Anyone still prefer Class A/B amps over Class D?

[SteveIII]

My gk700rb-ii was 250 cdn (like 0.10 American) and it stays at the venue. I use it with a mesa subway di so the settings being changed doesn't matter and run the di into a power amp at home for practice. I suppose this just makes me cheap, but if i pick up a cheap class d amp I'll use it too. Sometimes more practice and less worry about gear is the right answer.

 

[il gabri]

in my little experience I was able to make a comparison between 4 class d heads (ORANGE TERROR BASS 1000, SR TECNOLOGY BASS FIDELITY H1000, TECAMP PUMA 1000 FIRST SERIES, TC ELECTRONIC BQ250) and 2 in traditional class a / b (THUNDERFUNK TFB 750- A and GALLIEN KRUEGER 700 RBII) and always using 2 ACME LOWB2. None of the class D sounds bad and they have a very portable weight, but when I use GALLIEN and THUNDER, the bass tone seems more real and realistic, with more tangible and evident harmonics.
Gabriele - Italy.
sorry for my English

 

[agedhorse]

in my little experience I was able to make a comparison between 4 class d heads (ORANGE TERROR BASS 1000, SR TECNOLOGY BASS FIDELITY H1000, TECAMP PUMA 1000 FIRST SERIES, TC ELECTRONIC BQ250) and 2 in traditional class a / b (THUNDERFUNK TFB 750- A and GALLIEN KRUEGER 700 RBII) and always using 2 ACME LOWB2. None of the class D sounds bad and they have a very portable weight, but when I use GALLIEN and THUNDER, the bass tone seems more real and realistic, with more tangible and evident harmonics.
Gabriele - Italy.
sorry for my English

All of these amps have very different voicing irrespective of their class.

What this really says is that you prefer the GK’s and TF’s voicing.

 

[il gabri]

All of these amps have very different voicing irrespective of their class.

What this really says is that you prefer the GK’s voicing.

I think they all have their own tonal characteristic, which to my ear is very subtle between class D and more evident between Gallien and Thunder although I prefer Thunder

 

[agedhorse]

I think they all have their own tonal characteristic, which to my ear is very subtle between class D and more evident between Gallien and Thunder although I prefer Thunder

I see a bigger difference between the voicing of all of those amps.

Play what you prefer, don’t worry about the class.

 

[Polfuste]

i didn't find an amp which sound makes me change my GK 700RB yet. My perfect amp. As i'm not professional or weekend warrior, i don't have to move it too much. So I don't really need to have a very compact and light amp.

 

[Doug P]

I only own a SVT ( tube ) and GK 700 rb II ‘s (two). I’ve never played a class D GK. As I saw another response, before buying I’d have to see if I like “the sound”.
As I own working amps… I see no need to buy a new amp as I’m more than happy with what I own.
Question, have you TB’ers bought the class D amp for weight only or ….? Anyway. Just be happy and play some music.

 

[SJan3]

I only own a SVT ( tube ) and GK 700 rb II ‘s (two). I’ve never played a class D GK. As I saw another response, before buying I’d have to see if I like “the sound”.
As I own working amps… I see no need to buy a new amp as I’m more than happy with what I own.
Question, have you TB’ers bought the class D amp for weight only or ….? Anyway. Just be happy and play some music.

Weight/portability is a big reason for me. That said, if the amp's performance didn't meet or exceed the performance of my previous unit, I wouldn't have opened my wallet.

 

[ThisBass]

i didn't find an amp which sound makes me change my GK 700RB yet. My perfect amp. As i'm not professional or weekend warrior, i don't have to move it too much. So I don't really need to have a very compact and light amp.

I think its the "boost knob" that adds some "tube like" harmonics if dialed in with GK xxxRB series amps.
But in regards to my own (sound-)feel and "needs" the added harmonics are not to my taste.

Just to me the "pure" power amp sound does sound more like a "generic" power amp sound rather than anything special or magical.
And just the same thing is valid for my TE SMX300 amplifier where there is (also) no magic in it.

I love my TE SMX300
I do love my 70's SVT
And also I do love my Powersoft DIGAM 5000 (Class-D)
and I do love anything else as long as it sounds good to me

 

[spiritbass]

Well, this sure has proved to be a long-lived thread. Things have changed since my original post in 2017. I still enjoy playing through my Reeves C225 every Sunday, but I traded my Shaw B-150 to a friend for one of his MAS 110 Bodai cabinets and a Mesa Subway 800+. There was so much positive buzz around here that I had to check one out. Amplification class aside, it is my favorite solid-state amp.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

Well, this sure has proved to be a long-lived thread. Things have changed since my original post in 2017. I still enjoy playing through my Reeves C225 every Sunday, but I traded my Shaw B-150 to a friend for one of his MAS 110 Bodai cabinets and a Mesa Subway 800+. There was so much positive buzz around here that I had to check one out. Amplification class aside, it is my favorite solid-state amp.

