Orange OBC115

[AndThenSome1]

I've been looking at Orange cabs to pair with my TB500, and i've seen that a lot of people suggest/use the OBC115 cab. Having looked at it though, it only handles 400w at 8ohms - is this pairing not potentially able to damage the cab, given that the amp puts out 500w? Or is this only a problem if i'm seriously driving the power section of the amplifier?

Cheers!

[jay]

From my understanding it wont be a problem as long as you don't crank the TB too much, if you drive the cab too hard it may do some damage, but I wouldn't worry as i've personally never even been able to turn my TB past about 3 on the volume without being told to turn down! So it's unlikely that you'll ever encounter a problem. I use my TB with an Orange 410, i've tried both and I thought the 410 sounded much better, if you can afford the extra money I would go with that instead, but it helps if you have an eq pedal or an active bass to add a bit of extra low end.

Don't take my word as gospel about the wattage, see if others agree as i'd hate to give damaging advice! Good luck!

[jay]

Almost forgot, you can email Orange! I have done in the past and they are very helpful!

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='AndThenSome1' timestamp='1335270032' post='1628321']
is this pairing not potentially able to damage the cab, given that the amp puts out 500w?

[/quote]Did you get one with no volume comtrols?

BTW, thermal wattage ratings of drivers are meaningless. What counts is the displacement, and that of the Kappa 15 used in the OBC is only 340cc, which translates to about 100w actual capacity before reaching maximum output. For some perspective you should compare that to the listed displacement figures at Barefaced Bass, keeping in mind that doubling displacement quadruples the usable power handling.

[Musicman20]

I've compared many 1x15s to the OBC 115, and it certainly does sound great, and works for me live. So, despite the specs, the cab will take a fair whack, but don't expect miracles. I found it had a pretty punchy midrange compared to the BF Compact.