Barefaced Bass

The Compact has been superseded by the Generation Three models - CLICK HERE to see the incredible new Super Compact

Pure engineered minimalism

So you came to Barefaced because you heard that we make the loudest and lightest yet toneful cabs you can buy. You want a punchy cab with good bottom and top. You've heard lots of bassists talking about the mysterious Compact. So now you're wondering why on earth you're looking at a 1x15" cab? Surely that can't be any good, no-one uses fifteens any more!?

Newsflash! Almost every rule of thumb you've ever heard about cabs is wrong.

Tens don't have a sound. Nor do twelves. Nor do fifteens. You don't need to have tens to get the top and a fifteen on the bottom to get bottom. The only thing you can say for sure about the size of a speaker is that it'll tell you how big it looks! That's it.

So are you saying that every speaker sounds the same?

Absolutely not. Every speaker sounds unique. But you can't predict the sound based on its size - there are numerous other factors which have a greater effect on the tone and performance.

The Cornerstone of the Barefaced Engineered Modular System

As the first cab we launched the Compact has proven itself in numerous genres, in a wide variety of venues and driven by many different amps. It cannot do-it-all - but paired with our other EMS cabs, it can almost manage any gig for any bassist. It's not enormously easy to explain whether you should go for a Midget or Compact as your first (and possibly the only you'll ever need!) Barefaced cab as it depends on so many variables - get in touch and we will help advise you.

But I want a 4 ohm cab!

Unless your amp is totally weedy (like well under 200W into 8 ohms) then you don't need a 4 ohm cab - this 8 ohm cab is sufficiently sensitive that it'll play loud with only a handful of watts. Your amp will have an easy time driving this load and if you need more loudness for bigger or outdoor gigs you can easily add a second cab.

Watts aren't what you hear - you hear dB SPL and these speakers give out lots of dB SPL for every watt that goes in. And even better than that, the more watts you put in, the more dB you get out - sadly this is rarely the case with most cabs because their speakers can't move enough air.

If you are short of amplifier power, or you play very loud then the Super Twelve is a superior one cab solution due to its increased voltage sensitivity (slightly higher sensitivity plus 4 ohm nominal impedance) plus its even greater power handling.

What about a tweeter?

If you just want a nice clear sound, with some treble bite when you pop a note and enough brightness to always hear the details of your playing then this cab does all that without the cost, weight and complexity of a good tweeter system or without the numerous sonic downsides of cheaper and less well designed tweeters. If you like the extended highs of a high quality tweeter then we recommend our Midget T or Super Twelve T as adding a tweeter to the Compact would cause inconsistent polar response due to the mellower off-axis response of the Compact's larger woofer.

Can I add 4x10" at a later stage?

The joy of the Compact being both 8 ohms and sensitive is that it is expandable - adding a Midget or second Compact will give you a rig that is louder and with greater power handling and maximum output than any 4x10" on the market. And uniquely the Compact and Midget are actually designed to work together, not just stack neatly - with similar phase response for optimal coupling and carefully matched power handling so you can push the 15" in the Compact to its limits without the 12" in the Midget struggling. So regarding adding a 4x10", you can but you'd be better off adding another EMS series cab from Barefaced.

Why shouldn't I get a Compact?

1. If you're in a very loud band, your amp isn't seriously powerful and you don't want to have to take a second cab (Midget/Compact/Super Twelve) to gigs.

2. If you like your speakers to add noticeable growly distortion to your sound.

3. If you want a really tiny cab - the Compact is light but it isn't tiny like the Midget

4. If you like the extended highs from tweeters.

5. If your amp and bass are relatively mellow sounding but you want a punchy aggressive sound - the Compact won't add punch to your sound, you need to put punch in to get punch out.

Ready to travel - one-hand carry!

Why is this so light?

• lightweight neodymium magnet speaker
• dual density plywood cabinet

Why is this so loud?

• high sensitivity speaker to get as much sound from every watt as possible
• carefully designed cabinet for the best balance of loudness and depth
• high power handling ability to allow you to continue to get more and more sound output as you apply more and more power

Why does it sound so good?

• advanced 15" speaker with lightweight cone giving remarkably flat response across the critical sound spectrum
• very stiff and strong cabinet with cunning bracing to reduce unwanted vibrations and distortions
• cabinet/speaker design that ensures the speaker operates with much lower THD than other similarly sized models
• attention to details such as the damping of internal reflections, reduction of floor reflections, sizing and tuning of the ports to ensure low noise

What else do I need to know?

• hardwearing textured coating which is tougher than tolex finishes yet can be easily touched up if badly damaged
• metal corners for further protection and a classy look
• rubber feet on the base to help this lightweight grip the floor and on the side for protection when on the move
• single strap handle on one side - the Compact is so light and slim that you can easily carry it in one hand
• powder coated steel grill to protect the speaker from the roughest of knocks
• airtight Speakon jack positioned to maximise access and panel integrity