Moving on from Acme...?

naetog

naetog

Supporting Member
May 26, 2006
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San Luis Obispo, CA
#1
TL;DR - I want a new cab or two and am looking for a suggestion from former Acme users. Using various preamps and a Jule M700.

It's been about ten years of Acme for me, but I'm getting a little tired of the schlep, and I would like something a bit more efficient. I've been using one B2 cab and sometimes two.

I don't necessarily need THAT MUCH bottom end, and I end up rolling off some low end with my hpf anyway.

It's been so long I feel like I'm a little behind the times with all the lightweight cabs. I'm also not in a position to try things out here in small town SLO county, so...

I love the vertical 410 tower I can make, but that may just be my comfort zone now.

Phil Jones stuff had me intrigued, but so do all things Bergantino. And Epifani. And Genzler. And most things that fit a couple cabs in my little Mazda.

I know there's not really a wrong answer, but if anyone has experience with Acme stuff and since moved on I would love to hear comparisons since I'll be diving in without trying things.

Cheers.
 
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#2
images


Say it ain't so!
 
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#6
Zooberwerx said:
I use two Acme B-2's...they're lighter than the B-4's I once owned. That being said, I found the Epifani 3 X 10's to be a great alternative. They come in under 50 lbs, push air which rivals a conventional 4 X 10, and can be had on-the-cheap secondhand. A single cab is gig-worthy and rated at 700 watts.

Riis
Click to expand...

Thank you! That's exactly the info I'm looking for.
 
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#9
I had a B2 once back in the day. Cool cab with a nice full low end, but one B2 doesn't even come close to being loud enough for a band rehearsal situation.

IMO, Bergantino is the gold standard in cabinets these days. If you want a single cab, go for an HDN212. 47 lbs.

The Epifani 3x10 is also a good idea. I think it's 5.3 ohms, which is a bit odd, but definitely workable.
 
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#10
12's are the sweet spot now-a-days.

Mesa Subways are hard to beat for overall sensitivity above 60hz while still having good xmax to make use of all 700 watts you have available. Love the detailed specs that let you see exactly what you're getting.
 
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#14
I have never used Acme cabs, but as a former Phil Jones Bass user I can say that they're not particularly loud nor lightweight (the new Neo stuff is ok I guess, but not impressively light), although they do sound great. It depends on your band situation and what sound/loudness level you're after. My previous rig had 8 of those 5'' drivers and I needed to dime my 350W amp just to hear myself on stage (my band plays funk, not metal!).

I replaced it with a single AudioKinesis 1x12'', and with about the same wattage driving the cab, it feels more than twice as loud and sounds even better. Definitely check out the "super cab" route: AudioKinesis, Barefaced, GreenBoy, etc. A single 1x12'' from these guys almost puts you in 4x10'' territory, and they weigh nothing.
 
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#16
Never used Acme cabs, but...if you're pondering alternatives you should look at the Mesa Subway line. I've often stacked a pair of the 1-15 cabs, and sometimes a pair of the 2-10 cabs. The performance is stellar, and they're surprisingly lightweight.
 
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#17
I used Acme for a long, maybe fifteen or so years... still have a B4 and 2 in storage.
I moved to Greenboy f112 and f212 It's odd that two boxes that are supposed to be on the flat side can sound so totally different but, the stuff that I really liked about the Acme boxes is there plenty with the Greenboy stuff and probably better. Same broad spectrum clarity with better dispersion, less weight and WAY louder per watt.

I'm pretty happy with them overall and I wasn't really looking to change boxes. The back, the lift, I wore that B4 slap out and needed some crossover work, rat fur with 15 years of full time bar stank
...it was just time.
 
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#18
I can't say enough good things about Duke Lejune's Audiokinesis Hathor series. A single 1203 is light and loud, and can handle most any gig while fitting easily in a Mazda. I play a 212, and at 48 lbs it overkills any gig, FOH support or not (I sometimes sub in some loud bands with multiple blazing tube stacks). These cabs are on the flat voiced side, but kick out whatever you push in.
 
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#19
As a former Acme user with a pair of 4 Ohm B2s (and yes, I miss that tone) I'd look into ACME first https://www.acmebass.com/pdf/compchart.pdf, and then I'd look into into Duke Lejeunes's Home offerings, which sound fantastic and are quite portable

I replaced mine with a pair of G&K 112s neos, which are good cabs and quite liftable, but tone-wise not comparable at all.
 
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#20
I used to have a pair of B2s and now have a pair of Fearful 15/6s. They are a logical evolutionary step of the three-way design, have better efficiency per watt, improved dispersion, and the ability to gig with a single cabinet if you wanted to. I kept blowing up Acme drivers due to over-excursion, whereas that Eminence Kappalite ELF is designed specifically to pump air without breaking a sweat.

I'd also take a look at Bergantino stuff, Barefaced, Baer and Audiokinesis.
 
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