Barefaced Two10 S

[MrDaveTheBass]

Before buying my Two10 I looked all over t'interweb for consumer reviews, but there's not a lot out there - lots of love for its little brother the One10, which was a good sign, but not much   stuff about living with the Two10 day-to-day. The one question that I struggled to find the answer to was, "Can it replace my 4 x 10?" If you're in a similar position to me - keen amateur/semi-pro tired of lugging a "normal" - (i.e. not Barefaced) 4 x 10 to pub/club gigs every weekend, I can say, "Yes! It's plenty loud enough and more."

What cab is the Two10 replacing?
My old cab is a Genz Benz Focus LT 410. It's light for a 4 x 10 (64 lbs), it's well designed, plenty loud and has a nice tone. OK, it's not a top-of-the-range "Uber" cab, but it's done me proud for the last three years, and I love it's tone, volume and reliability.

If the current cab's so great, Why replace it?
It all comes down to weight. I sustained a back injury this year, and although now on the mend, I can't manage to lug a 4 x 10 about on my own. I've always used a sack-truck, so for a flat, level load-in I managed OK, but I still had to lift my cab into my car, and any venues with stairs, steps or raised stages were becoming a very literal pain. 

Preconceptions
Before the Two10 arrived, I hoped that despite having half the cone area of the Genz Benz, if I really cranked my amp through the Two10, I should be just about able to squeeze enough volume out of it to keep up with my loud drummer. I expected a drop in performance, but hoped that the reduced handling effort would make up for a shortfall in SPL.

First Impressions
I was able to A-B the Two10 against the Focus 410 in my front room. First, I played through the Genz Benz, which sounded great as usual. Without changing the controls on the bass or the amp, I swapped the Speakon lead over to the Two10, set at 4 Ohms. Bloody hell! - I didn't have an SPL meter, but to my ears at least, the Two10 sounded louder than the 4 x 10. More bass, more mids, just more of everything! I was puzzled at how this could be possible, but I guess that the Two10's 4 Ohm load was allowing my Markbass LM3 to output its full 500W, as opposed to 300W through the 8 Ohm Genz Benz. I tentatively tried cranking the amp a bit beyond front-room levels, but was forced to stop when the ornaments on the mantlepiece started to jump into the fireplace. The door burst open, and I was confronted by a very angry Mrs TheBass wanting to know what exactly the f**k I thought I was doing. Verdict - IT'S LOUD!

First Gig (Quiet band)
The next day I was able to try out the Two10 in more appropriate surroundings. A gig with my originals band - two clean electric guitars and a refined drummer with an above average grasp of volume and dynamics, swapping between brushes, rods and sticks. We play an eclectic set ranging from quiet acoustic ballads to heavy dub-laden ska numbers. I'm playing a fretless EB MM Sterling through the Markbass LM3, and the Two10 doesn't miss a beat. The venue has its own PA, so my rig is for stage monitoring only. One of the guitarists uses a lot of phase and flange - think Cocteau Twins - which can sometimes bury my bass, but tonight it's easy to find a balance and sit nicely in the mix. The LM3 is barely at tickover. The load-in and out is a joy - I can lift the Two10 with one hand, and by back is thanking me almost as much as the drunk punter who we played "Happy Birthday" to. All in all, a very good night.

First Rehearsal (Loud Band)
The following night is rehearsal night with my loud punk/rock covers band. Two deaf overdriven guitarists playing through 4 x 12 Marshall half-stacks and a shed-building drummer who thinks that John Bonham played like a wuss. We're really loud, especially in a small rehearsal room, and I'm glad of the 18dB of volume-reduction from my Alpine earplugs. I'm running an SVT amp-sim through the Markbass to give me a bit of "Grrr", which sounds great through the Two10. With this band, I'm playing a fretted Sterling, for lots of bark and fret-clank. It's a small rehearsal room, and my rig keeps up easily without needing to be pushed. I notice that I've had to wind the master level anticlockwise from its usual setting with the Genz Benz, and cut some of the Lows and Low Mids.  

First Gig (Loud Band)
This is the acid test - my loud band at full gig volume. The venue is a medium sized pub - the room is actually the ground floor of three terraced houses knocked together into one open plan space. I set up as normal, and DI into the PA. The bass drum and both guitars are miked up, and the guitarists are packing a Marshall 4 x 12, and a 2 x 12 respectively. We're fortunate to have an ex-pro soundman who knows how to get a good balanced mix, and manages to keep the volume to a realistic level. He's got a great pair of ears and a wealth of experience, and I trust his judgement. After the soundcheck, he beckons to me, and I walk over to the desk. He points down, and I notice to my amazement that the fader for my bass is at zero - my new little rig with its tiny Two10 cab is doing 100% of the work, with no reinforcement from the PA at all!

