Pros:
When it arrived, I have to note... the shipping box it is in is very impressive. The cab is double boxed, and looks like it would survive a massive drop without blinking. This is packaging for shipping in the real world done right.
Construction Overview and Detail
The cab itself will make guys that use traditional guitar amp speaker cabs very comfortable right away. It does not look like a PA speaker. It does not look like a wedge vocal monitor. A picture is worth a thousand words:
It looks like a traditional 2-12 guitar cab... but smaller. It's got two 10" 'single point source" powered speakers. It measures 25.5 inches wide, 13.5 inches tall and 13.5 inches deep. It weighs in at a healthy 55lbs.. That's heavy, not excessively so, but heavy and needs to be noted. There are some interesting ways of dealing with that and the detachable luggage handle is one of them. I'll discuss that below.
The cab is heavy duty 13-ply plywood. This is not a PA vocal wedge or PA speaker kicked sideways. Abuse worthy, just as the guitar speaker cabs that we are all familiar and comfortable with. The one I had being the prototype, Mick was funny telling me to 'bash it into every wall!' but I didn't.
Up front it's a 2-10 cab with unique looking speakers - these are not guitar cab speakers and not a 2-way system. They are 'single point source' speakers, not concentric high end drivers inside larger drivers. That's pretty unique and the sound/performance I'll detail below. You have two small ports, a handle on top, and two very cool features I'll discuss because they are unique.
The first feature is the 'kick stand' that folds away underneath the bottom; allowing you to pop it out so you can lean it back for use. Here are some shots of it:
See Kickstand photos below in following post (ran into the 5 photo limit here)!
Works pretty cool. This being the prototype, it only opened, locked and/or folded away. My only misgiving with it was that it didn't tilt it up enough so that when I set it up just in front of my pedal board facing me that it was aimed at my midsection and not my head. Discussing that with Mick he will be doing a variable angle version on the production models.
The second cool feature is the removable telescoping luggage handle. Pretty smooth. There are two brackets on the back that this thing clicks onto, you kick it sideways and pull the handle out and -poof- you are rolling it like nothing. The wheels are like rollerblade wheels; they handle most loose gravel pretty well even. Very convenient feature.
The front grille was heavy duty metal, the piping looked great and the tolex was durable and first rate. Even being a prototype, it was apparent that they know how to apply tolex at Xitone. Thumbs up.
The speakers are unique. They are single point source full range drivers. Their shape is unique - never seen anything quite like them with the pointed center cone. Mick told me that they are very efficient - beyond what other speakers can do - and as such require very little power to make volume. Since they are full range they do *not* have or use crossovers. That's a major point and something very unique to the Xitone design.
To the sticklers that want 'flat' response; this is a guitar monitor, not a studio reference NF or MF monitor. It is not absolutely flat in response; but IMHO it is flat enough to be accurate. It's loud, rude and is designed to allow you to work in a band context live on stage. To me there are tools for every job and this is a powered cab designed specific to the gigging guitarist. It isn't a studio monitor that you'd mix on. It sounds going playing recorded music through it; but has a boxy character to it that I don't notice when playing my guitar through it.
Speaker:
This is a powered 2-10 cab so you have a Class-D power amp that can run mono or stereo - within one cab - depending on how you plug in. (Left only = mono out of both speakers; Left/Right = stereo). The output wattage seems low (30W + 30W) but Mick assured me that they crank volume due to the speakers and cab design. There is a volume pot on the back of the cab. In talking to Mick he indicated he would look into adding a stepped attenuator to the input panel on the back; I pointed out that some of us Axe-FX guys run our presets pretty hot and drive the outputs pretty hard; an attenuator would allow us to get the volume on the power amp up more and not drive the Xitone into distortion by overloading the input.
Function/Sound In Use
I plugged into it and set it down next to my very familiar (to me) FBT Verve 8ma. I used my PRS Custom 22, Melancon Custom Artist S and Line 6 USA JTV-59 into my Fractal Axe-FX II direct out via 1/4" to the X7; doing a A/B comparison using the different output options on the Axe-FX II. Mick was right about this thing being efficient; I did not have to turn up even 1/2 as loud on the output of the Axe-FX to match the output volume of the FBT. The little FBT is the 'little beast' as I call it because I can get 110db at foot away all night long without any overheating or hiccups. Where the 8ma runs out of gas is that while it gets loud and has healthy bass, it will not flap your pant legs or shake your bones - the sub 100Hz roll-off is very steep.
