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Having always thought of 12" speakers as "standard", I got thinking about size.
From looking it up, I realized that the low E on our guitars is 82.4 Hz. And in a properly designed closed back or ported cabinet, an 8" speaker can easily reproduce 82 Hz, and be flat down to 40-50 Hz, with increased power handling over an open back cabinet.
Look at the specs for many active monitors with 8" speakers, and you'll see this.
So, with all the concern for amp size and weight, it would seem that an 8" or maybe even 6" speaker is entirely adequate for the kind of music most of us play, with the option of an external cab, miking or PA for situations where the volume/excursion limits of an 8" driver present problems.
And well designed active monitors look more attractive than ever.Last edited by boatheelmusic; 02-08-2015 at 07:45 AM.
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02-08-2015 06:42 AM
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I think there are lots of players who use small amps, myself included. Personally I like amps with a 10" or multiples of them, and my main amps are two little Fender champion 110's. The problem with small is live and large venues they just don't cut it, then you need bigger. This is why big amps are still being made... when in doubt drag out the Twin reverb :-)
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Growing up I was into 12"s and 15"s for bass, but these days my 1x12" amp gets the least use and my 8" and 10" amps/cabs get the most use. They can handle the low end, since big part of that is cabinet design. They are easier to hear when close to them, the bigger the speaker the further out the sound develops. That's part of reason even bass players are using lots 10's now so they can hear themselves. Bigger speakers respond slower to get that extra paper moving, so 10"s or smaller are punchier, quick responding. So I like smaller speaker or a combo of small and a large.
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I like 2x8! I also have a 1x10 and a 1x12, so I can cover different sounds.
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A few thoughts:
Yes, a 1x8, 1x10 or a 1x12 speaker in a properly designed cabinet (key aspect) can reproduce 82 Hz and associated overtones. Players tend to gravitate towards larger speakers because the generate greater sound pressure levels (SPL) at a given amplifier power. Even greater efficiency with 2x10, 2x12 or 4x10 cabinets. Rick Jones at AI wrote a very nice technical paper on this.
My 1x8 cabinet is not very efficient at 95 dB but when powered by my AI Clarus with 250w it produces good volume and excellent low-end fidelity. I attribute that to proper driver selection and speaker cabinet design by Vance Dickason (Loudspeaker Development Corporation Homepage). The proper design did make the speaker heavy for its size (23 lb. @ 11.625" x 8.375"x14").
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We are now officially in the world of audiophiles!!
But for good reason - they sweat these matters.
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Any of these has worked fine for me in everything from small groups to big band. All use small speakers, but lots of power!
Acoustic Image Corus 10" downfiring woofer, 5" mid-range, tweeter:
AI Clarus Amp & Raezer's Edge Twin-8-Tower 2-8"
AI Clarus & RE NY8 1-8"
Danny W.
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FWIW, I have a minute Mambo 8 (with an 8" speaker). It works very well and is loud enough for smaller rooms. The compact size and low weight is an added bonus. I know some will consider it heresy, but it sounds much better than an old Gibson 79RV tube amp with its two 10" Jensen speakers which is standing idle in my basement. Amp (and speaker- ?) technology has come a long way in recent years.
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I do think it's the application of speaker cabinet theory (AKA Thiele-Small parameters) to guitar amps.
With tubes, the heat demanded open back cabinets, and the speaker had no acoustic support thus had to be large.
Now, with advanced SS/digital and enclosure theory, the situation's changed.
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I use a variety of speaker sizes. 15" and 12" speakers work well for jazz guitar, but the archtop guitar really comes into its own with a well designed 8" or 10" cabinet.
The best sounding amp I have owned for jazz archtops has been an old Polytone Baby Brute with a one cubic-foot cabinet and 8", 4-ohm speaker. The evenness of tone across the fretboard is truly satisfying with this amp.
The Raezer's Edge cabinets I have used that had 8" or 10" cabinets were the best sounding ones, too.
