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PF500 115HE+115LF - anyone try this combination yet ?

pfschim

pfschim

Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass
Supporting Member
Apr 26, 2006
9,359
10,962
SF Bay Area
#1
recently hooked up with a PF500/PF115HE. Sounds good, works well on a gig. Interested in possibly adding another of the PF cabs for the few gigs I do that call for that kind of volume. Choices would be:

another PF115HE - to have matching cabs/specs
add a PF115LF - to add a bit more low end

I suppose I could also consider adding a PF210HE, but then I would be in the dreaded 15+210 mismatched cabs wasteland :D.

anyone using 2 PF115HE's and/or a mixed HE+LF stack with their PF500 ?

inquiring minds want to know.
 
#2
I am a matching cabs proponent, BUT, have had great success with 210/15 rigs in the past. I think the 410/15 is a complete mis-match, but 210/15 is pretty close, with some common sense. As for 2 different 15's, I'd think that *could* work out pretty well, but you'd need to try it first, to know for sure. Maybe someone already has, but even still, if it were me, I'd want to hear it for myself. Hope it works out for ya.
 
#3
I had a PF500 115HE/115HE stack and it was awesome. Great little rig that could get loud and sound great. I'd like to try some of the HLF PF cabs. Mixing could be could, could be bad. Make sure their sensitivities are similar and try them together for phasing issues if you mix HE/HLF. I know I liked the 115HE more than the 210HE but that's me.
 
#5
Marty Forrer said:
I run two PF115HE's and they work really well. Handle low B no problem. Most gigs I use 1, but it's nice to have the 2nd for bigger venues. I cant see any advantage to going lower... in a band situation too low = woofy sound.
Click to expand...

you know, I did not check all the specs before posting originally (my bad), but now that I have, it appears that the LF is rated 57Hz - 3.7kHz, where the HE is rated 50Hz - 17kHz, so it would appear that the ported LF would not really deliver any more low end, and the sealed HE (at least per published specs) delivers more by going (a bit) lower and also higher with the added tweet. I'm guessing the LF would just be a "darker" sounding cab.

I wonder what I am missing (if anything).

It also seems to me that the best (and most obvious) 2nd cab choice for the PF500 would be another 115HE.
 
#7
Posted in another thread but relevant here:

Actually, those are the -3db points of those cabs. The -10db points are 35hz for the PF115he, 32 hz for the PF115he. I have two PF115he's and they have noticeably more low end than my other Ampeg cabs. Why they quote the -3db figure and not -10db in their advertising for those cabs is beyond me, but the specs in their manuals give a more complete picture of the low end response.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
Posted in another thread but relevant here:

Actually, those are the -3db points of those cabs. The -10db points are 35hz for the PF115he, 32 hz for the PF115he. I have two PF115he's and they have noticeably more low end than my other Ampeg cabs. Why they quote the -3db figure and not -10db in their advertising for those cabs is beyond me, but the specs in their manuals give a more complete picture of the low end response.
Click to expand...

yep, when I went back and read the spec details I was kind of surprised too.

I guess what got me thinking of the mixing these cabs in the first place was my experience with the Aggie GS series cabs. at one point I used a GS112 and a GS112NT (no tweet), and it was a decent combination. A bit brighter on top with the regular GS and a bit darker and deeper with the NT. Worked pretty well (although I did sell it eventually).

In any event, I believe I have already decided that another PF115HE is in order. I am really liking the rig now that I have run it through its paces on several gigs.

thanks
 
#10
René_Julien;12834223 said:
Does anyone use the PF115LF alone?

How does it compare against the PF115HE?
Click to expand...

when I did my OP, no one seemed to have had any experience with the 115LF. They have been out for a little while now, so maybe someone will offer a mini review.

Ampeg does list the specs for both cabs, so you can look at those and draw your own conclusions. Sealed vs ported, tweet vs no-tweet etc.

good luck
 
#11
pfschim said:
when I did my OP, no one seemed to have had any experience with the 115LF. They have been out for a little while now, so maybe someone will offer a mini review.

Ampeg does list the specs for both cabs, so you can look at those and draw your own conclusions. Sealed vs ported, tweet vs no-tweet etc.

good luck
Click to expand...

