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SVT410HLF to SVT810HE

#2
I went from Heritage SVT410HLF the other direction - to Mesa Subway 115/210 and 2x GK Neo II 112 stacks and don't regret it a bit. Either stack is much easier to carry, modular, and the same or more power handling. Clearer, deeper.... better. Everyone has different goals. If you're going for a look... an 810 is totes a vibe. But man... bass cabs have come a LOOOONNNGGG way since that design was introduced before my birth. :-)

Good luck on your quest!
 
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#3
mercbass said:
Has anyone made the jump from mini fridge to big fridge and regretted it?

I have the 410 and in my experience the 810 is easier to move around because you never need to lift it, it's tall enough to get enough leverage to move easier.


Just figured there must be at least a few people that went from 4 to 8 and wouldn't mind hearing about it.
Click to expand...

If you think the 810E sounds great and is easier to deal with, IMHO go for it.

My thoughts:

My understanding is the 410HLF has a lot more low frequency extension the the 810E. Also the 410HLF has a tweeter and the 810E does not. My point is these cabs sound fairly different.

In contrast, the 410HE is essentially 1/2 of an 810E...both cabs use the same 10" drivers. The 410HE has slightly less volume per driver, which results in slightly less low frequency extension. Also the 410HE has a tweeter, which you can turn off or adjust to taste.

A lot of people feel that an 810 is easier to move around. I think that can be both situational and personal. I owned an 810 when I was young and strong like bull, and I thought it was a pain in the A** to move around. So personally I guess I don't fully agree.

I toured with a 210 and 410 in flight cases with casters. Way easier roll the cabs out of our cargo truck onto stage than tilting an 810 for an extended distance IMHO. However it was probably a bit more of a hassle to remove the flight case lids and lift the cabs on top of the cases. So I guess I was working easier in one way and working harder in another.

The 410 and 210 I had weighed 98lbs and 68lbs respectively, compared to 140lbs for an 810E. When I had these cabs, I had no problems lifting 98lbs. I am not even totally convinced that tilting and sliding an 810E into the back of a pickup or SUV is that much easier than lifting a 410 and 210...again I think it varies from person to person (YMMV).

Good Luck!
 
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#6
IMO, very different flavors of Ampeg.

You've played both I assume? I'd go 810E every time with the music I play. However there's been plenty users here that love the extended low frequency of the HLF for their own types of music.

Also, if weight/size is a consideration don't forget that 610s are also a thing
 
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#7
I loathe tweeters but had a 410HLF first - never could get a sound out of it that I was happy with. Picked up a used 810 and never looked back. More focused sound, easier to move, and it just looks right. Plus it helps get the sound closer to your ears so you're not constantly adjusting the volume in an effort to hear yourself.
 
#8
mercbass said:
...

I have the 410 and in my experience the 810 is easier to move around because you never need to lift it, it's tall enough to get enough leverage to move easier.

Just figured there must be at least a few people that went from 4 to 8 and wouldn't mind hearing about it.
Click to expand...
Brand/particular cabs notwithstanding, I'd have to have both.

When I have the opportunity/excuse to use eight 10"s, I want to do it, but that's more than I feel comfortable taking into a corner of the bar where I'll happily stuff a 4x10.

I happen to use two same 410s, but a 4x10 and an 8x10 would also be great. :)
 
#10
The 410hlf and 810he are voiced completely different. That is an apples to oranges comparison. The 410he is half of a fridge. The 410hlf is muddy compared to the 410he or 810he. Never bonded with or liked the tone of the 410he or 810he. Just not my cup of tea.
 
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#11
tho' this is really fantastic, for punch and definition at the very same time
5.jpg

I must admit I much favor this one
hartke.jpg

Consider that they weight almost the same (if Hartke stack is not even heavier)

Fact is it's tougher and meaner, and I don't mind if it scratches, while the Made in Italy Mark's
is too redundant to fit in a 15ft car and more like a jealously kept jewel to roam around with it

Cheers,
Wallace

PS
Sorry

I'm now aware that in the Hartke cell pic, a ding aside of the 4x10" cab is way more in focus
than the whole 1,000w head above it :roflmao:
 
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#12
I just recently got the 410HLF and have been very impressed with it. And I recently tested it with 4 different heads and found that it can definitely be much different sounding, depending on what you're putting through it.
- The Peavey MK VIII and Trace Elliot AH350 both sounded very clean and clear, plenty of low and highs and you can dial mids however you want.
- SWR SM-400S and Yamaha B100-III with their parametric EQs were a bit muddier and harder to dial in "my sound."
To me, though, that sounded like the nature of the beast with the amps, more so than the cab.

