Tom Bowlus’
CAB
LAB
This Article was published in Issue 18 in winter 2016.
The retro-meets-modern white/silver cloth grille is wrapped around a lightweight wooden frame, and the assembly is attached to the (recessed) front baffle using eight sections of Velcro. A nice gasket running all the way around the edge of the grille makes for a tight seal around the sides of the enclosure. The cab is covered in a thicker, seemingly durable, but somewhat soft-to-the-touch charcoal-colored tolex. The chrome corners are of the non-stacking variety. There are four rubber feet on the bottom and four more feet on one side, allowing for either horizontal or vertical operation. The tasteful badge on the grille of our test cab was laid out for horizontal placement, but you can order your Two10 with the badge in vertical position, if you so desire. There is a round port on the side of the enclosure, which becomes the bottom of the cab in vertical orientation. I asked Alex about the dispersion characteristics in vertical, versus horizontal, configuration, and he explained:
“The dispersion is the same whether you stack the Two10 vertically or horizontally because of the internal crossover (low pass filter on one of the 10’s), but horizontal stacking sounds fatter due the change in acoustic coupling, boundary reinforcement, baffle step and tuning frequency.”
Fig. 1 Two10 On and off-axis(15, 30, 45)frequency responses
Fig. 2 Two10 Impedance curve
Fig. 3 Two10 Horizontal(red) vs Vertical(green)
Fig. 3, in which we compare the on-axis frequency response in horizontal (red) versus vertical (green) configuration, certainly demonstrates the similarity in response, regardless of the cab orientation.
This cab can be ordered either as a 12-ohm cab (a stack of three would yield a combined 4-ohm load; as stack of four would make for a 3-ohm combined load) or as a 4-ohm cab (allowing for full power into one cab, from most solid state heads). If you order it in one configuration, but change your mind later, you can order a replacement wiring loom, crossover and rear panel (a simple replacement job, with no soldering required, thanks to the modular design). The two stamped-frame 10CR250 (custom made for Barefaced by Eminence) are mounted using my preferred method: bolts into threaded inserts. Nice. The wiring looks nice and neat, and uses the same high quality white speaker wire I observed in the FR800.
The sides, back and front baffle are made from 9mm dual-density plywood, which contributes to the Two10’s light weight. It is common to see a thicker front baffle, but the internal bracing and dual-density ply provides more than adequate strength and stiffness, especially considering the lightweight drivers. Barefaced uses the same nice damping material as in the FR800, and it is similarly applied. Looking inside the cab, it is clear that there is “something” underneath the damping material, about halfway into the depth of the enclosure. This “something” is the hybrid resonator, which is designed to allow this ported enclosure to mimic the tonality and performance of a sealed enclosure. There is a lot of engineering behind this hybrid resonator, and it actually accomplishes several things. First, it provides a broad-based increase in low-frequency output, which spreads out the boost and allows for that overall feel being more similar to a sealed cab. Alex explains further:
“The increase in low-frequency sensitivity is comparable to adding 50% more speakers to the cab, so giving a hybrid resonator 2×10″ the LF sensitivity of a sealed 3×10″ of 50% greater size (with the same woofers). The hybrid resonator also increases the acoustic impedance on the woofers, reducing their excursion and increasing their low-frequency power handling (like a ported cab, but across a wider range of frequencies).”
These claimed benefits certainly do seem to bear out in comparative listening tests, and what’s more, this hybrid resonator approach does not appear to add much weight to the cab. This is a very well-built enclosure, with performance capabilities that seem to exceed its small size.
Barefaced
Audio Two10
ENCLOSURE
| Configuration: | 2x10 |
| Listed Impedance: | 4 Ohms (12 Ohms optional) |
| Rated Power Handling: | 500 watts |
| Inputs/Outputs: | Two Neutrik® combo 1/4"/Speakon® jacks |
| Dimensions: | 24” W x 15” H x 13” D |
| Weight: | 28.8 lbs |
| Ports: | Side-ported (round) |
| Covering: | Tolex |
| Baffle Board: | 9mm dual-density plywood |
| Cabinet: | 9mm dual-density plywood |
| Grille: | Cloth |
| Handles: | One (top-mounted strap handle) |
| Feet: | Eight, rubber (four on bottom; four on side) |
| Casters: | N/A |
| Corners: | Metal, non-stacking |
| Driver Mounting: | Eight bolts into threaded inserts |
DRIVERS/CROSSOVER
| Woofers: | Proprietary Eminence 10CR250 |
| Cone Material: | Lightweight paper |
| Voice Coil: | 2" diameter; high excursion |
| Magnets: | Ceramic (30 oz.) |
| Tweeter: | N/A |
| Tweeter Adjustment: | N/A |
| Protection: | N/A |
| Speaker Connections: | FASTON |
| Crossover: | N/A |
MEASUREMENTS
| Average Sensitivity (200Hz-900Hz): | 99.65 dBSPL (1 watt @ 1 meter) |
GENERAL
| Company: | Barefaced Audio Phone: +44 1273 945959 www.barefacedbass.com |
| County of origin: | UK |
| Year of Origin: | 2015 |
| Warranty: | 3-years |
| List Price: | $849 (including shipping) |
| Street Price: | $849 (including shipping) |
| Test Unit Options: | Padded cover |
| Accessories: | None |
| Price as Tested: | $849 |
| Available colors: | Black |
| Available Options: | Padded cover, steel or cloth grille, top hat for stand mounting, alternate grille cloths, alternate tolex, alternate handle, foot and badge positions |
| Acquired from: | Barefaced Audio |
| Dates: | September 2015 to February 2016 |
| Locales: | Ohio |
| Test Gear (in-hand review): | Mesa/Boogie D-800, GK MB Fusion 800, Eden VT300, Pignose B100V, Ampeg PF-50T, Ampeg SVT-210AV, Sadowsky P/J 5, Sadowsky WL-4, MTD 535, Fbass VF-5 |
TEST RESULTS
1-5 (unacceptable to impeccable)
In-hand
| Features: | 4 |
| Tonal Flexibility: | 3.5 |
| Ease of Use: | 4 |
| Aesthetics: | 4 |
| Ergonomics: | 4 |
| Tone: | 4 |
| Value: | 4 |
In-hand Score 3.93average
On-bench Score 4.50average
On-bench
| Portability: | 5 |
| Road Worthiness: | 4.5 |
| Components: | 4.5 |
| Hardware: | 4 |
| Cabinet Construction: | 4.5 |
| Wiring: | 4.5 |
| Cover/Finish: | 4.5 |
SONIC PROFILE:
Low: Full and round; supportive
Mids: Warm, punchy, articulate
Highs: Rolled off above 6kHz, but smoothly articulate up to that point
TONE-O-METER:
The Two10 can certainly cop a tone that is reminiscent of an Ampeg SVT-810, but it is a bit more tonally flexible than a “fridge,” and a whole lot easier on the back! This cab retains its composure even when pushed hard, and moves a lot of air for its size.