Yup, going on the specs it seems I could use (and prefer) the 115LF as a single cab.

Sorry, I've been away from TB for a while and didn't realize these cabs are just out. So not much experience to go around yet.

I'm in the market for a (single) 115 and the 115LF may be the kind of thing I want. (Ughh... I'm always in the market for a new cab.)

I assume you got another 115HE. ?
How are you liking the rig with two of those?
 
#12
René_Julien;12836829 said:
Yup, going on the specs it seems I could use (and prefer) the 115LF as a single cab.

Sorry, I've been away from TB for a while and didn't realize these cabs are just out. So not much experience to go around yet.

I'm in the market for a (single) 115 and the 115LF may be the kind of thing I want. (Ughh... I'm always in the market for a new cab.)

I assume you got another 115HE. ?
How are you liking the rig with two of those?
Click to expand...

I did not get the other cab yet, been on vacation and distracted by other stuff. Still planning on it, and have been scanning TB classifieds as well as CL. After looking at the LF specs and discussing it a bit here on TB, I do think that 2 HE's will work better for me.

OT, I spent 2011 working in Prague. I ended up meeting/working with a colleague over there, a great guy who happened to be a Belgian. We drank a lot of Orval, Rochefort and Maredsous with les moule et frittes over there. good times. :cool:

good luck
 
#13
pfschim said:
I did not get the other cab yet, been on vacation and distracted by other stuff. Still planning on it, and have been scanning TB classifieds as well as CL. After looking at the LF specs and discussing it a bit here on TB, I do think that 2 HE's will work better for me.

OT, I spent 2011 working in Prague. I ended up meeting/working with a colleague over there, a great guy who happened to be a Belgian. We drank a lot of Orval, Rochefort and Maredsous with les moule et frittes over there. good times. :cool:

good luck
Click to expand...

Why exactly may you discard the HE + LF idea? Do you think it will get too boomy or would mismatch.
I understand matching cabs, I prefer that too.
I myself want a darker sounding cab so the LF might fit the bill. Hypothetically I might consider 2 LF's over 2 HE's... don't know if that would be a useful setup. (I am in search of purely darker sound.)

Does Ampeg market these as extension cabs to their combo's? And are these designed with that in mind if it is marketed as such?
I saw a despriction on an online store about the 115LF saying "it only can be used as an extension cab for the Portaflex series". But I found nothing of that "marketing" on the Ampeg website or in the manual.

(sorry, not all these questions are directed at you per sé, I'm just hijacking your thread. ;))

I'll have to shop around for alternatives. Maybe, maybe, I take the plunge on ordering a 115LF if I can't find a store to try one.


Yeah... at least one thing we Belgians are good at. :) Brewing (and by extension the drinking of it) awesome beer.
I'm drinking Sint Bernardus ABT 12 this evening which is a copy of West Vleteren.
And our fries are the best in the world. Don't believe the hype that the french invented fries, a belgian nun did.
What job did you do in Prague?
 
#14
René_Julien;12836989 said:
Why exactly may you discard the HE + LF idea? Do you think it will get too boomy or would mismatch.
I understand matching cabs, I prefer that too.
I myself want a darker sounding cab so the LF might fit the bill. Hypothetically I might consider 2 LF's over 2 HE's... don't know if that would be a useful setup. (I am in search of purely darker sound.)

Does Ampeg market these as extension cabs to their combo's? And are these designed with that in mind if it is marketed as such?
I saw a despriction on an online store about the 115LF saying "it only can be used as an extension cab for the Portaflex series". But I found nothing of that "marketing" on the Ampeg website or in the manual.

(sorry, not all these questions are directed at you per sé, I'm just hijacking your thread. ;))

I'll have to shop around for alternatives. Maybe, maybe, I take the plunge on ordering a 115LF if I can't find a store to try one.


Yeah... at least one thing we Belgians are good at. :) Brewing (and by extension the drinking of it) awesome beer.
I'm drinking Sint Bernardus ABT 12 this evening which is a copy of West Vleteren.
And our fries are the best in the world. Don't believe the hype that the french invented fries, a belgian nun did.
What job did you do in Prague?
Click to expand...

