mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I became intrigued by TKS cabs a while ago. They looked good and got great reviews, but I was happy enough with my BF cabs and I wasn't planning on changing anytime soon. However, when you find yourself with a little extra cash in your pocket, the "need" factor starts to become blurry and "want" starts to appear in our thoughts. So I had a closer look at TKS... My BF cabs are loud and sound good enough, and are very very light. I really like them. Do I love their sound? Well, I never really had that "wow" feeling, but they do kick the behind of many other cabs around, that's for sure. The combination of sheer volume, sound and lightweight *is* lovable, and I love that. I often use only one cab. It varies which one... I like the Compact a lot, but it does lack a bit of top end for my liking. The Big Baby 2 does not have quite as much "oomph", but it does have the clarity. I find it a bit harsh in the mids, a bit, but it's not terrible. I tend to favour the Compact when using only one cab, and it's also lighter than the BB2. When I can, or the gig requires it, I prefer to have both. I may not need the volume at times, but the mini stack sounds pretty good and getting the BB2 closer to my head I get to hear my bass better, without having to be too loud. It's a nice combination. The Barefaced stack works very well. There's one thing that I find a bit of a drag about it... and on reflection, it's not their fault, but my choice of vehicle. I used to have an ancient Golf Mk4, which had a nice boot, but one could not fit both cabs in there. Now, 4 months ago I sold the car and bought... an Audi A3 Sportback. Yup, the boot is taller and deeper, but not by much, it clearly is not the car one would pick if carrying speaker cabs were an important requisite. But I didn't want a bigger car and this one had about the largest boot of its kind... yet, it's about 4cm not deep enough for me to be able to fit both BF speakers in the boot. So I have to do what I did in the Golf: one speaker in the boot, one on the backseat. This means a little less space for passengers. Not too concerned about that,, to be honest, being an 8-piece band means more people to transport and equipment to carry, but it also means more people who can drive. Unfortunately, it means sometimes I have to leave a speaker on the backseat, in full view, when the car is unattended. The car has dark tinted rear windows, and black interior, so I bought a big black linen throw in IKEA and I put that over the speaker... it makes it look like there really is nothing left in the car. But it's still risky... There are enough &^%$£%s about who go around taking an interest in pther people's property, and I'd rather reduce my chances to cross paths with one of them by not leaving anything in view that may attract the wrong kind of attention. That means smaller cabs. Slightly smaller. Enter the TKS 1126. It's just the right size so that I can place them upright in my boot, just, and that way two can fit in it. I like the idea of a 6" extension speaker complementing the 12" woofer. After a bit of pondering, and asking questions, I decided to get a pair of them, One with a tweeter, one without. I suspected I would not need a tweeter, but it's nice to have one, just in case (it can be attenuated), and Barrie at Bassgear suggested to just get one, as when using the two cabs one tweeter is enough in his opinion. So that's what I did. Oh, and since we get a choice of finishes... mine had to be red. Oh yes. I placed the order in late November, and they shipped from Sweden on the 12th of December, ahead of schedule. I then asked Barrie to please hold them for me at the shop until I returned from my vacation, as I'd rather they slept there than in cold warehouses especially with all the crazy Xmas-related deliveries and increased chances for mistakes. They were posted to me yesterday, and this morning delivery man called at my door. He was not very handsome, but to me he looked just beautiful. I didn't tell him that, of course, but I almost kissed him when I saw the two boxes he was bringing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 These are the boxes as they arrived in my hallway... Opening the first box... nice packaging work... oh, what's that? It's a handle!!!! And a nice one too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I ordered the cabs with their protective covers. They're very nice, nicely padded. Like them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Posing with my red Precision, which is becoming my number 1 at the moment, upsetting the Stingray a little bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 The top cab has the tweeter: and the bottom one is tweeterless: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 and this with the Genz Benz Streamliner 900, as I intend to use them mostly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Very nice looking kit just one thing would niggle me - TKS - why not fit the badge the other side, not part over the 6"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Nice colour! [url="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tks&defid=7230693"]http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tks&defid=7230693[/url] Edited December 30, 2014 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 All I can see is the startling lack of a red amp............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Great looking cabs! Happy NCD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Bet they sound cracking with the Streamliner. Turn it up!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I haven't been able to test them properly, I only tried them a little bit at reasonable volumes... well, ok, I did turn up a bit, but nowhere near "real life" levels. The first impression in this less than ideal test is very very very good. They have a very pleasant sound. The midrange harshness of the BigBaby 2 is not there, at similar volumes, and they extend enough into the top end for my liking without using the tweeter. In fact, although I can hear what the tweeter does, I think I would have been happy without tweeter, not required at all for my kind of sound... although we'll see once I get to play it loud. It's hard to tell for sure at this kind of volume. They have similar bottom end as the Big Baby 2, again, at this kind of volume, or marginally less... but they sound tight, and considering I normally have my amp bass knob sitting at around 10-11 o'clock, I'm sure I'll have no problem turning them up a notch if I feel they need it. The tweeterless cab, with case, weighs 17.5Kg, and the tweeter-equipped one 18.3Kg. Compared to the 14.4Kg of my BB2 and 12.5Kg of my Compact, they're clearly heavier. The Compact in particular is unbelievable... But they're smaller and the handle is very comfortable and well placed (some cabs are very uneven in their weight distribution, and when they place a handle right in the middle... it is not a lot of fun to carry them, like the TC RS210 and RS212 cabs for example), so despite the extra combined 9Kg, I think I'll find it easier to manoeuvre with them in narrow staircases and other tight places. So... will I like their sound once they get up to full band volume? Will they be loud enough and be ballsy enough or will I run back to my Barefaced begging for forgiveness? We'll have to wait a little for that. I might not take them to my NYE gig after all tomorrow... But they'll