Avatar B115 Neo Cabinet

This cab is out of production and I count myself lucky that I snagged one. I'm addicted to the vibes from a 15 inch speaker. I have issues making a rig feel right without one. Some corners have to be cut to get to a price this low, but what was cut does not effect the sound as far as I can tell.

I got the 8 ohm version. A 4 ohm was also available. The only way to tell the difference without an ohm meter is a paper label stuck onto the jack panel.

These cabs do not have serial numbers. Serialization plates would be a cool thing to add. The first thing police ask for when gear is stolen is the serial number.

On its own it won't take all the power from my 450 watt Ampeg head, especially with the Aphex Big Bottom cranked up but delivers a rich tone. I always use it in combination with a 2x10 Avatar cab and it balances out great and I can max out my amp until the clip light is blinking like crazy.

This cab has one 300 watt Neodymium magnet Eminence 15 inch woofer with one Foster horn tweeter. There is a reasonably decent crossover with a variable rotary tweeter level control which functions well with two 1/4 inch serial jacks but only one Speakon connector. A shortcoming of this cab and my other Avatar bass cab is having only one Speakon while many other brands have two. This means I can't use all Speakon connectors in my stack. I wish Avatar gave you 2 Speakons. When you are dealing with a lot of watts a 1/4 inch jack is probably not the best connector choice.

Eminence makes Avatar's bass speakers to special specifications with extended cone travel and a beefier voice coil. There are very sturdy handles on the side, plastic corner protectors and a rugged metal grill.

The Avatar logo is TINY. It looks lost on the huge cab like a flea on an elephant. Meanwhile on their guitar cabs Avatar uses some much larger logos. These cabs are so good, Avatar needs to put their name on their bass cabs as big and bold as on their high end guitar cabs to build the brand among bassists.

One thing about Avatar bass cabs that might not catch your attention on first glance is the recessed back panel. It isn't FLUSH with the top, bottom and sides like other cabs. This is because the back is dadoed to add strength to the cab and also enables the carpeting, tolex or whatever covering you choose to be more permanently secured by tucking it. This als reduces flexing of the back. There are no wheels included but Avatar was offering a fair set of casters at a fair price. However you might could buy heavier duty casters at a hardware store and do better in the long run. One of the casters on my Avatar cab is already a little stubborn after a little more than a year's very light use. This cab is very light...at under 50 pounds I think. In fairness I would sometimes roll this cab with the HEAVIER 2x10 Delta cab on top. But not more than a few times. So the whole stack makes about 110 pounds rolling.

At 300 watts this cab beats the power capacity of an Ampeg Classic 15 cab by 100 watts and is much lighter to move.

I bought mine in the days when all Avatar offered was the standard black carpet covering, but they now come with tolex in a rainbow of colors for extra dollars, or for even more extra dollars still a new higher tech covering called LINE-X HEAVY DUTY COATING which is a sprayed on covering which is similar to the coating used by DR. BASS speakers. LINE-X looks like tolex but it won't rip or pull up.

I bought a brand new 8 ohm B115-Neo cab from AvatarSpeakers.Com through one of his eBay auctions. I saved a lot of money that way. For a great while Dave was selling his bass cabs almost continuously, which was a great way to get one cheap. I got lucky and paid way under what most people did. He doesn't sell nearly as many bass cabs on eBay as he once did. But he still lists a few bass cabs now and then. These though are no longer available.

With a USA Jazz I get a nice modern sound with the tweeter about 2 o'clock. With a single coil 53 P-Bass I get HEAVENLY tone by setting the tweeter about 11 o'clock. The 06 Mexican P-bass sounds good here too. This speaker sounds BETTER than single 15 inch cab I've tried with my old P-bass. That would be Fender & Ampeg. The front porting helps and the big cabinet sounds good for everything my band does which ranges from 50's R&B to Motown to the Eagles to CCR to the Doobies. Nice vibes and an honest to goodness breeze on your ankles. A very responsive cab with no funny rattles, buzzes or funny echoes to be so large. I would prefer this cab alone for small gigs to the Avatar 2x10, but so far I've always used them both. I went to the website to buy another B115 and was disappointed when I found out they were discontinued. I guess all us old school 15 inch fans are dying out, retiring, giving up, etc. Bummer.

