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Recone Speakers or have I lost my mind.

Red Planet

Red Planet

Inactive
May 29, 2005
6,487
2,152
Atlanta
Disclosures
I'm cranky in my old age.
#1
I was thinking of having the drivers in my two SWR NEO Golight Cabs re coned to make the two cabs 4 ohms each instead of 8 ohms each.

My 2x10 is 8 ohms (two 16 ohm drivers) and my 1x15 is 8 ohms. I have a good relationship with my local Speaker Service and think this would be relatively cheap to do as compared to buying other cabs.

If I were to buy a pair of 4 ohm cabs I'd need to sell my current lineup and I grow so tired of Gear Finagling. I just want to play.

I really like the performance of my current cabs. I do like having more headroom at my disposal and I know the cabs can produce all I need given the right amount of power.

I had been running these two cabs with a QSC PLX2 1804 at 1200 watts and with that kind of power the cabs really come alive.

My thinking is I could then use either of the two cabs with my LMIII for a tiny rig or both Cabs with the my incoming Shuttle Max 12 as my big rig.

As multiple folks have posted some think the SM12 will be no louder than an LMIII with either head running two 8 ohm Cabs. Now the proof is in the pudding and when the SM 12 gets here I will reserve final judgement on that subject.

Re coning would be much cheaper and easier than selling cabs and buying others or replacing the drivers themselves. Plus I could do one cab then the other so as to not be without a cab.
 
#5
Oh no not another anally retentive TB er.:D

Voice Coils replaced as well. On the 2x10 to make those drivers two 8's and on the 15 to make it a 4.

Pretty sure you can not replace Voice Coils without pulling the cone. :eyebrow:
 
#6
If all your amps can accept a 2 ohm total load (the combined load of two 4 ohm cabs) then you will get more ELECTRICAL power from them. As to more headroom, if you already have enough headroom with the two 8 ohm cabs (meeting a combined 4 ohm min. for most amps) why spend the time and cash? The benefit of the increased input power would be very small in use. New cones will come with new voice coils BTW.
 
#8
I just don't see the benefit vs. cost. You have some relatively new cabs which you say you love. Changing impedance will not produce enough headroom to make an appreciable difference (IMHO). It'll also prevent you from using more than one cab with the LM and most other popular amps that are rated for 4 Ohm minimum.

I've just always been a proponent of 8 Ohm cabs so that I can utilize one or two as needed. (My amps are 4 Ohm min.) I've never had a headroom problem with them, and I play some pretty loud, rockin' gigs.
When I bought my first Goliath III, I tried it at the store, loved it, bought it and took it home. Then I realized it was a 4 Ohm cab, so I took it back and swapped it for an 8 Ohmer, knowing I would eventually want to pair it with another for some outdoor concert gigs!
At the end of the day, it's your money and you can spend it however you like!

BTW, you would be replacing the VC as well as the cones.
 
#9
Red Planet said:
Pretty sure you can not replace Voice Coils without pulling the cone. :eyebrow:
Click to expand...
The cone and coil are replaced as a unit. You can't do either one without doing the other.
To the original question, a total waste of time and money, with the amps you have there's nothing to be gained.
 
#10
B-string said:
If all your amps can accept a 2 ohm total load (the combined load of two 4 ohm cabs) then you will get more ELECTRICAL power from them. As to more headroom, if you already have enough headroom with the two 8 ohm cabs (meeting a combined 4 ohm min. for most amps) why spend the time and cash? The benefit of the increased input power would be very small in use. New cones will come with new voice coils BTW.
Click to expand...

OK what I'm looking at is running a Markbass LMIII with one 4 ohm Cab for me tiny Rig (the LMIII has a 4 ohm minimum) and then running a Genz Benz Shuttle Max 12 with two 4 ohm Cabs for my big Rig (the SM12 having a 4 ohm per side minimum).

Not saying I'll do this, just thinking out loud. I could get this done cheap.

If money were no object I just go buy some more cabs.:D

Not saying that cant happen but dang times are tight right now. :eek:

When I hook up the SM 12 to my two 8 ohm cabs if it blows away the LMIII then I'll need not think of it further. :bassist:
 
#15
lbwdog said:
I just don't see the benefit vs. cost. You have some relatively new cabs which you say you love. Changing impedance will not produce enough headroom to make an appreciable difference (IMHO). It'll also prevent you from using more than one cab with the LM and most other popular amps that are rated for 4 Ohm minimum.
Click to expand...

Again let me state.

Several folks have said the SM12 amp is no louder than the LMIII into two 8 ohm cabs, which leaves me with two amps of the same horse power. With two 4 ohm cabs the SM12 is greatly louder than the LMIII (this I have heard).

My PLX 1804 with my current cabs will quake the earth. Getting 1200 watts out of the SM 12 as opposed to 750 watts out of it, would that not be more like running the 1200 watts of the 1804 and less like running the LMIII at 500 watts.
 
#16
It does work that way,When you recone a speaker you replace the entire assembly including voice coil. And it is not frankensteining in any way the coils are the same diameter just different resistance. And usually less expensive than buying new speakers.
But also agree that any gains in available power would barely be audible Then the Issue is would it be worth the cost vs gains.
 

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