Tube vs. Semi-tube!
Eds video is SPOT on for the Streamliner so I start with that! Anything I write is not nearly as important as what your ears hear on this video:
YouTube - Genz Benz Streamliner 900
Summary of my thoughts from the Streamliner thread so it will be familiar to those following the 100s of pages there!
It sounds great with these basses:
Despite its main competition (I've had the Eden for 6 years now)
3) What warmth from the Streamliner! Wow... My sterling H finally sounds full! I love my Eden Nav but it can't get as full as this. The SL900 also has MANY more warm tones than the Eden. The Eden does hollow hi-fi better but the SL900 does hi-fi with meat... its cool. Fantastic compliment to the Eden, just what I wanted, just like the videos show. My Eden Nav can do a Shuttle all day long but not the Streamliner 4) SL900 is Loud as hell... Winning duh? Pushes the 750w 5.3 ohm 310 NYC to its limits. I easily could have chosen the SL600. The Navigator is a preamp of course 5) I ALWAYS had to boost the bass on my Sterling, PERMANENTLY. This is the 1st amp where I cut my lows & liked it, EVER. I've had this bass a long long time with many amps so thats saying a ton. 6) My EQ test from last night was the same... these knobs act differently than what I've had in the past. When I boost or cut mids on my Eden the change is drastic & I know exactly what I'm going to get. Its different with the SL, not as drastic & a variation of tube tone vs mid cut\boost like the Eden if you follow me. It also makes my EQ on my bass different. If I leave the amp flat & move my mids the tone goes from harsh to fairly warm. With the SL its warm either way.
EQ Settings The Navigator:
Flat it represents your bass unlike the SL900. What a complicated EQ. Moving Bass & Lows are very different just like Treble & High. The Flexiblity is amazing as well as with the Semi-parametric EQ. Endless tones really. The compressor is great, the tube knob does NOTHING, I have the enhance OFF & use the footswitch to turn it on for songs with a pick. The LEDs on the front are so great & help with EQ to make sure you're not weak or clipping.
Tone: Solid state all the way (Compared to the SL900) It has a little more warmth than the GK1001 RB & Sansamp RBI it replaced. My bandmates always loved the Eden over those 2 amps.
EQ Setting for the SL900:
Flat is NOT flat! This amp flat is bass at 9 oclock. Its pretty much always coloring your tone. For a more Hi-Fi tone put the mids to 2.5K, cut that bass & move your mids to taste. The tone is overwhelming tube & drastically different than the Eden BUT it can get hi-fi as well. Of course a SS head would do hi-fi better like a Shuttlemax (Listen to Eds clips). This is a tube amp 1st! Despite the lack of EQ controls (5 EQ knobs vs 10 on the Eden) the Streamliner is remarkably versatile, way more than you would think. Why? The Eden can't do tube warmth... then again not many others can do the Streamliner tube warmth. The SL has more usable tones.
The LM Tube is NOT a tube amp like the SL. Its like the Eden which has 1 tube where the tube knob matters not. The LM Tube is a smaller tube that cannot be self serviced or changed like the full size tubes in the SL or Eden. I passed on the LM III & LM Tube for the Streamliner & dont regret it 1 second.
DIRECT OUT COMPARISON
Verdict: Sounds the same! DUH! The SL900 is a little quieter noise wise & a little hotter ALTHOUGH with the Eden the direct output volume is in play unlike the SL.
Tone: Only 1/6 of the "tubes" are in play (1/2 of 1 of the 3 tubes) is Pre-EQ
That makes the tone very solid state like & almost identical to the Eden which I believe is the same 1/2 of 1 tube pre-EQ... regardless the
tone from the DI is VERY different than what would come out of your cab with the EQ at noon.
If fact, it would take EXTREME EQ changes to get a matching cab and DI tone. We're talking bass below 9, mids at 2.5K & boosted & treble up (Of course the rest would depend on your cabs) but this is where you would start.
Just remember what you hear on stage is going to be very different than whats going out the direct... with the Streamliner EQ near Flat The Direct out is MUCH more of a "Shuttlemax" tone than a Streamliner tone. I'd imagine the Shuttlemax flat would represent the direct out tone of the Streamliner.
Does that bother me? No... Its great to have but the Shuttlemax PreEQ or Streamliner PostEQ tones. I know where I want my bass EQ to be to sound good to the P.A & then I do my backline to taste. If I need the warmth (My basses don't naturally have) I can go post EQ. Of course my post EQ tone with the Streamliner will be much more warm than the Eden just as it is through the cabs.
The Direct Out on the Navigator is complicated & great... I reviewed it here: Eden Navigator Direct Input REVIEW FYI ! I love the Streamliner, I love my Eden Navigator... if I could ONLY have 1, it would be a toss up between the SL900 & the Shuttlemax 9.2! HA! I love hi-fi myself for more cut. I'd MUCH rather have both amps just like a P & a J bass, they are different and do their tone better than a P\J... get it? The more I learn the SL though the more it can do hi-fi so take your time to learn it
Review of the basses here: Shootout Review! Fender P vs EBMM Sterling H & HH (Some J & Ibanez SRX 505 too)
Hope you enjoyed, its long but its worth reading before you plunk down $1000 bucks of your hard earned money right?
Go ahead & ask some questions or shoot a PM.
The Tuna
Streamliner 900 vs Eden Navigator with EBMM. EQ settings, direct out & LM Tube 
