TC Electronic BH500 - Good or Bad Choice?

Mr Antt · #1 10-19-2011, 08:37 AM

Hello all.

I've been looking at this head, and I've watched videos, read threads here about it, seen demos, the lot. And I've got to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. I especially like the Tubetone feature, and I can't afford a tube amp. And in no point in the near future will I be able to. So for under £400 this just seems ideal.

So, would you consider this a good choice to power my two Peavey's?

Thanks, Anthony.

THCbass · #2 10-19-2011, 02:21 PM

Got mine for 3 weeks now....that's the head I was waiting for !
As many said ''swiss-kniffe '' amp . I tried the RH450 and the Gen Benz 600 too with different cabs that where in the spot , but I left the store with the BH500 !
Played with the band ( 2 guitars,keys,drum,bass ) , and it's perfect !

Mr Antt · #3 10-19-2011, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THCbass

Got mine for 3 weeks now....that's the head I was waiting for !
As many said ''swiss-kniffe '' amp . I tried the RH450 and the Gen Benz 600 too with different cabs that where in the spot , but I left the store with the BH500 !
Played with the band ( 2 guitars,keys,drum,bass ) , and it's perfect !

Thanks for the reply, and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.

I've considered the RH series, but I could only stretch to the cheapest they offer. But there's something about them that I'm just put off by. And I think it's how 'modern' they are. I can hardly talk, I'm only 17. But I much prefer the simple look of the BH500, has more of a classic feel. It's simply knobs, a couple of lights and numbers written on the front. It's clean. Don't get me wrong, the RH series amps are impressive. Extremely impressive, but they just don't attract me the way the BH500 has.

I think I'll go with this, for under £400 it's great. Perfect for me, not being able to afford a tube amp, but having a realistic sounding (I think) tube pre/power amp control option is excellent.

Anthony.

**RawOrange** · #4 10-19-2011, 02:59 PM

I have had the 2x10 combo version of this amp for a while now and I have no complaints. It is a really solid amp with some great features for an amazing price. The Tubetone is one of my favorite features, it is very good sounding. So much so that I have all but given up using my VT Bass pedal in favor of the simple one knob control of Tubetone. If the head is anything like the combo I would undoubtedly go for it. IMO of course

LowEndMan2112 · #5 10-19-2011, 03:01 PM

IMHO, I've always found TC heads best voiced with their own cabs. That being said, haven't had the chance to play the BH500.

DuShauh · #6 10-19-2011, 05:59 PM

I simply cannot say enough good things about this amp to convey just how perfect it is for me. Others may have different opinions, often the case, but from my own experience, the BH500 is a gem! In the last 2 years I have had vintage tube amps, a GK MB500, Genz Benz Hybrid, and a few others to boot. With the same basses, same cabinet(or combination of cabs) the BH500 gives me the best that those all had to offer, yet in one package. I highly recommend this amp head. BTW...I also owned and gigged the TC RH450 for months. I would pick the BH500 over the RH450 any day. It isn't as compact, and has a few less features, but to my ears...It sounds better ! Figure in the price point...It does not get much better. (IMHO of course)

JimmyM · #7 10-19-2011, 11:43 PM

Ya, sounds like a nice amp. Too bad they felt the need to lie about their true wattage ratings.

Mr Antt · #8 10-20-2011, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Ya, sounds like a nice amp. Too bad they felt the need to lie about their true wattage ratings.

Please do elaborate..

Thanks for all the reply's anyway. Starting to make me my mind up now.

Anthony.

GrowlerBox · #9 10-20-2011, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Antt

Please do elaborate.

Uh, oh.

JimmyM · #10 10-20-2011, 01:23 AM

Bass Gear Magazine recently did tests on the RH450 and found out the 450w at 4 ohms they claimed was really 236w RMS at 4 ohms with a complex compression circuit designed to make it perform closer to a 450w RMS amp, so they called it 450w. TC not only signed off on the review, they came on here and admitted that all their bass amps have significantly lower RMS wattage than the wattage they say in their advertising. This has been talked about a lot on here, and a search will reveal those threads if you're interested in further reading.

petersland · #11 10-20-2011, 01:43 AM

Who cares about wattage?
Your ears and rattling windows don't lie!

GrowlerBox · #12 10-20-2011, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Bass Gear Magazine recently did tests on the RH450 and found out the 450w at 4 ohms they claimed was really 236w RMS at 4 ohms with a complex compression circuit designed to make it perform closer to a 450w RMS amp, so they called it 450w. TC not only signed off on the review, they came on here and admitted that all their bass amps have significantly lower RMS wattage than the wattage they say in their advertising. This has been talked about a lot on here, and a search will reveal those threads if you're interested in further reading.