My thoughts about the second cab are mostly driven by cab matching. But, also, after reading the specs, I just did not see the value of mixing the HE and LF. I seek a balanced and clear, mid present sound, but with plenty of bottom (80-120hz). The single HE I have sounds good, so I will just add a second one and not worry about any possible cab incompatibilities.

I think the PF cabs (particularly the 15s) can all hold the PF350/500 amps. You just have to get the amp mounting hardware and the side clips. I could be totally wrong about this, so beware my advice.

In Prague - we were doing tech services consulting work for a well known global company. I have heard the story about the Belgians inventing "french fries" - even our French colleagues over there had to admit that. My colleague has gone back to Belgium with his family, and my wife and I returned to the sates late last year. There was a pretty good and authentic Belgian restaurant in the center there, serving les moule and offering a huge selection of Belgian beer. My colleague said that I would not get any better even if I was in Belgium.

good times (at least what I remember of it :D)
 
#15
pfschim said:
My thoughts about the second cab are mostly driven by cab matching. But, also, after reading the specs, I just did not see the value of mixing the HE and LF. I seek a balanced and clear, mid present sound, but with plenty of bottom (80-120hz). The single HE I have sounds good, so I will just add a second one and not worry about any possible cab incompatibilities.

I think the PF cabs (particularly the 15s) can all hold the PF350/500 amps. You just have to get the amp mounting hardware and the side clips. I could be totally wrong about this, so beware my advice.

In Prague - we were doing tech services consulting work for a well known global company. I have heard the story about the Belgians inventing "french fries" - even our French colleagues over there had to admit that. My colleague has gone back to Belgium with his family, and my wife and I returned to the sates late last year. There was a pretty good and authentic Belgian restaurant in the center there, serving les moule and offering a huge selection of Belgian beer. My colleague said that I would not get any better even if I was in Belgium.

good times (at least what I remember of it :D)
Click to expand...

I have no intention of buying a PF350 or 500. :) (Not at the moment, but it can change within a week... arrgh GAS)

I totally understand. If I would own the 115HE and was happy with it I would most likely get another HE. I am very skeptical about "mismatching"... so that's why I don't know if the LF is just marketing (as extension cab) or really designed to work togheter with the HE.
I'm sure your HE is a great cab but it's not something I am looking for.

I am generally not an Ampeg fan, but I did played through SVT 610HLF and 410HLF cabs as backlines and those were amazing beasts.
I am hoping that maybe the PF115LF is a bitesize version of those. If so then probably a great cab on it's own, depending on taste.

Thanks for your thoughts about this. :) Now it's just waiting until someone can share some actual experience on the PF115LF. (Unless that would be me in the future but probably someone would pick one up before I do.)



The parts you don't remember are probably the best times. :)
 
#16
judging by looks (i know, not the best idea) this LF (unlike the overgrown and rumbly 4x10 or 6x10 HLFs) actually might be the more "normal" cab of the two; modest size, no removable lid, and a rear port that's not huge by any means.

a pair of those might be just the ticket for a straight-up 2x15 no-horn stack.
 
#17
walterw said:
judging by looks (i know, not the best idea) this LF (unlike the overgrown and rumbly 4x10 or 6x10 HLFs) actually might be the more "normal" cab of the two; modest size, no removable lid, and a rear port that's not huge by any means.

a pair of those might be just the ticket for a straight-up 2x15 no-horn stack.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I thought.


I am tempted pulling the trigger and order a PF115LF. It's in the price range of an Ashdown ABM115, which is also a cab I like, and I assume the PF115LF is close.
An other cab I had on my short list is the Orange OBC-115. But that is about 150% the price of the Ampeg. And the Ampeg looks better.

(Other alternatives would be the DIY route or custom built.)
 
#19
looks like this guy - Jeff K - from the Ampeg PF350/500 part V thread is about to do the same.

you guys should make a point to do a mini review for the rest of us who are sitting on the fence, or just curious about how the HE/LF combination works out.
 
#20
Not a factory HLF - but serves the same purpose:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/ampeg-portaflex-pf115he-mods-866811/

portaflex500-mods023.jpg


portaflex500-mods022.jpg
 

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