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Double Bass Ten2EX vs. Flite

Dave Irwin

Dave Irwin

May 11, 2002
817
9
59
Alexandria, Ohio
www.afterhours.com
#1
I received my Ten2EX today (Thanks Bob G.) and did a quick A/B with my Flite 15.
The AI cabinet is a little heavier than the Flite but not by much. It came with the default settings (Tweeter on, and room "de-boom" on).
I tried a few different settings on the AI but the results boiled down to the following:

1. The AI connected the sound all the way down to the floor as opposed to the Flite where I can hear a distinct bottom cut off on each note. I'm not sure which is better. The AI sound is more "prestine" but it also has a bit more of an EUB sound. Maybe it's too good? With the Flite, I can tell more that the sound is being amplified but then again, I can tell more that it is an upright being amplified.

2. I was surprised at the mids coming from the ten2ex. Maybe this is the "in your face" element mentioned in previous posts. Like people say they do with the Wizzy, I ended up eq'ing some of the mids out.
The Flite produces less mid-range and good bottom but it doesn't have the floor thumping bottom produced by the ten2ex.

Never having A/B's the Flite with other popular cabs like the Wizzy, I'm surprised it held up so well against the Ten2EX. I don't think I'll be sending the AI back though. The next gig is New Years so that should settle it.

btw, I'm playing a Shen Willow with Evah Regular gauge / Gage Realist
Dave
 
#3
You might also consider, if you want to minimize the "in your face" quality of your AI cabinet, a Contra-EX instead of Ten2-EX. The Contra lacks the second, front-facing woofer, and although it does have a front-facing mid-range driver, the overall effect is less in your face than the Ten2, according to most people, including me.

-S-
 
#4
I owned the Contra and the Contra EX and while they had the best sound I'd ever heard, I could never get enough volume out of them for the gigs I get. I ended up overdriving the woofer which made me crazy.

Marc/Fingers, I am really enjoying the Evah and Shen Willow combo too. The Realist is also working great.

Thanks,
Dave


SteveFreides said:
You might also consider, if you want to minimize the "in your face" quality of your AI cabinet, a Contra-EX instead of Ten2-EX. The Contra lacks the second, front-facing woofer, and although it does have a front-facing mid-range driver, the overall effect is less in your face than the Ten2, according to most people, including me.

-S-
Click to expand...
 
#5
Dave Irwin said:
I owned the Contra and the Contra EX and while they had the best sound I'd ever heard, I could never get enough volume out of them for the gigs I get. I ended up overdriving the woofer which made me crazy.
Click to expand...
One thing I have not AB'ed is how much louder the Ten2 speaker is in comparison to the Contra. If anyone cares to comment on this, that would be great.

I just looked on AI's web site and can't find something like, e.g., volume level output for 1 watt input at 1 meter or something along those lines which would represent efficiency. I realize that this is but one of the variables, e.g., the more efficient speaker could start overdriving at the same spl and then it really wouldn't be right to consider it louder, but, well, many of you know much more on this subject than me so I'll quit while I'm behind and just repeat that a comparison would be a welcomed thing.

-S-
 
#7
SteveFreides said:
One thing I have not AB'ed is how much louder the Ten2 speaker is in comparison to the Contra. If anyone cares to comment on this, that would be great.
Click to expand...
Steve,

I don't have any specs, or relative %'s. But I demo'ed a Ten2 prototype vs. a Contra cab vs. my own EA Wizzy M-line 12 at AI headquarters a while back.

Like Dave Irwin said, the Ten2 is significantly "louder" and fuller to my ears than the Contra.

I realize that's subjective, and perhaps vague, but ... it is what it is. I think it is worth checking out if you appreciate and dig the AI sound. The Ten2 takes it to a whole new level. Some may like it, some may not (IMO, YMMV, etc.).
 
#8
Thanks. I own a Ten2 and love it, but I never really AB'ed it with my previous setup, which was a Series III Contra as separates. I kept the Contra-EX in case I want to have the extra oomph sometime but, so far, no need.

-S-
 

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