Bugera BN115TS 1x15" Cab - Anyone got one or tried one?

[thebrig]

Bugera BN115TS 1x15" Cab

Has anyone got one or tried one?

[stewblack]

Not specifically, however I still gig a bugera 15" speaker I bought a very long time ago (around 15 years) and despite some years stored in a garage (dusty in summer damp in winter) it sounds great and has never missed a beat. 

Claims 600w and I've never had cause to doubt that either. 

Edited January 1, 2020 by stewblack

[thebrig]

14 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Not specifically, however I still gig a bugera 15" speaker I bought a very long time ago (around 15 years) and despite some years stored in a garage (dusty in summer damp in winter) it sounds great and has never missed a beat. 

Claims 600w and I've never had cause to doubt that either. 

Its the wattage claims that obviously appeals but at the same time, puts me off if you know what I mean, here's what the newer model claims.

Full Description

2000 Watts of Pure, Authentic Bass Tones

The Bugera BN115TS is designed to offer players massive amounts of low end thunder, equipped with a single 15’ Turbosound speaker which offers 2000 watts of volcanic punch and tone. While the speaker delivers massive amounts of lows and mids, a fully adjustable 1’’ horn driver provides the cabinet with pristine, sparkling highs which can be adjusted via the high-quality rotary attenuator. Use the attenuator to custom tailor your sound, going from a vintage and classic tone through to a modern, percussive style.

Built for Life on the Road

The speaker cabinet is constructed from a lightweight, sturdy plywood, with a shock proof metal grille and reinforced corners to ensure it survives transportation and protects the internal components from damage. Recessed handles and integrated rollers provide the ultimate portability, ensuring players can easily transport the cab from show to show. The Bugera cab is also equipped with 1/4'’ and profession twist lock speaker connectors to keep all the bases covered.

Features

• Produces 2,000 watts of powerful and authentic bass tone
• 1 x 15" custom-made Turbosound LF driver
• Lightweight and extremely durable plywood enclosure
• Extensive internal bracing and front-porting for rich and powerful low-end response
• Custom-made and adjustable 1” HF driver for high-end resolution
• Input and link outputs on 1/4” TS and professional speaker connectors
• Recessed carrying handles and integrated rollers for easy transportation
• Shock-proof metal grille and reinforced corners protect internal components
• Wheels can be removed to allow stacking

Specifications

General

• Speaker: 1 x 15’’ Turbosound-Designed
• Power: 2000 Watts
• Compression Driver: 80 Watts
• Tweeter Attenuation: 0 to Infinate dB
• Frequency Range (+3 dB): 40 Hz – 12 kHz
• Frequency Range (-10 dB): 40 Hz – 18 kHz
• Usable Low Frequency: 30 Hz
• Impedance: 8 Ohms
• Sensitivity: 97 dB SPL (1W/1m)
• Maximum SPL: 124 dB
• Inputs: 2 x 1/4'’, 2 x Pro. Locking Connector

Dimensions

• Height: 23.1’’ (587mm)
• Width: 22.8’’ (578mm)
• Depth: 17.5’’ (445mm)
• Weight: 30.8kg (67.9lbs)

[stewblack]

Hard to say how they come to their wattage figures, the older stuff was more conservatively rated. 

I had a 1k cab but that was 4 x 250 speakers so very easy to believe 

[stewblack]

Just now, stewblack said:

Hard to say how they come to their wattage figures, the older stuff was more conservatively rated. 

I had a 1k cab but that was 4 x 250w speakers so very easy to believe 

 

[thebrig]

6 minutes ago, stewblack said:

 

Yep, its hard to believe that one 15" speaker can handle 2000 watts, but then I don't know much about the technical side of amps and cabs etc 🤔

[stewblack]

12 minutes ago, thebrig said:

Yep, its hard to believe that one 15" speaker can handle 2000 watts, but then I don't know much about the technical side of amps and cabs etc 🤔

Oh God, the flood gates will open, fur will fly. The experts and Anti Behringer mob will be lighting torches and waving pitchforks as soon as they read this 

[thebrig]

11 hours ago, stewblack said:

Oh God, the flood gates will open, fur will fly. The experts and Anti Behringer mob will be lighting torches and waving pitchforks as soon as they read this 

🤣

[Newfoundfreedom]

12 hours ago, stewblack said:

Oh God, the flood gates will open, fur will fly. The experts and Anti Behringer mob will be lighting torches and waving pitchforks as soon as they read this 

It's not like they're the only ones doing it. Even top end manufacturers like Trickfish list their wattage as peak rather than RMS.

