15 or not 15? What do you think?

[Dan Dare]

I used a Bassman 2x15 for years, with the rubbish stock drivers replaced by Peavey Black Widows. Loved the sound, but I got too old/decrepit to carry it up the stairs to my first floor flat in the end. 

 

I agree with msb. Modern 12s can do all that traditional 15s could. I keep thinking I'd like another 15 (single with a neo magnet should solve the problems carrying it). These days, I'm using 5s. Lots of them.

Edited 21 hours ago by Dan Dare

[chris_b]

At one point everyone thought you had to have a V8 in a sports car to be fast and cool, then they started designing 4 cylinder engines that were faster and more efficient.

 

In cabs, the size of the speaker is the wrong way to measure volume and tone.

[msb]

I just have one tiny little cab with 2 5’s , it sounds great if you sit right in front of it , but it doesn’t fill a room. Also have a little Barefaced One 10 that isn’t that much larger. That One 10 defies physics. 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

That One 10 defines physics. Moving air isn't just an expression, it's how speakers work. A high quality modern ten with 8mm excursion capacity will move as much air as vintage fifteen with 3mm excursion.

[DGBass]

There has been some comparisons between modern high quality 10s and 12s and "traditional" 15s and how these modern drivers can out perform the trad 15s which is probably a valid point that also encompasses modern cabinet designs. Saying that, will a modern high quality 10 or 12 with an 8mm excursion be able to move as much air as a modern high quality 15 with an 8mm excursion? And will a modern 10 or 12 ever actually sound like a modern 15? 15 inch speakers in my experience also have a tone all of their own which I personally like, and I think this still makes them a valid choice for me. Perhaps BF are thinking along the same lines and feel the need to fill a gap in their product line with a new up to date take on a 15 cab ( which they originally did ). These days its an easier sell doing a lightweight 2x15 cab, or a 15 + 12 cab or maybe even a 15 +10 cab( all cab designs TE did back in the day) which will be bigger from the outset, rather than trying to market a 1x15 cab as a compact option. 15 inch speakers sound different from 10s or 12s which still makes them valid tonally imho, and modern neo 15s( like the Faital pro 15-PR400) in particular are a world apart from "traditional" 15s of old. 15s also 'feel' different and I think that's something that's sadly lacking where the bass maybe heard a lot easier these days with modern 10 and 12 cabs, but is no longer felt the same way as 15s can deliver. 🫤 
 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

54 minutes ago, DGBass said:

 will a modern high quality 10 or 12 with an 8mm excursion be able to move as much air as a modern high quality 15 with an 8mm excursion?

Of course not. But a fifteen cannot realize the dispersion of a ten, or a twelve, which is their primary advantage, while still being able to deliver enough output to fill the stage, leaving the heavy lifting out front to the PA.