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The Ampeg vs Hartke 410 Cabinet Debate

Which of these cabinets do you think I should get?

  • Ampeg SVT-410HLF

    Votes: 49 44.5%

  • Hartke HyDrive HX410

    Votes: 61 55.5%
  • Total voters
    110
#21
ampeg if you want a warmer tone, hartke if you want a sharp attack. Both are nice. The ampeg kickback is a bit of a hassle because it is a little short for that style of casters. The ampeg being 4 ohm is also going to limit stacking two later if you get a bigger head unit. I still recently traded a hartke 410xl for a svt410hlf despite these things, because I really like the ampeg sound. My money is on the ampeg. You can find them used for under 500$ easily.
 
#24
ryevick said:
I thought I'd start this new thread to focus on my current situation. I just bought an Ampeg SVT3-Pro and I need a cabinet. I can only afford one. I am leaning toward the Ampeg SVT-410HLF but as mentioned in an earlier thread I really want to check out the Invalid Link Removed as well and do an A/B comparison. I suppose in my head I'm thinking, could the Hartke give the clarity/sound/range and sensitivity as the Ampeg and I would guess yes. Could the Ampeg do what the Hartke could and I'm thinking probably not because of the speaker design of the Hartke but I have not plugged these in yet. I do have some time to work with... a month or two so I would like to hear feedback on this... I know how some of you feel but feel free to re-emphasize your take on it.

Which of these do you think would sound best with my setup and is the 410 the best route to go for only one cabinet?

Just FYI I play a 5 string so bottom end clarity is important. I play all kinds of music but lean toward heavy funk and jazz I suppose.


Ampeg SVT-410HLF Product Video

Hartke Hydrive 410 Product Video


AmpegSVT410HLF.jpg
HX410_angle-web.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes the Hartke can give you all of the clarity that you will ever need.
 
#25
lokikallas said:
ampeg if you want a warmer tone, hartke if you want a sharp attack. Both are nice. The ampeg kickback is a bit of a hassle because it is a little short for that style of casters. The ampeg being 4 ohm is also going to limit stacking two later if you get a bigger head unit. I still recently traded a hartke 410xl for a svt410hlf despite these things, because I really like the ampeg sound. My money is on the ampeg. You can find them used for under 500$ easily.
Click to expand...

U can fine The Hydrive for under $500 as well my money is on the Hartke.
 
#28
Lonesomedave said:
bassplayerbob

i have to admit, i do not know the brand.

there is a music store in nashville called corner music, where they have everything.

their pa/sound guy is named ray arsenault, he and i are talking about this rig.

the heart and soul of the rig will be a universal audio 610 pre amp. it is old school & all tube.

he said he had a good amp in mind rated at 1000 watts. bear in mind, ray's criteria are, first and foremost clean clean sound, second reliability, and third, light weight. i did not even ask him about the brand, because when it comes down to it, i will trust his judgment.

i have done business with them for years, they have worked on every bass my son owns, and i trust their judgment implicitly.

when i finally have the money and can buy, i'll let ray pick the amp.
Click to expand...

I played bass in a band called the Assorted Flavors back in the late 60's with Joe Hinchliffe. Joe's the guitar repair guy at Corner Music. Been doing so for 30 years now. Tell him Bill the bass player said hi next time you go. Thanks.
 
#29
username1 said:
It depends what type of sound your going for. The ampeg will have ALOT more bottom end. The hartke is sealed so will sound tighter and punchier at the expense of the big bottom end of the ampeg. I would personally choose the ampeg for a stand alone cab.
Click to expand...

But you don't understand... I want it all lol :D... would be nice to have a cab that versatile.
 
#31
Interesting review of the Ampeg 410 on Sweetwater:

Having always been a huge supporter of Ampeg, I have owned a number of their products over the years and was always very pleased with their gear.

This cabinet has given me second thoughts however. I have the 500w 4x10 SVT-HE (US made) that I bought 3 or 4 years ago and needed to add something that would cover a lower freq rang which the 410HLF does. I recently purchased the SVT-410HLF and the first thing I noticed when I got it home was the construction - the thickness of the plywood is 1/2" - not 5/8" like the US made 410HE. This got me wondering what the inside was like so I pulled the back panel off and sure enough, the speakers are Chinese as well - they are not the US made Eminence speakers that the older US made 410HE or the older 410HLF have. You can flex the front edges of this cabinet easily with one hand due to the thin plywood.

The plywood is NOT Baltic Birch Plywood as stated in the details of the product - It appears to be some sort of plywood with a mahogany venier or something similar. It looks nothing like my older cabinets that are made of birch plywood. Birch is heavy and this cabinet is very light for it's size - if it were made of birch it would be much heavier. My US made 410HE which is a smaller cabinet is about 20 - 25% heavier and it is made with birch plywood and has US Eminence speakers. The tolex covering on my 410HE is thicker and will never separate from the wood it covers. The covering on the 410HLF is slightly thinner but the real problem is the fact that all of the seems are spearating and coming unglued. It will only be a matter of time before the covering will be history and I have only had this cabinet about 4 months. I have Tuki covers for my cabinets so the cabinet is covered at all times except when playing and is stored in a climate controlled environment - it is not abused yet the tolex is coming off due to the cheaper manufacturing processes and products used by the Chinese manufacturer.

I paid much less than the current price for my 410HLF brand new so I feel that the price matches the quality but I would be very disappointed if I had paid the current going price. The full retail price is robbery and Ampeg should be ashamed to suggest that as a retail price. Ampeg was purchased by someone (I'm not sure who) and the decision to move most of the manufacturing to China was made by the new owners.

