Avatar B212 Neo 212 Cabinet

As far as cabinets go, there really aren't a lot of features. This cabinet has 2 12" Eminence speakers with neodynium magnets, which makes this cab very light compared to other 2x12's. It's rated at 500 watts RMS, and I have the 4 ohm model. The speakers are of great quality and are from a reputable company. Otherwise features are pretty typical, two parallel 1/4" jacks and a speakon jack. Also, this cab has a dial on the back that affects horn volume, so you can dial in just the right amount of high end that you want. The only feature that could make it better would be to have a switch to change the crossover frequency for the horn (the frequency at which the sound goes through the horn instead of the speakers), like the Mesa Boogie cabinets have, but that's really not that important.

This thing sounds great: the 12" speakers give a very nice, solid, punchy sound that helps get the bass sound stick out in the mix. It's very loud compare to other cabinets used at the same wattage, and has a strong low-mid presence that gives your sound a nice growl almost. The horn helps clarify the sound with a treble edge, but if you don't like it, you can turn it down to get a more vintage bass-heavy tone if you like. This thing does well for slap, finger-style, picking, whatever you can throw at it. It has a much louder and bassier tone than a 4x10, and I personally will never own a 4x10 for that reason: this thing is better in every way. It's punchier, bassier, and still has a very strong upper-mid presence, and the horn covers the highest frequencies with ease. Not as bassy as a 1x15, obviously, but it sounds great and I use it all by itself with no problems at all. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you overpower this cab with your amp, especially in the treble ranges, the horn will cut in and out, because it has a protection circuit built into the amp to keep the horn from breaking. So, if you're going to be running over 500 watts RMS, you should consider something else, or better yet, two of these cabs, or maybe one of these and a 1x15.

This amp is great. As I mentioned, the horn is protected internally, and the speakers are of great quality. I don't think it'll break down if you treat it right. I'm currently running a 500 watt amp into this cab, but I'm not getting any distortion or anything other bad sounds out of this cab at all. I have gigged with it without any other back-up and will continue to do so for a long time, I believe.

Haven't really dealt with customer support, I ordered my amp through the mail, and received it fairly quickly. I have never heard bad things about their customer support, though, and their stuff comes with a great warranty that they honor remarkably, I hear.

This cab is an essential part of my tone now. I never dreamed I'd be able to afford a 2x12. The only other companies that have them are Gallien-Krueger, Mesa Boogie, Aguilar, Eden, EBS, and a few others, and theirs are much more expensive (usually twice as much money or more!). Another thing is that this amp is really light, 50-ish pounds, while most of the others weigh in between 70 and 100 pounds. I love this amp, and if I lost it, would buy another with no hesitation. The low price and high quality may make this the best bass cabinet your money can buy, in my opinion.

This box kicks so hard. And it has really low lows. You can't mess with physics. The 12 inch speakers just blow away 10's in the fat bottom sector. Even if there is only 2 of them. I use this amp in many different professional settings (jazz, R&B, Punk, Rock). The speakers just push air and thump for smoother gigs. They don't move too much where its scary either. The tweeter really brings out that "ding ding digga ding" pick sound for rock. I would get another one to run at the same time, but I really don't think I have to. It definitely has enough power for me. 500w

I use fender's rigged up with duncan quarter pounders ( a jazz & a PJ ) With an ampeg svt4pro. This cab sounds makes my bass sound really fat. The eminence speakers inside are can reproduce really nice low R&B sounds like GK, to ballsy rock tones like an old ceramic clesestion out of an ampeg. It helps having a nice amp. I was skeptical about the lightweight thing at first because of how the mark bass stuff sounded. ( spongy and compressed against your will. ) But it thumps really nice. you should plug the 1/4 inch hole in the back at high volumes cause air escapes and creates a whistling sound.

This cab is built really well. And the components inside are high quality. I don't expect any problems with normal use.

1 year warranty. Very cool small staff that are easy to get a hold of and answer all of your questions.

I have been playing half my life and I have a degree in bass performance from Lock Haven University. I would replace it if it were stolen. I love that it is affordable, sounds awesome, made in america, and you can get them in a variety of colors. I compared it so GK(neo) ,AMPEG, MARKBA$$ , BERGANTINO$$$ , EDAN$$$ and AGUILAR$$$,. I like this cab. I find the sound most similar to the fender BASSMAN 2x10 combo with the eminence inside . except it crushes it in presence and bass. You can't beat this cab for value.

