The Controversial Speaker Cab

The Thiele cab, bass reflex cab, vented cab, ported cab, Is the guitar speaker cab that is disputed as far as if its benefits outweigh the risk on the speaker.
Even Celestion advises against these being built for guitar.
So I bought one to see.
This is the Harley Benton Thiele 1x12 Speaker cabinet.
Is it worth it?, Is the a noticeable difference?

Celestion source

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:37 What is it?
1:01 It's different
1:50 How it works
3:10 Celestion advise against them
3:50 TEST
6:42 Concerns

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[christopherjamesb]

Jim Lil's entire video series on "where does guitar 'tone' come from", and his series on speaker cabinets sizes are both highly informative and educational. Thanks for mentioning him.

[BarefacedAudio]

I could write a lengthy response but I think it'll take me less time (and allow me to be more clear) if I make a video explaining what's going on and why the mic position means that the audio in the video (and the frequency response plots) won't match what's happening in the room.

Quick summary - the mic is so close to the cone and so far from the port (comparatively) that it won't pick up significant port output but it will pick up the reduced cone output around the port's resonant frequency. And the increase in 45Hz lows on the response plot - that's almost certainly because the speaker is unloaded and moving more due to increased box compliance, although that output is cancelling the port output as its below the tuning frequency for a ported guitar cab.

It's a good idea for a video but the practical implementation hasn't worked, sorry! However, it's nice to have people making videos about this stuff, because it does matter!

[TylerJohnstonGuitar]

Buying a Harley Benton cab is like buying speakers with free housing.

[danthegeetarman]

As an audio engineer listening in my studio, those open ports just add sub low end rumble that has no definition or enhancement of the audio signal at all. You are 100% correct that any audio engineer is going to filter that out guaranteed. That would just cloud up the low end and make the bass low end sound way less defined. And hypothetically if an audio engineer missed that, any decent mastering engineer would hear that in a heartbeat and get rid of that. Low end rumble is an audio engineer’s bane because it eats up a TON of headroom while not contributing anything sonically to the performance. Cliffs notes version: either cover up the ports or get a different cab lol

[mattbridges]

I think we would have heard more of a difference if you had used a condenser mic placed a foot or so out front. It might not have been a useful guitar sound for the studio, but it would have given a truer representation of the cabs performance. With a dynamic mic placed right in front of the cone, any off axis bass frequencies would be deemphasized.

[zhiguli]

I'd be curious to hear what it would sound like with the mic backed away from the cabinet since, as far as I know, lower frequencies need more space to develop since the wavelength is longer I think it's why you can really feel the bass (and depending on the distance, not hear much treble) from someone who has loaded their car with a large system and insists on blasting it wherever they go. This is a problem in the US, but not sure about other countries which may have sensible noise ordinances. It may make no difference at all, but you did say it "felt" different when the ports were uncovered and your ears were I'm guessing not right neck to the speaker like the mic was.

[TeleCustom]

I've used a Thiele 1x12 cab with an EV12/l for over 10 years now. Gigged with it, recorded with it - absolutely flawless. It's definitely got a 'bigger' sound than non-ported cabs. I certainly don't feel like its lacking in any way when I'm gigging. For recording, engineers are amazed at the chunky sound it kicks out.

[BarefacedAudio]

Finally got a response made and uploaded! @KDH if you find some time to watch it I hope it helps your understanding of the strange world of loudspeakers, enclosures and ports! (most people don't get them, they're very unintuitive - but I think that's the case for many resonant systems).

[JJ-kfuk]

I've designed a bunch of various pro-sound speakers and instrument enclosures. The best overall design I made for guitar was using an Eminence Delta 12 (PA driver) in a ported cabinet tuned to the free air resonance of the driver (~55Hz I think). It was small but sounded huge! The Delta 12 at the time was a great driver because it had high power, high efficiency, and usable high frequency range >4kHz.
And more sonically smooth compared to dedicated guitar drivers.

[Dram]

I did notice a fairly small difference. Probably one of those things that will “sounds better” in your bedroom but be fairly meaningless in a band/mix/performance.

[mikeoxley]

I used two Thiele Ported 1x12 cabs for 25 years, with a Boogie Studio Pre/Simul 2: Ninety rig.
I first used EVM 12L’s, which sounded great.
Everyone loved my tones with these cabs.

[cliverkay]

Interesting point is that your mic should not be pointing at the cone center . A load of sound comes out the port either in phase or not . Maybe mic in front of the cab at about 2 feet to get the whole sound ..

[el_kammeroni]

I built myself a Thiele 15" Bass cab with an Eminence speaker. Sounds huge and super awesome for bass!

[tetanusforbreakfast]

@0:59
it does not have a "proper" reflection chamber. therefore it is not a real thiele etc type cab.
This cab is just like an open back combo but the opening is at the front.
that is why it is ok to have whatever speaker you want in it, and that is why no speaker will be damaged in this cab.

[Turboy]

Cabinets designed around Thiele-Small parameters are intended for usage in sound REproduction, but when creating musical sounds to be recorded, you can throw that concept out the window. You just go with what sounds good to the ear. The extended bass output of a tuned ported enclosure is probably going to be filtered out during the recording stage anyway.

[Fugettaboutit]

My favorite combo for medium clubs (and I play mostly blues) was a Deluxe Reverb with a Boogie 1X12 thiele-ported cab loaded with an EVM-12L. It gave the 'size' and feeling of a larger combo like the Super Reverb but a little less loud so you could really push the amp more. However, on a really well-mic'd and monitored stage, didn't nee the extra cab as the PA just took care of it.

[WaleshiddenhistoryMD]

I've had they 2x12 vintage 30 cab, for over 12 years, and it's been fabulous..

[FuzzWoof]

I gigged for a few years with a weird oversized Hughes & Kettner 1x12" closed back cab with a Celestion CL80 in and a front bass port. Sounded absolutely great, but was heavier and nearly as large as a 2x12", haha.

[ROKZLEON]

I used a 1x12 Thiele speaker cab when I didn't want to lug around a bigger cabinet. If you need portability and want a little more oomph it's a good way to go.

[antonyyuryev]

I had a HiWatt HG412 Cab and it has a something like this portal for air flow down at the back side. One of the best cabs I ever had to be honest