So far so good. I have played three full tilt outdoor gigs and a bunch of indoor gigs with my Avatar stack. No issues, other than one of the optional casters is a little stubborn to turn. Maybe I just need to lube it. The cabs look really rugged and look like you could drop them without hurting the cab too much, but I'm not sure the crossover would fare as well as the wood. I've read on other reviews they are somewhat fragile. The 9 is because of the caster and not the crossover since mine has been doing fine.

I've called Avatar twice to place an order and both times Avatar owner Dave Noss has answered. How can you beat that for customer support? If I did have a problem I'd call him and even though my cabs are a few months out of warranty I'm sure he's at the ready to sell me whatever I needed to fix it at a fair price and ship it to me that same day if he has it in stock.

The "10" is awarded for FANTASTIC VALUE. These aren't close to custom made bass cabs, they actually ARE custom made bass cabs. You pick the covering, color, impedance and whether or not you want to buy casters. Their cabs actually handle more power and my two sound better than higher priced cabs from the mainline manufacturers but costs less! I'm pretty sure my next cab will also be Avatar! Really, my only issue is that it only has only one Speakon connector and I could use two. STILL for the money this is not just FANTASTIC VALUE, it is amazing to get a USA MADE CAB for this price! The sound is equally amazing for a cab this light too! For the price I don't think you'll get a better sounding 15 inch cab. If you can find one in good shape and like having a 15 in your rig try it out!

Bought new in 2006. Pretty straightfoward design, with a 15" Eminence driver and Fostex horn in a well-built cab. They're available in 4 or 8 ohm models. I usually mate it with an Avatar 2x10 Neo cab and run a Traynor YBA 200 head through them.

I play a number of basses through the cab---a Ric 4001, a T-bird, Fender Jazz and P-basses. I play classic rock, blues and some country. The cab sounds just fine for what I do. There really is enough low-end for my needs.

I've only had it for five months, but have used it at practice and gigged it. It's been very reliable so far.

I haven't needed to go back to Dave for anything, so N/A on this one.

I've been playing since 1977, and the Avatar cab is part of my new favorite rig. I'd certainly get another, but I don't think Dave makes 1x15s any more, which is a pity.

I love the light weight, and it sounds very good for the style of music I play. It compares favoably in sound and value with other, more expensive cabs. I really can't think of any faults.

Kudos to Dave and his crew at Avatar for making some decent gear at very affordable prices.

2006 model. 4 or 8 ohm. 55 pounds. Coventional design front ported box style cabinet. Black carpet covering. Black steel mesh face. Plastic stackable corner protectors. Recessed steel carrying handles. In the rear, two 1/4 inch and one speakon speaker inputs. Horn level control dial. A Foster compression horn tweeter. 12db mylar crossover. One Eminence Neodymium 15 inch speaker. Speaker specs; 300Wrms, 40Hz-3.5kHz range, Speaker weight is just 8.61 pounds! (I still wish Avatar would use a second speakon connector and offer a factory cover for their cabs but still an unbeatable value.)

I appreciate the versatility of this cabinet very much. With it's light weight and adequate power handling ability it has become my 'go-to' cab for most uses. For home use, band practice and small gigs this is a great choice. Mine is a 4 ohm version and I use a 160 watt Peavey DeltaBass head to drive it. Shades of an old Fender Bassman. What a great smooth sound. I have an older Pbass and a modern active 5 string and they both sound superb through this cab. I'm an older guy and have been at it for going on 40 years. For those of you who have played cabs loaded with JBL D130, K140 and K145s this cab sounds very familiar. A smooth creamy bottom but still very tight and present. Dial in the horn and you'll have all the crisp highs you could need. The Eminence Neo line of speakers are really impessive. I'm from the old school and used to think if a speaker's magnet didn't weigh as much as a Volkswagen it couldn't be any good. Times have changed. I'm a converted Neo guy now and also own a Avatar 212Neo cab. For larger gigs I put the 212 on top of the 115, 900Wrms total, and use a Peavey Max 700 to drive it at 2 ohms. WOW! Every note on my 5 string is clean and will thump you right onto the dance floor. The whole rig together weighs and costs less than one SVT cab with 8-10s! This is not meant to knock Ampeg. I like their stuff very much. It's just to give you an idea, great sound can be had without breaking your back or bank account. I like this cabinet so much I might get another one. The sound of a 15 inch speaker, for bass, is what I grew up hearing. Call me old fashion but I like that butter smooth sound and with the horn added for highs I've got it all.
For those of you who would like more power handling ability Avatar offers this cab loaded with an Eminence Kappa Pro LF 15in. speaker rated at 600Wrms. It costs a few more dollars and will add close to 20 pounds more weight.