Too funny...

I just jumped on to this thread to see what was going on for +/- five (5) years in the discussion...

I think the Mesa TT-800 is the bomb! But found I had a bunch of cash tied up in an amp I ended up using the power section for another preamp. Just my thing with pedal distortion fuzz effects. So I recycled the cash into this @ +/- 39 lbs seems very manageable, thumps like ya like it and supports my preamp real well.

It just works and the price is right!

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

If your Class D rig getting the job done, why worry about what else anyone else uses?

I do have a Class D rig, (Aguilar TH500 and two Aguilar GS112s) and it’s really nice when it’s all I need to get the job done

And for the rare occasion where I play a big room without PA support, or when I play and outdoor gig, I use this, along with a pair of Mesa Powerhouse 212s. The Demeter HBP-1 now stays at home. I’m using the GED-2112 and running a “Clean”/“Dirty” cabinet setup.

I’m contemplating buying another power amp to rack with my Demeter preamp and use it along with my Powerhouse 610 for my rehearsal room setup.

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

I made the switch to class d amps and neo cabs about 10 years ago and I have had zero desire to go back I also made the switch to going iem and direct around the same time and that is my main use case about 90% of the time or a blend of both I never want to go back to using cabs and wedges only on stage

 

[Bassist30]

Let's face it, a light amp with all this power. Who said they sound bad?. At times (well more than that), portability was or at least some of the reasons for getting such an amp, or neo speaker cab, or lighter bass, even portable uprights. Many of us carried heavy cabs, amps and basses up and down stairways (Not all the time with help either.), subways, busses, vans, and our own vehicles and carrying it back into our residence between 12 and 5 am. Yes the class D sounds good! Better than the non class d and weighted amps?, to me and my ears no. Usually I switch back after hearing the difference. But then that gig where the travel and transporting was an issu, the Class D was much easier to deal with.

 

[fdeck]

Who said they sound bad?.

You just did...

Better than the non class d and weighted amps?, to me and my ears no. Usually I switch back after hearing the difference.

I carried heavy amps when lighter amps didn't exist. Now admittedly, I didn't "need" the lightweight stuff, since a GK Class-AB head and conventional 12" speaker weren't all that heavy. The MB150E combo wasn't more than about 22 pounds.

I went lightweight because I was curious, then it just became a matter of convenience.

 

[Bassist30]

You just did...

I carried heavy amps when lighter amps didn't exist. Now admittedly, I didn't "need" the lightweight stuff, since a GK Class-AB head and conventional 12" speaker weren't all that heavy. The MB150E combo wasn't more than about 22 pounds.

I went lightweight because I was curious, then it just became a matter of convenience.

I never said they sound bad! where in my post I said that? I implied and stated I like non class D amps better. I didn't say they sound bad.

 

[prowla]

FYI, I bought a Chinese Class-D power amp on ebay.
I set it up for the first time yesterday.
When I plugged in the mains cable there was a fizz-pop and my house power tripped.
(Yes, its power switch was set to 0/Off.)

 

[5StringPocket]

FYI, I bought a Chinese Class-D power amp on ebay.
I set it up for the first time yesterday.
When I plugged in the mains cable there was a fizz-pop and my house power tripped.
(Yes, its power switch was set to 0/Off.)

Poorly engineered/cheap can cause problems with any class of amp and shouldn’t be a reflection on Class D. Sorry to hear about the fireworks straight out of the box. Often you get what you pay for. Buy quality and avoid frustration.

 

[prowla]

Poorly engineered/cheap can cause problems with any class of amp and shouldn’t be a reflection on Class D. Sorry to hear about the fireworks straight out of the box. Often you get what you pay for. Buy quality and avoid frustration.

Aye - buy cheap, buy often...
You're right that it is a warning against buying Chinese mail-order, rather than an indictment of the whole technology!

 

[seamonkey]

FYI, I bought a Chinese Class-D power amp on ebay.
I set it up for the first time yesterday.
When I plugged in the mains cable there was a fizz-pop and my house power tripped.
(Yes, its power switch was set to 0/Off.)

This is not a problem inherent to Class-D, it's more a problem inherent to cheap crap.
Ebay is a dumping ground for low quality products that could not be sold any other way.

 

[agedhorse]

This is not a problem inherent to Class-D, it's more a problem inherent to cheap crap.
Ebay is a dumping ground for low quality products that could not be sold any other way.

A great example of getting what you pay for. Wonder how the warranty claim will go?