4x8 vs 2x10 or 1x12 cab

[CookPassBabtridge]

I actually like 8 inch speakers, I’ve played through the aforementioned Henri 8x8 and the sound was incredible. Unbelievable punch. I’ve wanted one for ages but they’re tricky to come by and I don’t have the space at home. Would be interested to try any of the ‘new generation’ 2x8s that are around, I bet they sound better than one might think. 

[machinehead]

25 minutes ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

I actually like 8 inch speakers, I’ve played through the aforementioned Henri 8x8 and the sound was incredible. Unbelievable punch. I’ve wanted one for ages but they’re tricky to come by and I don’t have the space at home. Would be interested to try any of the ‘new generation’ 2x8s that are around, I bet they sound better than one might think. 

I had an Eden 2x8 combo and it punched like hell and with giggable volume.

A few weeks ago I heard  a great little band busking in a city street.  The bass player was using a TE Elf with a TE 2 x 8 cab.  I must admit I was surprised and impressed with the tone, and especially the volume outdoors.

Frank.

[CookPassBabtridge]

1 hour ago, machinehead said:

I had an Eden 2x8 combo and it punched like hell and with giggable volume.

A few weeks ago I heard  a great little band busking in a city street.  The bass player was using a TE Elf with a TE 2 x 8 cab.  I must admit I was surprised and impressed with the tone, and especially the volume outdoors.

Frank.

That’s cool, I like the look of the GR bass 2x8 (the uber light weight is a plus too). Not cheap though.

[machinehead]

1 hour ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

That’s cool, I like the look of the GR bass 2x8 (the uber light weight is a plus too). Not cheap though.

Having said all that, my Barefaced speakers are in a different universe.  If you want lightweight and compact, the Barefaced one10 is hard to beat. I think a single one10 would compete with my Eden 2x8 easily. I have a pair of one10s and together they sound sublime and are easily loud enough for any of my gigs.

I have a Barefaced BB2 and a Super Midget too.  Any one of these is enough for my gigs although these cabs are super clear, with amazing volume.

If I had to choose one cab to be loud, small and light, it would have to be the Super Midget, although the BB2 is my favourite.

It's a luxury to have four cabs, I know.

Frank.

[glassmoon]

10 hours ago, machinehead said:

A few weeks ago I heard  a great little band busking in a city street.  The bass player was using a TE Elf with a TE 2 x 8 cab.  I must admit I was surprised and impressed with the tone, and especially the volume outdoors.

I've always been intrigued with how good the Elf might be - having not yet had he opportunity to see one let alone play through one.  I've heard very favourable reports - especially when used with 2 10" cabs - which are as small as I've seen.

[CookPassBabtridge]

7 hours ago, machinehead said:

Having said all that, my Barefaced speakers are in a different universe.  If you want lightweight and compact, the Barefaced one10 is hard to beat. I think a single one10 would compete with my Eden 2x8 easily. I have a pair of one10s and together they sound sublime and are easily loud enough for any of my gigs.

I have a Barefaced BB2 and a Super Midget too.  Any one of these is enough for my gigs although these cabs are super clear, with amazing volume.

If I had to choose one cab to be loud, small and light, it would have to be the Super Midget, although the BB2 is my favourite.

It's a luxury to have four cabs, I know.

Frank.

Thanks Frank, really interesting. I’ve heard many, many good things about Barefaced. Similar price to the GR and approx only 1.5kg heavier. Would you say their 10 or the 12 can match the punch you’d often associate with 8 inch speakers? (although I’m aware that speaker size is not the only variable at play in the sound of the Henri 8x8 I often think back to).

Sorry don’t mean to take over/derail the thread - I think this is also useful to the OP  

[police squad]

I have two markbass cabs, paired with my Ashdown RM500 EVO 2.

They are both discontinued 'Club' cabs

I started with the 1x15, it must be nearly 10 years ago. Ported at the rear, works great against the wall with the porting. I then managed to find the 2x10 cab at a later date. They are very portable and when used together, very very capable. They sound great but the built in horns are rubbish, so I leave them turned down all the time

2x10 weighs in just over 13 kg and the 1x15 is about 15kg. Carry handle on the top which makes them easy to carry, they fit through doorways,

I mostly use the 15 with PA support and it's great

[glassmoon]

There just seems to be something about MB that puts me off... I used to play a venue with a 310 combo and it sounded pants until I figured that the VLE knob was the only voice I like on the head.  I actually haven't ever tried a different head through an MB cab, but their portability is undeniable. 

the 210 and 115 setup is just something isn't it  

[machinehead]

13 hours ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

Thanks Frank, really interesting. I’ve heard many, many good things about Barefaced. Similar price to the GR and approx only 1.5kg heavier. Would you say their 10 or the 12 can match the punch you’d often associate with 8 inch speakers? (although I’m aware that speaker size is not the only variable at play in the sound of the Henri 8x8 I often think back to).

Sorry don’t mean to take over/derail the thread - I think this is also useful to the OP  

I'd say yes, the Barefaced range of 10" and 12" cabs have all the punch I'll ever need.  The 12" range just put out basically whatever sound you put in.  They're all excellent, the drawback being that it comes at a price.  It's worth it to me though.  I've been a Barefaced user since they first came on the market around 2009?, and fell no need to change from my G3, and one10 cabs.

I'm not on commission.

Frank.

