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New Cab Help - What to Buy?

Jeff_K

Jeff_K

Dec 10, 2010
83
5
Westbrook, CT
#1
Hey everyone! It's time to replace my Hartke 4.5XL after many many years of service from that cab. It's getting quite heavy as I'm getting on in years.

I want to stick with a 4x10, mostly because it's what I'm used to, and I love its versatility.

My big question... which new 410 to get? I want something light, and for a while I had my heart set on an Acme Low B-4, but now I'm not so sure after reading about the Epifani UL410 series 2. I've also seen some other lightweight 410's out there too, like the SWR Golight, the Markbass 104HF, and even the Ampeg PN-410HLF.

I know a lot of the decision is based on personal taste, but it's hard to test an Acme or Epifani since there's no dealers around (and none at all in the case of Acme).

Any hints, tips, experiences, etc. would help and be greatly appreciated by me!

Jeff
 
#2
If schlepping is your complaint, you might want to consider two 2x10's... I used NYC Epis, but they aren't really light - my buddy NoStatic has a 2x10 Berg that he's REALLY happy with and it's quite light... Two of those would be pretty cool
 
#8
Waterpilot said:
I LOVE mine... I had to look up the weight and I believe it's at 72 lbs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my Hartke 4.5XL is around a 100lbs, so a GB would be a bit lighter, perhaps just enough. Plus I'd get the power handling I'm looking for.

What sucks is around here (Connecticut) there's no place to try out these cabs. I'm sure they're all great, but I'd love to be able to a/b an Epi with a Genz.

This is why I am relying on my fellow TBers to provide input.
 
#11
I've got a BRX410 and it's fantastic... I generally play with a fairly clean, punchy low-mid-range sound. The BRX doesn't have a huge bottom (that's what the FOH subs are for), but it has great definition from the low E on up.

Right now I'm looking for a lighter/smaller substitute for the 410... something I can sling around in a smaller car, and pack up stairs by myself. I was thinking maybe just the BRX210, but it still weighs in at 50 lbs. Any other ideas?
 
#12
Jeff_k
I just bought an Acme B2. Much of the common wisdom is accurate for them. The low end is astounding. I've not heard anything that does it more accurately. It is not a particularly punchy sounding cab and I imagine it might be a little lost in a really dense mix. It also isn't the most efficient cab but it will take a ton of power so it can still get plenty loud. And at what it does, I think it probably can't be beaten. Whether or not it is what fits your situation is another question.
 
#13
revroy said:
Jeff_k
I just bought an Acme B2. Much of the common wisdom is accurate for them. The low end is astounding. I've not heard anything that does it more accurately. It is not a particularly punchy sounding cab and I imagine it might be a little lost in a really dense mix. It also isn't the most efficient cab but it will take a ton of power so it can still get plenty loud. And at what it does, I think it probably can't be beaten. Whether or not it is what fits your situation is another question.
Click to expand...

Thanks revroy, that helps. I've been eying the Low B-2's now for quite some time. My only concern at this point is their power handling. I've emailed Andy with my specs and what I intend to do... hopefully he'll get back to me soon.
 
#14
Jeff_K said:
Thanks revroy, that helps. I've been eying the Low B-2's now for quite some time. My only concern at this point is their power handling. I've emailed Andy with my specs and what I intend to do... hopefully he'll get back to me soon.
Click to expand...

One other piece for the puzzle of the Acme's is that they are supposed to sound the same across the board so a B1 sounds the same as a B2 as a B4 with only the differences in volume from more speaker area... so 2 B2's should sound essentially the same as a B4 and will give you a bit more versatility albeit at a higher cost and a bit more total weight. At the same time though, you'd have the option of one B2 for lower volume gigs.
 
#15
I just picked-up a Schroeder 210PL with Ceramics.
Its about 45lbs. It is very snappy and loud as hell. Definitely the loudest 210 I have ever used. Bass response is very tight, it does not do the bass pillow sound. Bang-bang not Boom-Boom.
It cuts through the stage mix extremely well. Everybody has commented how much better they can hear me even with the volume much lower than I used to use with my old hartkes.
Overall, I like it very much and would recommend it to anyone who also DIs to the house speakers. It is a perfect bass stage speaker. As a stand alone, I would pair it with something else to get a bit more boom.

Has anyone tried the 118PL with the JBL speaker? I might get that to go with the 210PL to get a bit more of the pillow back.
 
#16
revroy said:
One other piece for the puzzle of the Acme's is that they are supposed to sound the same across the board so a B1 sounds the same as a B2 as a B4 with only the differences in volume from more speaker area... so 2 B2's should sound essentially the same as a B4 and will give you a bit more versatility albeit at a higher cost and a bit more total weight. At the same time though, you'd have the option of one B2 for lower volume gigs.
Click to expand...

Well, that's the kind of thing I need clarification on. My amp can push about 1400 watts at 4 ohms bridged, so do I get to 8 ohm B-2's and parallel the connections? Or do I split the amp (stereo) and run each B-2 on a seperate channel? What happens to the power rating when the cabs are in parallel? Is it simply 350 watts plus 350 watts to get 700 watts? And if that's the case, am I going to blow them to crap if I pump 1400 watts into them? And what if I want to use just one of them, can I do that without blowing it up?

These are the things that have me losing sleep right now. :confused:
 
#17
Jeff,
The B2 is rated at 300-350. If your amp does 350@8ohms on each side stereo, then that is what you would want to use.

My personal experience with two B4s powered by a Thunderfunk 750 was not very good. I found they kinda got lost in the mix. And, they are incredibly heavy.
 

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