Acme Sound LTD Low B-2 Bass Cabinet

Early B-2 cabinet with two quarter inch inputs.

Had a very midrangy sound. Seemed to be more efficient than the company description states.

This cabinet did not sound much different from my SWR Goliath JR. The materials that the Acme is covered with...the aluminum corner and edgeing is very lightweight and installed with brads. Grill is fastened with washers. Looks like it was made in a high school shop class. Handles are very small and difficult to use. I was very disappointed at the absence of quality.

A fridge full of sound for 50 lbs? What more can you ask for! Mine is a very old model, with just two 1/4" jacks. I modified the rear panel, added a banana plug which I highly reccomend for the watts this cab wants. (The newer models give you banana and/or speakon.)

I've never heard anything else approach the deep low-end you get from this cabinet. It's totally addictive.

This speaker sounds pretty neutral, so you'll want to be adding some of that bass amp character somewhere else in the signal chain. This is especially important if you want some midrange presence. I struggled by for years without this - my head preamp is notoriously mid-shy. When the live mix wasn't too dense, I was in paradise. Once I got buried, it was hard to cut through. (Helps not to play in bad bands...)

Also: this cab sounds more compressed, due to the way it taxes the power amp. Just grooving, I was running my QSC power amp channel (750W at 4 ohms) pretty close to full-tilt. Hitting notes harder would flash the clip light.

This cab is VERY well-built, with very sturdy, military-spec hardware and components. (A definite notch above the rest of the pack.) I did experience some breakdowns but they were my fault. Running a power amp bridged 1200W, I fried a woofer. (On the Acme web site, they say the more power the better within reason. 1200 watts is not really within reason for a 2x10.) Later on, the other woofer started buzzing. I was able to replace both with relative ease and the cab has since been trouble-free for years.

I've dealt with them a few times. First time I called to get some technical advice about where to install a side handle. I got good, relevant info. (You don't want to mess with the internal bracing sturcture.) Then when the woofers gave out, they helped identify the problem and sold me the replacements for a very reasonable price. All this after I bought the cabinet used.

This was my main "big" cabinet for many years. (Bumped off my Eden 210XLT.) I recently got an Aguilar 2x12 for more mid-presence & headroom but I'm hanging on to the Acme for backup, for smaller gigs and maybe to run both cabs for big outdoor jobs.

If you have the watts to drive it (easy to do in this age of cheap, light solid state power amps) and you like a natural, non-exaggerated sound, this cab is AWESOME. And portability is out of this world!!

Standard features: Speakon, 1/4', banana plug inputs. Built like a rock. Handles could be a lot better though -- they're fine if you're picking it up alone, but with two people they're wrist breakers.

Fantastic. Clean from the bottom to the top. When I let other bassists sit in and I listen from the audience is when I'm most awestruck at how good my Acme cabs sound.

I've only had to change out the auto-light bulb which serves as a fuse. I emailed Andy to ask the procedure and he responded within hours (it's nice when the company prez answers your emails.

Fantastic. When I was first considering buying two 4x10 cabs and a crossover I emailed Andy and told him about it. He CALLED me (at his own expense) and told me it was a bad idea since Low B's have built in crossovers and I would only need one cab. Wow! Later, when I decided to buy a 2x10 I asked Andy which ohmage to get and he clued me in based on my rig.

I recommend Acme cabs without reservation. I've used a 4x10 and 2x10 for 6 years and except for a broken corner guard from dropping they're as good as new. I can't say they're the best in the world, but I can't imagine what a better cab would sound like. I'm giving Acme cabs a 9.9 (damned handles!) and rounding it up to 10.

I began purchasing Acme B-2s in '97 or '98 and by '98 had four of them. Two for the duo and four for the classic rock band I'm in. The duo does blues, some country and overall, a general mix of music. The 4-piece band does Neil Young, Skynyrd, Tom Petty,Bryan Adams, etc.
After playing in a band with roadies, I'd heard enough about moving the "refrigerator" Ampeg 8x10 I had and decided to divide that configuration into manageable pieces. I had read a favorable article in Bass Player; took a chance with two, and soon after managed to purchase four B-2s

It's fairly well-known these "B's" are thirsty and so my amp is an Ampeg SVT 4-Pro. The sound is warm, round, sweet and punchy. It's finally something that sounds good at stage level and has a warm BIG feel, especially on built-up stages.
I typically play a Fender Roscoe Beck V, but have also played my Hofner 500/1 and Rickenbacker 4005 hollow bodies through this rig. (As with any hollow bodies, stay away from the front of your cabs when not in "mute"!!)

