New Ashdown ABM Neo Cabs

[D.I. Joe]

I'm on the lookout for another compact cab to go with my ABM 500 Evo II and ABM 115 compact. I was thinking about another Compact series cab, either another 115 or a 210 but then I stumbled across the new Neo range [url="http://ashdownmusic.com/products/1/Bass-Amplification/13/ABM-NEO/"]http://ashdownmusic.com/products/1/Bass-Amplification/13/ABM-NEO/[/url]

Does anybody know much about these? Looks pretty good.

But then again, I might even go Bare...

[grenadilla]

That cabinet with 4 8s is interesting. I have heard of Sica speakers but not an 8 that can handle hundreds of watts. The 210 looks good also.

[TG Flatline]

Spend a bit more, go Barefaced.

EDIT - Sorry, worth putting that I say that because you've already mentioned it! But definitely the better option

Edited August 2, 2013 by TG Flatline

[stevie]

So what experience do you have of these Ashdowns, TG? I thought they were rather new.

Interesting that they are using side handles on the top, which looks weird. Plus point is that they are using proper birch ply.

[D.I. Joe]

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1375434617' post='2161126']
Interesting that they are using side handles on the top, which looks weird. Plus point is that they are using proper birch ply.
[/quote]

I always stand my ABM cab on it's side so it stands a bit taller. One of these should stack well on top of that. I'm inclined to go for a 2 x 15 setup and going by the specs the Neo has a little more top end output (9KHz) than my ABM Compact (4KHz). I'm not into the sharp top-heavy thing but I do like to be rewarded with a little bite when I dig in.

Just wondering in this thread if anybody uses an ABM Neo already, and how they compare to other similarly sized cabs. They need to stack neatly after all!

[stevie]

I would take the specifications with a big pinch of salt. 20Hz to 9kHz seems a tad generous, as does 99dB sensitivity.

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1375434617' post='2161126']
So what experience do you have of these Ashdowns, TG? I thought they were rather new.

Interesting that they are using side handles on the top, which looks weird. Plus point is that they are using proper birch ply.
[/quote]

UK built and pirch ply rather than the MDF they have used on previous cabs, a good start in the right direction. In all honesty and to answer your specific question, these are the only ABM cabs I'm yet to play, so while I am speculating I just can't see how there will be a massive improvement over the older models. Happy to be proved wrong though, should I have the opportunity to play through one of these newer models, but I haven't played through a single Ashdown cab that has come near doing what a Barefaced can.

[stevie]

As far as I know, Ashdown ABM cabs have always been made from birch ply.

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1375708545' post='2164524']
As far as I know, Ashdown ABM cabs have always been made from birch ply.
[/quote]

That [i]was [/i]my understanding too, until the one I opened up to line with wadding was MDF

[stevie]

[quote name='TG Flatline' timestamp='1375712181' post='2164582']
That [i]was [/i]my understanding too, until the one I opened up to line with wadding was MDF
[/quote]

You're joshing me!!!

They've certainly always advertised them as being made of ply (and the two ABM cabs I've got are ply). That's very naughty. I expect they assume that nobody will check.

The wadding thing - yes, that's a real cheapskate bit of value engineering, isn't it? I had to wad mine too before I put some decent drivers in.

Edited August 5, 2013 by stevie

[D.I. Joe]

What is this 'wadding' of which you speak? Does it consist of insulating/otherwise modifying the enclosure?

[stevie]

Just lining the walls with acoustic foam or BAF wadding. It's easy to do - just take your driver out.

[BluRay]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1375435650' post='2161151']
I always stand my ABM cab on it's side so it stands a bit taller. One of these should stack well on top of that. I'm inclined to go for a 2 x 15 setup and going by the specs the Neo has a little more top end output (9KHz) than my ABM Compact (4KHz). I'm not into the sharp top-heavy thing but I do like to be rewarded with a little bite when I dig in.

Just wondering in this thread if anybody uses an ABM Neo already, and how they compare to other similarly sized cabs. They need to stack neatly after all!
[/quote]

I use AMB cabs on their side too. By the looks of it, I think the new NEO cabs are a bit slimmer - so not sure a ABM head will sit neatly on top, unless you lay them flat. Shame, as I'd probably switch to these otherwise.

[baseline9]

I had a kylstron combo which is basically a ABM head with neo speakers, the speakers made such a huge difference, massive sound!

This new smaller range looks good

[stevie]

It does look good! Ashdown cabs have never been state of the art but they have always offered really good value for money.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1375385650' post='2160679']
That cabinet with 4 8s is interesting. I have heard of Sica speakers but not an 8 that can handle hundreds of watts.
[/quote]Thermal ratings mean next to nothing. Chances are the eight is this:
[url="http://www.sicaspeakers.com/speaker/pl8b25s"]http://www.sicaspeak...speaker/pl8b25s[/url]
It will only handle 100w before reaching maximum excursion, and the response plot isn't very good. The ten is likely this:
[url="http://www.sicaspeakers.com/speaker/pl10b25s"]http://www.sicaspeak...peaker/pl10b25s[/url]
and the the fifteen this:
[url="http://www.sicaspeakers.com/speaker/pl15b3s"]http://www.sicaspeak...speaker/pl15b3s[/url]

and they're OK, but far from stellar. They're no competition for the Eminence drivers that Barefaced uses. They're much better than the cheap Blue Line Ashdown drivers, but that's not a high bar to clear.

Edited August 9, 2013 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[Ashdown Engineering]

Bill...