Verdict
My Two10 doesn't just keep up with the "ordinary" 4 x 10 it replaces, its louder. It's not just about volume though - the tone is great, and the sound fills the room better than my old cab. I originally thought that I'd end up getting a pair of Two10s, but that would be absolute overkill for my situation, even for my noisy covers band. At first I was skeptical of Barefaced's claim that the Two10 could replace a 4 x 10, but in my experience, that's absolutely the case.
 

[Oopsdabassist]

Barefaced 2 x10 cab, simply the best piece of music gear I have ever bought. It replaced an Eden 410xlt, sounds better and weighs less than 1/3 of the Eden. It is without doubt the mutts nutts!!

Edited September 3, 2019 by Oopsdabassist
dopey spelling

[machinehead]

I have a pair of Barefaced one10s, which must be similar to a single two10, and I've never wanted for volume or great tone on a gig.

That's a great review @MrDaveTheBass.  Thanks for taking the time.

Frank.

[sifi2112]

Yeah great review .. has kinda convinced me tho I have been looking at Genzler BA10-2 (x2) .. how’s the dispersion compared to the 410 ? And how’s it up close ie standing right in front as I often struggle to hear myself at gigs (we also play pretty loud) ?

[MrDaveTheBass]

1 hour ago, sifi2112 said:

 how’s the dispersion compared to the 410 ? And how’s it up close ie standing right in front?

The dispersion is very good. I've only used the Two10 in 'portrait' mode (one speaker above the other). Last Saturday I was playing in an awkward space where we've had sound issues in the past. The drummer was jammed into this tiny inglenook fireplace with my rig beside him, while I stood out the front so that I could do BVs. For a couple of numbers where I wasn't singing, I squeezed into the fireplace with the drummer so we could better lock-in together. It didn't seem to matter if I was standing way out front or right on top of the Two10 - it sounded great wherever I was.

[Paul S]

Nice review, fuelling my GAS nicely 

[MrDaveTheBass]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

Nice review, fuelling my GAS nicely 

Apologies! - I normally find it quite hard to GAS over cabs - they're usually a pain to lug about, and they don't come with fancy sparkle paint jobs. Even amps or pedals usually have a pretty coloured LED or two, but cabs are usually just dull heavy black boxes.

I felt that I had to write a review because I've never been so blown away by a speaker cab - it totally exceeded my expectations. The Two10 has certainly cured my cab GAS for the foreseeable future (except that, if I had the readies, I'd get another one, but this would be totally unnecessary overkill for my situation, and defeat the point of a lightweight, one cab load-in). In my weaker moments though, I fantasise about two stacked vertically like a slimline portable 8 x 10 - somebody help me! 😉

[sifi2112]

Thanks  .. tho my wallet might not lol !

[Bass Fumbler]

Great review! I’ve also got a Barefaced 210 & it truly is a fantastic cab. 

I couldn’t write a review that would do it justice & I’m glad that  you can!

i play mine through a Handbox R400 amp which gives a lovely warm tone. 

 

[Radchenko]

Hello, nice reviews!

But it's only useful yo obtain warm sound ir can be played with a clean tone, even slap, etc?.

Do you compare the two ten with the supercompact or TC rs210?.

Thank you.

[MrDaveTheBass]

On 30/11/2019 at 21:45, Radchenko said:

Hello, nice reviews!

But it's only useful yo obtain warm sound ir can be played with a clean tone, even slap, etc?.

Do you compare the two ten with the supercompact or TC rs210?.

Thank you.

Hi,

I haven't compared the Two10 directly with a supercompact or TC cab. I'm not much of a slapper either. However, my Two10 sounds great with clean tones - I don't use any distortion or drive with my fretless, just the pristine tone of a Markbass LM3. It's not a 'hifi' cab though - it's got a prominent hump in the low mids, and a roll-off in the treble. I f slap's your thing, you might want something with a tweeter (ughhh) 😝

[Wilson_51_]

I used to own a Super Compact and have switched over to a Two10. I don't slap but the biggest difference sound wise between the two is that the super compact seems to put out what is fed into it where as the two10 colours the sound to have a more "vintage" or warmer sound. i changed over as i was after a more retro tone, i think if i was after a slap tone or similar i would have stayed with the super compact.