I did compare these to a GK 410BLX (sealed cab, no horn) and definitely found it was a different sound. The amps where I had trouble controlling the paramids seemed to be exacerbated without having the higher and lower frequencies afforded by the horn and porting.

One thing I will say about the 410HLF is, it's a bit of a niche market for these in some ways.
First off, it's a 4Ω cab, so most amps would only be able to use one of them. Granted, same thing with the 810, so I think they basically designed it like the "smaller" version of something like that. But it doesn't get the "modular" aspect you'd see with doing something like 2-4x10 cabs separately.

Speaking of size, too, it's quite a bit taller than "the average" 410:
IMG_4453.jpg

(though unmarked and repainted, it's on the left)
If someone were considering doing a 2-4x10 setup for the ability to split in half for either portability or modular aspects, the 410HLF isn't gonna be part of that equation (unless they want 2 large 4x10s and have an amp that will run 2Ω easily).

I did have an 810 many years back and it sounded great, though a beast to move around. And I recently had the match to the GK here, running a 2-4x10 setup with that. There is definitely a difference in sound between those and this HLF. I'd almost equate it more to the HLF being voiced kinda "hi-fi" and the traditional 8x10 being "classic but still clean."
 
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#13
I have the pr410 and the pf410. also a yorkville xc808 (8x8)

The PR410 is only 15-20lbs lighter than a fridge and a 1,000 times more cumbersome to move, in that case an 810 would be an improvement for portability.

the xc808 is like a mini fridge, but again only saving 20lbs over the 810. it has the built in dolly like the 810 except it is so scaled down it makes it harder to move than the 810, but better than the PR410...

I keep hearing about all these lightweight cabs, and I really should look into them....

go to is the pf50t and a pf210, with the svt210 backup cab.....
 
#14
I've used Ampeg 810E cabs but never 410HLF. I don't find many positive or preferential user views about 410HLF cabs, though I see plenty of beat-up, used ones for sale, typically for about $400.

There seems nothing exceptionally good or special about Ampeg 410 HLF cabs, but there are definitely better alternatives in all sizes, forms, and weights.
 
#15
mercbass said:
Has anyone made the jump from mini fridge to big fridge and regretted it?

I have the 410 and in my experience the 810 is easier to move around because you never need to lift it, it's tall enough to get enough leverage to move easier.


Just figured there must be at least a few people that went from 4 to 8 and wouldn't mind hearing about it.
Click to expand...

They are very different. If you like the 410HLF, you may or may not like the 810. As other users mentioned, it has a much deeper voicing than the fridge. From a shlep perspective, I do agree the 810 is easier to move song than "short and squat" cabinets like the HLF. When I was using big stuff, I went with a pair of 410HE's. I found that one sounded kind of thin on its own, but two fill out nicely and do the fridge thing I was looking for. Plus I could fit them in my Subaru so I didn't need to go buy a truck or something to move an 810 around.
 
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#18
mercbass said:
I *do* find that the 410HLF low end can sometimes be a little.....boomy? dark? Undefined, I suppose is the best way to put it.


It's probably my only complaint. It's not really a big deal, but it's also not something I can EQ out either.


I play 5 strings primarily and it sounds great but sometimes I'm wishing I could rein in the lows ever so slightly.
Click to expand...

There is a 410hlf at a practice space. I'll use it so I don't have to schlep gear. The built in adjustable HPF on my tt-800 gets rid of the mud from that cab. I use a 5/6 string bass - same boat - without the HPF, it gets muddy fast below the 7th fret on the B string
 
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#19
I've always known that I was in the minority, but I never like an 8x10 in my rig. When I built my big rig around a Genz Benz GBE1200 years ago, I returned the 810 and ended up buying a SVT410hlf and SVT115e. I still have them. Still think the extended range sounds light years better than anything I ever got out of the 810. I did just buy my first new cab in nearly 20 years -- a Genzler NC212t -- so we'll see if it dethrones the monster stack.
 
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