This cabinet is built extreamly well. All components are high quality and are holding up fine. I have a cover for it and use a hand truck. With the recessed steel carrying handles it is very easy to move around. Even in my advancing years.
(Having trouble finding the right cover for your Amp? Go online and talk with Cindy at 'Custom Amp Covers' and she will take care of you. They are great people and will go the extra mile to get the right cover for your needs. Quality stuff too!)

For those of us who are tired of being treated like a number lost in the shuffle, when trying to spend our hard earned money, get ready for a pleasant suprise. Dave and the staff at Avatar are actualy interested in your needs and will spend time with you to make sure your purchase is a happy one. Email them with a question and you get an answer the same day. Sometimes within minutes! They offer a two week return policy and a one year warranty on their cabs. A quality product made in the USA. Top notch customer service. And an unbeatable price. Man, that says it all.

I really like this cabinet. There is no need for me to compare it to other cabs in it's class. It has exactly the sound that I'm looking for and the price is untouchable by any other manufacturer. I know another reviewer has panned it but you shouldn't ask it to be more than it is. It's not meant to be a stand alone cab for all venues. Used properly it sounds as good as any 115 cab I've ever heard. If you need more volume add to it.
I'm hooked on the Eminence Neodymium speaker line and on Avatar. Light weight and portability, clean quality sound and the right price. I wish they made cars too.

Fostex tweeter w/volume control, 15" Eminence Neolite woofer,black carpeting,plastic corners,mesh metal grill front, Two 1/4" and Speakon parallel inputs.Weighs about 45lbs.,casters. Cab rated at 300 watts at 4 ohms.

I bought this cab mainly because of it's light weight and portability. I've been playing professionally for 25 years,use Fender American Jazz basses, playing mostly Soul, RnB,and Blues.My favorite bass speaker is a JBL E 140,but thought I'd take a chance on a smaller cab for Blues gigs. I used a BBE bass preamp,with a Mackie 800 power amp. I've got mixed feelings about it. Sound is nice and round and tweeter kicks in when you pop and slap, but you really can't give this cab a whole lot of power. Speaker is rated at 300 watts and you better not try to push it much more than that. I babied the Mackie, but when trying to keep up with a drummer, guitar player and harp player, the 15 started farting out on the lower strings, especially the F and G on the E string. I had the BBE almost flat,but still could not get the thump I needed without lower string distortion.I then went to an old Yorkville head I've had for backup, about 275 watts,but same story. You could probably get more out of it if you added another cab, say a 2x10, but that sort of defeats the purpose of why I got it in the first place. On the other hand , it makes a great practise cab, or,if you have a quiet gig backing up an acoustic guitar, or dinner music/wedding band,this cab would be perfect.The light weight 15 is a good idea but sadly, you can't give it any sort of serious volume without distortion.

Reliability never was a problem,although,when it was shipped to me,the tweeter was not functioning and I had to get a free replacement. Casters are ok,and we all know how those plastic corners wear after a few years. Have a cover made for it if you are in and out of gigs alot.

As stated, tweeter was not working on arrival,but new one was sent without any questions. Dave seems like a nice guy.

Not a bad cab for quiet, low volume gigs, nice round sound out of the 15" and sparkling sounding tweeter,very easy to lift in and out of that SUV.Also a good candidate for an EUB. I probably would not replace this one if it got stolen. I might replace the 15 with a JBL and put up with the added weight.For higher volume gigs, I would add another cab.

It is very simple - almost too simple. A knob in the back for horn volume, easy to grab on to handles and great sounding drivers. I believe it has 1 SpeakOn and 2 1/4" jacks in the back. I don't know if I need anything more . . . Simple is good! I'm giving it a 9 because I'm not sure what a 10 should be . . .but this could be 10!

I have a 2004 Spector Euro 4 (NOT the LX) Necthru, Monster Instrument Cable, Mesa-Boogie Walkabout connected via a Bayou Cable 12 gauge 4 foot speaker cable. Absolutely glorious, the best practice rig in the world! The Avatar really shows off the sound of Mesa and Spector Euro. I haven't even bothered to purchase any effects, as I'm really afraid to screw up the sound. This one gets a 10 - easy. When it sounds this good - it really makes you want to sit down and practice!!