My reccommendation to anyone considering this cabinet is to hold off, save another $100 and buy the Heritage or Pro Neo version of this cabinet, they are both still made in the US and should have the build quality we are used to seeing from Ampeg. At least you will get the US made speakers and the Tolex covering will not peel off after a few months.

Aside from the build quality, the sound of the cabinet is OK but the Chinese speakers do not sound anywhere near as good as the US speakers in my 410HE US made cabinet. If I had known what I know now I might not have bought this cabinet except that the price was right.

The build quality will prevent this cabinet from lasting as long as the US made cabinets - another reason to purchase US made products. We can only hope that the new owners of Ampeg don't send more of the product line off to China for manufacturing. I would stay away from any musical products made in China if you can avoid it. That is the only way that we can send the message that we want quality for the money we spend - this cabinet is over priced for the quality and will not last as long as its US made counter parts.
 
#32
I was skeptical of the Hydrive 410 until I went out and put one through its paces. Then I bought it. I tune down to A on my Peavey Cirrus 5 and and have blasted it through that cab and haven't had it break up yet. Not saying it won't, but not for me playing at some very loud volumes. Cab sounds great, is easy to move/carry, and Hartke CS is top notch. Not to mention the price too. I've tried the Ampeg 410's before, but they have always had more "boom" than I like. But, as always IMO/YMMV.
 
#34
I have owned both of these cabs.

If you are looking to power just one cab with 400-500 watts then the 410HLF is the one you will get the most volume out of (in my experience). I ran a SVT3PRO into both Hydrive and HLF and the HLF produced more volume for the wattage.........but the HLF is a bit muddy sounding.

So bottom line it depends on what you are looking for.....

HLF = deep bass, muddy mids, heavy weight, 4ohm 400watt
HyDrive = tight bass, very clear mids/highs, light weight, 8ohm 1000watt, requires more power for comparable volume

Both good cabs.....depends on what your needs are though. I am currently using a Hydrive 410 and 115 with a LH1000. Tight low end and super clear mids/highs. I like them because they are light weight and SO clear.
 
#37
ryevick said:
Interesting review of the Ampeg 410 on Sweetwater:

Having always been a huge supporter of Ampeg, I have owned a number of their products over the years and was always very pleased with their gear.

This cabinet has given me second thoughts however. I have the 500w 4x10 SVT-HE (US made) that I bought 3 or 4 years ago and needed to add something that would cover a lower freq rang which the 410HLF does. I recently purchased the SVT-410HLF and the first thing I noticed when I got it home was the construction - the thickness of the plywood is 1/2" - not 5/8" like the US made 410HE. This got me wondering what the inside was like so I pulled the back panel off and sure enough, the speakers are Chinese as well - they are not the US made Eminence speakers that the older US made 410HE or the older 410HLF have. You can flex the front edges of this cabinet easily with one hand due to the thin plywood.

The plywood is NOT Baltic Birch Plywood as stated in the details of the product - It appears to be some sort of plywood with a mahogany venier or something similar. It looks nothing like my older cabinets that are made of birch plywood. Birch is heavy and this cabinet is very light for it's size - if it were made of birch it would be much heavier. My US made 410HE which is a smaller cabinet is about 20 - 25% heavier and it is made with birch plywood and has US Eminence speakers. The tolex covering on my 410HE is thicker and will never separate from the wood it covers. The covering on the 410HLF is slightly thinner but the real problem is the fact that all of the seems are spearating and coming unglued. It will only be a matter of time before the covering will be history and I have only had this cabinet about 4 months. I have Tuki covers for my cabinets so the cabinet is covered at all times except when playing and is stored in a climate controlled environment - it is not abused yet the tolex is coming off due to the cheaper manufacturing processes and products used by the Chinese manufacturer.

I paid much less than the current price for my 410HLF brand new so I feel that the price matches the quality but I would be very disappointed if I had paid the current going price. The full retail price is robbery and Ampeg should be ashamed to suggest that as a retail price. Ampeg was purchased by someone (I'm not sure who) and the decision to move most of the manufacturing to China was made by the new owners.

My reccommendation to anyone considering this cabinet is to hold off, save another $100 and buy the Heritage or Pro Neo version of this cabinet, they are both still made in the US and should have the build quality we are used to seeing from Ampeg. At least you will get the US made speakers and the Tolex covering will not peel off after a few months.

Aside from the build quality, the sound of the cabinet is OK but the Chinese speakers do not sound anywhere near as good as the US speakers in my 410HE US made cabinet. If I had known what I know now I might not have bought this cabinet except that the price was right.

The build quality will prevent this cabinet from lasting as long as the US made cabinets - another reason to purchase US made products. We can only hope that the new owners of Ampeg don't send more of the product line off to China for manufacturing. I would stay away from any musical products made in China if you can avoid it. That is the only way that we can send the message that we want quality for the money we spend - this cabinet is over priced for the quality and will not last as long as its US made counter parts.
Click to expand...

I went to Ampeg's website to email them to see if they could respond to this review and the don't have email support!??! :eek: So I posted it on their Facebook page requesting a reply but I don't think I will hear anything.

That is a HUGE difference between Hartke and Ampeg it seems. Larry Hartke seems to really want people to contact him.
 
#40
allexcosta said:
It's a hint that there's much better stuff out there for just a bit more money. ;)

An Avatar 4x10 sounds better than the cabs you are considereing buying for less than 500 bucks.

Here's the link:

NEW B410 NEO
Click to expand...

What would you consider "much better" for "not much more" money other than Avatar? Maybe better to add a IMO to the end of your IYO's. I got the Hartke due to the sound/price/CS aspects. Not enough difference in sound for me between it and cabs that cost twice as much to go elsewhere. To the OP, best to judge with your own ears than someone else's. Could be a shot to the pocketbook you don't want.
 

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