[Poll] What do you consider to be a lightweight cab?

[pepj]

I use 2 112 at 22lbs each...iirc.

I have other cabs under 50lbs... but normally rotate between the 112's and a 210 at 36lb

 

[Levent]

There is no high weight cabin, there is inadequate gym time.

 

[ctmullins]

Integrated casters make all the difference. My two main cabs are around 55 lb (25 kg) each, but the integrated casters and skid rails (for dragging up stairs) make load-in and load-out super easy.

 

[Cleezmo]

I voted <40lbs for it to be considered 'lightweight'. My RevSound RS212 is 37-38lbs, so just under that threshold. I'm super happy with it, I won't need any other cabs ever. Unless, you know, I get a single RS112 for smaller gigs.....

 

[Nebadon2000]

I chose 30lbs at 71 now
But 10 years ago it would be 40
And 20 years ago 50/60 etc


But do have Mesa 1x15 at 38lbs now but has stayed put since I got it Summer of'23

 

[pepj]

Its not always the weight...often its the load in and people blocking the way and the contortions you perform to get round them.

 

[pbass2]

My 43 lb GK Neo IV 2x12 is the best cab I've ever owned - turns out you can have all four: power, sound, weight, portability. I routinely take it to smaller gigs when my Neo 112 would suffice because it's so easy to schlepp.

 

[Hans Gruber]

My 2 x 12" cab is *just* over 60 pounds ... by a couple. But it's a tilt-back design with built in casters, which makes it much easier to move around. That is, with the exception of lifting it up and into the hatchback of my vehicle. It's a Genz-Benz NeoX 212-T that was considered pretty light for its day. Sounds incredible driven at 600w with the Shuttle 6.0 head.

Funny thing though, I haven't moved it out of storage in over 5 years as I've been using my tc electronic BG250-115 combo exclusively, which only tips the scales at 35 lbs.

I have a Genz Benz Uber 212, same exact weight and those wheels actually help with loading into certain spaces like a hatchback, just rolls right in, all flat. I recently picked up a GK Neo 212, old version at 50 lbs. That difference is enough for me to consider that GK "lightweight" but frankly I think the Uber is still lightweight considering the history of speaker cabinets in general.

For just a little more weight and spatial dimensions you get some serious low end. But the slightly smaller GK has made it so my folding handtruck can carry everything in one trip. I sacrifice some of those extended lows but it fortunately has enough for most of my gigs and the sound guy always said my Uber had a little much stage volume and I was always turning down.

 

[Spedracer]

50lbs or less. Unfortunately, sacrifices must be made to get there and still have pure sonic fidelity. Weight is a massively important factor to me.

 

[57pbass]

My Bag End 15’s are 46 lbs and my SUBWAY 4 x 10 is 55lbs and they are both manageable.

I do have a Markbass 2x10 lightweight since we play a few clubs with tough load in and huge FOH.

 

[Bringindafunk]

My primary cab is a GR Bass carbon fiber 2x10 that weighs 22 lbs. Anything heavier than that is not light to me.

 

[shoot-r]

But geez, cabs have gotten EXPENSIVE

+1!

I'd like to have a pair of the light weight, 210, super cabs...then I see their prices, .

 

[31HZ]

If you are looking for lightweight, GR Bass Carbon Fiber cabinets are the way to go! Not only do they sound incredible, but super lightweight! The whole rig in this photo (GR Bass AT 210+. AT 112+ & Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0) only weighs with the amp 36 lbs! That is lighter than most single cabinets.

View attachment 7335775

It might even be lighter than the bass!

 

[magic8161]

If you are looking for lightweight, GR Bass Carbon Fiber cabinets are the way to go! Not only do they sound incredible, but super lightweight! The whole rig in this photo (GR Bass AT 210+. AT 112+ & Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0) only weighs with the amp 36 lbs! That is lighter than most single cabinets.

View attachment 7335775

This is the only way to go now days if you can afford it. I have a 112 and its awesome!!!! Thinking of getting a 2x10 just in case i ever need more.

 

[magic8161]

22 pounds for a GR Bass 2x12 cabinet. you get get better or lighter anywhere.

 

[logdrum]

Well the AI DoubleShot is a 2X10 + 5 at 15 lbs. Even at 50% more weight, if Rick is still with us (RIP) he could probably muster something around 25 lbs for a 2x12 but I won't be surprised he got it down to 20 if he gets rid of the 5 driver. This opposing woofer design is also used on the high end Barefoot Studio monitors and I was blown away when I heard one. Also note that even though it says 600 watts power handling it is also an inefficient cab and by design it is because he also made it the smallest 2X10 and to have that low end the drivers have to have lower sensitivity. So I really think this is not any louder than a 200 watt cab and I am fine with that. I use it for double bass primarily.


One thing to consider is if the cab is so light but also powerful even if the enclosure is rigid, should the cab moving as a whole be a concern. It's own static weight may not be able to hold it down

Maybe the metric should be be expanded to these categories

Weight,
SPL
Power handling
Dimensions
Frequency response and EQ profile .

Have min max boundaries - Use some method of weighing and scoring and there is an ideal cab for your needs




Having said that, I need to be able to lift a 3 wire bale of hay unto the bed of an Awerican 1 TON 4WD truck (they sit higher), because I still have horses and we are getting back on our pony part business - so at this point in my life, almost 80, I still judge a cab by the sound. I have started to gig again with an 85 lb cab, powered Bergantino IP 310 and I am loving it. If I l used public transportation or just have a small 2 door coupe, then yeah - small and light.

 

[Jefenator]

My old ceramic 2x12 was 70#, which I considered to be "manageable" in my 30s & 40s – and worth the convenience of having one cab cover my then-frequent loud gigs.
50# would obviously be an improvement over 70#. My heavier modular cab (Bag End S-15D) weighs 45# and that doesn't feel too tough.
40# seems pretty light to me for a 2x12. I'm not sure I would "trust" anything lighter than 40# for that configuration. (For reference, my Bergantino HDN210 is about 31#. I do not consider it to be as room-filling as my older heavier 2x10s by Eden and Acme.)
At the end of the day, IMHO if someone really has to ask about weight, they should probably stick with a slightly smaller configuration. (That applies to 54-year-old me; in the future I'll be looking mostly at 1x12s.)
But no two cab designs, backs and/or gig rosters are exactly alike.

 

[gln1955]

My 1X12's are 33 lb each. They feel very light at load in. Somehow, they get heavier through the night so by load out time they weigh a lot more.

 

[bigtone23]

I voted under 40, though 50 was a close second.

I have a '68 Kustom charcoal sparkle 2x12" that originally had squareback CTS in it. One was blown, the other tired, so they were replaced by a Hartke Hydrive 12" and a Peavey Scorpion 12". The cab sounds really good and the weight and dimensions make it very easy to roll, tote and lift.
I can't remember details from when I did this about 10 years ago, but the Hydrive is about 3 pounds, the Scorpion about 6-7. The original CTS were an easy 10-11 lbs each, so the cab went from an OK weight of around 50 pounds to what I consider light at about 37 pounds (I remember it being just under 40 pounds).

My GK NEO 212 is 50 pounds. It still seems light to lift, but it's dimensions are a touch bigger than the Kustom, so it seems much more clunky to move around.

 

[gtirard]

50lbs or less. Unfortunately, sacrifices must be made to get there and still have pure sonic fidelity. Weight is a massively important factor to me.

Do you mean tone sacrifice, or financial sacrifice?
With my Barefaced cab, I have the feeling I'm making absolutely no sacrifice regarding my tone. I can't think of any other cab that could sound better, even if I had no constraint regarding the weight.