TC Electronic RH450 thoughts?

ba$$player · #1 07-08-2011, 11:00 PM

I'm thinking of trying this amp but I'm kind of confused about the power rating. I have a 8ohm 450watt cab, will this amp work? Also I would love to hear your overall thoughts and user reviews of this amp. It looks really sweet, but I can't find one to try out for myself. Right now I play a GK mb500 so any comparison would be much appreciated! Thanks!

LM Bass · #2 07-08-2011, 11:10 PM

Go for it! The TC stuff is great.

vin*tone · #3 07-08-2011, 11:15 PM

Your cab will do fine. The 450 watt rating is a limit and the RH450 puts out less than that at 8Ω. I've had mine for only a few days now and am impressed. The RC4 footswitch is totally worth it BTW. IMO it opens up the amps capabilities quite a lot.

**JxBass** · #4 07-09-2011, 04:15 AM

TC Electronic RH450, RS210, RS212 Review Thread (Part VI)

ba$$player · #5 07-10-2011, 02:46 PM

So what is the amp's rating using just one 8 ohm cab? Would I be better off with the RH750? The tweetertone sounds really interesting to me as well on the 750.

ScottTunes · #6 07-11-2011, 03:50 AM

The RH450 delivers a very stout 280 watts at 8 ohms, thru an efficient ported speaker cab. And 450 watts at 4 ohms. Very happy with mine (I've had it over a year now). I'm upgrading to the 750 to power my inefficient sealed 2x15 cab. Curious to see what the TweeterTone is all about... I play "old school" rock, blues and R&B, so seldom require high freq horns and the like...

This amp can run without a cab plugged in, for recording DI, or w/ phones for practice... Killer features! I particularly enjoy the combination of multi-band comp/tubetone/power management. Together the amp is an "ideal" tube amp that even several of my vintage tubes amps can't match!

Bassflute · #7 10-02-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ba$$player

I'm thinking of trying this amp but I'm kind of confused about the power rating. I have a 8ohm 450watt cab, will this amp work? Also I would love to hear your overall thoughts and user reviews of this amp. It looks really sweet, but I can't find one to try out for myself. Right now I play a GK mb500 so any comparison would be much appreciated! Thanks!

we have two of them at the college I teach at. And I initially really liked them, but something was lacking and I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now that Tom Bowlus and his crew have uncovered the wattage scandal, and what's really going on in those amps, all I hear now is my sound getting squashed by this thing, compressed like crazy; quiet playing is boosted immediately after the initial attack and it's amplifying the BAD parts of the sound, the stuff I'm trying to disguise. This amp is fighting me, and my attempts at good tone, muting, articulation, phrasing and dynamics. The thing now drives me nuts, all I hear is the rabid compression going on, and sure it's smooth, and well implemented, but it's compression nonetheless, and I can't stand them anymore.

I play the little Eden CXC110 at the college, and have A/B'd them directly, and the Eden, which I don't like the sound of too much (it's passable), but at least it's HONEST with my dynamics and with my sound; it lets me control IT, instead of the other way around. Sometimes dynamic range is a good thing, sometimes I like to play quietly and get in the background, and the tc starts swelling up everything so it's the same volume as everything else.

Great amp in a lot of ways, but awful for me once I knew what was going on in there. Even in an all-tube head, there are ways to set it where you get great dynamic range, it's not constantly compressed unless you are pushing it to it's power limits all the time. That's what this amp does ALL THE TIME, even when you're trying to play quietly and out of the way.

Cheers,
Cameron

BurningSkies · #8 10-02-2011, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottTunes

The RH450 delivers a very stout 130 watts at 8 ohms, thru an efficient ported speaker cab. And 236 watts at 4 ohms. Very happy with mine (I've had it over a year now). I'm upgrading to the 750 to power my inefficient sealed 2x15 cab. Curious to see what the TweeterTone is all about... I play "old school" rock, blues and R&B, so seldom require high freq horns and the like...

Fixed to reflect the actual wattage outputted by the RH450.

jibreel · #9 10-02-2011, 06:59 PM

I love mine. Is is perfect? Nope.

Here on TB it seems you are mostly going to get the like it responses on one hand or the legitimate don't like it [ those who have owned/tried it ] and the illegitimate don't like it [ those that complain about TC's wattage description issues ].

It is certainly worth a try if you can get your hand on it.

BurningSkies · #10 10-02-2011, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jibreel

I love mine. Is is perfect? Nope.

Here on TB it seems you are mostly going to get the like it responses on one hand or the legitimate don't like it [ those who have owned/tried it ] and the illegitimate don't like it [ those that complain about TC's wattage description issues ].

It is certainly worth a try if you can get your hand on it.

