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Double Bass Wizzy 10 review

#2
I got some in this afternoon, can't get over how loud these little boxes can get. I'm taking a pair to a happy hour gig (on electric, not URB) tomorrow night, with a Micro 300 if they come in time, otherwise a Clarus 1.

I'm looking forward to getting some gig time in with this new gear, that's the audition that matters most -- on stage. URB time should be next week.

Never thought I'd have a credible speaker cab that wasn't as tall as my bass guitar's body. The silly thing weighs in at 16.5 lbs. on my freight scale.

wz10may07a.jpg


Disclaimer: I'm a dealer. But my opinion still counts. :D
 
#4
Well I am totally floored w. this cab...it's like an empty lunch box to carry,and most important the sound is the BOMB for URB.
As I said I had a trio gig last night in a fairly new Asian resturant [ All Seasons Table, Malden, Mass.] Big long room to play w. wood floors and high ceiling.The owner popped 8k down for a new Yamaha grand piano ,so it is truely a treat to play almost acoustic.
I have been using A Shen SB-150 hybrid strung w. Spiro mittels and a Fishman Full Circle p/u My amp is a Wally Woods 100 watter from 1982
I didn't need much amp as we play nice and light in this room...the drummer uses his brushes alot and the lid on the piano is down.
Man ,the sound is Killer...very Natural w. lots of punch and the notes just pop right out clean and full. Everyone noticed the sound and said it was great.I would like to mention the two fine musicians I was with [Both Berklee instructors] Russ Hoffmann on piano and John Hazilla on drums both very fine players.Russ plays alot of the Oscar Peterson trio arrangments, so I get a chance to try the Ray Brown thing which this cab does very nicely.
I am back at the same place tonight w. the same trio and we are adding a horn player...should be a ball.I have a Big Band date tomorrow and will really give this bad boy a test...More to come later...
 
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#6
Just did a gig last night with my 25 pound 1x8 and thought myself so swift with the light weight and all...then I read about this Wizzy at 16 pounds. I like to excercise but not really on the gig. If this cab sounds as good as it is light and small...
I'm already looking for things to sell...
 
#8
I'm also very interested in checking one of these out. If anybody in Cincy or Indy or thereabouts decides to get one, I'd be interested in driving up and doing a shootout with the Wizzy 10, the VL208, and the VL108. I'm currently wishing for a cabinet that will cover the trio/quartet type gigs that are a bit too much for the 108, but which the 208 is really overkill for. Since the Wizzy 10 is something like 35 lbs lighter than the VL208, it might be just the ticket.

Bob G. and/or knowledgeable speaker folk: I like to stand mount my speakers, and I see that the baffle/port on the wizzy is on the bottom. Any idea if havine an internal mounting flange would be possible on one of these? I suppose that if I really dig the cab I could just remove the logo and put the flange wherever it would best suit a balance point, but...
 
#9
Chris Fitzgerald said:
.

Bob G. and/or knowledgeable speaker folk: I like to stand mount my speakers, and I see that the baffle/port on the wizzy is on the bottom. Any idea if havine an internal mounting flange would be possible on one of these? I suppose that if I really dig the cab I could just remove the logo and put the flange wherever it would best suit a balance point, but...
Click to expand...
I can't imagine it cares which end is up. Poke a hole in the side that doesn't have anything on it or replace a side handle.
 
#10
Hello Folks,
I play in a function band and play a variety of music ranging from jazz standards with my EUB to Disco, sould, funk, pop etc with my electric basses....would a Micro 300 and a wizzy 10 (or two) be powerful enough? I always run my bass though the PA and the band consists of drummer, guitar, keys horns and vocals. I use and iAmp800 coupled with one or two CXL112's abd would like to downsize on some gigs.
Thoughts?
 
#11
The spec's for the CX112 and Wizzy 110 indicate the that the sound pressure level of the CX112 is 128Db (350watts @ 1m) and for the Wizzy 110, 126Db (presumably at it's power handling limit of 250 watts). This would seem to indicate that the Micro 300/Wz110 would be not quite as loud as one of your CX112's driven to maximum power, but pretty close.

I got the data from Bob Gollihur's site:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Jim

note. comparing SPLs between manufacturers in not necessarily very accurate, but since both cabinets are from the same maker it seems like this comparison would make sense.

Carl999Pop said:
Hello Folks,
I play in a function band and play a variety of music ranging from jazz standards with my EUB to Disco, sould, funk, pop etc with my electric basses....would a Micro 300 and a wizzy 10 (or two) be powerful enough? I always run my bass though the PA and the band consists of drummer, guitar, keys horns and vocals. I use and iAmp800 coupled with one or two CXL112's abd would like to downsize on some gigs.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
#13
jsbarber said:
The spec's for the CX112 and Wizzy 110 indicate the that the sound pressure level of the CX112 is 128Db (350watts @ 1m) and for the Wizzy 110, 126Db (presumably at it's power handling limit of 250 watts). This would seem to indicate that the Micro 300/Wz110 would be not quite as loud as one of your CX112's driven to maximum power, but pretty close.
Click to expand...

