lowdown Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='liamcapleton' post='513489' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:46 PM']How close were you to the amp when you were playing? A lot of good amps won't sound good if you're stood right next to them, but will project a fantastic bass sound a couple of feet away, or more. Also the type of room you were in makes considerable difference, etc. etc.[/quote] Interesting points. But i think Bay Splayer is talking about 2 combos in the same room, same acoustics, same distance etc..more like an A/B test. [ i think ] And one out blew t'other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='513493' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:53 PM']My combo is ‘arder than your combo…[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='lowdown' post='513494' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:53 PM']Interesting points. But i think Bay Splayer is talking about 2 combos in the same room, same acoustics, same distance etc..more like an A/B test. [ i think ] And one out blew t'other.[/quote] correctomundo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Bay Splayer' post='513499' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:57 PM']correctomundo[/quote] But that's my point... it's easy to settle on an opinion if you're only tried the particular gear you mentioned in one environment. Whilst you may have made a partially informed opinion of both amps, it isn't necessarily indicative of the quality of sound... environment has everything to do with how good or bad your amp will sound. Edited June 14, 2009 by liamcapleton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Unless I've missed something, nobody's asked this one yet: which did you prefer? While I'm at it, is it just me or does anyone else think we're not really getting anywhere? Don't get me wrong, it's a very interesting discussion and all, but........ I dunno..... what does the OP think so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkThrust Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='leftybassman392' post='513534' date='Jun 14 2009, 07:51 PM']While I'm at it, is it just me or does anyone else think we're not really getting anywhere? Don't get me wrong, it's a very interesting discussion and all, but........ I dunno..... what does the OP think so far?[/quote] The OP has been given plenty of reasons by various posters why he found one combo apparently louder than the other and seems to be ignoring it all. To say one combo "blew away" the other is a totally subjective statement and is entirely dependant on what he regards as a desirable bass sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 [quote name='AndyMartin' post='513540' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:03 PM']The OP has been given plenty of reasons by various posters why he found one combo apparently louder than the other and seems to be ignoring it all. To say one combo "blew away" the other is a totally subjective statement and is entirely dependant on what he regards as a desirable bass sound.[/quote] Got to say I was thinking along those lines myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) 1. Gain staging: An amp that gives you more gain at equal knob positions will be perceived as louder. This is incorrect - you have to use the amps' gain stages to push them to clipping to find how loud they really are. 2. Default response curve: An amp which is voiced towards the midrange will sound louder than an amp with has flat or scooped midrange. This is why SWR amps often sound quiet. If two amps are flat through mids and highs but one rolls off higher in the lows then the one with the higher roll-off will go louder before clipping. 3. Sensitivity: Power is nothing without speakers to move air - a speaker which is more sensitive will usually make more difference than adding more power. That's the basics - it gets much more complicated than that, for example, how does the response curve match up with the sound of your bass? There is no such thing as throw. All point source speaker cabs (i.e. not PA line arrays) produce maximum SPL right in front of the speaker (or horn mouth) and the SPL diminishes by 6dB with every doubling of distance from this point. Incorrect surmisings about throw are due to variations in off-axis response and the effect of room modes and boundaries on standing waves and reflected energy. Alex Edited June 15, 2009 by alexclaber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='AndyMartin' post='513540' date='Jun 14 2009, 08:03 PM']The OP has been given plenty of reasons by various posters why he found one combo apparently louder than the other and [b]seems to be ignoring it all.[/b][/quote] ignoring it all? actually i went out last night...sorry i forgot to inform you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Splayer Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='leftybassman392' post='513534' date='Jun 14 2009, 07:51 PM']Unless I've missed something, nobody's asked this one yet: which did you prefer??[/quote] Hartke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='513493' date='Jun 14 2009, 06:53 PM']My combo is ‘arder than your combo…[/quote] Check 'em out on [url="http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=hartke&word2=ashdown"]Google Fight[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='Bay Splayer' post='514402' date='Jun 15 2009, 04:27 PM']ignoring it all? actually i went out last night...sorry i forgot to inform you [/quote]He he. