Phil Jones Compact C2 Bass Cabinet RD

I ordered mine after an email exchange with Phil Jones himself, he convinced me this speaker would be of the quality I was looking for. I already had a GR Bass AT212 Slim for gigging, this was deliberately chosen as something even smaller and lighter but with great tone.

This is a tiny cab with a huge sound, producing a much more solid bass tone than you could imagine, yet with great clarity, from the two tiny five inch speakers. But please understand it is not a massively loud cab. I was able to rehearse using it with a TE Elf, putting 130W into the 8 ohm cab, but it was turned right up so I could be heard alongside the kit. A really loud drummer or live gig could easily overwhelm this speaker. But I didn't really buy it for those situations - this is an ideal amp for 'unplugged' with a cajon or no drummer gigs, or for musical get-togethers where you want enough volume to be heard without competing with screaming guitar or throbbing drums.

Even with a small amp - such as my Hotone Nano legacy (5 watts) it sounds great and could easily keep up with any miked up singer-songwriter for those open mic nights and it would also be great for busking. If you want to play with a band go for the 4x5 version and get a head that puts plenty of power into it.

Construction wise, this is a thing of beauty, especially in red. Two issues though, the ideal orientation of the amp for projection and sound quality is standing on the feet on one of its short sides. This means the logo is on its side and the damn handle stops you placing a small amp (such as the Elf or Hotone Nano) on top of the speaker.

I bought this for taking to bass lessons along with a TC Electronic BAM200. For sure, the box is small, albeit weighty. You could probably just about strap it to the rear rack of a scooter.

Be under no illusions that this cab performs some kind of miracle that makes it sound like a 12" stacked on a 2x10". It doesn't. You get no feeling of air moving or low end.

That said, with a small class D amp like my BAM200 it's fit for purpose for portable practice, lessons, packing with your Steinberger Spirit to take on holiday, etc. Loud enough but "thin".

If you can afford the extra space when travelling, consider a TC Electronic 2x8" which I think is a fair bit cheaper, weighs about the same and has a lot more low end.