That's all the higher figures from Bugera are. 

 

[thebrig]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

It's not like they're the only ones doing it. Even top end manufacturers like Trickfish list their wattage as peak rather than RMS.

That's all the higher figures from Bugera are. 

 

So for a numbskull like me, what is 2000 Watts in real money? 🤔

[Newfoundfreedom]

1 hour ago, thebrig said:

So for a numbskull like me, what is 2000 Watts in real money? 🤔

I'm sure there must be a real calculation, that someone far more clever than me will know. But I usually go with half, and minus 10 percent (of the original fugure) for safety. So 2000w peak would be around 800rms at the lowest ohm rating. I'm happy to accept this is probably miles out, but anything rated at 2000w peak is far louder than I'm ever going to need, so there's plenty of room for error. My Veyron is rated at 2000w peak, and I can't get it anywhere near half volume before my ears start to bleed. Incidentally, people who have run it side by side with comparable 800w (rms) amps reckon that 800 rms is about right in the real world. 

[stewblack]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I'm sure there must be a real calculation, that someone far more clever than me will know. But I usually go with half, and minus 10 percent (of the original fugure) for safety. So 2000w peak would be around 800rms at the lowest ohm rating. I'm happy to accept this is probably miles out, but anything rated at 2000w peak is far louder than I'm ever going to need, so there's plenty of room for error. My Veyron is rated at 2000w peak, and I can't get it anywhere near half volume before my ears start to bleed. Incidentally, people who have run it side by side with comparable 800w (rms) amps reckon that 800 rms is about right in the real world. 

The only amp I've ever played which 'seemed' as loud was my Orange Terror which is rated at 1k. 

[Phil Starr]

21 hours ago, stewblack said:

Oh God, the flood gates will open, fur will fly. The experts and Anti Behringer mob will be lighting torches and waving pitchforks as soon as they read this 

"we've all had enough of so called experts" as someone once said

OK here's the thing, a single coil of wire trapped inside a speaker can only dissipate so much heat, in that Turbosound driver there is likely to be a 2.5-3" voice coil so that limits the speaker to around 500W.

By their own figures the sensitivity is 97dB/W and the maximum output 124 dB, both quite believable figures. That implies the maximum amp gain is 124-97=27dB. Which means the speaker can handle 500W thermal. You see this all the time, 500W measured power handling (usually described as AES) 1000W 'program' 2000W 'peak' 

It's a 500W speaker for the sake of comparison to any other speaker and for a single driver it is quite loud 124db is more than enough for most people, anything over 120db will keep up with most drummers in a rock band,

On their own website they describe it as a 600W speaker, which doesn't seem unreasonable.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Phil Starr

[stewblack]

1 hour ago, Phil Starr said:

"we've all had enough of so called experts" as someone once said

OK here's the thing, a single coil of wire trapped inside a speaker can only dissipate so much heat, in that Turbosound driver there is likely to be a 2.5-3" voice coil so that limits the speaker to around 500W.

By their own figures the sensitivity is 97dB/W and the maximum output 124 dB, both quite believable figures. That implies the maximum amp gain is 124-97=27dB. Which means the speaker can handle 500W thermal. You see this all the time, 500W measured power handling (usually described as AES) 1000W 'program' 2000W 'peak' 

It's a 500W speaker for the sake of comparison to any other speaker and for a single driver it is quite loud 124db is more than enough for most people, anything over 120db will keep up with most drummers in a rock band,

On their own website they describe it as a 600W speaker, which doesn't seem unreasonable.

Never suggested for a moment expert opinion is a bad thing  Nor do I agree with the suggestion that we can ever have enough of experts. It is simply that the competition to be 'best expert' on this and other subjects here on Basschat is poor entertainment, not particularly helpful to those hoping to learn anything and often resembles a handful of crusty academics flicking soup at one another. 