No problems at all in the 8 years I've played them...pretty much every weekend throughout this period. The grills on the earliest models were a metal color...I took them out and sprayed them with Rustoleum to match the newer cabs.

I've never needed customer support. I feel badly for the players who have had a bad experience; that is not befitting of a company that wants to continue selling a good product.

I've been playing about 40 years (yeah, the Rolling Stones in their 20s wouldn't have thought so either) and these B-2s have provided a quality of tone I'd have wished for a long time ago. Unfortunately, amps were not up to the task back then. I have, and still have, an Acoustic 370 and used two 18" bottoms as speakers.People would tell me that setup would just rock the place from a distance off the stage, but I would never know that. The "B's" let you know right where you are how good it sounds, but the price is the necessity of some serious wattage if you use more than one cabinet. Additionally, our duo have used these babies for PA system usage and they sound GREAT.
All in all, feed their hunger for power and you will have the sweetest sounding,versatile,reliable and cost-effective cabinets on the market.

Built in 2001, bought new. 2x10" speakers, 1x5" driver with attenuator in the back of the cab. Reasonable weight, fuzzy black covering that attracts every bit of lint and hair in a 20' radius. 350 watts RMS @ 4 ohms. Nicely built cab.

My review is an absolute mirror of another reviewers, but I'll continue anyway. I've never owned a cab that has gotten so many compliments. I power my rig with an Ashdown Mag 400 (400W RMS, 1000W peak). It sounds GREAT.

Here's the problem: Before the Ashdown, I powered the cab with a Warwick Fet 400, a FANTASTIC amp. However, when you'd want to start pushing the volume (7+ or so), the amp's protection circuit would cut the system off and you'd be dead in the water. This is due to what the Pres at Acme referred to as a "fairly inefficient" design that's utilized in his cabs. So what this means is you get about 50-60% of the perceived power from your amp. Is it worth it for the great sound? Personally, I say "No" because if you ever find yourself in a gig situation with no PA for the bass to run into, you are SCREWED.

Another problem: When you call to order this cab, the Pres is who you talk to. He is nice, bright, intelligent, informative, etc...
When you call with questions AFTER the sale (Which is typically when you expect some actual CUSTOMER SUPPORT), he is a SUPREME jackass. He laughed at my issues and ended the call abruptly by saying I would have to "live with it" (Yes, he actually said that). The warranty is 2 years, though, and there is a return period.

I've been playing for 20 years now. I currently live in Nashville and gig regularly. The cab sounds GREAT, but if you have to buy a 1000W power amp to drive a 350W cab and still only sound like 500W, then why bother. I've owned all the big names (SWR, Trace, Ashdown, etc.) and the Acme's tone is right up there with the best. However, I just believe there HAS TO be a way to address the efficiency issue. As it stands now, I would absolutely not replace the Acme with another one. Money is better spent on a slightly more expensive cab that will deliver ALL the goods. I'm giving this one a 6 strictly for the tone of the cab.

awesome 2x10 cab...best there is...
mine is an older original model...so it gets a 9 for not have
banana plugs or speakon...

i play funk, jazz, rock, 4 and 5 strings basses...through an eden road runner (wt 600) ... best sound i've ever had...

have never had trouble, but also haven't had it long enough for trouble to arise...

never had to deal with ... but hear great things...

seriously the best cab i've ever owned...and i've had many... Fender, Ampeg, SWR, Trace, ETC... I originally purchased this cab as a small gig/rehearsal cab and needed something that could handle my Eden...and i must say i honestly don't know how i ever lived without it...

Mine was the series one. Everyone knows the features by now. I must emphasize, it was built like a tank. The metal grill was extremely solid and buzz free.

