other brand.
Click to expand...

my cab currently is a 102 markbass. I've used to have the EBS 112 (albeit, the neo one).

the EBS had nicer highs; the markbass has a bit of color in high mids (mine is Energy), like sounds a tad warm.
other than that (and rear vs front porting) they were pretty similar voiced cabs, but the 102 is more capable with getting loud, especially in lows (I play a 5-string and was able to fart out the 112, but not the 102).

toughluck said:
Does it really matter? I know that EBS is a Swedish brand and Hartke is American, but all their gear is made in China from components made in China, so in case service is needed, parts will come from China.

I'm getting a used cab, so if I have to replace the speaker, I'd be getting something generic, since I don't see replacement speakers for any of these cabs for sale, even for current models.
Click to expand...

yeah, service matters. you want a genuine driver, not an aftermarket one. bass cabs (unlike guitar ones) are a pretty complex thing and basically it works and sounds as designed with a stock speaker only, a speaker with different parameters -- and all the calculations (there're a lot of construction nuances that are made when the cab is made around a specific speaker, not the way around) are off.
 
#17
toughluck said:
I'm in EU, so can't take advantage of that.

There are actually a lot of used Markbass cabs, but from what I see, they are VERY polarizing. There are people who swear by them and leave raving reviews, but it seems for every one of them, there are very vocal reviews against them from people who apparently swear at them. I didn't see that much negative sentiment about any other brand.

A lot of people seem to get them, be happy with them and play them. In case of Markbass it's like a lot of people don't like them (for whatever reason) but buy them apparently to punish themselves.

Much as I love orange, I don't like that their gear draws attention to itself so much. But since used Markbass cabs hold their value rather well, it's a moot point, I'd only consider one if it's in my price range.

And I don't have shops that I can visit to try them all out and get a feel about them. There are several stores in my area but if they carry any bass amps, there are mostly just combos. Cabs and heads are unheard of, usually just one or two cabs in a store. I get why, but it obviously means checking them out is impossible.


Does it really matter? I know that EBS is a Swedish brand and Hartke is American, but all their gear is made in China from components made in China, so in case service is needed, parts will come from China.

I'm getting a used cab, so if I have to replace the speaker, I'd be getting something generic, since I don't see replacement speakers for any of these cabs for sale, even for current models.
Click to expand...
For some unknown reason, it seems fashionable to bash MarkBass and I really think half of those people have not even tried the gear. Take a look at the endorsees. Some of the Best bassists on the planet. I'd rather be lotted with them than some of these "critics".
 
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#19
Around 1200 zł (that's around €280, or $325). Mesa goes for four times that. I can't find used Mesa gear at the moment, but when there was one in the past, it went for over 3000, which is still much too high, and I'm not sure if it wasn't a used guitar cab.
 

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