Just to set things straight - we have tested every Neo Speaker from pretty much every manufacturer over the past couple of years(including Eminence and Celestion) and found them all were left wanting in one or more respect. A few sounded great at low volume but couldn't take any power or to the other extreme some had great power handling but no tone and lots of points in between and we simply weren't prepared to compromise on this new range.

We were then left with no option to work in conjunction with Sica(whom we have a 15 year relationship with) to design and develop Neo drivers over the course of the past 18 months to our own design/specs and the result of this is what's in the ABM NEO cabinets and Combos. These speakers are ours and not available to anyone else, so the links you have posted to ther Sica Neos are not accurate as these are not the speakers we are using. The Cabinets were tuned in conjunction with the drivers to produce the optimum possible results. The published specs are 100% correct(yes the specs are huge)and we are happy for anyone to test and check. We don't overinflate specs like some other manufacturers out there might.. ;-)

It's very easy to knock up a cabinet at home/in a small workshop, use a computer to tune the cabinet design and then stick an off the shelf Celestion/Eminence Neo driver in it and the result will be a decent cab. Decent wasn't good enough for ABM Neo and therefore we have gone the extra mile in every respect when designing and manufacturing these here in Essex. In one shape or form we have been designing and building bass amps and cabinets for 32 years and these cabinets are without doubt up there as the best we have ever made, happy to hear your opinion after you've actually tried one ;-)

Cheers.

[Ashdown Engineering]

[quote name='BluRay' timestamp='1375877469' post='2166772']


I use AMB cabs on their side too. By the looks of it, I think the new NEO cabs are a bit slimmer - so not sure a ABM head will sit neatly on top, unless you lay them flat. Shame, as I'd probably switch to these otherwise.
[/quote]

They are the same width when standing up as an ABM 500 head

[stevie]

[quote name='Ashdown Engineering' timestamp='1376076703' post='2169560']
Decent wasn't good enough for ABM Neo and therefore we have gone the extra mile in every respect when designing and manufacturing these here in Essex.
[/quote]

Good for you! Can we expect cast chassis and wadding in the cabinet of these new speakers?

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='Ashdown Engineering' timestamp='1376076703' post='2169560']
The published specs are 100% correct(yes the specs are huge)and we are happy for anyone to test and check. We don't overinflate specs like some other manufacturers out there might.. ;-)
[/quote]The only specs that matter IMO are a measured SPL chart and the driver displacement. Playing Devil's Advocate, the 25Hz - 20kHz at 98.5dB 1m/1w listed for the ABM210 is impossible to realize, unless said response is at least -20dB at 25Hz. The same applies to the claimed combination of low end response versus sensitivity for the 1x15. And 'front-ported for maximum forward dispersion' isn't a claim that came from the engineering department, or I'd surely hope not, as they should be aware that the radiation pattern of port output is omni-directional. I'd say that the marketing department is writing cheques that the engineering department can't cover. I'd like to be able to take you at your word, but I'm afraid the reality of the physics won't allow for it.

Edited August 9, 2013 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[nottswarwick]

Interesting.

[BluRay]

[quote name='Ashdown Engineering' timestamp='1376076850' post='2169564']
They are the same width when standing up as an ABM 500 head
[/quote]

Great. Thanks for clarifying. Looking forward to trying these out!

[Kevin Dean]

I have the Ashdown Neo 2 x10 cab I Also have a Barefaced super 12T I have now done a few gigs with both cabs using the ABM 400 RH . The Barefaced cab naturally emphasizes the low end , too much for the plectrum style I like ,So I have to do a lot with the EQ & when gigging on a small stage I get a great sound when standing out front for a sound check but when standing on a tight stage I can't hear note definition very well , With the Ashdown 2 x10 even though it's a shorter cab I can hear it perfectly & get the sound I like with hardly any EQ . I use a 36" Shuker tuned D G C F & have no problems at all when playing with the octaver when we do some Peter Gabriel stuff . I'm about to order another 2 x10 to get the full efficiency out of the head not that I need it plus I think they look cool .

Edited October 8, 2014 by Kevin Dean

[BluRay]

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1412763745' post='2571687']
I have the Ashdown Neo 2 x10 cab I Also have a Barefaced super 12T I have now done a few gigs with both cabs using the ABM 400 RH . The Barefaced cab naturally emphasizes the low end , too much for the plectrum style I like ,So I have to do a lot with the EQ & when gigging on a small stage I get a great sound when standing out front for a sound check but when standing on a tight stage I can't hear note definition very well , With the Ashdown 2 x10 even though it's a shorter cab I can hear it perfectly & get the sound I like with hardly any EQ . I use a 36" Shuker tuned D G C F & have no problems at all when playing with the octaver when we do some Peter Gabriel stuff . I'm about to order another 2 x10 to get the full efficiency out of the head not that I need it plus I think they look cool .
[/quote]
I have 2 abm neos (that I've posted about before - see link in my sig) – and it’s a killer rig, if quite big. A regular ABM head seems a good 30%+ louder using two of them together, and a CTM100 sounds vast through these cabs also. Never realised a 100w value amp would run so loud. Stacked, they look quite imposing on stage, and might appear overkill for the smaller gigs – but I just brass it out. Worth mentioning that, cos they are so narrow, they’re much more sure-footed stacked sideways, so worth getting extra set of feet (for the sides) if you get another one.

Edited October 9, 2014 by BluRay

[Kevin Dean]

Mark at Ashdown , has told me that these cabs should come with feet on the bottom & side , They are just sending me some in the post as mine didn't .