Manufacturer's Description for Hartke Model 4.5 XL Bass Cabinet (400 Watts, 4x10 in.)
The XL Series provides the highest performance at every level. Each cabinet is carefully calibrated and tuned to give you a smooth, balanced response along with an articulate, high-impact attack. Equipped with custom Hartke XL aluminum-cone drivers for maximum response, the Hartke 4.5 XL also features high-quality 3/4 in. + 5/8 in. composite plywood construction and a shockproof metal grille. These high-quality cabinets come equipped with a rugged, road-tough covering, interlocking stacking corners, and recessed input jacks to safeguard critical cable connections.
Hartke 4.5 XL Features
"Expanded Design" ported cabinet
Custom Hartke 5 in. aluminum-cone high-frequency driver
4 Hartke XL 10 in. aluminum-cone bass drivers
zZounds is an authorized dealer of
Hartke products.
What Our Customers Are Saying About zZounds
"zZounds always goes above and beyond to make sure they match or beat their competitors' best prices." - customer on January 19th, 2012
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"Loved it when I had it"
Sound:
I rarely rate products as "10," because there is always room for improvement, as with all things in life. With that said, this is a STRONG "9." This no longer own this cab (there wasn't an option for "I used to own it"), and only sold it because I needed to take a break from music to reevaluate my life and circumstances.
This thing is the real deal. LOADS of low end, punchy mids, slicing highs... Very versitile cabinet that works well with many styles of music. I especially liked playing slap through this cab! Cab itself doesn't seem to add too much color to your tone; the only coloration that I experienced was a little bit of added brightness from the aluminum cones. For me, this was a good thing -- it allowed my tone to cut through the live mix better at gigs and rehearsals. If your guitarist has a stack that everyone knows is turned up too loud, but no one really says anything about it, push about 400 watts through this... That will shut him up. :)
This cab is great for recording too. The attack that Hartke is designed for hits hard without being harsh. The punchiness of the mids come through well in recordings without being honky or muddy, allowing your tone to showcase within the mix, but without standing out too much. The word: CLARITY!! NOTE: These woofers hit differently from paper cones, so play it yourself to see if you like the response.
Feature:
Hartke aluminum cone woofers... Don't be fooled by the Behringer aluminum cones. I know people that have owned those. The Behringer sounds good when you first get it, but the cones are no good, and blow very quickly from regular use. Save your money for ANYTHING Hartke before you buy the imitator... The Transporter line by Hartke is a great way to have a great rig without spending a lot of money if you can't afford this cab. The reason that I give this cab an "7" is because I wish that it handled more power.
Ease of Use:
Plug in the speaker wire from the head and play. It can't get much simpler than that!
Quality:
I was very satisfied with my 4.5 when I had it. The thing is built like a tank, and the woofers are a good quality.
Value:
This cab is an excellent value because you get a pro-grade cab at a middle-grade price. Whether you get one of these, or stack two of them and bi-amp, you get great tone time and time again. If you bi-amp, I would recommend pairing this with either the 115XL or 215XL. I had the 215B XL (discontinued now), and ran full range through both cabs. That... ...was... ...AWESOME!!! If I played this cab without knowing the price, and assuming that I had never played Hartke before, I would probably pay more than the price that zZounds is selling it for.
Manufacturer Support:
I never had need to contact Hartke for support, but I know a guy that owned the 410XL, and he needed a replacement woofer. He had no problems.
The Wow Factor:
I want to get this cab again, but I will probably go with something smaller due to the transportation that is available to me. I've played through the 2.5, and it is a really good cab too! Again, I wish it handled more power... As far as I can see, that is the ONLY downside to Hartke aluminum cones. However, for the wattage they hold, they are LOUD!! The cabs are designed to project the sound well, and the speakers have a high output. I'll either get the 2.5 or the 410XL when it is time to buy a new live rig again.
Overall:
Overall, I like this cab a lot!! Solid construction, deep lows, crisp highs, punchy mids. This is what a bass cab is supposed to be, right?!?! ALWAYS PLAY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT!! You may find that its not for you, or you may fall in love with it. I was skeptical years ago when I bought mine, but after playing it, went with this over Eden because of the better price and clear, defined tone, and volume output of this cab as compared to wattage. To each their own.
Bearing in mind that I'm a studio guy, and clarity in tone and attack are paramount from my perspective in recording bass lines, this cab delivers the goods, and I have not been in a recording environment where the engineer did not love miking Hartke cabs. So, for what its worth to you... ...there it is.
There are no mistakes in the universe.
Style of Music: Anything and Everything
4 of 4 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Thank you. Your vote has been counted. Could you briefly tell us why the review was or was not helpful?
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
"Great clarity, but watch out for loose speaker screws!"
Sound:
I have used Hartke cabinets for over 10 years. Excellent clarity on stage! Very directional sound, unlike other cabinets which tend to sound fuzzy on stage. The 4.5XL covers all frequencies: bottom, mids, and highs!!!!
Ease of Use:
The new style side handles are easier on the hands while loading/unloading. I screwed on 4 caster wheels on the bottom for easy transportation.
Quality:
"Made in China" construction. Beware of loose speaker screws. Hartke uses metal screws instead of wood screws to secure it's speakers for unknown reasons, I assume they got a discount on metal screws. You will need to check all speaker screws!!!
Manufacturer Support:
Hartke support does in fact respond to customers. But they could NOT defend their cheap metal screws that support their speakers!
The Wow Factor:
Aluminum drivers look great on a dark stage. It speaks rock-n-roll!!!
Overall:
Overall great clarity on stage. Just beware of loose speaker screws!
Style of Music: 80's Rock
13 of 14 people
(92.86%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Mention Reference
Number
L2H8QYW When You Call.
Toll Free En Español: 800-460-7976 m-f 9AM to
5PM EST
Follow zZounds on:
Customize Search Results for Your Location
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
You don't have to trade service for savings when you shop at zZounds!
We'll beat any price
Really. It's not a problem for us. In fact, we'll thank you
for the chance to live up to our lowest price guarantee!
It's fast and easy
Just tell us where you saw the lower price - another
website, an email offer, your local store - and we'll send
you our lowest price offer in a matter of hours.
Simply click the Seen it for less? link
Next to the item you want, or give us a
call at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637).
With zZounds you'll never have to worry that you paid too much.
We'll beat any price
Really. It's not a problem for us. In fact, we'll thank you
for the chance to live up to our lowest price guarantee!
It's fast and easy
Just tell us where you saw the lower price - another
website, an email offer, your local store - and we'll send
you our lowest price offer in a matter of hours.
Simply click the Seen it for less? link
Next to the item you want, or give us a
call at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637).
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
