Bugera BTX3600 "The Nuke" Mysteries Revealed (Lots of Pics)

[B-string]

Originally Posted by MuthaFunk

The funny thing is the manual and brochure both quote 3800 watts bridged @ 4 ohm when the model # and sticker on the IEC plug are both 3600 W. Really!!! You can create 200 W pk power with this amp when ran at full bore!! I love it.

Uses an alternate dimension to draw the extra watts from . But you have to be near a gateway.

[mjac28]

Really nice review if they could clean up a few things I really think they could sell a ton of these.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

I know there is a guy here who is a Behringer rep. He pops up on Behringer threads sometimes. I'd like to see what his explanation for the power rating is.

Maybe they are making a transition into car audio

That is where the biggest outright lies on power are. like an $11 pair of 6 1/2" 3 ways that handle 800 watts
The sad part is people buy into it, and wonder why the products fail.

[Pills Are Yummy]

Originally Posted by B-string

Uses an alternate dimension to draw the extra watts from . But you have to be near a gateway.

I own one of these (I actually started this whole bugera mess) and this made me laugh for a good 5 minutes straight.

[B-string]

Originally Posted by Pills Are Yummy

I own one of these (I actually started this whole bugera mess) and this made me laugh for a good 5 minutes straight.

LOL Thanks I find a little humor helps keep the party (or thread) on the light side

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by MuthaFunk

Using a 1 Khz signal in, and a maximum of 2% distortion here's the results:

2 Ohm operation with only 1 channel = 930 WRMS
4 Ohm operation both sides at the same time = 625 WRMS per ch.
4 Ohm bridged = 1500 WRMS

While in bridged mode I ran it up to 10% distortion and hit 1700 WRMS for quite a while before the 18 A on board breaker tripped.

Well, those are impressive numbers for such a cheap amp.
Should be able to do 2x930watts RMS @2ohms then.
Even 2x625 watts RMS @4ohms is more then enough.

Should run fine on 230v 16A over here...

[tmdazed]

Originally Posted by gumtownbassman

Thanks for sharing, interested to see the output power measured.
Is it a clasic AB type amp, or their special digital switching types (as in Behringer)?
(noted by the lower than expected power supply cap rating)

those are not power caps, they are filter caps

[tmdazed]

the reason they use an 18 amp breaker is due to inrush loading, 1.5 x actual load, actual load would be 12 amp, Hence the 18GA wire on the power cord

[MuthaFunk]

Originally Posted by tmdazed

those are not power caps, they are filter caps

They could be called whatever you want. They do in fact filter out the AC ripple for the DC rails in this particular amp but they are often still called power caps as they supply the main power for the output transistors.

I just realized I didn't reply to the class AB question before... It is in fact class AB operation and not digital. The reason for the lower voltage rating on the caps is when they design an amp for bridging they can they can take advantage of the fact the amp will have it's output voltage split between + and - to ground. Some of the conventional designs I spoke of before weren't bridgable and thus needed 120 + volt caps to get the same output voltages on just the + side of ground.

[MuthaFunk]

Originally Posted by tmdazed

the reason they use an 18 amp breaker is due to inrush loading, 1.5 x actual load, actual load would be 12 amp, Hence the 18GA wire on the power cord

??? I can't say I fully agree. 18 Ga is rated for 10A continuous use. Anything over that it will begin to heat up. An 18A breaker wouldn't stop the 18 GA wire from burning up. If it was an actual 18A breaker, it shouldn't have tripped before my 15A home breaker. My home breaker was made in Canada and is CSA approved. I don't know where in China the Bugera supplied 18A breaker is from but I have faith that my home one is accurate to it's design.

[dincz]

Originally Posted by Arjank

Should be able to do 2x930watts RMS @2ohms then

With both channels driven, the power per channel is going to be less than that (power supply limitations). In fact the per channel power at 2 ohms should be half of the 4 ohm bridged output - so 2 x 750W.

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by dincz

With both channels driven, the power per channel is going to be less than that (power supply limitations). In fact the per channel power at 2 ohms should be half of the 4 ohm bridged output - so 2 x 750W.

Thats still enough power. The power amp I used for years (Bell PCX 9024) is 2x650 @4ohms and 2x800 @2ohms and I can tell you that is more then any bassist would ever need (you may need more if you own some very inefficient loudspeakers...)

[guy n. cognito]

Where's seamonkey?

Thanks for the tests. The amp has respectable output....it's a shame they have to lie about it.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by guy n. cognito

Where's seamonkey?

Thanks for the tests. The amp has respectable output....it's a shame they have to lie about it.

They probably aren't lying, in a purely technical sense. The amp probably CAN make 3600 watts, but only for a very brief period of time (milliseconds) at a particular frequency, and at a high level of distortion.

[Max Bogosity]

Originally Posted by MuthaFunk

The funny thing is the manual and brochure both quote 3800 watts bridged @ 4 ohm when the model # and sticker on the IEC plug are both 3600 W. Really!!! You can create 200 W pk power with this amp when ran at full bore!! I love it.

Well, it is called "The Nuke". Those aren't capacitors. They're atomic fuel rods!

[seamonkey]

Originally Posted by guy n. cognito

Where's seamonkey?

Thanks for the tests. The amp has respectable output....it's a shame they have to lie about it.

WTH? I'm not lying, I pointed out it's "Peak" rating in their docs.
Peak has no real meaning. Neither does "RMS". The measurements have to say FTC or EIA to have any comparison to a standard.

Good review and measure measurement of the head here! I'd like to see more amps. BGM type results can be completed on the home workbench.

[MuthaFunk]

Originally Posted by Max Bogosity

Well, it is called "The Nuke". Those aren't capacitors. They're atomic fuel rods!

LOL! Nice! I actually work in the Nuclear Industry....hmmmm. Didn't see anything familiar in there but hey, that's a great concept I'm sure Berhinger and Bugera have been working on.

[Johnny Crab]

Originally Posted by MuthaFunk

Using a 1 Khz signal in, and a maximum of 2% distortion here's the results:

2 Ohm operation with only 1 channel = 930 WRMS
4 Ohm operation both sides at the same time = 625 WRMS per ch.
4 Ohm bridged = 1500 WRMS

Great info.
Since you didn't do it, for those of us with some 8 Ohm cabinets needing juice, the above would imply that

8 Ohm operation both sides at the same time = 350~380 WRMS per ch.

Also, your numbers let me know that this amp would do nicely as a stand-alone running 4 Ohm ACME B2's(currently pushed with a QSC 2402 but also a rack of preamp. dBX comp., etc.).

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by MuthaFunk

LOL! Nice! I actually work in the Nuclear Industry....hmmmm. Didn't see anything familiar in there

OPG?????

If they were nuclear they would have domes!!

[Johnny Crab]

Bugera NUKE gets roadtested next week at a medium club, good FOH but the operator is questionable as the bass seems to disappear as the night goes on. I sound great in soundcheck but he seems to gradually lower the fader on me. This rig will fix that issue. The Nuke has been put in a rack case and run about 30 hours since I got it here.
It will be pushing(biamped) a 1x18 with a 4x8+horn/tweeter on top.
My existing rack(SansAmpRBI,dbx166xL,QSC2402) will be nearby in case I've got a "bad one".
Yes I'll post pics, post-gig.