The tone on this amp is absolutely beautiful. I've played a lot of high end cabinets out of my Ampeg V-4b, and this easily tops the list. The lows sound so smooth, and the highs sound great. Definitely one of the best there is.

I can count on the cab every time. I've had it for about a year now, and haven't had one problem with it.

Without a doubt, if I ever lost this cab, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new one. These cabs are some of the best that you can buy, but they cost less than most low end cabs! I bought B212 for $180. Absolutely wonderful.

Manufactured approximately 2004-2005. Got mine with the blonde tolex. Has 2 12" neo speakers and an adjustable tweeter. Wired to 8 ohms rated @ 500 watts. Does EVERYTHING I want it to do! The best features are the size and weight. It will fit in the trunk or back seat of my chevy cav AND I can carry it with one hand! No kidding, my drummer with the bad back lifted it and didn't complain. Don't know the exact weight, but one-handed, c'mon!

I play southern and classic rock thru this with a GK Backline 600. I'll use any number of basses thru it, Ibanez, Peavey, Steinberger.... Easily handles the low B without breaking up. I've only kicked the volume about half on the amp and have plenty of sound to cut thru two guitars, keyboard and drums. Adjusting the tweeter gives me all the attack I want and fiddling with the eq on the amp gives me bottom end that I can feel. This critter moves air!

Reliability? It's a bass cab. If I don't abuse it, (and I don't) I can't see where it's gonna give up the ghost. On a just in case, I got a spare neo 12 in the deal off of ebay to do a swap out.

Since I got it off ebay and its 3-4 years old, warranty service is probably out of the question. I have emailed Avatar to get some recommendations when I thought I was buying new and the owner, Dave, emailed back within hours. That's service! Others on this site have made similar comments.

Been playing 35 years. Have a Peavey Combo 300 that is still alive after 24 years. It's way too heavy to pack around at my age. The Avatar is top notch. Great sound! No way I could be any happier with a purchase. I get high end quality on a teacher salary. THAT says it all. I don't care if you have an unlimited budget. Avatar is simply the best. Buy one! Ever wonder why you don't find many on ebay? Simple, they're sooooo good, no one wants to get rid of them!

Avatar B212 Neo cabinet, bought new in 2007. Two 12" Eminence neodymium speakers plus a tweeter. Two 1/4 inch inputs plus a speakon connector. Mine is in 4 ohm and has the black carpet covering, All the specs are availible on the avatar website. Impressively solid construction. Very easy on the back at a mere 56 pounds. Finally a kickass bass cab that I can carry around by myself with ease. Id like to find the guy that invented Neo speakers and buy him a beer.

I play in a 5-piece rock band and needed a new cabinet. I was previously using a 4x10 that weighed upwards of 80+ pounds, and I got sick and tired of lugging the thing around. I needed a cabinet that was lightweight and quality, yet inexpensive. I had heard many good things about avatar but had never seen or heard one of their cabs in person, so I was a bit hesitant at first to buy something sight unseen. But once I saw the 212's weight, price, and the fact that they were available in 4 ohm, I couldn't resist. Turns out I made a smart move.

This is my first experiance with 12" bass speakers, and I am impressed. You really do get the low end of a 15" with the clarity and punch of 10's. The sound is transparent and "hi-fi" modern. You can really crank up the volume and the lows on your amp, and the cab wont have any nasty unwanted resonance. That is a sign of a very well built cabinet. The tweeter is adjustable and is very smooth and subtle, not hissy and harsh like some other cabs. I find the tweeter level is perfect set when around 10 o'clock. It is very efficient which saves me from having to push my amp too hard. The 212 makes a perfect standalone cab and is plenty loud by itself when matched with a decent output head. I use a 300 watt Tech 21 head and I play loud rock with a powerful drummer and 2 guitarists with all-tube half stacks.

The cab has never farted out or broken up on me, even at higher volumes. No muddyness...just lush, thick bass.

Seems very sturdy, but only time will tell. I treat my gear well and I have faith that it will last.

I called up and placed my order and a few days later it was at my door. I havent needed any further customer support, but from reading all the other reviews it is supposedly fantastic...which is pretty reassuring.