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I am considering getting and very close to pulling the trigger today on an 1x8" speaker cab actually, mainly for its portability. It seems a well designed, ported cabinet with some depth can go a long way. I've generally used 12" and 10" speakers myself. Now that I've been using an amp head instead of combos more recently, thinking having a 1x8" and a 1x12" will provide options for portability and otherwise (using the 1x8" for rehearsals and jam sessions, using the 1x12" for gigs, using both together if ever needed, etc).
Check out the new 8" speaker by EarCandy, called the Hoosier Cat. I think I'm gonna try it. It's a 100 watt 8" speaker that is supposed to have good clean headroom: https://reverb.com/item/365922-earca...lity-hand-made
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It's good to see all the love for 8" speakers in this thread. It seems like the smaller drivers allow for more accentuation of mid frequencies that cut well through the mix while reducing some of the feedback common with 12" speakers.
All my combo amps have 12" speakers, but my favorite stand alone cabinet is a twin 8 made by Earcandy Cabs. It's not only a wonderful sounding piece of equipment but it's also a beautiful one with a full wood front and back with tolex sides.
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interesting , with an 8" driver , what does
Originally Posted by boatheelmusic
the theory say about the cubic volume
needed (to reproduce the low E properly)
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Do you happen to have the EarCandy Hoosier Cat 8" speakers in your EarCandy 2x8" cab (the speaker I mentioned in my previous post above)? I'm just curious if anyone has any feedback on that speaker before I pull the trigger on a 1x8" EarCandy cab with one. My 1x12" cab is an EarCandy cab as well and has the transparent wood finish on the front/back as well. He makes a really nice cab for a reasonable price. Originally Posted by Klatu
Last edited by monkmiles; 02-09-2015 at 10:41 AM.
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That depends on the T/S parameters of the driver.
Basically, some are designed for ported and some for closed back cabinets.....
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I don't know whether or not I have those speakers in my cab. When I ordered the cab several years ago, the builder was using Eminence but didn't specify the model. Originally Posted by hallpass
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Given the profound influence that a cabinet plays in producing sound, I think it's difficult to quantify sometimes just what it is that you're hearing and/or liking or disliking with regards to speaker size. Maybe the 10's I love would be less satisfying in a different cab. I don't think the drivers in Reazors Edge cabs had jazzers Googily eyed before they were put into those specially designed cabinets.
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Agreed, great point. The depth and porting of a cab like Raezers Edge and EarCandy build make it sound bigger and fuller. That's why I'm trying a 1x8" cab in that style. Originally Posted by whiskey02
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It's all about matching the cabinet to speaker characteristics......and this is what audiophile and active monitors focus on, flat not colored. This is why FRFR is imoortant to modelling. (Full range flat response).
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My Raezer's Edge 1 x 6" cab is ready. I should have it in my hands soon. Originally Posted by hallpass
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looking forward to hearing reviews of these 1x6 & 1x8 cabs!
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Guitarists are conservative, that's why all the 12" speakers. That and to get your pants flapping.
Good to hear about all the members alternate cabs.
of course, even with small speakers, you can assemble a mess of them.
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Originally Posted by hallpass
I just pulled the trigger on an EarCandy Bailey 2x8. It comes in at 22 pounds loaded with a pair of Hoosier Cats, and it's wide enough for any head I might sit on it. I've heard good things about EarCandy, the price was right, and I wanted to try the closed, ported design. Mine will take a little longer to get here because I opted for Diablo cloth and a Diablo front baffle with a Wheat grill. Originally Posted by Klatu
BTW Tim @ EarCandy was extremely helpful.
One thing: The add page says 4 or 16 ohms, but you can get 8 ohms too (2 x 16 ohms in parallel).
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I use my extension cabs exclusively with solid state amps, so I don't usually sweat the ohms as I can plug just about anything into my Acoustic Image Clarus without repercussion.
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A factor to consider is that the lower the speaker impedance, the more power will be output from your amp. Originally Posted by Klatu
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