see some action for sure on the 10th, and probably a rehearsal in the meantime... so if you want to hear more, watch this space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1419957334' post='2644316'] Very nice looking kit just one thing would niggle me - TKS - why not fit the badge the other side, not part over the 6"? [/quote] THAT is exactly what I thought too. I'd have put it on the right too, or even at the bottom a bit over the 12" rather than in front of the 6". I imagine it won't make any practical difference, or they wouldn't do this. But it does strike me as a little odd and I don't normally suffer from OCD-related behaviour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1419957351' post='2644317'] Nice colour! [url="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tks&defid=7230693"]http://www.urbandict...s&defid=7230693[/url] [/quote] did you notice I added some tags to the thread especially with you in mind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Now THAT's how you do it. The cabs, the packaging, the covers... awesome! You can see up the ports in one shot - look how clean they are. I've gigged the 2126 w/o the tweeter, and it was a huge, wide sound. Two of them? Whoah. I'm intrigued about the badge placement too. Presumably Tommy thinks the impact is negligible..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1419957846' post='2644322'] All I can see is the startling lack of a red amp............ [/quote] I know, eh? I do have a red cable, to try to offset that a little bit There are a few red amps out there, but fortunately I am very happy with the Streamliner, so not changing that! Although, I could probably use red leds instead of blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1419958017' post='2644329'] Bet they sound cracking with the Streamliner. Turn it up!! [/quote] I hope not!!! I'd hate to have to return them!!! I was planning to meed a drummer friend of mine this eve for a drums + bass noise session but it looks like it won't happen now. However, where I live there are only four neighbours. Three of them are away. I am not sure about the one just below me... I think I should go and check [1]. I plan to paint the place soon so I could try to strip/clean the walls with sound waves ([1] I actually meant to check whether she was in this morning but got distracted) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1419959034' post='2644341'] ...did you notice I added some tags to the thread especially with you in mind? [/quote] Classic!! [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1419959039' post='2644342'] I'm intrigued about the badge placement too. Presumably Tommy thinks the impact is negligible..? [/quote] Don't think it makes much difference. Look at the logo placement on Markbass cabs... then there's phase plugs, horns & tweeters located bang in front of drivers, one driver in front of another in an isobaric set-up and so on... My BFM J12s have most of the driver obscured by a horn, a baffle and a big phase plug right in the middle of the driver (all part of the design I should add) and it sounds amazing, so... Edited December 30, 2014 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1419959039' post='2644342'] Now THAT's how you do it. The cabs, the packaging, the covers... awesome! You can see up the ports in one shot - look how clean they are. I've gigged the 2126 w/o the tweeter, and it was a huge, wide sound. Two of them? Whoah. I'm intrigued about the badge placement too. Presumably Tommy thinks the impact is negligible..? [/quote] I imagine it doesn't make (much?) difference. I used to think that a cloth grille in front of a speaker might not me a good idea either, but again, it clearly does not matter too much in practice. Another nice touch: the knob of the tweeter attenuator does not protrude from the back, so that if the cab is ever laid on its back the knob will not suffer. That's something I don't like on my BB2. I keep thinking of finding another smaller knob for it, but haven't got around to do it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1419960266' post='2644362'] I keep thinking of finding another smaller knob... [/quote] SNORT!! Just make do with the one you've got... size isn't everything you know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1419960440' post='2644365'] SNORT!! Just make do with the one you've got... size isn't everything you know... [/quote] I should know better, when you're around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M@23 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 They're going to sound huge! Look very smart too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I had to check, even if the measurements were all ok there's always that annoying thought at the back of my mind saying "you miscalculated, you measured something wrong, you didn't take into account the narrowing of the boot entrance"... so until I put them in the boot and closed the door I wasn't 100% satisfied. I'm very pleased to say they do fit nicely, even with the covers and the extra cm or so from the extra feet (which I had forgotten about!)... There is literally less than 1cm clearance at the top now. Phew There is room behind the speakers (as the backseat tilts a bit backwards) where the amp head, stand and pedals etc fit, maybe a small rucksack too. In front of the speakers there is a bit of space, perfect for a Gramma isolation Pad, which also means the speakers won't move about in the boot no matter how... enthusiastic my driving style gets And that's it. There's just enough extra room to be able to insert hands and insert/extract the cabs. The bass travels on the back seat or in the footwell. I don't leave the bass in the car unattended. Now I can park the car and not leave valuables in plain view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1419974295' post='2644582'] I had to check, even if the measurements were all ok there's always that annoying thought at the back of my mind saying "you miscalculated, you measured something wrong, you didn't take into account the narrowing of the boot entrance"... so until I put them in the boot and closed the door I wasn't 100% satisfied. I'm very pleased to say they do fit nicely, even with the covers and the extra cm or so from the extra feet (which I had forgotten about!)... There is literally less than 1cm clearance at the top now. Phew There is room behind the speakers (as the backseat tilts a bit backwards) where the amp head, stand and pedals etc fit, maybe a small rucksack too. In front of the speakers there is a bit of space, perfect for a Gramma isolation Pad, which also means the speakers won't move about in the boot no matter how... enthusiastic my driving style gets And that's it. There's just enough extra room to be able to insert hands and insert/extract the cabs. The bass travels on the back seat or in the footwell. I don't leave the bass in the car unattended. Now I can park the car and not leave valuables in plain view. [/quote] OMG your car is red, too! Are you Jack White? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 The sticker on the bumper is my band's logo. Well, one of the two logos. We have our traditional one and a "revolutionary" one Someone reversed into my bumper with a towbar, and they left a small hole behind So I ordered a sticker with the logo and I stuck it there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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