Ive been playing bass as primary instrument for about 6 years. Current axe of choice is a Cort B4 artisan bass with active bartolini electronics. I own or have owned in the past various bass and guitar gear from Fender, Yamaha, Peavey, Crate, Tech 21, Hartke, etc. I have never seen such awesome value in a bass enclosure. These avatar cabs would still be a decent deal at twice the price. Maybe if you look hard enough you could find yourself a better sounding "boutique" cabinet, but it will cost you 5 times the price of an Avatar.

Cheers to avatar for providing me with a great cab without having to spend a fortune.

I already have an SVT-810 with a Fender Bassman 300 (tube amp) for Vintage sound. I was looking for second rig, small, portable, light weight with modern sound. I was attracted by the light weight of this cabinet - 55 lbs. I looked at GK and it's rather too heavy (Gold line but sounds good) or too expensive (GK Neo series is twice the price). Also GK have some construction problems that I experienced in the past.

I was also looking for something that could fit in the trunk of my Camry.

I was ready to build a cabinet myself with the new Emminence NEO drivers, until I remembered that company (Avatar) making non expensive cabinet. And their custom Emminence drivers have longer course than the std model I could get from Emminence.

After reading some reviews about this cab on Bass Guitar and Harmony Central, I decided to give it a shot.

Construction is flawless. It is not overstating to declare they are as sturdy as Bergantino. I know because I had an HT322 for a little while and until I received my new Avatar, the Bergantino was the only single well manufactured bass speaker I've ever had.

I'm not kidding, it is really well built. It's easy to figure out, all you have to do is to crank it and if it's not sturdy enough, it will rattle, crack and wistle.... but not this one, event though it can provide a lot of clean low frequency decibels.

I ordered myne with red Tolex and my... this thing looks great on stage.

Back panel is pretty standard, 2 x 1/4 jacks, one speakon jack, tweeter level and impedance indication - 4 ohms for myne.

It was a big surprise when I lifted it for the first time. 55 lbs is light for a 212 cab. And since the drivers are light weight, while carying it, the balance does not drop on the front like most speakers.

I was a bit affraid about the metal grill ratteling, but not a peep.

Now Rick King, this is for you,

The only thing I did with this cab is what I did with all of my other cabs, I filled unused 1/4 jacks with a (clean and new) soft ear plug to get rid of the wind sound. At first I thought that sound came from the tweeter, because that's where I noticed it. But then I remember Rick King complaining about that noise, and I had to do the same with my Ampeg speaker. This is no big deal guys, just slip a soft ear plug into the hole and make sure you leave a 1/8 inch out so you can remove it on demand. And Voil??!

Seriously, considering the robustness, light wight and price of that cab, it really deserves a 10.

Good jobs guy.

Sounds like the former Bergantino HT212 (with more mids), but at less then a third of the price, a half the weight and requires fewer power.

Ok, once again I already have an SVT-810 with a Fender Bassman 300 (tube amp) for Vintage sound. I purchased this for more portability but mainly to get different and modern sound. I love Vintage sound, but my first bass rig was a GK Backline combo. Even though it died quickly on me, I still loved the sound of the GK.

So I purchased a GK 700RB-II to combine with this. It's all pretty cheap, light weight and powerful rig. Imagine this entire rig for $750. And it sounds like $2500 rig. Hope the GK won't die on me :)

Power wise, the GK 700RB-II is very appropriate. This cab handles 600W and the amp provides 480W at that impedence.

I did not reach the limit of either amp or cab so far, because my ears were giving up dut to the extreme power of lows. Honestly, I'm glad to have all of that reserve, but I did not purchased this rig to scratch and blow everybody's ear drum, so I'm confident it will live long.

Before going further, I need to mention that cabinet comes with a real 2 ways X-over, and some chemical components must burn-in for at least one hour above medium power in order to have all components settling properly. I own a lot of high end components, but this is the first time I notice so dramatically the sound getting really better during the first hour.

So because of that fact, and because I didn't know yet how to tweak my GK with this cab, my first impression was desapointement. The Low mids were lean and the low sounded restricted.

After it was kind a burned-in, the low mids became more present and thicker and the lows just opened up. After I learned how to tweak the tweeter level, I realised the sound was very good, even with the amp set flat. More important, sound is musical.

Ok this cab comes with 12 inches drivers designed for PA, so it's not a vintage or any kind of fantastic bass sound, but I knew it before I got it and it's very high end. Still, playing with the Boost knob on the GK amp, which adds some growl (or second order hamonics) I get a very rich sound.

I got this rig mainly to play a fretless bass which sounds like an upright bass, and requires a sound that is not too boomy. This combination is perfect, very clean, very powerful lows.

