Does a 12" cover lower fundamentals than a 10"? And will it "move a significant more amount of air" than a 10" given the same amplifier?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Speaker size 10" vs 12"
- Thread starter Ted Sanders
- Start date
Therés no general rule, it depends on the design goals.
But all things being equal, 12" and generaly louder than 10".
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,062
- 5
- 221,099
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
is this a purely theoretical question, or are you looking to fulfill a need?
In the absence of more info, my answer is a 4x10 or a 2x15.
There are quite few nice 12" cabs out there. Lots of fun browsing around. Some with horns, some with whizzers, some with tweets, some straight up.
(like this one)
(like this one)
There are soooo many criteria…
- What's your budget?
- Evaluating how loud it needs to be is a huge topic on its own, you'll find many threads on that topic in the "amps @ cabs" forum, with lots of different points of view.
- The tonal characteristics of the cab: some cabs are "transparent", others are "colored" (for example "fat" or "mid focussed"…) and this has nothing to do with the size of the speakerd
- How small and light?
Again, there's no general rule (there used to be this idea that 15" cabs would provide better low end and 10" cabs would provide punch and clarity, but it's not longer true, if it ever was)
Try as many as you can before you buy…
Thanks for the help, like most things in life, there are no simple answers.
Something worth knowing is that there can be a bigger difference between two 10s than between a particular 10 and a 12. IMO, tens are all over the place.
Perhaps the pertinent questions are "How low do you need it to go?" and "How loud do you need it to be?".
What you say is true if comparing two speakers (a 10" and a 12") of the very same make (and very same amp on'em)
About lowend spectrum, it really depends
multiple 10" can handle more lowend than a single (or dual) 12", but then again, if just one-on-one, yeah… a 12" bears a significant surface gap on a 10"
But, if talking about cabs/combos, a comparison can be made on quality of different makes
Sometimes a better 1x10" can be louder (and move more air) than a cheaper 12"
Cheers,
Wallace
In general, if we're talking the same manufacturer and series of cab (and the same series of speaker)...the 12" will probably handle more wattage and have better low-end response. Outside of that, there are too many variables to make a judgement call without having more info.
Which cabs/speakers were you looking at? If you've got absolutely zero ones in mind, what's the budget? Mesa Subway cabs are a good bet! You could do well with a GK Neo, Aguilar (SL 112), or Markbass cab too. How about the tone you're looking for? Something "warm" and vintagey or "articulate" and modern?
Which cabs/speakers were you looking at? If you've got absolutely zero ones in mind, what's the budget? Mesa Subway cabs are a good bet! You could do well with a GK Neo, Aguilar (SL 112), or Markbass cab too. How about the tone you're looking for? Something "warm" and vintagey or "articulate" and modern?
I labor under the premise that 2 x 12 would be my bare minimum for a gig rig and this is loosely based on driver performance and cab size as I like to stack. Probably go with the 1 x 12 with option of adding a 2nd matching cab as required and when funds become available.
Riis
Riis
I prefer the punch of 10s. I tried 12s but they were too muddy IMHO. What I did find is that when 10s are paired with a 12 you get punch with a little more low end.
Sorry, It's probably your personal experience with Epifani cabs, but "10s=punch / 12s=low end" is not a general rule, it's just not true for all brands.
For example, Barefaced have 2 series: the 12s are "honest, FRFR" while the 10s have "warm fat coloured tones".
Jad Freer does the exact opposite: their 10s offer a "flat response and full articulation", while the 12s for more fatness.
Again, there's no general rule.
As agedhorse said "It depends..."
I tried several 12s on their own and they all sounded the same. My experience with different brand 10s is similar. IMHO 10s are more in your face and 12s have more a of vintage tone. I'm sure there are exceptions, but this has been my experience. If I use just one of my cabs on its own, it is always the 210 rather than the 112.
the only thing the size of the driver tells you is literally -- the size of the driver. the size of the driver alone does not tell you anything about frequency response or how much air it moves. what's the x-max? what's the speaker sensitivity rating? what box is the speaker in? etc.
With out trying one of each first, I would lean towards a 1-12 cab vs a 1-10. That said, I would not buy any cab without playing it first.
What color is better? Blue, or red?
