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What makes you choose 4 or 8 ohm cabs?
- Thread starter Slaphound
- Start date
- Nov 29, 2007
- 3,641
- 13
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist GENZ BENZ/HERCULES STANDS/XSonics
it depends on how many cabinets you plan to hook up. and how many you want to carry. My 112 cabinets are are 8 ohm ( I have 2)...my 212 cabinets are each 4 ohm and so is my 410. The Genz 212's scream so a single 212 4 ohm gives 600 watts from my shuttle 6.0. My second head will run to 2 ohms so I can take a pair of 4 ohm cabs if I need to. For the most part I take a single 4 ohm cab and get all the juice with one cab.
Yep. Generally I look to end up with a 4 ohm load, since that's what most bass amps (heads) give their maximum power with. That means using either one 4 Ohm cab or two 8 Ohm cabs. Your choice.
This has been discussed on the Eden forum quite a bit. Basically, adding speaker cone area to move more air is a more efficient and economical way to add volume than adding more watts. So if you foresee the need to build a scaleable rig to cover the occasional big stage or outdoor festival, 8-ohm cabs will let you add more before reaching the 4-ohm or 2-ohm limit of the amp. Make sense?
Now if you want to carry the minimum amount of cabs, match the cab with the amp (eg a 4-ohm 210 or 410).
There are other factors...do you like the effect of coupling multiple cabs, or prefer multiple drivers in one cabinet? There can be tonal differences...2 Eden 112s have a kickass voupling effect, but their 212 cabinet has the volume of a 410, so sounds deeper.
Now if you want to carry the minimum amount of cabs, match the cab with the amp (eg a 4-ohm 210 or 410).
There are other factors...do you like the effect of coupling multiple cabs, or prefer multiple drivers in one cabinet? There can be tonal differences...2 Eden 112s have a kickass voupling effect, but their 212 cabinet has the volume of a 410, so sounds deeper.
Hi.
I'm a tube kinda guy, so 8 Ohms/cab for me. I've done some series wired boxes/cords for 4 Ohm cabs, but if one cab is toasted the output is open and the OT will most likely follow the dead cab.
There shouldn't be for the audience. You'll hear it differently though if you stack them vertically. That is if both the cabs are full range and are a good match.
IMHO/IME trying to squeeze the last watts out of a too small amp by using the lowest "recommended" impedance is often a sure way to toast the amp.
Just my 0.02e
Sam
I'm a tube kinda guy, so 8 Ohms/cab for me. I've done some series wired boxes/cords for 4 Ohm cabs, but if one cab is toasted the output is open and the OT will most likely follow the dead cab.
There shouldn't be for the audience. You'll hear it differently though if you stack them vertically. That is if both the cabs are full range and are a good match.
IMHO/IME trying to squeeze the last watts out of a too small amp by using the lowest "recommended" impedance is often a sure way to toast the amp.
Just my 0.02e
Sam
I make all my cabs 8ohms, that way I can mix-n-match any pair and run that with any amp. Reasons to not do this would include:
1. You're a 1 cab kind of guy, ie., you drive a small car, or you don't play anyplace you'd need a full stack.
2. You play a tube amp that doesn't have an 8ohm tap.
Many people will tell you get 4ohms to get "the most power from your amp". The volume difference between 4 and 8 ohm cabs is negligible although you may notice a little increase in headroom, ie. the ability to play slighly louder and stay clean.
1. You're a 1 cab kind of guy, ie., you drive a small car, or you don't play anyplace you'd need a full stack.
2. You play a tube amp that doesn't have an 8ohm tap.
Many people will tell you get 4ohms to get "the most power from your amp". The volume difference between 4 and 8 ohm cabs is negligible although you may notice a little increase in headroom, ie. the ability to play slighly louder and stay clean.
Not trying to highjack this thread, but I have a second 8 ohm UL112 on the way to pair with my Shuttle 6.0. What's the best way to hook these cabs up? In series, parallel? I mean do I hoook each cab separately from each output from the head, or so I daisy chain from the head to cab 1, then from cab 1 to cab 2? I have never had 2 cabs before, so I'm sorry if this sounds dumb.