I use a Yamaha 5 string with bartollini pickups and 18 volt three band electronics with switchable midrange frequency. I use a carvin R1000 series II.

I bought this thing after reading reviews on "The Bottom Line." The general consensus is that it needed power. They were right. Getting a 1000 watt head at the same time I bought the speaker made that a non issue for me.

Folks, sound quality wise, this thing is AMAZING! I had only played bass for a year when I was trying to get into gigging bands (ok, I heard that everyone was desperate for ANY bass player). At each tryout I sucked, but EVERYONE wanted to know where the heck I got that speaker. They would look it over and pick it up to feel the weight. They would check out my amp and bass settings. These were all guys in their 30's to 50's who had been playing their whole lives. It was kind of embarrassing: I sucked but they LOVED the sound out of my speaker. 8^>

The problem was that it didn't sound very good at my church, which is in a large warehouse. However, it turns out that was the fault of the building and not the speaker.

The setup was stolen after a little over a year and I replaced it with a Carvin stack, with the R100 II head (yes, I DID buy it again)and 4X10 and 1X18 cabinets. This setup most definitely was louder but it sounded even worse in that warehouse than the Low B2.

Bottom line, I sold the The 1X18 at Bass NW and am saving for another Low B2. I may find myself bi-amping the setup, using the low B2 for the bottom and the 4X10 for everything else, when I need maximum volume for the heavy metal band for large venues with no PA, especially to cut through the two lead guitars. But under ALL other circumstances, the Low B2 with the 1000 watt head is THE rig.

It does take power to really apreciate it (which is why I'm not giving it a ten), but when properly fed, it is the sweetest bass sound I have heard anywhere.

Solid as a rock right until the day it ran away from home. I wish it would at least write occasionally.

I think he earns about $2 an hour, based on the time he spent with me on the phone before I bought. It was a free education on speaker design though and very interesting.

I can't tell you what he'd be like if you were calling about a problem

I have now been playing almost six years and have played in church, prison ministry (rock and blues) and heavy metal. It WAS stolen and I was too green to know what I had. I am saving up to finally replace it.

The only thing I didn't like about it was that it didn't sound good in my church. Only after trying other boxes did I discover the speaker wasn't the problem.

I have played several times with a "borrowed" eden 4X10 at another church and, although it is a much better speaker than my carvin 4X10, it is not as good as my Acme Low b2, as far as overal sound quality is concerned, although I imagine the eden would get louder, for obvious reasons.

If I had an unlimited budget and a handtruck, I would have a stereo preamp, two powerful amplifiers and two Acme Low B4's. For virtually everything I've done, the Low B2 is virtually a panacea.

This cab is a full-range type with 2x10", 1x5", and 1 tweeter setup. The mid driver and tweeter each have
separate volume controls located on the rear of the cabinet with the 3 inputs: Banana, 1/4", and Speakon. Rated
at 350W RMS @ 4 ohms. Black ozite (carpet) covering, steel grill. Nicely assembled cab. Built like a tank.

This is a mixed bag. The manufacturer does plenty of bragging aboutthe sound of the cab. I run an Ashdown
Mag 400, which is rated at 400W RMS, 800W peak. Acme admits that the cabinet's design is largely
inefficient. What does this mean? Well, in a nutshell, that your 500W rig might sound like a 300W rig when
played through this cab. And this is definitely the case. The sound is about a pure as you can get, but if you're
straining your amp and not getting all the juice, then what's this REALLY worth in a live situation with no PA?

Very durable. Reliable in studio, frustrating as all hell in a live environment.

When you order from Acme, you deal with the owner of the company. He's as nice as he can be---before the
sale. Afterwards, I found the guy to be a bit of a jerk.

I've been playing for 17 years. I've owned everything from a clunker Peavey to the top-of-the-line audiophile
stuff (Trace, SWR, etc...). The company should flat-out recommend using this cab with amps rated at twice its
power handling so you can get some balls out of it. The tone is FANTASTIC, though. I've gotten lots of
complements that were all followed by, There's NO WAY you're getting all of the power out of your rig"
when they see my head. I got rid of this cab today and have replaced it with an Avatar.