Good summary. Interestingly, the power output is much the same at 8 and 4 ohms (225W and 250W respectively for the BH500). The BH500 will apparently work down to 2 ohms, but it's not clear what its RMS power output is at that level, although 980W is the given "peak" power.

vin*tone · #13 10-20-2011, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petersland

Who cares about wattage?
Your ears and rattling windows don't lie!

Well... the OP might.

Mr Antt · #14 10-20-2011, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vin*tone

Well... the OP might.

I'm really jealous of your bass in your avatar.

And, I do a little. But at the end of the day, 200Watts or so isn't really going to have an effect on me. I may find it a little problematic down the line, but for now I can live with it. For my price range, unless I go used, and if something crops up I most likely will, everything I looked at averages about 300Watts anyway.

Either way, I'll be just fine. This head just seems ideal, silly of them to lie.. But I guess they did.

Thanks for the further replies, I'm still impressed by this head.

Anthony.

JimmyM · #15 10-20-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petersland

Who cares about wattage?
Your ears and rattling windows don't lie!

I don't care about wattage at all. I can make windows rattle with my B-15. What I do care about is specs that resemble the truth.

Mr Antt · #16 10-20-2011, 11:30 AM

My little 35Watt combo is great. I've even been told to turn it down before, ha. But put it with a guitar amp of 30Watts and it's almost none existent. Silly, but ah well. The very reason I'm putting a stack together. To combat two guitars, drums, trumpets with microphones, and the same with saxophones. And of course the orchestra too. But that's different, no guitars there.

Wattage isn't really any importance, if the BH500 will power my Peavey cabs I'll be fine.

Only one speakon output, so I'll be buying adapters, but that's alright.

Thanks, Anthony.

Jarrett · #17 10-20-2011, 12:11 PM

The numbers on this amp don't concern me, it's one of the louder amps I've played in that 500 watt category. Also, great bang for the buck. What concerned me about amp was reliability. Seems like its a bit cheaply made and that the buttons break easily. If I kept mine, I would feel the need to have two amps for backup purposes.

Sounds fantastic though, I actually liked the sound of my BG500 combo between than the sound of my RH750. It was just really heavy and seemed to have some reliability concerns, so I took mine back in the trial period and kept the RH750.

To elaborate on what has been said, TC said they use the power section capable of the numbers their amps state meaning the RH45 has a 450 watt power amp for example, but they found that by using their compression techniques that they could get the amp to seem louder and sound better at lower wattage output, so they went that direction instead.

GrowlerBox · #18 10-20-2011, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarrett

To elaborate on what has been said, TC said they use the power section capable of the numbers their amps state meaning the RH45 has a 450 watt power amp for example, but they found that by using their compression techniques that they could get the amp to seem louder and sound better at lower wattage output, so they went that direction instead.

Unfortunately, even that isn't quite right -- the RH450 power section without the APM is capable of a 20 msec burst of 450 W at 4 ohms (1 kHz signal); this is also true of the BH500.

This is a clear example of the limitations of using "watts" as a yardstick for comparing amplifiers. It doesn't for a moment justify TCE's marketing practices, but the whole saga should be very instructive to those making choices between amplifiers in future -- the amp's power rating is among the less important of its features (not completely irrelevant, to be sure). Pre-, and in this case, post-amp "voicing" (to use a catch-all term for equalisation, compression/limiting, etc) is far more important in determining its output tone and loudness. While these elements are specifiable in principle, they are likely to be (a) proprietary, and (b) all but uninterpretable to the majority. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be given in an ideal situation, but it leaves us with our only real options being to play the amp ourselves, or rely on a trusted source's opinion before parting with our hard-earned.

Mr Antt · #19 10-20-2011, 01:40 PM

In all honesty, for (A) The price, (B) The features and (C) The sound - this thing has totally won me over. I've considered other options, for example I've been looking at some GK heads, they all seem great. When I picked up my cabs the guy gave me a demo using a GK 800RB, and it sounded awesome. It's just rather expensive, if I find I used one at a good price I'd definitely consider it. Or perhaps a different GK. And I'll most likely pick one over the TCE, but simply for those three reasons stated above I'm rather drawn to this head.

Going to have to make a decision soon though, the Christmas concert is coming up at College on the 15th of December and I'll need something before then. My friend has a Behringer BVT4500H I could borrow if I don't have something myself, allowing me more time but I'd rather not have to call in favours. It's not that I have a Behringer hate, I just don't like bothering people for equipment. I know he'd be more than willing, but it'll really annoy me the whole night.

Thanks for all the input guys, Anthony.

rodl2005 · #20 10-20-2011, 01:47 PM

If you can, try it out WITH your band-some sort of 'return' deal.
IF it cuts it for you-fine, if not, return it.
Bottom line- if you like it!
I don't agree with TC's advertising specs/policy, but if it works for you, thats what matters. Goodluck.