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Carvin's BX1500 and B2000
- Thread starter vinxbass
- Start date
"Class A preamps and 12AX7 tube driven power amp."
Now that will confuse people. Are they doing a power amp into a dummy load to feed the output SS amp?
B2000
"the CLASS A/B tracking output is very efficient no wasted heat or energy from the AC plug "
Interesting, not class-d. I think they mean to say class-h with SMPS.
Sound wise, class-d, class-a/b, class-h - sound all the same.
But efficiency wise, class-h is better than class-a/b, but not as good as class-d.
Looks like a good minimalist amp with lots of power. "Tube Bypass" big plus.
Now that will confuse people. Are they doing a power amp into a dummy load to feed the output SS amp?
B2000
"the CLASS A/B tracking output is very efficient no wasted heat or energy from the AC plug "
Interesting, not class-d. I think they mean to say class-h with SMPS.
Sound wise, class-d, class-a/b, class-h - sound all the same.
But efficiency wise, class-h is better than class-a/b, but not as good as class-d.
Looks like a good minimalist amp with lots of power. "Tube Bypass" big plus.
Am I reading this correctly?
Both amps - same price
Both use a 12AX7 for some sort of preamp stage
BX1500 has 1500 watts at 4 ohms and a ton of EQ and compression at 10 lbs
B2000 has 2000 watts at 4 ohms and 6 fixed bands of EQ at 13 lbs
Difference is power amp type
Unless you really needed the extra 500 watts, why would one chosse the B2000, and, why would Carvin go to the trouble of building it? Could it be sonicaly superior as there sure looks like a million paths the signal could go for the BX1500 and perhaps some of those lead to Tone Suckville?
Both amps - same price
Both use a 12AX7 for some sort of preamp stage
BX1500 has 1500 watts at 4 ohms and a ton of EQ and compression at 10 lbs
B2000 has 2000 watts at 4 ohms and 6 fixed bands of EQ at 13 lbs
Difference is power amp type
Unless you really needed the extra 500 watts, why would one chosse the B2000, and, why would Carvin go to the trouble of building it? Could it be sonicaly superior as there sure looks like a million paths the signal could go for the BX1500 and perhaps some of those lead to Tone Suckville?
Correction Jim. The B2000 does 1300 watts at 4 ohms and doesn't hit 2KW until 2 ohms. Also, the BX1500 has the whole bi-amp with built in X-over thing going for it.
I would think that several people are anti-knob though and prefer simple EQ adjustments? Just a guess on my part. This way Carvin has a head for both types of player.
I would think that several people are anti-knob though and prefer simple EQ adjustments? Just a guess on my part. This way Carvin has a head for both types of player.
And up until the these amps, theere was the BX1200 and the B1500. A difference in wattage of a couple of hundred watts, same controls as the new ones.
Yet the B1500 is the more popular.
The BX series is the newer generation of the R series. I had a R1000 and found it be blah. I know the BX are improved and sound better, but I (and many others) like the simplistic layout of the B1500, and have no use for other on board bells and wistles.
I have a feeling the B2000 will continue the trend and be slightly more popular than the BX1500.
To me, the beauty of the BX Series heads is versatility.
They can be as simple as the B Series heads because you can turn off the graphic EQ on the BX Series and essentially you have the B Series tone selection.
But...you also have the graphic EQ you can turn on or off (to use perhaps with another bass that you want a different sound for) or for more detailed control over troublesome frequencies in a particular room.
Also, the BX series with it's built in bi-amping capability (that you do not have to use specifically for traditional bi-amping) allows one to use virtually any combination of cabs (regardless of ohms) and have total control over them separately. If you have 4 ohm and 8 ohm cabs, you can use them together and balance their output on the fly. It isn't just a matter of being able to go down to 2 ohms, but you can mix almost any combination of cabs and make it work, and work well without one cab getting more power than the other.
It also allows you run effects into one cab and run the other clean.
I can see the reason for both Series of heads. If you like simple, you got it. If you want versatility, you have that too.
And at their prices, I can't see any other bass amp head that compares to what Carvin offers.
Oh...and one other point. I've owned and extensively used the R Series heads and they don't come anywhere near the BX Series heads in quality, power or tone.
