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Why Didn't Powered Cabs Catch On?

#61
pbass2 said:
The venerable 400RB--especially the old one---one of my fave amps ever. Would indeed be cool if that worked with these cabs. Would you say the PLEX has that GK "thing" like the old 400 or 800RB? Not to totally derail the thread here.....
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I've been messing with GK since the mid 80s and for my ears, the Plex is 4 entirely different GK amps in one, as advertised. The voicing are spot on for 800rb, Fusion 550, MB800, and the 150.

So absolutely yes, the Plex is a GK animal that makes genuine GK noises.
 
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#62
ProbablyTooLoud said:
...or maybe they did and I can't tell.
I'm a few years late to the powered cab party.
I got some GK gear and was psyched to use their powered cabs - but they're now discontinued and not easy to find.

Anyone have any ideas on why the whole powered cab thing didn't get popular?
Seems like a great idea to me. Preamp to cab and that's it.
Am I missing something?
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For me, when I downsized my big stack to an MB212 it was all I needed. Haven’t had a gig in years without PA support and it was perfectly lovely taking my fat old man sedan to gigs instead of a truck. If I did need more, I think I absolutely would get the matching powered 212. Absolutely love the sound I’m getting, it’s something I was chasing for decades with all the wrong gear.
 
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#64
InhumanResource said:
For me, when I downsized my big stack to an MB212 it was all I needed. Haven’t had a gig in years without PA support and it was perfectly lovely taking my fat old man sedan to gigs instead of a truck. If I did need more, I think I absolutely would get the matching powered 212. Absolutely love the sound I’m getting, it’s something I was chasing for decades with all the wrong gear.
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Sympatico.
 
#66
I think it's just a niche market, and doesn't make sense for manufactures.

I've been thinking about powered cabs for a while... The idea really appeals to me.
I like a simple set-up, so I'm not into stacking pre-amps on pre-amps, and I have a funny hang up about having an integrated amp and just plugging into the FX return.

I really want a pair of Bag End PS15-B cabs... but with a price tag of $3400 for two of them, well, that is a lot.
If you could use them as a passive system, bypassing the integrated amp, that would be a big bonus for me - then I could use them with a pre-amp, or with one of my integrated amps - not having to have two separate systems.

The QSC CP 12 is a thing, but it feels funny to me. I have a CP 8 and I've played through but I'd doesn't "spark joy," as they say. I want BASS GEAR, not a DJ speaker!

I've considered a stand alone power amp (Crest Pro-Lite 3) or something like the Baby Sumo,,, but the simplicity or tidiness of a powered cab has a lot of appeal for me.
 
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#67
Ya know considering most bassists have some kind of preamp DI thing on the end of their pedal board, I too am surprised by powered cabs not being a thing. I am not a GK guy at all but I thought their powered cab idea was cool, not many others did.
 
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#68
Bag End makes a range of self-powered bass guitar and electric guitar bins. Of course, these are built to exceptionally high standards and they publish honest specs, a rarity. Internal power, internal user-select HPF, crossover to the concentric HiDrive at 3.7k, and self adjusting to any voltage worldwide. Add any preamp with a line level output, you're all good.

https://bagend.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PS15X-N.pdf

Of course, in a world where guys are still debating tubes and THIS year's new Precision Bass in their SVT, I hope they can move a few . . . . and these are very honest sounding cabs, you hear exactly what you sound like, and that'll run off a few more, too.
 
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#69
Accugroove makes powered cabs that are amazing. My Whappo cab outshines anything else I have tried. The cab weight is 58 lbs and the class D amp adds another 5 or so.

IMHO, the huge benefit is that you get DSP with it that allows the builder to tweak the sound better than a passive crossover.

My problem is that I play at churches and they are all IEM’s and no amps. I really miss having an amp but with the custom molded IEM’s I can keep my monitor volume less than the bleed through from the mains. Since I have tinnitus already, that is a good thing.
 
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#70
ProbablyTooLoud said:
...or maybe they did and I can't tell.
I'm a few years late to the powered cab party.
I got some GK gear and was psyched to use their powered cabs - but they're now discontinued and not easy to find.

Anyone have any ideas on why the whole powered cab thing didn't get popular?
Seems like a great idea to me. Preamp to cab and that's it.
Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Great discussion topic BTW.

My $0.019: Our market is not large; and on top of that, we are a fragmented bunch.

The Class D amps and Neodymium drivers certainly suggest the tech is there. So, that’s not the problem.

The one piece of the puzzle that could open the door would be for cab makers to agree on a standard modular insertion space for Class D modules. That would allow modular upgrades as the amps change. Or, upsizing / downsizing.

For example (and not to pick on Mesa), a Subway 15 in a very slightly larger cab to allow a 6 pound power section to be easily installed, would still be short of 50 pounds, and do a ton of gigs. Plug in a preamp / pedal board and you are good to go.

The problem is that with the market being so small and fragmented, the individual makers are trying to preserve the modest market share they have; so, the gain from standardizing a modular capability isn’t recognized. The critical mass for the makers serving the market just isn’t there; and the incentive to do it just isn’t obvious.

Anyhow, as I said; my $0.019.
 
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#71
Like others have wrote, I run a Mesa preamp/DI into the FX return of my Rumble 500C. So my combo is just a powered bass speaker. With the size and weight of most class D bass heads these days, a powered speaker that needs a separate preamp just doesn't make much sense. Now, a powered PA speaker which eliminates power amps makes big sense and they are everywhere.
 
#77
Probably been answered but, those that use a preamp or DI pedal will typically play through the band PA or FOH. A powered cab is, essentially, a combo amp. Yes, I know it's missing the preamp but, if I'm going to haul around a powered cab I might as well skip that extra piece of gear (preamp pedal) and use a combo. My own opinion, of course. The market for powered cabs would be tiny and not worth maintaining production.
 
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#78
My buddy has the powered Bergantino IP cab - the 310. It was not that much heavy than a normal Berg and it sounded great. He also has many good preamps, Alembic, Deneter, Avalon. He probably has more.

That was a great sounding cab. It was bass specific. MY Demeter and Headway preamps sounded better on it than a QSC PA cab for bass. No contest.
 
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#80
Bag End powered 15 cab with these two amazing pre amps. Tremendous sounding cabinet that can pretty much handle any bass I’ve plugged into it. Super high Bag End quality.
If you’re looking for a powered cabinet take a look at this brand.
AB3D9EFB-669E-48FB-9787-745DBD6BD688.jpeg
 
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