[Phil Starr]

10 hours ago, stewblack said:

Never suggested for a moment expert opinion is a bad thing  Nor do I agree with the suggestion that we can ever have enough of experts. It is simply that the competition to be 'best expert' on this and other subjects here on Basschat is poor entertainment, not particularly helpful to those hoping to learn anything and often resembles a handful of crusty academics flicking soup at one another. 

Sorry that wasn't meant to be personal. Hence the Smiley  

Competition only works if it is fair, I admit I do have a bit of a thing about deliberate lies and Music Tribe (Behringer and co) have a track record here. They aren't the only ones but they are in a fairly dominant position. Is it fair to pitch their 2000W speaker against someone else's 500W speaker when they actually handle the same power? Given that many musicians can't work out ohms, volts and watts I think not.

The OP said "Its the wattage claims that obviously appeals but at the same time, puts me off if you know what I mean, here's what the newer model claims."

It's the same rating your speaker has as it happens, Music Tribe/Music Group bought up Turbosound and went on producing their speakers so this may in fact be a similar driver to yours, I don't know that of course but I am confident it's a 5-600W speaker. Should I tell the Brig that.

Most of my posts are on technical stuff, I'm a rubbish bass player but I used to teach Physics to 'A' level and to design and build speakers for a living so it's what I have to contribute. I try not to be too boring but I like to think I'm teaching someone to fish rather than just feeding them a fish. 

Anyway no offence meant on my part I enjoy your contributions

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

28 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

Sorry that wasn't meant to be personal. Hence the Smiley  

Competition only works if it is fair, I admit I do have a bit of a thing about deliberate lies and Music Tribe (Behringer and co) have a track record here. They aren't the only ones but they are in a fairly dominant position. Is it fair to pitch their 2000W speaker against someone else's 500W speaker when they actually handle the same power? Given that many musicians can't work out ohms, volts and watts I think not.

The OP said "Its the wattage claims that obviously appeals but at the same time, puts me off if you know what I mean, here's what the newer model claims."

It's the same rating your speaker has as it happens, Music Tribe/Music Group bought up Turbosound and went on producing their speakers so this may in fact be a similar driver to yours, I don't know that of course but I am confident it's a 5-600W speaker. Should I tell the Brig that.

Most of my posts are on technical stuff, I'm a rubbish bass player but I used to teach Physics to 'A' level and to design and build speakers for a living so it's what I have to contribute. I try not to be too boring but I like to think I'm teaching someone to fish rather than just feeding them a fish. 

Anyway no offence meant on my part I enjoy your contributions

 

I love all the technical explanations we get on here. To be honest, most of it goes straight over my head, but it's great to know that someone in the "community" has the expertise to point us in the right direction, should we need it. 

[thebrig]

1 hour ago, Phil Starr said:

Sorry that wasn't meant to be personal. Hence the Smiley  

Competition only works if it is fair, I admit I do have a bit of a thing about deliberate lies and Music Tribe (Behringer and co) have a track record here. They aren't the only ones but they are in a fairly dominant position. Is it fair to pitch their 2000W speaker against someone else's 500W speaker when they actually handle the same power? Given that many musicians can't work out ohms, volts and watts I think not.

The OP said "Its the wattage claims that obviously appeals but at the same time, puts me off if you know what I mean, here's what the newer model claims."

It's the same rating your speaker has as it happens, Music Tribe/Music Group bought up Turbosound and went on producing their speakers so this may in fact be a similar driver to yours, I don't know that of course but I am confident it's a 5-600W speaker. Should I tell the Brig that.

Most of my posts are on technical stuff, I'm a rubbish bass player but I used to teach Physics to 'A' level and to design and build speakers for a living so it's what I have to contribute. I try not to be too boring but I like to think I'm teaching someone to fish rather than just feeding them a fish. 

Anyway no offence meant on my part I enjoy your contributions

 

Just like Stew, most of the technical stuff goes over my head too, but thanks Phil, I now know that the 2000 watts claim is misleading and I will probably look for a 500W 15" cab manufactured by a company with a better reputation, I'm not saying that this cab is rubbish because I've not heard one put through its paces, but I have now read a number of reviews where users have said that it does go quite loud, but after a certain level, it loses definition.

For just over £200, I suppose a lot of people will take a chance on it, but I'm worried that I would probably regret it after a while and wished I had payed a bit more for better cab, and be thinking "you only get what you payed for" 😐

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys, this is what BC is all about 🙂

[stewblack]

I have to say 'you gets what you pays for' seems to me a dubious proposition at best. 