The X7 has a lot more 'clarity' and evenness across the sonic spectrum. It made my 8ma sound cloudy and a bit muddy on the low end - there's a hump at about 100-200Hz on the FBT - that the Xitone does not have. It's very crisp, very immediate, very detailed. The response to your pick attack is exceptional, these are not 'flubby' speakers. When they distort, they just distort. It does not get muddy and doesn't feel hyped anywhere across the sonic spectrum. There is a crisp response to the upper mids that isn't pronounced hyping like you find on most vocal monitors - ie. JBL, EV, Mackie - but is clearly evident.
I used the X7 at two rehearsals with a full band and then two P&W services on stage. I found it did great. The first day at sound check, I was asked to turn it down because I was overpowering FOH. That made me chuckle because I had it setup in front of me. Oops. LOL.
The thing about it is that it doesn't crush you with low end, it doesn't burn your ears with tizzy high mids or sizzle your brain with souped up highs. It just does it job. I measured it at 109db on my handy Radio Shack db meter at playing distance about 1 meter way on axis.
I think that you'd need to seriously consider two of these playing stage volume with a loud rock band. You could easily use one as a monitor and it'll do; but to carry the room from stage with a loud drummer on an acoustic kit you will need to stack up two of these and go from there. In discussing this with Mick he says he can get higher SPL's from the cab than I was reading and that also he is going to be offering other formats - 2-12 among them. For the full out rock guys, that'd be something to give consideration to.
Conclusion
The price point for this as I used it would be somewhere in the $800 range plus shipping (plus a bit more for options like the removable handle, etc - see his site for pricing information). He has details on his site now XiTone
For a USA designed/made powered cab that's worthy of serious consideration, he's got a competitive product offering based on my experience with the prototype 2-10 X7. I'd be very interested in checking out the 2-12 model once he has that nailed down. Comparisons to the Atomic range will come up; but it's been a long time since I had an Atomic in my door; so any sort of comparison would be speculating and unfair. It'd be a good idea for someone with different FRFR solutions to do a shootout in addition to my FBT 8ma comparison here; which is hardly apples to apples.
This is a box that is worth serious consideration if the size, format and price appeal to you.
- Very good sound
- Loud enough
- Looks like a traditional cab
- Kickback leg is functional and very useful
- mono and stereo operation
- sturdy construction
- Detachable Luggage handle - practical and useful
- Heavy
- Kickback angle fixed, not variable
- A bit bass shy
- 109db peak at about a meter away on-axis might not be loud enough for powerful drummers; unless you had two of these
- A bit big for just a personal monitor compared to my 8ma; a bit small to carry FOH from the stage with a loud drummer on an acoustic drum kit
When it arrived, I have to note... the shipping box it is in is very impressive. The cab is double boxed, and looks like it would survive a massive drop without blinking. This is packaging for shipping in the real world done right.
Construction Overview and Detail
The cab itself will make guys that use traditional guitar amp speaker cabs very comfortable right away. It does not look like a PA speaker. It does not look like a wedge vocal monitor. A picture is worth a thousand words:
It looks like a traditional 2-12 guitar cab... but smaller. It's got two 10" 'single point source" powered speakers. It measures 25.5 inches wide, 13.5 inches tall and 13.5 inches deep. It weighs in at a healthy 55lbs.. That's heavy, not excessively so, but heavy and needs to be noted. There are some interesting ways of dealing with that and the detachable luggage handle is one of them. I'll discuss that below.
The cab is heavy duty 13-ply plywood. This is not a PA vocal wedge or PA speaker kicked sideways. Abuse worthy, just as the guitar speaker cabs that we are all familiar and comfortable with. The one I had being the prototype, Mick was funny telling me to 'bash it into every wall!' but I didn't.
Up front it's a 2-10 cab with unique looking speakers - these are not guitar cab speakers and not a 2-way system. They are 'single point source' speakers, not concentric high end drivers inside larger drivers. That's pretty unique and the sound/performance I'll detail below. You have two small ports, a handle on top, and two very cool features I'll discuss because they are unique.
The first feature is the 'kick stand' that folds away underneath the bottom; allowing you to pop it out so you can lean it back for use. Here are some shots of it:
See Kickstand photos below in following post (ran into the 5 photo limit here)!
Works pretty cool. This being the prototype, it only opened, locked and/or folded away. My only misgiving with it was that it didn't tilt it up enough so that when I set it up just in front of my pedal board facing me that it was aimed at my midsection and not my head. Discussing that with Mick he will be doing a variable angle version on the production models.
The second cool feature is the removable telescoping luggage handle. Pretty smooth. There are two brackets on the back that this thing clicks onto, you kick it sideways and pull the handle out and -poof- you are rolling it like nothing. The wheels are like rollerblade wheels; they handle most loose gravel pretty well even. Very convenient feature.