A 2-dB difference in intensity will yield a small change in loudness. Keep in mind that in order to double loudness (a psychological quantity), a 10-dB change in intensity (a physical quantity) is required.
 
#14
Carl999Pop said:
Hello Folks,
I play in a function band and play a variety of music ranging from jazz standards with my EUB to Disco, sould, funk, pop etc with my electric basses....would a Micro 300 and a wizzy 10 (or two) be powerful enough? I always run my bass though the PA and the band consists of drummer, guitar, keys horns and vocals. I use and iAmp800 coupled with one or two CXL112's abd would like to downsize on some gigs.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hard to say, but I took a pair of Wizzy 10 cabs and a Focus head out on a regular Happy Hour gig down here at the New Joisey shore last night to a medium sized bar (two guitars/vocals through Bose PAS systems w/extra subwoofer, electronic drums through a WT300/Carvin 2x10 rig, bass). My usual rig is an iAMP800 and pair of VL208 cabs, playing five string ebass.

I insecurely packed one of my VL208 cabs and the iAMP800 as I feared that second set volumes would exceed the tiny rig's capabilities. They never left the SUV.

I was floored with the performance of this little rig, it easily handled Pink Floyd and ZZTop in the last two loud sets without a whimper. Completely ridiculous and unexpected. When you look at and pick up the little cabs and head you don't think it possible. Another bassist in the club came up to me, he couldn't fathom how much punch and volume was coming off stage.

You know your rig is small when it is dominated by the 710ml Poland Spring water bottle resting on top.

happyhour5-07.jpg


I wish I had received a Micro 300 in time to take one; as hopeful as I am, I don't know if 300w would cut a gig like this, at least with a low B. The Focus was capable of putting out 1000w, though volume controls (channel at 10 o'clock, master at 1) weren't too high. Being a big fan of headroom I think I'd want a Clarus (500w/2 ohms) just to keep it clean, but if you have PA support and are using the rig primarily as a stage monitor, Micro 300 could possibly do the job.

As for myself, my jaw is still dropped. We always joked around here, when amps got smaller, "when are they going to make bass speakers smaller?!?" Reality Check: no, I don't think that the pair has the capabilities of my two VL208 cabs or other 2x cabinets in that class, I don't think the rig could quite have kept up with last Friday's VERY loud gig in a much larger club with more players, but it could have come close.

Congrats to John and the rest of the EA guys. They tell me the Micro 300 is even more amazing-- this I've gotta see.

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm a dealer, but my opinion still counts.
 
#15
Hey Chris,

A Wizzy10 (and Micro300) should be on its way to Cincy next week. Gimme a shout if you wanna come down for a shootout. I've heard you play in Louisville, so I'll just let my lameness listen :-) My bass is a 30's Kay with a FC and I also have a Fender Jazz EBG...

I'll be traveling most of July so you're also welcome to borrow the rig for a bit if you want...

Tony
 
#17
Chris Fitzgerald said:
I'm also very interested in checking one of these out. If anybody in Cincy or Indy or thereabouts decides to get one, I'd be interested in driving up and doing a shootout with the Wizzy 10, the VL208, and the VL108. I'm currently wishing for a cabinet that will cover the trio/quartet type gigs that are a bit too much for the 108, but which the 208 is really overkill for. Since the Wizzy 10 is something like 35 lbs lighter than the VL208, it might be just the ticket.

Bob G. and/or knowledgeable speaker folk: I like to stand mount my speakers, and I see that the baffle/port on the wizzy is on the bottom. Any idea if havine an internal mounting flange would be possible on one of these? I suppose that if I really dig the cab I could just remove the logo and put the flange wherever it would best suit a balance point, but...
Click to expand...

Given the criticality of the internal baffling to its sound, it would not be a good idea to insert anything beyond the outside structure of the cabinet. The Wizzy 10 also has the usual EA transmission line magic, and I know they actually made five different "final designs" before production-- Larry told me that the soundstage changed with each variation.

Perhaps you can utilize the metal plate in the spring-loaded handle for a reliable and non-intrusive mounting point, bolting external mounting hardware to it, or to the handle mounting points.
 
#18
Hey, anybody check out that newsletter that Rick at Acoustic Image just put out? It's really informative about the whole notch filter High Pass thing. But he also goes into depth about why he thinks downfiring speakers are the way to go. Then he addresses the whole Omni thing which is why you get no definition. Anyway I've been playing with 2 1x8's and lately, not stacked but one kicked way back as a monitor (I got it with a pole mount and use a 6in piece of dowel) Having the sound spread that way gets some of the effect of the omni while still giving me a monitor.
All this to say What I would really dig is to have this type set up with half the weight and less bulk. I gotta get a couple Wizzy 10's...What's the street price? Anyone got one coming in the Bay Area?
 
#19
flatback said:
Hey, anybody check out that newsletter that Rick at Acoustic Image just put out? It's really informative about the whole notch filter High Pass thing. But he also goes into depth about why he thinks downfiring speakers are the way to go. Then he addresses the whole Omni thing which is why you get no definition.
Click to expand...
Link?
 

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