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Calm down, calm down. Would it help if I bring in a lawnmower comparison slant to things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='molan' post='514596' date='Jun 15 2009, 06:58 PM']Check 'em out on [url="http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=hartke&word2=ashdown"]Google Fight[/url][/quote] haha - do anything vs "porn" - the other one loses every time "the internet is for porn...", said someone, once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='Bay Splayer' post='513189' date='Jun 14 2009, 10:53 AM']at a recent rehearsal i played the same songs on the same bass through two different combo amps set 1: Ashdown MAG C115-300..... [u][b]300 watts [/b][/u](RMS) through 15" speaker set 2: Hartke A100..... [u][b]100 watts [/b][/u](RMS) through 15" speaker the Hartke absolutely blew the Ashdown away, despite having only a third of the wattage! howcome? [/quote] I had a Hartke combo a while back , it wasn't the most powerful combo (100 watts I believe) but it was so punchy sounding, really punchy mids, coincidentally I also have an Ashdown combo (150 watts) which is nowhere as good as the Hartke , It must be something to do with the aluminium cone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 [quote name='markdavid' post='514855' date='Jun 15 2009, 10:57 PM']I had a Hartke combo a while back , it wasn't the most powerful combo (100 watts I believe) but it was so punchy sounding, really punchy mids, coincidentally I also have an Ashdown combo (150 watts) which is nowhere as good as the Hartke , It must be something to do with the aluminium cone[/quote] I don’t think it’s all to do with the driver – I’m not a fan of any of the Ashdown budget amps at all. They sound f***ing awful IMO. So with this in consideration, I’d say that any other brand of combo that’s of a similar wattage would be ‘better’ (louder, punchier, clearer, more usable tone, etc…) than any Ashdown equivalent. This, of course, is just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='514859' date='Jun 15 2009, 11:04 PM']I don’t think it’s all to do with the driver – I’m not a fan of any of the Ashdown budget amps at all. They sound f***ing awful IMO. So with this in consideration, I’d say that any other brand of combo that’s of a similar wattage would be ‘better’ (louder, punchier, clearer, more usable tone, etc…) than any Ashdown equivalent. This, of course, is just my opinion.[/quote] even a behringer?youre having a laugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 (edited) [quote name='bassmansky' post='515499' date='Jun 16 2009, 05:24 PM']even a behringer?youre having a laugh [/quote] Even a Behringer. I had to to use a hired one for a gig. The 2x10 combo. Worked a treat. If i was backed into a corner, and had to play with the Ashdown, the Behringer, or Posh Spice. The Behringer would win hands down. Garry Edited June 16, 2009 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 In my experience and based on real specs aluminium cone speakers are often actually less sensitive than similar quality paper cone ones. But if the Hartke has a better speaker than the Ashdown it'll make more difference than the wattage difference, especially as the relatively feeble 15"s you find in combos can't handle much power. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 [quote name='lowdown' post='515540' date='Jun 16 2009, 05:59 PM']Even a Behringer. I had to to use a hired one for a gig. The 2x10 combo. Worked a treat. If i was backed into a corner, and had to play with the Ashdown, the Behringer, or Posh Spice. The Behringer would win hands down. Garry[/quote]must have been better than the one i had the misfortune of using then worst sound ive ever heard,i wouldnt choose posh spice either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 [quote name='bassmansky' post='515769' date='Jun 16 2009, 09:25 PM']must have been better than the one i had the misfortune of using then worst sound ive ever heard,i wouldnt choose posh spice either [/quote] you've obviously not used the Ashdown budget equivalent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 (edited) I have a Behringer 450H which I used to have permanently set up at a rehearsal room with a band I was in a few years back. Perfectly usable bass head and utterly reliable. I've since had a mixer and a couple of pedals from them and all have done what they were supposed to do, none have broken. Behringer just seem to be a bit of a whipping boy on this site. I've never been that impressed with Ashdown, disappointing as they were set up by ex TE people. Speaking of TE and getting back on topic, I don't know about the musical merits but if it was a 'robot wars' type face-off I'd put my TE 7215 combo in against anything of similar size, it's a hard b*s*ard Edited June 17, 2009 by KevB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebeat Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I picked up a wee Hartke A100 from Kennys in Dundee for £179 new, they'd got them cheap because Hartke had changed their UK distibutor. It's replaced a Markbass LM2 and Traveller 102p and while i'm not gonna say that it's as good as those 2 it certainly aint no slouch either. It does sound very punchy and defined and gives me a very pleasing sound using the Sandberg 4 and flats with a pick...liking it a lot and will more than suffice until i make my mind up what to buy to permanantly replace the Littlemark....or maybe i'll just keep it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='515844' date='Jun 16 2009, 10:36 PM']you've obviously not used the Ashdown budget equivalent [/quote] Depends what you mean by budget?wouldnt call their mag range budget.but their electric blue range is budget and yes they are sh*te Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmansky Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 [quote name='KevB' post='516147' date='Jun 17 2009, 09:40 AM']I have a Behringer 450H which I used to have permanently set up at a rehearsal room with a band I was in a few years back. Perfectly usable bass head and utterly reliable. I've since had a mixer and a couple of pedals from them and all have done what they were supposed to do, none have broken. Behringer just seem to be a bit of a whipping boy on this site. I've never been that impressed with Ashdown, disappointing as they were set up by ex TE people. Speaking of TE and getting back on topic, I don't know about the musical merits but if it was a 'robot wars' type face-off I'd put my TE 7215 combo in against anything of similar size, it's a hard b*s*ard [/quote] yes got to agree on the trace combo as i had one for a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.