If you do need help with suggestions for your sound and the difference between the cabs, Alex at Barefaced is wonderful to deal with and really does help. So i would suggest sending him an email

[Radchenko]

Thank you,

I watched a demo video of the barefaced one ten vs supermidget, and I prefer the sound of one ten with slap. (Two ten I supposed better).

The part that compares finger sound, the volume in one ten is less and is difficult to compare.

Thank you.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Radchenko

[scrumpymike]

Fully agree with the OP review of the Two10.  I also have a One10 which I love for home practice and small gigs with the original material Americana band I occasionally play with.  I've also owned a Super Midget T, which I moved on as the HF capability didn't bring anything to my party.  At the moment I own a pair of SC3s and a pair of Two10s and am part-way through a thorough comparison to establish the best rig for my main gigging band (classic rock covers mainly in pubs and other small/medium venues).  The idea is to try the various permutations of my BF cabs and the amps I own at our weekly gigs for a couple of months.  Early days but I can report that the SC3s/Mesa Subway 800+ and Two10s/Genzler Magellan 800 are equally amazing if slightly different combinations.  Although I'm not a slapper (!?), the fairly aggressive pick style that I regularly use is best reproduced by the SC3s.  Hopefully I will be able to post a proper comparison review topic along the lines of the excellent OP above before too long.

[Linus27]

Nice little review. I went through the same process as you minus the back injury but wanted to go smaller as lugging my Epifani 310UL was just getting too much. It was an amazing sounding cab and wasn't heavy but the size was no different to a 4x10 and getting tiresome. So I took the risk on buying a Two10 from Chris who was selling one of his and I am blown away with it. I run it through an Ampeg PF500 head and it sounds truly amazing. Its loud, punchy and the tone is amazing. I play in a 4 piece 50's Rock n Roll band that plays mostly clubs and the occasional pub and I have zero problem hearing myself. It's a truly great sounding cab and I have no need to change or upgrade.

[Radchenko]

Hello, thank you?. Some new opinion? 🙂

[stewblack]

Great review. Really thorough, thank you. 

I like the comparison between preconceptions and experience and the variety of bands / rooms / circumstances. 

Great stuff. GAS is now fully engaged. 

[MrDaveTheBass]

It's with a bit of a shock that I realise that I wrote this review 3 and a half years ago, way back in September 2019. I'm sat in bed waiting for the adrenaline to subside after tonight's gig, and I thought that I'd write a little coda after 3+ years of ownership. 

 

I've just come back from a gig in the centre of Leicester, which is now all pedestrianised. It's a great gig, but the load-in is something of a pain. I had to park in the Highcross multistorey and walk all of my gear to the High Street. This would've been impossible with a 4 x 10, but my Two10 has really come into it's own. With the cab on a sack truck, my Orange Little Bass Thing in a rucksack on my back and my bass in my free hand, lugging my gear to and from the venue was a piece of cake. The best thing though, is that I didn't feel that I was compromising with a mini rig on stage. In fact, now that it's played in, the Two10 is sounding better than ever. This was the first gig that I've used my new Orange LBT, and the head and cab play really nicely together. All in all, I just wanted to share that I still think the Two10 is a superb bit of kit!

[Reggaebass]

I use the BB2 so I’ve no use for the two10S but whenever one comes up for sale I’m always tempted to try it, great review 👍

[chris_b]

When I had a Two10S I also ran it with a One10. A fantastic sounding 310 and an easy load in/out.

[Soledad]

Very good review, thanks - decent user reviews are invaluable.
I wonder if you tried any alternatives in a similar price range - Vanderkley 210, Berg, Aguilar etc?
I admit I've been biased somewhat against BF cabs - having used/tried a 110 and later a 112 and deciding they were loud but very coloured.
I suppose I come from the other end of things - previous 2 cabs being a Genz Uber 1288 (1 x 12, 2 x 8s and a rotary-attenuated horn) then a PJB 6B. I think both these cabs are very neutral, almost 'technical' - so the jump across to the BFs I've tried is quite a jump.

I really need to get myself to Bass Gallery and try a Vanderkley against a BF.

If anyone has done A/B comparisons of the other high-end 210s please share experiences.

And btw, that very excellent Genz Uber is for sale here - I have to say it's a blinding cab... and it's 250 quid. In have seriously considered buying it back from Andy, but I do need to go a little bit smaller.