The front grille was heavy duty metal, the piping looked great and the tolex was durable and first rate. Even being a prototype, it was apparent that they know how to apply tolex at Xitone. Thumbs up.
The speakers are unique. They are single point source full range drivers. Their shape is unique - never seen anything quite like them with the pointed center cone. Mick told me that they are very efficient - beyond what other speakers can do - and as such require very little power to make volume. Since they are full range they do *not* have or use crossovers. That's a major point and something very unique to the Xitone design.
To the sticklers that want 'flat' response; this is a guitar monitor, not a studio reference NF or MF monitor. It is not absolutely flat in response; but IMHO it is flat enough to be accurate. It's loud, rude and is designed to allow you to work in a band context live on stage. To me there are tools for every job and this is a powered cab designed specific to the gigging guitarist. It isn't a studio monitor that you'd mix on. It sounds going playing recorded music through it; but has a boxy character to it that I don't notice when playing my guitar through it.
Speaker:
This is a powered 2-10 cab so you have a Class-D power amp that can run mono or stereo - within one cab - depending on how you plug in. (Left only = mono out of both speakers; Left/Right = stereo). The output wattage seems low (30W + 30W) but Mick assured me that they crank volume due to the speakers and cab design. There is a volume pot on the back of the cab. In talking to Mick he indicated he would look into adding a stepped attenuator to the input panel on the back; I pointed out that some of us Axe-FX guys run our presets pretty hot and drive the outputs pretty hard; an attenuator would allow us to get the volume on the power amp up more and not drive the Xitone into distortion by overloading the input.
Function/Sound In Use
I plugged into it and set it down next to my very familiar (to me) FBT Verve 8ma. I used my PRS Custom 22, Melancon Custom Artist S and Line 6 USA JTV-59 into my Fractal Axe-FX II direct out via 1/4" to the X7; doing a A/B comparison using the different output options on the Axe-FX II. Mick was right about this thing being efficient; I did not have to turn up even 1/2 as loud on the output of the Axe-FX to match the output volume of the FBT. The little FBT is the 'little beast' as I call it because I can get 110db at foot away all night long without any overheating or hiccups. Where the 8ma runs out of gas is that while it gets loud and has healthy bass, it will not flap your pant legs or shake your bones - the sub 100Hz roll-off is very steep.
The X7 has a lot more 'clarity' and evenness across the sonic spectrum. It made my 8ma sound cloudy and a bit muddy on the low end - there's a hump at about 100-200Hz on the FBT - that the Xitone does not have. It's very crisp, very immediate, very detailed. The response to your pick attack is exceptional, these are not 'flubby' speakers. When they distort, they just distort. It does not get muddy and doesn't feel hyped anywhere across the sonic spectrum. There is a crisp response to the upper mids that isn't pronounced hyping like you find on most vocal monitors - ie. JBL, EV, Mackie - but is clearly evident.
I used the X7 at two rehearsals with a full band and then two P&W services on stage. I found it did great. The first day at sound check, I was asked to turn it down because I was overpowering FOH. That made me chuckle because I had it setup in front of me. Oops. LOL.
The thing about it is that it doesn't crush you with low end, it doesn't burn your ears with tizzy high mids or sizzle your brain with souped up highs. It just does it job. I measured it at 109db on my handy Radio Shack db meter at playing distance about 1 meter way on axis.
I think that you'd need to seriously consider two of these playing stage volume with a loud rock band. You could easily use one as a monitor and it'll do; but to carry the room from stage with a loud drummer on an acoustic kit you will need to stack up two of these and go from there. In discussing this with Mick he says he can get higher SPL's from the cab than I was reading and that also he is going to be offering other formats - 2-12 among them. For the full out rock guys, that'd be something to give consideration to.
Conclusion
The price point for this as I used it would be somewhere in the $800 range plus shipping (plus a bit more for options like the removable handle, etc - see his site for pricing information). He has details on his site now XiTone
For a USA designed/made powered cab that's worthy of serious consideration, he's got a competitive product offering based on my experience with the prototype 2-10 X7. I'd be very interested in checking out the 2-12 model once he has that nailed down. Comparisons to the Atomic range will come up; but it's been a long time since I had an Atomic in my door; so any sort of comparison would be speculating and unfair. It'd be a good idea for someone with different FRFR solutions to do a shootout in addition to my FBT 8ma comparison here; which is hardly apples to apples.
This is a box that is worth serious consideration if the size, format and price appeal to you.
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Just the two speakers weigh 18 pounds by themselves, let along everything else.