[CookPassBabtridge]

14 hours ago, machinehead said:

I'd say yes, the Barefaced range of 10" and 12" cabs have all the punch I'll ever need.  The 12" range just put out basically whatever sound you put in.  They're all excellent, the drawback being that it comes at a price.  It's worth it to me though.  I've been a Barefaced user since they first came on the market around 2009?, and fell no need to change from my G3, and one10 cabs.

I'm not on commission.

Frank.

That’s great feedback, thanks. I’m after something light with maximum transparency and punch and that can work for both practice and gigs - so the 12s probably sound more suitable.
 

Time to start saving the pennies methinks. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by CookPassBabtridge

[MOSCOWBASS]

I used BF cabs for 10 years, had 6 of them, great cabs. My final pair was 2xone10's. I tried the GRBass aerotec 2x10 and it handles more power and goes louder then the 2xOne10's. BF farts out sooner on low B. I have since bought 2 GR bass cabs, a 210 and 112. Very happy so far. You should certainly try out these cabs, they also do a 2x8...now at Bass Direct

Edited November 18, 2020 by MOSCOWBASS
Update

[CookPassBabtridge]

1 hour ago, MOSCOWBASS said:

I used BF cabs for 10 years, had 6 of them, great cabs. My final pair was 2xone10's. I tried the GRBass aerotec 2x10 and it handles more power and goes louder then the 2xOne10's. BF farts out sooner on low B. I have since bought 2 GR bass cabs, a 210 and 112. Very happy so far. You should certainly try out these cabs, they also do a 2x8...now at Bass Direct

Cheers, sounds as though the GRs are at least on par with the BFs, interesting that you were willing to switch from the BFs to the GRs. The specs certainly look impressive, and I think Bass Direct have just got a batch in. 

[glassmoon]

So much money 🤯

[BigRedX]

24 minutes ago, glassmoon said:

So much money 🤯

Here's a thought...

Is your rig responsible for 100% of what the audience hear for the bass guitar or do you also go through the PA? If you are going through the PA, the chances are the only people benefiting from the "sound" of your rig are yourself, maybe some of the other members of your band (depending on how loud you are on stage) and the few audience members at the front directly in the line of fire of your cabs. In that case there is little point in having a massively expensive set of cabs. I was considering replacing my very big, heavy and expensive cabs with equally expensive but smaller and lighter cabs, until I did a bunch of gigs where I was asked by the PA engineer to turn down on stage to such an extent that I could hear more of "me" from the guitarist's monitor on the other side of the stage than I could from my own cabs directly behind me. After that I sold off all my amplification and replaced it with a Helix and a powered FRFR PA-style cab. I actually came away with a (small) profit after this, and now I have a much more versatile system. At a pinch the FRFR is loud enough to cover FoH for the smaller gigs I do, and I don't even need to bring it for the bigger ones with decent on-stage monitors.

Of course if your rig is required for the audience to hear you ignore everything I have said.

[BassmanPaul]

My preferred speaker system is a pair of 2x10s, Acme B2, stacked on their ends on top of each other for a vertical 4x10. The dispersion out in the room is far better that way than any other arrangement! With one cabinet the same applies.

If you think that adding a 15 will add more lows it's not always the case.

Edited January 18, 2021 by BassmanPaul

[PeteJ]

Late to the party on this one, but doesn't it depend on the tone you want to achieve? I use two cabs (and had similar when I used to gig in the 90s, including at the Marquee Club a few times) and it suited my tone, which was more or less v-shaped on a graphic EQ - bass up, mids down, treble up. The cabs were/are 4 x 10 and 1 x 15. When I used 8 x 10 at a rehearsal studio, the tone had a lot more treble (lacking the larger 15). The 15 adds a lot of low end. I had comments from punters that the bass sounded very rich.

[BassmanPaul]

Sorry to disagree but the typical 4x10 will put out more lows that a typical 1x15. The larger cone is meaningless as it's mostly other characteristics that lead to lows.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Right. And part of the reason why an 810 seems to have more treble is because the height of the cab places the drivers up where you can hear the directional high frequencies that otherwise pass by below your waist. There is no characteristic sound based purely on driver size.

[karlfer]

One of the best rigs I had was 2 Markbass Traveler 210's 8ohms, stacked vertically like a PA column.

Light, portable, great sound very loud.

Then one gig I turned around and noticed 4 yellow cones bouncing back & forward like they were trying to jump out.

Kinda made me nervous and never really recovered from it, I knew what they were doing behind my back 😳.

They were gone a few gigs later.

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, karlfer said:

Then one gig I turned around and noticed 4 yellow cones bouncing back & forward like they were trying to jump out.

All you needed was an HPF to stop that excessive cone movement.

[BassmanPaul]

The lesson to be learned is don't look at what you don't want to see!!  LOL

[Alan Wilkes]

On 15/11/2020 at 09:43, stewblack said:

Hi, I can't contribute to the science, but I have gigged a 2 x 8 vertically aligned, lightweight cab and it was very good. 

TC Electronic 208 to be precise. When paired with a 1 X 10 it was very, very capable. 

Having said all that, your sound is what you like, and might not be what any of us like. 

If I was to recommend a manufacturer it would be the same  as @chris_b - Barefaced. Happy to guarantee you won't regret it. 

I have used 2 TC Electronic 2x8 cabs with a BH250 head and the results were very good, compilments from the audience on how i cut thorugh the mix, unfortunately i rid of them, very silly.