- Nov 29, 2007
- 3,641
- 13
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist GENZ BENZ/HERCULES STANDS/XSonics
I used to get truly massive volume from a 300w head (2x150w) driving a 4x10 and 1x15 off each side. All 8Ohm cabs.
Of course it was a herculean task takng it anywhere, but damn it was fat
, and naturally standing in front of that much rig I couldn't help but look like a true bas god - or like I was trying waaaay too hard!
Of course it was a herculean task takng it anywhere, but damn it was fat
, and naturally standing in front of that much rig I couldn't help but look like a true bas god - or like I was trying waaaay too hard!i used 2 1x12" cabinets, each at 8 ohms. that gives me a load of 4 ohms, wich is gennerally what your aiming for.
if you want to use 2 cabinets, they need to each be 8 ohms. if you only want one cabinet, 4 ohm. (like a 4x10 for example..)
in some rare cases your amp can go down to 2 ohms, then you can use 2 4 ohm cabinets if you like..but only worry about that if your amp goes down to 2 ohms.
if you want to use 2 cabinets, they need to each be 8 ohms. if you only want one cabinet, 4 ohm. (like a 4x10 for example..)
in some rare cases your amp can go down to 2 ohms, then you can use 2 4 ohm cabinets if you like..but only worry about that if your amp goes down to 2 ohms.
My intention is to use one cab. Probably a single 12 or maybe 2 10's. I suppose that I would want to go with an 8 ohm cab so that if I did ever need to add a cab, I'd be able to go ahead and just turn it into a 4 ohm load.
That's probably the smart thing to do. It doesn't make sense to limit your ability to expand your rig down the road if you don't have to.
I have a 4 ohm Eden 410 and a pair of 8 ohm Eden 210 cabs. You might think that using the 410 or the pair of 210's together would give you the same tone, but they sound very different.
The pair of 210 cabs is much deeper as one of the 210's is an XST and one is an XLT so they are voiced differently. The XST goes very deep and the XLT is growly and snarly. Together they make for a very rich and deep sounding setup.
The single 410XLT however, has way more punch and snarl then the 210 pair. It has less true deep low end but its easily as loud and the punch factor is just so pleasing.
I honetly cant decide which setup I like better and constantly switch between the two. For what its worth, the pair of 210's handle a bit more power and are easier to load in and out of my car.
The pair of 210 cabs is much deeper as one of the 210's is an XST and one is an XLT so they are voiced differently. The XST goes very deep and the XLT is growly and snarly. Together they make for a very rich and deep sounding setup.
The single 410XLT however, has way more punch and snarl then the 210 pair. It has less true deep low end but its easily as loud and the punch factor is just so pleasing.
I honetly cant decide which setup I like better and constantly switch between the two. For what its worth, the pair of 210's handle a bit more power and are easier to load in and out of my car.
I use 4 ohm cabs, because that's what wizzys come in.
While it does limit your amp choices, to run two you need a 2 ohm stable amp, I haven't found it too hard. I have three different rigs right now that that can 2 ohms.
One of them being a good ol' Acoustic 370. No problems with 2 ohms.
While it does limit your amp choices, to run two you need a 2 ohm stable amp, I haven't found it too hard. I have three different rigs right now that that can 2 ohms.
One of them being a good ol' Acoustic 370. No problems with 2 ohms.
My amp (SVT) is designed for 2 or 4 ohm use only, so I only consider purchasing 4 ohm cabs to have the option of using either alone or a two as a pair.
I'm an 8ohm guy myself. True, you don't get your amps full power with one cab, but a one cab gig to me is usually a quiter gig, so losing some amp power if fine. If I have something big and need lots of volume, I add the other 8 ohm cab and now I have full amp power into a 4 ohm load and a bunch of speaker to handle it. Simple.
