Sparky Mark

Which type? There have been a few over the decades. A photo would help.

They should confirm what work they have carried out as I would hope they will give you some kind of warranty for the repair. £200 is a lot of money for what will be a simple repair for a decent tech. This is why I have bought secondhand Markbass heads as backups for not much more so I don't get involved with their dubious customer support. Contrast this with Ashdown Engineering who regularly go above and beyond to repair out of warranty products sometimes free of charge. Although I'm a fan of Markbass heads in particular their customers service is poor in this regard.

That's really fantastic customer service. I just hope they're making enough money to stay in business during these challenging times.

You definitely don't need two AH250SMX heads! 😉

I think that I've read that some people think their bass amp sounds better when driving a 4 ohm load? Can this be true? Also, if you have a particularly low power amp and would like to shove its maximum output into this single cab, perhaps that might be the attraction?

Sometimes it's just worth carrying the extra weight. Jazzjames preferred the ceramic DB over the SL and I preferred the ceramic Bergantino HT112 over the AE112. I've wondered for a while now whether the extra mass of heavier cabinets just keeps them "planted" to the floor more firmly/rigidly and helps low end frequencies project better? I'm convinced (I think) that the driver magnet material doesn't make a difference.

Is the Ashdown 15" a neodymium magnet speaker?

If there's no hurry to do the change can you wait until a HDN210 is advertised secondhand? Small format Bergantino cabs retain their secondhand value very well, so even if it didn't thrill you it'd be relatively painless to move on.

An interesting (to me) thing is that the three heads I have mentioned above ( rated at 150, 200 and 250 watts ) all use the same quantity (and type I believe) of output transistors and heatsink. It may be that Trace Elliot were being (too?) honest about the 150 watts into the 8 ohm load of the four ten combo as apparently it delivered 200 (maybe even 250) watts with an 8 ohm extension? Nowadays most manufacturers seem to quote the maximum output of combos with an extension cab so as not to lose the spec comparison filters. I haven't used the Mk5 at volume yet but if it gets anywhere near as loud as the AH200 into a Bergantino HD210 cab then that'll be plenty. I reckon the 200 can output more too. If I can get away without a fan filling the amp with dust and fluff and being audible at practice levels then that's better for me.

So another collection is looming 🙄. This time it's natural convection (no cooling fan) Trace Elliot heads. So far it comprises of a 150 watt Mk5 head extracted from a 1110 combo and a Series 6 AH200. I'm keeping them peeled for an AH250SMX now.

Bergantino has always produced both neo and ceramic magnet speaker loaded cabs. The HDN range seems to be the latest neo evolution (following on from the AE and later CN models) whilst the Reference is the next generation of ceramic (following on from HT and later HD models). Although I am a fan of lighter Markbass cabs ( and do gig/rehearse with two NY121P on occasion) a single HD210 is a much better cab for depth and clarity of tone. I too was happy with my pair of AE112s but they were no match for my HT112ER and EX112ER cabs. If you want Bergantino's best combined with modularity, compactness, vertical stacking and flexibility two Reference 210 would be my choice. The only negative is the heavier weight but a small folding sack barrow deals with that for me if I need to go any distance. If I went to the significant expense of a new pair of Bergs without being able to test properly (no UK dealer?) I would always have a niggling doubt if I didn't go Reference. However if weight really is the deciding factor over everything else then HDN is the way to go.

I prefer Bergantino HD210s over any Bergantino neo cabs that I have tried. They are quite heavy but still dimensionally small enough to be a straightforward load in/out. The Reference 210 replaced the HD210 and is probably the best sounding 210 in Bergantino' range.

I think you are confusing this amplifier with another. The ABM only has a single valve in the pre-amp with a fully solid state power amp. No power valves.