Thinking about the SWR Henry 8x8 - What do you think ?

[spiker]

I'm about to purchase a 1994 excellent condition SWR Henry the 8x8 to use with my Eden WT400. Any comments anyone can make about this? I'm currently using 2x Warwick 8ohm 211pro cabs (2 cabs each with 2x10 speakers) and am purchasing this to push more air and get more volume really. I'll sell the warwicks. Good move you think ? Enough low end with 8x8's ???

 

[rpsands]

It will not be appreciably louder. The 8x8 is also quite heavy for its sensitivity IMHO.

 

[Bass Collector]

That's a great rig!

I used the exact one for a few years and it was pretty sweet, the 8x8 was super tight and punchy and with the warm tone of the WT400 it was a nice balance.

Depending on the type of sound you're looking at, consider an Eden D212XLT-4ohm to go with the WT400... that's a REAL nice rig too!

 

[will33]

In magazine terms, the Henry is articulate and punchy as hell. It "sounds" loud and full because of this. It does not have true lows though, not like you think of hearing from a good 15 in a good size box.

Personally, I like them but almost all the used ones I've come across have blown drivers, presumably from people cranking up the bass knob along with the volume.

 

[shoot-r]

IMHO, the 8x8 is the best sounding cabinet SWR made.
Their only draw-back, they don't project into the farfield well.

 

[will33]

IMHO, the 8x8 is the best sounding cabinet SWR made.
Their only draw-back, they don't project into the farfield well.

+1 to that as well. The two columns of speakers are spread wide with the ports in between. Very narrow dispersion and not quite enough bottom to really fill a room.

 

[shoot-r]

I'm currently using 2x Warwick 8ohm 211pro cabs (2 cabs each with 2x10 speakers)

Have you tried running your "two" 210's as a vertical stacked 410?
Stacking the cabs this way will give you the height advantages of a 810 cab, (speakers up higher and closer to your ears), but with a small foot-print on stage. It'll give you better mids dispersion, less phasing problems and better projection than a standard 410 cabinet.

 

[spiker]

I usually run the 2x10's on top of each other. I find that i don't get enough bottom end out of the rig, and i can't push my wt400 as hard as i'd like sometimes with these speakers. I'm thinking that by having 8x8's i'll be able to get more volume without upgrading my head, and also tweak the semi parametric controls on the Eden to compensate for low end loss that smaller speakers might provide.

 

[spiker]

Wouldn't it be louder because i'd be pushing more air with 8x8's as opposed to 4x10's ???

 

[Johnny Crab]

Is it possible to keep the other speakers?
The 8x8 matches up well with vertical 2x10's in larger settings. This is a LARGE stage outdoors with FOH(DI pre-EQ from the SansAmp, FOH is getting Line 6 MODELED):

By itself(i.e. no FOH), it is useful in a small to medium place. In that situation though, the mids & highs sometimes seem to shoot right past me(tweeter height too low or stage too small?). Great cabinet but know it's limitations. I got it because it sounds great and compliments the ACME's.

 

[spiker]

Is it possible to keep the other speakers?
The 8x8 matches up well with vertical 2x10's in larger settings. This is a LARGE stage outdoors with FOH(DI pre-EQ from the SansAmp, FOH is getting Line 6 MODELED):

By itself(i.e. no FOH), it is useful in a small to medium place. In that situation though, the mids & highs sometimes seem to shoot right past me(tweeter height too low or stage too small?). Great cabinet but know it's limitations. I got it because it sounds great and compliments the ACME's.

Is Henry a heavy boy ?

 

[shoot-r]

Wouldn't it be louder because i'd be pushing more air with 8x8's as opposed to 4x10's ???

(Speaker Configuration)...........(Cone Surface Area, approx.)
..........4x10..................................220 square inches.......
..........5x10..................................275 square inches.......
..........8x8....................................280 square inches.......
With all parameters being equal, a 8x8 should...(in theory)...sound bigger and move more air than a 4x10.
But, with the Henry 8x8 design, it will sound big in the near field, but it won't project out into the far field well.
For small sized rooms, (depending on volume levels), the Henry will probably work as a stand alone.
For medium to large rooms and louder volumes you'll need FOH.
I'd suggest you're getting a 8 ohm 4x10 cab and keeping your two 210's.
Use one 210 for rehearsals/small gigs, two 210's for medium/large gigs, and one 210 and the 410 for a 6x10 rig for loud volume and large coverage gigs.
And depending if your head will do 2 ohms, both 8 ohm 210's and the 8 ohm 410 just because!

 

[shoot-r]

Is Henry a heavy boy ?

100 lbs.

 

[spiker]

Thankyou, you've all been very helpful and i appreciate the honest advice. I'm still keen on it i must say. If i play large venues i D.I the amp (i suppose your rig only becomes a stage monitor for large venues anyway) and i get a mass of low end on call with my eden if i need to tweak it, or my sansamp. If it's crap i'll just sell it and save up for a Mesa 6x10 or an Eden 410.

 

[BassIan]

(Speaker Configuration)...........(Cone Surface Area, approx.)
..........4x10..................................220 square inches.......
..........5x10..................................275 square inches.......
..........8x8....................................280 square inches.......
With all parameters being equal, a 8x8 should...(in theory)...sound bigger and move more air than a 4x10.
But, with the Henry 8x8 design, it will sound big in the near field, but it won't project out into the far field well.
For small sized rooms, (depending on volume levels), the Henry will probably work as a stand alone.
For medium to large rooms and louder volumes you'll need FOH.
I'd suggest you're getting a 8 ohm 4x10 cab and keeping your two 210's.
Use one 210 for rehearsals/small gigs, two 210's for medium/large gigs, and one 210 and the 410 for a 6x10 rig for loud volume and large coverage gigs.
And depending if your head will do 2 ohms, both 8 ohm 210's and the 8 ohm 410 just because!

Sadly, the cone area isn't a good indicator of the sensitivity of a speaker cabinet. There is much more at play here.

 

[Bassist30]

I had the henry 8x8 for years. Great cabinet. The only thing I wasn't completely satisfied with was the tweeter. Overall it sounded really good. I don't believe SWR sells them anymore but I wish they did. I think more would buy it now if it were available.

 

[shoot-r]

Sadly, the cone area isn't a good indicator of the sensitivity of a speaker cabinet. There is much more at play here.

True, that's why the (in theory).
SWR's printed SPL db ( 1 watt at 1 meter) is 96.
Not a highly efficient cab by some of todays standards.
But, it is a great sounding cab, but as with all things, it has draw backs also.

 

[marcblum]

Played through a 8x8 this week. Liked it. You hear pretty well what you're doing.
What bugs me: the frequency cut of 8" speaker is a lot higher than 10" or 12" (which I prefer). Overdrive pedals come into play quite scratchy, asking for some drastic treble cut.

 

[BassmanPaul]

The OP was last here on December 22 2014. The thread is ten years old!

 

[mb94952]

I have owned 3 or 4 Heny 8x8's over the last decade. The one I own now is in my storage with the two top speakers blown. No surprise. I have the replacement speakers right here next to me but still haven't gotten around to installing them I got the cab on CL for $100 bucks, so I had to buy it out of principle.

That being said, these cabs are VERY finicky. Don't do well with high power, so the amps like the redfaced Bass 350 is perfect, or the Baby Blue.

Very heavy cab. 110 lbs or so. BUT, it is like having a hi-fi sound system on stage. The sound is so articulate. You can hear every little nuance. For blues, rock, jazz, etc it's perfect. For a metal band, I wouldn't recommend it.