Yeah let's talk about the low frequencies. I don't own a 5 strings bass, but let me tell you that the E string is pretty solid with this cab. The low frequencies are very powerful, present and very tight.

I also tried it with my P-Bass, and it's a P-bass on steroid. crisp, clean, deep and earth shaking.

Once again, don't juge it too quickly, let the X-over burn in before making your mind.

Honestly I would not live solely with this kind of rig, because I like to rock with my SVT Stack, but I also love to play jazz, modern rock and to play at church and this is totally appropriate. I'm sure the sound of tube preamp would be interresting, but I like my little GK full SS with this.

This speaker is confortable with solid state rig and is very responsive to the solid state preamp dynamic range.

I give it an 8 solely because I do not consider the price. That's excellent, it's just not fantastic. My advise, get an amp that will let you dial the sound YOU want and you will be in heaven. If you're concerned about the low mids, make sure you can dial it with your amp or get a B410. Many tube preamp help in this area also.

Good sound is a question of personnal taste, it's not absolute. I know that many players are very happy with nothing but one or two Avatar cabinets and I understand it totally. It's just that I can afford to have both Vintage and Modern rig.

And remember, that I use a GK here, one of the leaner amp on the market, yet very dynamic and musical.

Considering the price, it would be 10

It looks very well built, and I know Emminence manufactures some reliable pro drivers, so I'm not worried.

Very simple. To place an order, you have to dial 208.762.5251. The guys are there, available, knowledgeable, nice and ... answering the phone. If I have any problem I will simply call their number and I'm sure we will come with some sort of agreement.

Business is as simple as it could possibly be.

Look at http://www.avatarspeakers.com/ for models and info.

I'm impressed, considering the electronic inside and all.

I have a friend looking arround for a rig for his son. I will urge him to get an Avater cab.

Oh, by the way, the reason it's so cheap is not a mistery. There is not one middle man between you and the manufacturer. Otherwise, it would sell for about two to three times that price.

So don't be mystified by the price, it is really an excellent quality babinet. Solid, loud, good sounding and light.

I like the concept, excellent quality, good price, simple business.
If everything was dealth this way, life would be much better.

I whish the guys at Avatar the best of luck with their business, and hope it will grow and kills many of the scummy gear manufacturers arround, especialy those having their crap manufactured in China for a few pennys and selling locally at high margin.

Go Avatar!

I bought two Avatar B212 Neo cabinets in the Fall of 2006 to replace my Ampeg 410 and 115 stack. I could not be happier. I loved the Ampeg rig, but the Avatar is much more articulate and has better efficiency. It is much louder than the Ampeg rig, even using my Eden WT330 (330 watt) back-up head. The construction is as good, or better, than any other cabinets I have seen. I chose the blonde tolex, and I think it looks great. My only minor complaint is a noticeable whistling sound caused by air pumping through the unused 1/4" input jacks (I use the speakon connectors) at very high volume. I think Avatar should offer a screw-on cap to cover the 1/4" jacks when they are not being used. Otherwise, great speakers! Excellent value!

My main bass is a Lakland 4 string.

I have been playing for 35 years.

I bought this in 2007 and since they custom fill orders I would assume this is a 2007 model. I think the 2x12 option is a good "middle ground" between a 4x10 and a 1x15. It kind of merges the best of both worlds of bass and treble. They offerred me the new Line X coating for the same price as a tolex upgrade. I have a white dog that sheds so the carpet covering was not an option for me. The Line X coating is awesome! It is the same stuff they spray on pickup truck beds. It is very sleek and durable. They told me that it should never come off the cabinet for the entire life of the cab. My only complaint feature wise is it didn't come with casters although I think you can ask for them as option. I just forgot to ask for it.

This cabinet sounds every bit as good as the high-end "boutique" cabinets by Epifani, Bergantino, AccuGroove, etc. I have played through a wide variety of cabinets including Hartke, SWR (pre & post Fender), David Eden, Ampeg, Trace Elliot, etc. And this cabinet sounds better than all of them and at a fraction of the cost. The tweeter horn is adjustable and can provide alot of extra articulation (great for slapping) and th 2x12's provide deep, tight bottom end with crisp highs. I absolutely love this cab. It doesn't heavily color your tone, it's a very close reproduction of the tone from your bass guitar. Old schoolers would call this a sterile sounding cabinet. I guess they're right. I use it with a MusicMan Stingray through an Ampeg B2RE head. It comes through very loud and clear. With proper EQing, you really can obtain any sound you want with this it just specializes in the modern "hi-fi" bass sound.

