Padding inside cabinet

[BassHertz]

Just got an Ashdown Electric Blue180 with the 15" speaker. It sounded very hollow. I went down to Dunelm Mill and got some wadding/padding and put it on the inner walls of the cabinet, I think it sounds a lot better now, the deep thuds are more audible.

Do the manufacturers not bother with padding inside the cabinet anymore?

What do you all prefer?

[Mr. Foxen]

Cheap stuff they don't bother. Plenty do bother. One of the least interesting jobs I had to do at the hifi factory was weighing out the stuffing for speaker boxes, controlled amount goes in.

Lined cabs give a bit more midrange transparency, that is only a good thing if you like the sound of the rest of the gear and player attached to it. This is why guitarists tend to prefer unlined cabs.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='BassHertz' timestamp='1362434615' post='1999851']
Do the manufacturers not bother with padding inside the cabinet anymore?
[/quote]The ones who care how their speakers sound wouldn't dream of sending out cabs that aren't properly damped. Those who'd rather save the two quid that it costs to do it right, not so much.

[BassHertz]

Thanks for the replies. Do sealed enclosures require padding/dampening? The Ashdown is sealed

[Mr. Foxen]

Sealed should be stuffed.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1362570635' post='2001404']
Sealed should be stuffed.
[/quote]Perhaps. If the cab is too small for the drivers within response will be boomy; stuffing the cab can reduce the boom. If the cab is the correct size for the drivers then lining alone is adequate. But most manufacturers use cabs that are too small, especially in the lower price range.

[BassHertz]

I hear ya Bill - I just wish one of these could fit in my car

[Mr. Foxen]

Scoop bins with the speaker showing totally suck.

[BassHertz]

But do they sound good with a bass head?

[Mr. Foxen]

Depends if you like a massive notch where the output from the speaker and from the scoop are out of phase. Gives that loud and 'bassy' but messy sounding thing There was a write up here: http://www.speakerplans.com/index.php?id=faq12 but the throw thing is a bit dodge, probably the room effects cutting out the bit where it does work, and the in build scoop taking out the bit where you can hear it closer.

[Marvin]

It makes a big difference to my ears. Unlined just sounds clanky.

[The fasting showman]

The last time I lined a cab with damping wadding it was a ply cab so I was able to use a staple gun.This time it's an MDF cab; has anybody got any suggestions for an adhesive to fix it in place? Thanks.