It looks very well constructed, and not too heavy (FedEx said 45 lbs). My goals are playing for the company/municipal Jazz band . . . this should work very for that. No problems in 2 weeks of fairly heavy usage . . . I guess it gets a 9 . . nothing is perfectly reliable.

As stated elsewhere, David is great guy. He'll spend time on the phone with you answering your questions and he really seems to enjoy doing what he is doing. My kind of company. I'll try to give an 11 on this one . . !!

I've been playing for about 2 1/2 months - this is my smoking cessation therapy - it works! I lucked out and purchased a Spector Euro 4 for 640.00 and a Mesa Walkabout for 474.00. I would purchase one again in a heartbeat if it were stolen or lost - this cabinet is probably the best in price/performance ratio that there is. Much better sounding than most of the stuff in GC . . . Maybe not the Mesa or some Ampeg Cabs - but good lord - look at the price difference! I purchased this cab from recomendations from bassists on TalkBass and Harmony Central - they were very right - this cabinet sounds wonderful!

This is Dave from Avatar Speakers. The reviewer below got a new cab and a part broke on the inside. He spent hours trying to fix it, got frustrated and left a nasty vindictive review. He only needed to call me and ask for an exchange or refund and we would have immediately picked up the bad one, and either fully refund his money or sent a new one same day. It is unfortunate that he had to vent on this review but it was entirely his decision to waste hours which wasn't necessary. Thanks...Dave

1X15 bass cab with a fostex horn. 8 ohm. Rated at 300 watts Eminence speaker. I can't rate this a 10 because I know there are better cabs out there. For this price range it sounds good though.

I'm using a Musicman Sub bass through a Behringer 300 watt head. I run a Gallien- Krueger 4x10 SBX 8ohm camb with this Avatar 1x15 Neo.
Play Rock and blues.
The output is great but the horn is a little hissy. I leave it off and just use the horn on my GK.
On a good note the thing is a monster but weighs much less than my GK
I rated it an 8 because the horn is not that great

This is were it gets sticky.
When I first recieved it I played through it for about ten minutes and it sounded good then all of the sudden it sounded like absolute crap. The worst most obnoxious buzzing you have ever heard. Sounded like the speaker blew. I was totally bummed. I had ordered this cab to tryout for another band and had to go without my brand new cab.(It worked out though my GK cab saved the day and they invited me to join them)
As it turned out later when I was taking out the speaker to replace it myself on my brand new speaker cab I noticed the crossover was hanging by one screw in the back of the cab, because I guess nobody had spent the time to tighten the screws. One was missing entirely. So after an hour and a half of removing the grill (8) screws, removing the speaker (8) more screws, removing the speaker, removing the rear mounting plate for the x-over (6) more screws, spending half an hour trying to find the right size screw to fit the x-over. Then putting It all back together I have a working cab. ( I did screw up and mount the grill upside down so the Avatar logo is upside down) I'll leave it like that so when people ask I can tell my story. After repairing the cab it sounds good. Reliability pretty bad. In all fairness I will update this post at a later date if it holds together.

I have to say Dave was very helpfull, He e-mailed me right back and sent me another speaker that day.
The question is this good customer service? I may have a differant veiw of good customer service after spending five years as a customer service manager for a large company. In my eyes its only a customer service success if the customer is satisfied. I think if I sold a faulty product I would be offering something for the trouble caused my customer. Something for them wasting their time dealing with my problem. A offer to sell at cost on a future purchase, refund of shipping charges, a speaker upgrade, something to make them feel good about first buying from my company, and wanting to do future business with me despite the problems. Hey we are all human and mistakes happen, but better quality control would have prevented this problem. I will also update this review when it's all said and done.

Overall I think Avatar makes a good sounding cab for the cost, but as reviewed by others here the need better quality control. For God's sake thihten all the screws, Nobody wants a brand new anything that falls apart as soon as you get it or anytime after. It does not matter what you sell be the best you can be. If you read reviews of your product and ther are complaints about loose screws correct the problem. Don't ask your customers to finish building it or spent their time fixing it.
Would I reccomend Avatar to a fellow musician, I don't think so.
Would I purchase another Avatar cab? Hmm, what do you think? I would like to, and that was my plan, to sell my GK cab and match the Avatar cab with a 2x10 or 4x10 Avatar cab. Now I'm not sure what I'll do. It's to bad this worked out this way, all over someone not having pride in their work and doing it right. I know Avatar has great reviews and I don't want to change that, but this is an honest review and my time is to valuable to be spending it fixing a brand new cab