Which cab combinations will be loudest?

[Bass4lyf]

hey guys,
i just bought a peavey tour 450 bass head a few days ago and used it in band practise with my metal band. I have found it to be not loud enough, and i have it as loud as i can without it clipping too much, pre gain75 percent of the way and post gain 100 percent of the way. It is running at 8 ohms at the moment into a mag 410 deep 8 ohm cab. To make it louder i have resolved to buying a second cab to add on to it, i use my amp for metal. what cab combination would be the loudest, my 4x10 with a 2x10, 1x15 or another 4x10?
Help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[brettf]

another 4x10 will deffinitly be the loudest option.

 

[FuxxBoxVoodoo]

Just adding another 8 Ohm cab will help as it will increase the wattage of the Amp.
Another 4x10 would probobaly be the loudest but a 1x15 would give you a better balance with more bottom end.
Cutting through the mix is what you are looking to do.
I hear that the Bag End 15s are really loud and cut through the mix well.

 

[Sundogue]

Match it with another 8 ohm 410. The four tens will give you more speakers (which will give you more volume) and your head will put out more than it is right now.

Speaker size is kind of irrelevant. Some 15's are deeper, but some are brighter than tens. The cab design has a lot to do with it.

You just need to add more speakers and maximize the power of the head. I'd get another 410 cab.

 

[iualum]

Of your stated options, the 410 is the answer. Greatest speaker surface area. If you could find an 8 Ohm 215, it would be even louder because it has even more surface area than a 410. But 8 Ohm 215 usually take some looking to find.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

another 4x10 will deffinitly be the loudest option.

+1, and an identical one at that. Mixing cabs that aren't identical leads to unpredictable results. Using two identical cabs will give you an additional 6dB output with the same tone.

Greatest speaker surface area. If you could find an 8 Ohm 215, it would be even louder because it has even more surface area than a 410.

Cone area is one variable amongst many, and in and of itself does not have any bearing on output capability.

 

[Bass4lyf]

ok thanks heaps guys, just one question about the above post, you say, its best to match the cab with an identical cab, do u mean match a 4x10 with a 4x10 or an ashdown with an ashdown?

oh and another thing, you say surface area of speakers makes a big deal, would a 2x10 be louder than a 1x15?

 

[Mo' bass]

Actualy he sais it's not such a big deal, it's just one variable.

The formula for calulating surface is pi*r2. R is radius which is half the diameter.
2x10: 2*3.14*5*5 = 157 inch2
1x15: 1*3.14*7.5*7.5 = 176 inch2

A 1x15 has more surface area.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

ok thanks heaps guys, just one question about the above post, you say, its best to match the cab with an identical cab, do u mean match a 4x10 with a 4x10 or an ashdown with an ashdown?

Identical means exactly the same.

oh and another thing, you say surface area of speakers makes a big deal,?

It does not.

 

[Bass4lyf]

thanks heaps guys, you all have answered my questions straight to the point, very appreciated!

 

[tom once dead]

you dont have to have identicle cabs. A lot of people dont do it, like people who run 410 + 115