I'm sure you're not talking about me, since I expressed no 'good' or 'bad' opinion, only expressed actual figures. Like many many who have sounded off about this, I'm not casting any judgement about the tonal quality of this amp.

JimmyM · #11 10-02-2011, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jibreel

Here on TB it seems you are mostly going to get the like it responses on one hand or the legitimate don't like it [ those who have owned/tried it ] and the illegitimate don't like it [ those that complain about TC's wattage description issues ].

So you really think that if you haven't tried it that you have no right to an opinion on TC's dubious marketing practices? Seriously? Do you feel the same way about Enzyte marketing itself as a cure for male erectile dysfunction even though it's been proven that it does nothing? Do you think you shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on cigarette smoking being bad for you if you never smoked?

Your argument holds zero water, sorry.

LM Bass · #12 10-02-2011, 08:28 PM

I am a TC user, I love this amp! I have read the review and it didn't really change a thing for me. The published spec should have said "Sounds as loud as your 450W amp" or something along those lines -No scandal, no crisis. If the amp had sounded weak to me I wouldn't have bought it. I bought several other amps in the past that listed high wattage but didn't put out any sound. Not so with the TC.

The main point for me is I'm really happy with the amp and it has all the power I will ever need, specs be danged.

arai · #13 10-02-2011, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LM Bass

I am a TC user, I love this amp! I have read the review and it didn't really change a thing for me. The published spec should have said "Sounds as loud as your 450W amp" or something along those lines -No scandal, no crisis. If the amp had sounded weak to me I wouldn't have bought it. I bought several other amps in the past that listed high wattage but didn't put out any sound. Not so with the TC.

The main point for me is I'm really happy with the amp and it has all the power I will ever need, specs be danged.

+1

::::BASSIST:::: · #14 10-02-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ba$$player

I'm thinking of trying this amp but I'm kind of confused about the power rating. I have a 8ohm 450watt cab, will this amp work? Also I would love to hear your overall thoughts and user reviews of this amp. It looks really sweet, but I can't find one to try out for myself. Right now I play a GK mb500 so any comparison would be much appreciated! Thanks!

I currently own a GK mb500 as well, and previously owned a rh450. The 450 has WAY more features, but in my opinion I prefer the tone of the GK mb500. When it comes down to brass tacks, tone is THE most important thing about an amp. In my opinion / experience the GK mb500 is way louder too. In fact I cannot recall any other micro being louder than the GK mb500.

jibreel · #15 10-02-2011, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

I'm sure you're not talking about me, since I expressed no 'good' or 'bad' opinion, only expressed actual figures. Like many many who have sounded off about this, I'm not casting any judgement about the tonal quality of this amp.

You are correct. I was not talking about you

jibreel · #16 10-02-2011, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

So you really think that if you haven't tried it that you have no right to an opinion on TC's dubious marketing practices? Seriously? Do you feel the same way about Enzyte marketing itself as a cure for male erectile dysfunction even though it's been proven that it does nothing? Do you think you shouldn't be allowed to have an opinion on cigarette smoking being bad for you if you never smoked?

Your argument holds zero water, sorry.

Yo Jimmy slow down

He did not ask about " dubious marketing practices " . He asked about power rating concerns and how it would sound for him. No one is saying that TC is right in their approach. And " Enzyte" apparently does "nothing". RH 450 does a lot. Smoking sucks immensely.

What we have here is a bass player with 81 posts that just joined 10 months ago that appears to be sincerely interested in finding out if this amp could work for him.

My mistake in my original post is using the word "illegitimate" for opinions of those commenting who have not tried the amp. I stand corrected.

The point I am making is about owning and playing the amplifier. Either you like it or you don't. Either it works for you or not.

What the amp actually does and how it sounds is what matters when playing.

All of us use companies and corporations everyday whose ethics suck.

arai · #17 10-02-2011, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jibreel

All of us use companies and corporations everyday whose ethics suck.

This is a good point. there are companies that do far worse to people. And most of us put gas in our car, drank coffee, or buy cloths made from child labor every now and then

JimmyM · #18 10-02-2011, 11:52 PM

Two wrongs don't make a right

arai · #19 10-03-2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Two wrongs don't make a right

That is true. But, Why are you on tc electronics so much? do you verbally protest against other companies that have lied? Companies you actually use ?
Or is it just because of the but hurt regarding the rh450 trial rejection?

JimmyM · #20 10-03-2011, 12:12 AM

If it was Ampeg doing it, I'd say the exact same thing. Fortunately that won't be an issue because Ampeg is honest. I don't expect you to believe it, and it honestly doesn't matter to me if anyone does, but if it were Ampeg doing it, I'd be just as vocal. But way to keep harping on that red herring. You just keep believing that's the reason I'm speaking out. It's a lot easier for you to believe that than accept the truth about TC lying, so whatever gets you through the night