Difference in speakers: 10" vs 12"

[Alex]

Hi!

Does anybody have any experience in speaker differences, namely between 10" and 12" sizes.

I currently mainly use my Krank 1x12" speaker cab, which is rather high but otherwise quite compact. I could have Zillacabs or Tubetown build a cab in matching size (to stack them), but I am thinking that maybe I should go for a 10" speaker for a difference.

My current cab has an Eminence custom Krank speaker in there with a sensitivity of 102db. A Celestion Vintage 10" would have only 97db. That sounds to me like it would be A LOT quieter - is that true? Also, do 10" speakers tend to be brighter with less bass?

[Denim n Leather]

Tonally, there is as much variety in 10" drivers as 12" drivers. You won't start to notice a big difference in terms of volume of air moved until you get into 4-driver cabs. A 1x10 and 1x12 can be just as full sounding as a 2x10 or 2x12.

Efficiency will have a noticeable difference on SPLs if you use the same amplifier with the same settings.

But to say "10-inch drivers are brighter and thinner than 12-inch drivers" in this day and age is a fallacy.

One thing you can get with a 10" driver over a 12" driver is speed. Since 10" drivers do move less volume of air, they are generally EQ'd to take advantage of that, and by adding to the low frequency response, they would start to sound slow and bloated.

Also, the cabinet you're using is at least 30% of the equation when it comes to frequency response; I would say the total equation is:

30% Cabinet
30% Driver(s)
20% Amplifier headroom and EQ
20% Room size and placement

[Alex]

Thanks for that!

Is 5db SPL a very large difference between volumes (I think I remember it was a lot, but I'm not sure)? They would be on the same power amp.

[Telerocker]

I had a Peavey Classic 4x10. The sound jumps out faster then with 12's. But on the low end en in the middle a 2x12 cab will give more oommph, depending on what speakers you use. 4x10's are often used in country and rock'n'roll. Could be not a bad thing in a coverband when you have to play at low volumes.

[BigB]

Thanks for that!

Is 5db SPL a very large difference between volumes (I think I remember it was a lot, but I'm not sure)? They would be on the same power amp.

It's definitly a very noticeable difference. If I plug my HRDx into both the combo's driver (eminence Legend GB 12/8 - 101.4 db)  and my Marshall 1965 cab (4x10 celestion G10L35, 96db AFAICT), I just don't hear the marshall cab, unless I plug an attenuator before the eminence and even then I have to set the attenuator WAY down to get a good balance.

The nice point is that when only using the Marshall cab I don't need the attenuator no more !-)

[mikeluke]

Any suggestions as to where a good source for a 1 x 12" cab might be? Zilla I know about but anywhere else I can try? Fancy a Blackstar HT-1HR head but would like a 12" cab to go with it. Ideally an empty cab that I could stick an Eminence speaker in....

[D4niel]

The difference between 10" and 12" speakers is commonly exaggerated. A fact ist, that a 10" speaker tends(!!) to have a faster bass, while not reaching as far "down" the frequency scale ... if compared to an 12".
BUT!
every speakerdesign differs in much more extreme ways: a V30 is noticably not a Greenback, while they are both 12".
size =/= output! The efficiency between speakers is quite huge. For example a  Jensen Neodym is almost one time louder than a Greenback (if I remember correctly), given the same input.
So the difference in loudness (excuse the maybe wrong term ... I should refresh my tech english a bit) between a 10" and 12" is not only determined by the cone-size!

[HTH AMPS]

cab design plays a part too - you can get varying results by 'tuning' the resonance of the cab to a fundamental low note.