It seems very solid. The grill is on really tight with rubber bushings to prevent vibrations. The Line X coating will hold up better than Tolex or carpet covering. I cannot see why this would break down. I pushed it pretty hard when I got it to test its range with 450 watts of power and the cones barely even moved and it didn't fart or distort at this volume level. Based on this, I would guess using most amps, it should hold up just fine.

I haven't dealt with them in a post-purchase scenario but they were great to deal with when I placed the order on the phone. I would imagine their support would be good as well. It comes with a 1 year warranty and a 14 day trial period.

I have been playing for about 10 years and all styles. I play a little of everything from jazz, funk, gospel, classic rock and modern rock. This cabinet with proper EQing can work. I like the cleaner tighter bottom end sound but I can EQ my bass and head to achieve a more vintage style tone. I sometimes use a Bass POD XT as well which can also play a large role in versatility. I typically just play this cab clean thogh with no effects.

Purchased May of '06. Two parallel 1/4" inputs, one speakon, horn w/ attenuator.

I wish it had a cupholder and a vanity mirror, but I can't fault Avatar for that!

I give it a ten, because for a cab to fail to live up to my expectations, it would have to be missing a speaker or something.

I use this with a G&L SB-2, which is basically a P-bass on steroids. Preamp is a Peavey T.B. Raxx, (12ax7 based pre) and power amp is a QSC USA 900.

This cab is virtually colorless. That's not to say that you could use it as a hi-fi speaker, but it is neutral and true to the sound of my bass and preamp. It sounds enourmous at any setting, and rattles your skull before it begins to distort.

I play a mixture of gospel, blues and classic rock. The cab is well suited to all of these. For gospel, I like to use a lot of lows and mids. The cab has lively, "woody" mids and heart palpitating low end.

For classic rock, and blues, I like to leave the EQ flat. The sound is just true to the bass and the preamp, which is all you could ever ask for from a cab.

I actually think this cab isn't as punchy as I thought it would be. This is not a criticism. It does not sound like an Ampeg 8x10. It sounds better, more neutral, and more versatile.

My band played a gig recently, and the sound guy insisted on micing the cab instead of DI. I was fine with that, but he also failed to give me enough volume to hear myself, or be heard in the house. This cab, all by its lonesome, allowed me to take matters into my own hands. It filled the whole 300+ capacity venue with exactly the sound I wanted. That's pretty good for a 600W 2x12!

I've had it for 8 months, so I can't really comment. The build quality is great, though. I'm impressed that the back of the cab is a dado joint; that just has to improve its strength and reliability. Also, the quality of the drivers is superb. I have every reason to believe that this cab, along with cockroaches and T-40's, will be around after the nuclear holocaust.

I haven't had to call them because I've had no problems. They were very friendly when I ordered the cab, and it came way earlier than I expected.

I've been playing for almost 12 years. This is actually the first time I've had a worthwhile amp. It just gives perfect tone and more than enough volume anywhere I go. (I assume I'd be miced if I play the Xcel energy center.) I would buy another in a heartbeat. I might buy a second just for fun, because they're so cheap! I want to get a neo 2x10 for practice and to make a stack. I love its tone and volume, I love its light weight, and I love the price tag. I hate that I live in an apartment and I can't crank it up at home.

2x12 neo cab, go to the website for details!

Wow this thing is out of control. It moves more air than most 4x10's I?ve owned. Its punchy and low, it also gets loud as heck. The tweeter seems to be crossed right, haven't heard a crack from it yet, but i don't ever turn it up past half way. I play this cab with a Carvin B1500 and its taking 700 watts into 8ohms. This cab handles it perfectly. Later on this year i hope to add a 2x10 neo as well to drop my load into 4ohms and get the 1250 watts this amp delivers at that impedance.

It's brand new and ive never owned a Avatar cab before so its hard to tell. But from the looks of this puppy its sturdy and built to last. I think this cab will serve me well and a long time!

Wow the best part of avatar cabs is Mr. Dave. He helped me pick and choose which cab and impedance was right for me. I recommend this company to everyone out there looking for high end sound at a budget price!

Sounds awesome, looks awesome, dave was awesome hell i'm getting another one of these as soon as i can!