All user reviews for the Vox V212BN

(Originally written by nikos015/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Features:

Open guitar cabinet (60 watts / 16 Ohms) with two 12" Wharfedale GSH12-30 speakers (100 dB efficiency).

Dimensions: 27.8" x 10.4" x 21.3"

Weight: 44 lb.

Multiply birch panels, good cabinet construction. The tolex covering seems to be quite slim and the plastic protection corners don't help the finish quality much. But the grill cloth is wonderful and gives it a nice vintage feel.

The product is provided with a 3' VOX speaker cable and a user's manual.

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Use:

The top handles are not very convenient for transportation or amp head placement, unless you have a head which has the exact same feet position, like the Vox AC30 (the amp intended to power this speaker cabinet). In this case, the design is perfect because the head doesn't move at all.

The connection is simple: plug the amp speaker output to the speaker cabinet. In doing so, set the amp impedance selector to 16 Ohms.

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Sound:

I have a JCM800 combo with one 12" speaker and I found the sound too metallic and thin. I wanted more presence to easily cut through the mix, especially when the second guitarist in the band played with his Bluesbreaker RI62. I sometimes felt my guitar wasn't audible at all...

I wanted to buy a 2 x 12" Framus cabinet with V30 speakers but I found this Vox 212BN and I think it was the right choice. I play pop/rock music and I wanted a vintage and less aggressive sound with a good projection. V30 speakers would give me a modern and not so warm sound with aggressive highs (V30s are known for their sharp sound and their narrow dispersion), but these are also good speakers.

On the contrary, the Vox cabinet gives me exactly what I was looking for: better presence, better sound projection, rounder and more accurate low-end plus a faithful reproduction of the amp's sound character. The speaker cabinet also provides me the punchy sound of good old 2 x 12" combos with a percussive low frequency response that I never got out of the several 1 x 12" tube combos I've owned.

Quick note: In order to attenuate the sharp character of the JCM800 I removed the bright capacitor (a small condenser that lets high-mid/high frequencies pass through when the preamp's potentiometer is not fully turned on). This modification proved very effective, the sound is now darker and a bit fatter (with a moderate overdrive). I find it almost too dark with my Les Paul-like guitar with P90 pickups, but better balanced with my Strat.

I've been owning this speaker cabinet for some months and it matches all my expectations. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. The value for money is excellent.