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Opinions on Seismic Audio 2x15 cab?

Olde Axeman

Olde Axeman

May 26, 2010
515
305
Middle Tennessee
#1
I'm getting tired of lugging gear to the rehearsal space so I've decided to try and put together a budget rig that will sound reasonably decent while saving wear and tear on my higher end gear. Caught a new Carvin BX500 on sale for $340 with free shipping and now need a cab to go with it.

The Seismic Audio 2x15 cab seems almost too good to be true. A 4-ohm, 600 watt, 66 lb bass cab made of 5/8" plywood for $215 and free shipping.

The specs, price, and reviews sound great but I'm skeptical. Has anyone had any experience with one of these? I mean specifically the 2x15. I could get two 1x15's but that is both more expensive and heavier.

2x15" Bass Guitar Speaker Cabinet | 215 Bass Cab | Dual 15" Speakers
 
#5
Olde Axeman said:
The Seismic Audio 2x15 cab seems almost too good to be true.
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i've used seismic as source for affordable cables and some hardware parts: medium to good quality. i've purchased powered speakers from them: poor to medium quality. seismic rates their cabinets as always having 'sensitivity' specs that are not attainable by other manufacturers (who sell better gear). so: the model cabinet to which you referred is not going to live up to the specs given on their site, but it will probably get you closer than anything else (new) for the money.

for the same $$$, you could build a plywood cabinet, braced and ported, with decent speakers. :thumbsup:
 
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#6
JRA said:
i've used seismic as source for affordable cables and some hardware parts: medium to good quality. i've purchased powered speakers from them: poor to medium quality. seismic rates their cabinets as always having 'sensitivity' specs that are not attainable by other manufacturers (who sell better gear). so: the model cabinet to which you referred is not going to live up to the specs given on their site, but it will probably get you closer than anything else (new) for the money.

for the same $$$, you could build a plywood cabinet, braced and ported, with decent speakers. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Good point; I don't exactly trust the sensitivity or power ratings, either. All the five start reviews are a bit suspect, too. That being said, my 2x10 has given me zero problems. They aren't junk, but they aren't hi-fi.

I will also recommend building, if you have the time and any woodworking skills.
 
#7
JRA said:
the model cabinet to which you referred is not going to live up to the specs given on their site
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Not by a longshot. Slow day today, so I took the necessary ten minutes to put the Quake 15 speaker specs into WinISD and see what it's really capable of. First, the specs are best suited to a sealed cab. It does give flat response down to 50 hz with 92dB sensitivity, but to get that the cab needs to be 63 cubic feet per speaker. :(
The website says the cab is ported, but there are no ports in the pictures. That could just mean it's rear ported. Given the size of the cab if it is ported it's going to have a huge response hump around 90 hz, so it's going to be a one note wonder boom machine. If it's actually sealed that would be better, it would still have a hump at 90 hz but it wouldn't be as high as it would ported. They show a response chart for the 215 cab, that chart is as phony as a three dollar bill. Or a three dollar coin up here in the Great White North.
As for actual maximum output that's an unknown, as the spec that will tell you that is xmax, and xmax isn't listed. I don't see xmax listed for any of their woofers or subs, and considering it's the most important spec where output is concerned leaving it out is very suspicious.
 
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#11
I played through two of these once as backline. They are sealed cabs. They sounded fine for that old school vibe. I drove them with two PF500s master/slave.

EDIT: From what I have seen, Seismic cabs are one trick ponies that are OK for the casual user who needs only that one trick. That's why they're so cheap.
 
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#12
You might do just as well trying to find an old used Peavey 2x15 or 4X10. I've never played a SA, but usually when the price is too good to be true..........Especially considering the weight and free shipping. Shipping on that cab should be $100 itself.......
 
#15
Avatar..Carvin..both real and dependable, neither will come unglued..for a few dollars more..something that sounds decent, and should last a decade, ...at least, (quality plywood construction, not MDF, which is prone to failure in more than one way. A Carvin MB210 extension cab, would blow that thing out of the water, at about the same price, and fits in an Elantra back seat. It's not an amazing high end cab, but you can count on it, sound better, and carry it with one hand.
 
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#17
Olde Axeman said:
I'm getting tired of lugging gear to the rehearsal space so I've decided to try and put together a budget rig that will sound reasonably decent while saving wear and tear on my higher end gear. Caught a new Carvin BX500 on sale for $340 with free shipping and now need a cab to go with it.

The Seismic Audio 2x15 cab seems almost too good to be true. A 4-ohm, 600 watt, 66 lb bass cab made of 5/8" plywood for $215 and free shipping.

The specs, price, and reviews sound great but I'm skeptical. Has anyone had any experience with one of these? I mean specifically the 2x15. I could get two 1x15's but that is both more expensive and heavier.

2x15" Bass Guitar Speaker Cabinet | 215 Bass Cab | Dual 15" Speakers
Click to expand...

You are better off buying used.

I got 2 Epifany UL2 1x15 cabs for $400. They are very light and sound awesome. And can use 1 or 2 based on the situation.
 
#18
Several users report that this is indeed a sealed cab and that's my impression as well. Also, I play mostly vintage/classic rock music so that sound is perfectly OK. However, I do intend to look around a bit to see what else I can find, new or used. Carvin, Peavey, and the cheaper non-aluminum Hartke cabs are also options.

I was mainly looking to see if there was a major negative consensus on Seismic Audio. What I think I'm hearing is more meh than totally negative.

This is for a practice amp to be used at considerably less than stage volume. My previous experiences with cheap cabs is that most tend to sound much better at lower volumes than when cranked, which is why I was even looking at the Seismic Audio 2x15.

Thanks for everyone's opinions.
 
#19
Sorry for the necro-post, but I figured I'd chime in since Seismic still sells these and I've had mine for a few years.

I've been using a SWR 2x10T for a long time and really wanted more bottom end. I'm not pro, and rarely gig these days so I got the 2x15 real cheap. By itself, yes. Very meh. With the 2x10 I get a more rounded sound at practice levels. It also gives a bit more umph that the 2x10 by itself won't provide.

It's got a lot of bang for the buck, but not what I'd choose if I were gigging a lot.

I'll do a teardown if anyone is interested.
 
#20
PhloopyYoopy said:
Sorry for the necro-post, but I figured I'd chime in since Seismic still sells these and I've had mine for a few years.

I've been using a SWR 2x10T for a long time and really wanted more bottom end. I'm not pro, and rarely gig these days so I got the 2x15 real cheap. By itself, yes. Very meh. With the 2x10 I get a more rounded sound at practice levels. It also gives a bit more umph that the 2x10 by itself won't provide.

It's got a lot of bang for the buck, but not what I'd choose if I were gigging a lot.

I'll do a teardown if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

What do you drive the pair of cabinets with? I assume both are 8 ohm cabinets?

If the Seismic cabs were lighter they might be worth it to buy one to change the speakers, and mod it to suit the new speakers but they seem to weigh a ton, I guess because of the MDF.

Analogeezer
 

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