Me too, seems to work pretty well although I do use a rack mounted Golden Age Pre73 into it. Seeing these little 10"x12" amps though makes me want to ditch my rack and leave the Crown at home.
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Best Class D Bass Amps???
- Thread starter foothilla
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- amplifier head class d
For me it was being cheap. I run a BBE BMax into it. the two together were only $450 and I have over 1000 watts.
But yeah, those little amps do look convenient.
What's happened with gear seems to be what happened to a lot of stuff as the technology stabilizes. i.e. it all becomes just a commodity. It means that eventually the time will come where the amp you covet is the one that has the look you want because sound wise, they're all the same, or so close to it that it is an irrelevance.
I've seen that happen with a lot of stuff in my lifetime.
When was the last time you compared specs when buying a toaster?
I've seen that happen with a lot of stuff in my lifetime.
When was the last time you compared specs when buying a toaster?
Another vote for the D-800!
I was a tube amp only guy until earlier this year when I made the Class-D plunge and got the Mesa D-800. What a great amp!!! versatile, gobs of power and will drive anything. I've used it with many different cabinets - GK, Phil Jones Bass, Ear Candy, Bag End - and IMHO it brings out the best in all these cabs.
I still use an external pre, the Eden Navigator WP-100, so the D800 isn't for tone shaping, but for amplification, and I think it does a stellar job.
I don't agree. I got together with a couple friends last night to rehearse an SMV tune that we're performing for one of the guys' senior recital. We had GK, Aguilar, and Phil Jones amps with Aguilar, Genz Benz, and PJB cabs. Through the same cabs, each Class-D head sounded totally different. All good in their own way, but I honestly don't think that any of us would opt to get rid of our preferred amp in favor of the other guy's because we've all chosen our respective gear according to how we individually perceive them to sound.
Music is art and art is subjective. There will always be room for different sounds as long as there are individuals. Perhaps when we've all been assimilated to the Borg that will change.
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That is why I said, "The time will come". And to be fair, I'm talking about "most" bass players / musicians.
And don't get me wrong. I'm a member of a vintage and modern hi-fi site and there are purists there that will still argue the sound advantages of all sorts of voodoo products. Like you said, art is subjective, and people will both hear differences that are not really there and really amplify the differences that are.
Regarding the different sounds, I see the time coming where they all start with the same sound and you can just dial in the sound you want. I mean, in reality, that is already happening a lot. People are going for convenience more and more. the subtle differences are just worth it to fewer and fewer people as time marches on.
Once a thing is no longer "special" people tend to center on a "good enough" quality and spend less time with the minutia.
But there are still people that can get into a very heated discussion about turntables and how they affect the sound. No, I'm not talking about the needle, cartridge or tonearm. I'm talking about the actual difference between the plinth and drive system on comparable and expensive turntables. People will argue about anything, given the time to do it.
The Form Factor Bi1000 is really powerful and super clear. It has a true 1000 watts at 4 ohms. If you like clarity and power, that's the way to go. The response is really fast, with lots of clarity -- almost the opposite of that "squishy" sound you get from tubes. At 10 pounds, it's only slightly heavier than the Tonehammer 500, but it will definitely drive your 8 x 10 and more! There's a good discussion here on TalkBass about Form Factor amps and cabs: Form Factor Amps and Cabs
Here's a detailed video by my friend Steve Araujo, who reviews gear on "The Bass Hang":
Here's a video by Jamie Gamble (an endorsing artist):
Here's a detailed video by my friend Steve Araujo, who reviews gear on "The Bass Hang":
Here's a video by Jamie Gamble (an endorsing artist):
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MDBass
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The absolute best class D amp made is the Jule Monique 700, as long as <10lbs or gig bag pocket portable aren't your primary goals.
"I want something that can do slap tones and modern sounds,...but would also like to be able to roll the treble back and get some nice, warm, vintage tones."
It does this in spades. The sound is reminiscent of plugging into a Neve console: huge, three dimensional tone with incredibly responsive dynamics, harmonic richness & clarity.
Simple three band Baxandall EQ with preamp gain and master volume controls married to a Hypex power amp, that's it.
If you absolutely need something under 10lbs though, I'd recommend looking into the EICH 1000, Genzler Magellen and Quilter Bass Block.
All three amps feature an incredibly useful contour or "taste" control: when rolled one way it starts to give you a more modern scooped tone, and when rolled the other starts to give you a more vintage LPF tone.
Happy hunting!
GK MB 500 0r MB 800.
Simple,light,loud.
Simple,light,loud.
Does anyone make a small class-D power amp only solution? The Crowns seem to be a really big form factor if all you want is the equivalent of what these micro amps are putting out. I really like my rack-mounted pre-amp but not so much the 30lb power amp that goes with it.
I alternate between my Streamliner 900 and the Magellan 800. Both are great amps. Streamliner recently took a tumble at load in from about 7'. Opened her up and found that one tube had come loose and the other slightly bent. Once I corrected that, I was back in business. I love these almost as much as my Thunderfunk, but the weight always wins me over.
I am currently using the Tonehammer 500 as I was looking for a more 'modern vintage' tone from a Class D amp. I had previously been using a Markbass LMII that was a little too 'Hifi' for my tastes although bloody loud and clear. The TN500 is the closest I have found to a tube sound from a Class D amp but of course it depends what you are looking for. I tried the Genzler Magellan 800 and Bergantino B amp but as with the MB found them too 'modern' in tone for what I was after. The only criticism I would have of the TN500 is that it loses a bit of depth at higher volumes (so bought a DB751 for these occasions).
