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!!!

Desirability:
Aluminum drivers look great on a dark stage. It speaks rock-n-roll!!!

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.

Support:
Hartke support does in fact respond to customers. But they could NOT defend their cheap metal screws that support their speakers!

Overall:
Overall great clarity on stage. Just beware of loose speaker screws!

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.

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.

Desirability:
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.

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.

Ease of Use:
Plug in the speaker wire from the head and play. It can't get much simpler than that!

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.

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.

The Hartke line is very quirky. I've used the Transporter cabs, hated them. At first they just look like a heavier version of the TP cabs, but no real cab performance increase. Man, are looks deceiving! I own the 4.5XL and a 215XL, these guys must have an effiecency rating of almost 100dB. They make 500watts seem like 800 or 900watts. A friend of mine, who has an SWR endorsement, came over and tried them out. He was amazed with the sound. No holes in the frequency range. All this, and they look incredible, even in a dark club. I love my cabs.

This is the cab of all cabs.I gig about every weekend and always get compliments on how good my bass sounds.I have several different cabs including several different hartkes but usually i stick to my 4.5xl when i want an all around cab that has great low end and crisp highs all in one.this cab never sounds muddy.whether i run my 3500 head by itself or run a 4.5xltop and115tp on bottom with my 7000 bi-amped,hartke sounds the best,and they stand behind their products.-Dave Loyd/bassist for HIGHWAY STAR.

I was lookin at combos and found Hartke instead. I coupled this cab with their 350 watt bi-amp and i was not disappointed. Purchase this for quality and power, not frills. You wont be disappointed. The tone is unbeleivable.

Feature:
n/a

Quality:
It is built well, and is definately road worthy.

Value:
It is a little more expensive, but worth it.

Desirability:
It was made with though. Well done.

Sound:
This is an excellent product. It sounds great. Probabally more suited for jazz, but works well for metal. And the 5" is helpful for distortion. The "HA 350" is about the best match Amplifier-wise.

Support:
N/A

Overall:
It's sound is the best part, it's weight is the worst, but nothing a few caster wheels can't take care of.

Is the best bass cabinet I've ever played with. I combine it with a Hartke HA4000 amplifier which makes a perfect match. It gives the oportunity to change my tone in an inlimited way.

I've tried many cabinets in my life as a musicians, including SWR, Rogue, etc. and nothing gets to be so great as a Hartke.

Upgraded from peavey to ampeg, then tried a hartke. Finally found what I was looking for. Crisp highs and the lows are punchy and defined as well or better than any thing else I have played through. Run a bi-amped system coupled with a 115xl and get all of the thump you have ever wanted.

I've been using an older model of this cab in church for a few months and really like the sound. I have been using a Carvin 2x10 and Hartke 15 Transporter in my jazz/fusion band. Last week we played an outdoor gig and I thought the cone in the 15 was going to rip (too much power)! Time for an upgrade!

I compared the Hartke to a Gallien-Krueger 4x10, Genz-Benz 4x10 and a SWR Workingman's 4x10. While all of the other cabs sounded OK, the Hartke had the punch that I like. I use a SWR Bass 350 to drive this cab. The lows are solid and deep, the mids punchy and the highs cystalline. I used it at rehearsal this week and the group was loving it! It definitely gives my Jazz V more oomph. My fretless four sounds great with the mids slightly boosted and played close to the bridge.

The only issue I have with this cabinet is the weight. Man, it is heavy! Moving it is a a two person job. I'll be buying a dolly next...

This is one great cabinet. I use it with the Hartke 4500 head and a Warwick Bass. Fantastic comindation.