Like any piece of equipment in your signal chain, a bass cabinet can seriously affect your amplifier’s tone. The cabinet is mainly accountable for how you perceive the sound and the way it influences your tone can depend on a few different factors.
Speaker configuration significantly impacts various aspects of your sound. It affects sound dispersion, volume, durability, and tonality. As a rule of thumb, smaller speakers tend to offer a tighter sound with more emphasis on the midrange. On the other hand, larger speakers have the capability to move more air, resulting in deeper, lower tones and a stronger presence in the low end. If you're seeking that thunderous, chest-rumbling bass, opting for larger speakers is the way to go.
Furthermore, speaker brands tend to have their own unique approaches. Take Eminence and Celestion, for instance – they often utilize different components, designs, and materials, resulting in varying sounds. When choosing a cabinet, the best approach is to listen to several options. By doing so, you'll be able to pinpoint the brand that resonates best with your tastes.
The materials used to construct the cabinet will also play their part. Cabinets made from solid wood – like pine and cedar – will offer much more resonance than one constructed from plywood or carbon fiber. There’s quite a few things to consider and each component will have its own influence on your overall sound, so choose wisely.