New, and confused about size vs. tone

[ColoradoRex]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

 

[mmbongo]

I mainly use 1x12's

You're not missing anything. Use the cabinet that delivers the sound you want. Speaker size by itself means nothing. That's like saying 20" tires ride better than 17" tires.

 

[Al Kraft]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

Speaker size is only one variable in the bass cab design equation. The speakers selected and their operational characteristics as well as how they are integrated into a tuned system (which includes cabinet design) determines the voicing of the cab. Speaker size is most useful for knowing what diameter hole to cut to mount it.

Obviously there are some aspects of speaker size that do matter (e.g. we don't see 15" and 18" tweeters or 2" woofers in bass cabs). However, speaker size is not as significant a driver or predictor of cab performance as many believe.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It isn't 1970. There are lots of factors that go into how a cab is voiced. Use your ears, not your eyes.

 

[abarson]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

“Better” is relative. Some people like ultra-clear high fidelity, while others like more low and meaty.
As others have said, size doesn’t determine tone.

 

[Killing Floor]

All that above. Intuitively you'd think a 15" or an 18" speaker is better for bass. The drivers have improved so much, cabinet design is an engineered process, not just a box. I use mostly 12" with a horn in the cab. No right answer except listen, what appeals to you? The evolution in design is that the speakers don't compensate for bass with size. Many of us are using smaller enclosures that in some cases are louder than the older massive cabs. And many of us use Low Pass Filters (LPF) which cuts off the ultra lows that you can't hear but cause your speakers to work harder. It's like free volume. Some amps have them built in.

 

[ThisBass]

What am I missing?

The bigger the speaker the better the radiation impdance of a speaker.
As the radiation impedance depends on speaker size and frequency,
The bigger the speaker size ....

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

in first instance the better the radiation impedance (that also depends on frequency) the better the radiation impedance.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

cause at some content cone excursion replacment can be substituded for speaker size. And a couple of small speakers can substitude one large one

What am I missing?

Radiation impedance

 

[Camaro69]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

Listen with your ears, not your eyes

What part of CO are you in?

 

[ColoradoRex]

Colorado Springs

 

[ColoradoRex]

I'm looking up radiation impedance now...

 

[GreyBeard]

You see all different size speakers these days used for bass. You still have the traditional 15 and 18 inch drivers but, Phil Jones uses 5" speakers and manages to make it all work. 4x10's can play just as low as 2x15's and can have better overall response. Best advice is to buy what sounds good to you no matter what size drivers are being used.

 

[rylie]

what you're missing is the weight of a 15/18 cab
210s and 112s can be just as effective with a lighter cab weight

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

I like 12s. But, I've played through good 12s more than good 15s, or 10s even. But, more speaker, more sound. One 15" speaker, does as much as two and a half 10s, or one and a half 12s. So, a 15 isn't going to be as good as a 212, or 410. Two 15s will blow a 410 out of the water, but 412s will blow that out of the water and keep up with any 610. 810s, is only beat by 415s, 612s, 1210s, add infinum...get it?

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

To me modern 12" drivers seem to be abit of a sweet spot. Running a modualr setup getting a 1x12 with a pair of good 2x12 cabs you could cover everything from small to larger shows short of only arena size and large out door festival stuff. I love being able to scale up for the size of the show as needed.

 

[juancaminos]

I don't know about all of the gobble gook but I have used 110, 115, 210, 212, 215, 410, 610, 415 and a few double 410 stacks. So far my favorite all around every day use cabinet has been the 410.

I am in the process of trying a 210 & 115 stack. Haven't gigged it yet but have high hopes ( I will have an opportunity on May 21). Next will be a 210 & 210 stack as soon as my back ordered 210 gets here (looks like August). This is for the sake of light weight schlepping.

 

[roller]

+1 on not getting too caught up on speaker size. Sure, different size speakers generally yield specific tone ranges and characteristics... but just like pickup type, pickup number, pickup placement, string gauge, string material, etc., you should ultimately go with whatever you need to get the sound you want.

All that being on the table, +1 on 12-inch speakers. They really are a nice sweetspot between a tight punch and a low-end woof that moves air. If I was forced to go with one speaker size, it would be a 12... no question.

What am I missing?

 

[Iristone]

I mainly use 1x12's

You're not missing anything. Use the cabinet that delivers the sound you want. Speaker size by itself means nothing. That's like saying 20" tires ride better than 17" tires.

And I ride a 28" so I must be the best

 

[Auspuff]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

SVT810, and never look back.

 

[Element Zero]

The bigger the speaker the better the radiation impdance of a speaker.
As the radiation impedance depends on speaker size and frequency,
The bigger the speaker size ....

in first instance the better the radiation impedance (that also depends on frequency) the better the radiation impedance.

cause at some content cone excursion replacment can be substituded for speaker size. And a couple of small speakers can substitude one large one

Radiation impedance

Paging @agedhorse First I’ve heard of this term.

 

[cnltb]

I would have thought that for bass, the bigger the speaker (15", 18"), the better the tone.

But, it seems like people here get great (better?) bass tone from a 4X10 or 8X10.

What am I missing?

...define 'better'.