The implication that the more you spend the better the quality you receive seldom if ever holds true. 

Especially in an area of such rampant subjectivity. What I value may be irrelevant to you and vice versa. A piece of kit delivering precisely what I want is better than one which does not. Regardless of what I paid. 

Reliability? I have literally never spent anything on my Behringer or Bugera amps. Had one since my kids were small. In the same time period I've had Trace, Ampeg, Eden, Markbass, Ashdown all need serious money and time spending on them. 

I got rid of my Stingray because I straight up didn't like it. But my Harley Benton sounds amazing. To me. Can't measure any of this of course. There may be something only expensive gear can do and that may be the thing somebody needs/wants above all else. If so, yes you need to spend the money. 

When I toss up between my old patched together Trace box loaded with a speaker from a Behringer cab and my Barefaced, it comes down to the ease of the load in. The weight is the only factor, not sound, reliability, headroom, price, none of it 

[thebrig]

8 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I have to say 'you gets what you pays for' seems to me a dubious proposition at best. 

The implication that the more you spend the better the quality you receive seldom if ever holds true. 

Especially in an area of such rampant subjectivity. What I value may be irrelevant to you and vice versa. A piece of kit delivering precisely what I want is better than one which does not. Regardless of what I paid. 

Reliability? I have literally never spent anything on my Behringer or Bugera amps. Had one since my kids were small. In the same time period I've had Trace, Ampeg, Eden, Markbass, Ashdown all need serious money and time spending on them. 

I got rid of my Stingray because I straight up didn't like it. But my Harley Benton sounds amazing. To me. Can't measure any of this of course. There may be something only expensive gear can do and that may be the thing somebody needs/wants above all else. If so, yes you need to spend the money. 

When I toss up between my old patched together Trace box loaded with a speaker from a Behringer cab and my Barefaced, it comes down to the ease of the load in. The weight is the only factor, not sound, reliability, headroom, price, none of it 

I agree that thinking 'you gets what you pays for' isn't always a fair way of judging things, but in my 68 years of literally buying thousands of items for all things in life, 'you gets what you pays for' has come into play so often with many of my purchases 🤔

[Phil Starr]

22 hours ago, thebrig said:

Just like Stew, most of the technical stuff goes over my head too, but thanks Phil, I now know that the 2000 watts claim is misleading and I will probably look for a 500W 15" cab manufactured by a company with a better reputation, I'm not saying that this cab is rubbish because I've not heard one put through its paces, but I have now read a number of reviews where users have said that it does go quite loud, but after a certain level, it loses definition.

For just over £200, I suppose a lot of people will take a chance on it, but I'm worried that I would probably regret it after a while and wished I had payed a bit more for better cab, and be thinking "you only get what you payed for" 😐

Anyway, thanks for all your help guys, this is what BC is all about 🙂

I think we all know how it works, at the bottom end of the price range there have to be engineering compromises to make a product at that price point. Better materials and so on increase the price with performance for a while then you reach the point of diminishing returns where small improvements cost increasing amounts of money. That pretty much applies to most walks of life from restaurants to bass gear. It certainly isn't an iron rule, there are bargains and dogs at each price point usually. The Bugera Veyron amp is a real bargain IMO for example.

Interestingly I can't find out if the BN and 'lightweight' means that this speaker has a Neo driver or what the cab actually weighs? If it has a normal ceramic (heavy) magnet 15 driver then the Bugera looks good value, if it has a genuine neo magnet it's a total bargain. Complete guess is that the horn is neo only. You've got a 5-600W 15+horn for just over £200 which Stew says sounds good and has been reliable for him. That's good value for money and there's nothing here to put you off a purchase

The thing is though this isn't the way to choose a bass cab. There are other cabs at this price point from Warwick, TC and Peavey and more like the Fender Rumble coming in at less than £100 more. It's the sound that counts so you have to go out and try them and choose based on that. Only you can decide if the sound is actually better and how much you'd be prepared to pay for that. It's quite possible that the Bugera blows the others away at that price or that the reverse is true the only way to find out is to try as many as possible and decide if it's a match for what you want. Good luck, I hope you find something you like.