| Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349805] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 21:46  |
 Silas Pradetto
Messages: 945
Registered: February 2006
Location: CT |
Has No Life |
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| Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them?[ 45 vote(s) ] |
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| 1. | Yes |  17 / 38% | | 2. | No | 23 / 51% | | 3. | Maybe, I'll describe below | 5 / 11% |
Hey, I want to know how many people would buy USED LAB subs (properly built to spec, right wood, etc) without hearing them, based on their reputation. I know this is sub-related but it's more broadly applicable to all sound guys so it's here in the LAB.
[Updated on: Mon, 11 August 2008 21:57]
Silas Pradetto
Concerts Unlimited LLC
be good, get good, or give up
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349812 is a reply to message #349810 ] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 21:56  |
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+1 for JR's response of them not being for sale. This poll makes no sense.
-JB
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349827 is a reply to message #349805 ] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 22:32 |
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Silas,
The LAB sub sounds excellent. There are some better, but there are a lot worse. That has never been the issue. The problem is that it is quite large and heavy, and for a one man operation completely impractical.
-- Bennett Prescott
Director of North American Sales
EONA ADRaudio d.o.o.
Cell: (518) 488-7190
An amateur practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349839 is a reply to message #349805 ] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 22:59 |
Geri O'Neil
Messages: 2160
Registered: April 2004
Location: Bottom of someone's shoe |
Has No Life |
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The design is proven and solid. I'd be concerned about the abilities of the builder, since anyone can get the plans and start sawing wood.
Geri O
"Stagelite Sound...A Pin 2 hot-compliant company"
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349851 is a reply to message #349849 ] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 23:30 |
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Your friend only ever moves his subs across flat surfaces at the same height? I've got plenty of things as big and heavy as a LAB sub, but I have a dock and always rent real trucks.
-- Bennett Prescott
Director of North American Sales
EONA ADRaudio d.o.o.
Cell: (518) 488-7190
An amateur practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349867 is a reply to message #349851 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 01:13 |
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I answered yes. However, I would like to inspect the drivers for worn suspensions or toasty coils before I put pen to paper. I know what they'll sound like, but I wouldn't want to make an investment like that only to have to turn around and drop $1500 on new drivers because the previous owner beat the hell out of them.
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword has obviously never encountered automatic weapons - Gen. Douglas MacArthur
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349896 is a reply to message #349867 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 06:53 |
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Re: Jared's Response,
Getting the drivers out in these boxes is no small task and can be quite an operation. It's easy enough to "hear" driver damage (usually manifests itself as a detached surround from the cone in my experience.)
Re: Silas's Post,
LAB subs are a proven design, but there seems to be a large variation in how they're built/setup/wired/finished/etc. I've seen reports of people building them out of CDX, MDF, etc. Also, different handle/wheel setups and such. Mine have 4 handles per side and 4" casters on the back, as well as 14GA steel grilles. Not that wheel or handle placement has a significant acoustical value on the box, but aesthetically, such variations may not work for you.
-JB
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349898 is a reply to message #349896 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 07:08 |
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| Jim Bowersox wrote on Tue, 12 August 2008 06:53 |
Re: Jared's Response,
Getting the drivers out in these boxes is no small task and can be quite an operation.
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I would rather inspect at least one of the drivers. You can't hear a cooked coil like you can hear a worn out suspension, and I'm more worried about coils burning up than I am suspensions tearing in the LAB horn. I've never had much of a problem pulling the drivers on the one's that I've dealt with.
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword has obviously never encountered automatic weapons - Gen. Douglas MacArthur
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349900 is a reply to message #349898 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 07:13 |
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It's not a huge deal, on mine, you need to take off 12 screws holding on the aluminum cover, then 8 allen-drive screws (loctited in) that hold the cone in. Usually, the cork front gasket partially sticks to the baffle when you take the driver out, and needs to be replaced. Putting it back together, you need to replace the weather stripping on the aluminum cover if it gets torn. Sealing the rear chambers of these boxes is absolutely essential (as you hopefully know!)
Also, if you can't hear a charred coil, how will you be able to see it without tearing the driver apart?
-JB
[Updated on: Tue, 12 August 2008 07:14]
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349921 is a reply to message #349805 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 09:09 |
justin sircus
Messages: 54
Registered: February 2005
Location: western new york |
Should Get Out More |
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I bought 4 labs without hearing them. I was able to inspect both the labs and other boxes that were built by the seller and found them all to be of solid construction so I wasn't worried about them falling apart on me. I had one bad driver out of the 8 so I guess It turned out ok.
BTW, I am a 1 man operation for the most part and can get labs and just about anything else into and out of a van from ground level alone. It's not fun and I would like to have my cube truck back with the ramp it had but at the moment the van is what I have so the van is what I use.
JT
Justin Sircus
Buffalo NY
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349925 is a reply to message #349921 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 09:25 |
Mike Kivett
Messages: 171
Registered: April 2004
Location: Jefferson City, MO |
Has No Life |
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We still have our six LABs (unloaded) for sale. I'll have to post in the classifieds again, but...
They just don't work for the gigs we do, and we blew drivers consistently with our existing racks and types of shows we were doing. They DO slam when operated correctly.
And yes, we "bought" ours without hearing them first, so I guess....
+1
- Mike Kivett
www.myspace.com/kivettaudio
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| Re: Would you buy LAB subs without hearing them? [message #349944 is a reply to message #349900 ] |
Tue, 12 August 2008 10:17 |
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| Jim Bowersox wrote on Tue, 12 August 2008 07:13 |
Also, if you can't hear a charred coil, how will you be able to see it without tearing the driver apart?
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If you push the cone out, you can see the coil through the cooling vents under the spider. The coil should be a deep copper color, but as they start to over-heat and wear out, they turn a dark bronze color. Sometimes you can smell problems too.
Basically my point was, I would rather fight with one driver to see if it's ok than not look at it and end up having to fight with a dozen of them and dish out the money for the new drivers.
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword has obviously never encountered automatic weapons - Gen. Douglas MacArthur
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