They can be as simple as the B Series heads because you can turn off the graphic EQ on the BX Series and essentially you have the B Series tone selection.
But...you also have the graphic EQ you can turn on or off (to use perhaps with another bass that you want a different sound for) or for more detailed control over troublesome frequencies in a particular room.
Also, the BX series with it's built in bi-amping capability (that you do not have to use specifically for traditional bi-amping) allows one to use virtually any combination of cabs (regardless of ohms) and have total control over them separately. If you have 4 ohm and 8 ohm cabs, you can use them together and balance their output on the fly. It isn't just a matter of being able to go down to 2 ohms, but you can mix almost any combination of cabs and make it work, and work well without one cab getting more power than the other.
It also allows you run effects into one cab and run the other clean.
I can see the reason for both Series of heads. If you like simple, you got it. If you want versatility, you have that too.
And at their prices, I can't see any other bass amp head that compares to what Carvin offers.
Oh...and one other point. I've owned and extensively used the R Series heads and they don't come anywhere near the BX Series heads in quality, power or tone.
im going to guess that these two are going to sound different as well. I had the bx1200 but didn't care for it. I'll wait to hear what people are saying about the b2000 before i jump on it though. And im in the camp of less is more
The Carvin web page is a mis-quote on price. The B2000 is actually $699. I wonder if you order by phone if they will honor the mis-print? Could be a sick deal to save an extra hundred!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is the BX line has a more "hi-fi" vibe (think SWR, Eden, etc) while the B series is more of the Ampeg, Rock and Blues type tone. As I mentioned before, if the B2000 retains the over-all tone of the B1500, but allows for adding in a bit of tube goodness, could be a sweet sounding head.
Imagine for the touring pro... A rack of 3 B2000s, running through a boat-load of 810s or 412s... 6000 watts at just 39lbs for the heads? Dudes... roadies will love on you for this change - at yet still curse you for the cabs!
The Carvin web page is a mis-quote on price. The B2000 is actually $699. I wonder if you order by phone if they will honor the mis-print? Could be a sick deal to save an extra hundred!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is the BX line has a more "hi-fi" vibe (think SWR, Eden, etc) while the B series is more of the Ampeg, Rock and Blues type tone. As I mentioned before, if the B2000 retains the over-all tone of the B1500, but allows for adding in a bit of tube goodness, could be a sweet sounding head.
Imagine for the touring pro... A rack of 3 B2000s, running through a boat-load of 810s or 412s... 6000 watts at just 39lbs for the heads? Dudes... roadies will love on you for this change - at yet still curse you for the cabs!
I'm not familiar with the B Series tone, but I'd agree with you that the BX Series is a more modern, bright sound. However, with so much tonal control I can get it to sound pretty much any way I need it to.
But, for those who know "their" tone and want it simple, I can imagine the B Series would fulfill that. Though personally I never met a single preamp tube head that sounded much different than a straight SS head without one.
All in all, the whole new Carvin line of bass amp heads is just a bass player's dream. At those prices there is something for anyone.
To me I would buy the B2000 . I had the R1000 and it looks to me that the BX1500 has the exact same preamp layout and controls . I could get some good tones with the R1000 but not great ones and I was doing a lot of tweeking with it . I added a Sans Amp BDDI and there was my tone . That ended my constant adjusting and I ended up bypassing the amps preamp and just using the simple BDDI. Others have said they changed the voice of the BX series from that of the R series and that would be great but for me that same front end on the BX series is enough to scare me off . By the way I had no problems with the power section of rhe R1000 , I used that with an RBI a couple years and it had great power if used right.
I've owned the bx1200, b800 and borrowed the b1500 for a couple weeks.
My experience is that bx1200 really needs the tone features to sound good. It has more of a zingy/bright sound versus the b800/b1500 which sounds great set fairly close to flat.
My experience is that bx1200 really needs the tone features to sound good. It has more of a zingy/bright sound versus the b800/b1500 which sounds great set fairly close to flat.
Thanks for the clarifications and alternet view points; it all makes more sense.
Will be anxious to hear about how they sounded at NAMM and hope that the players will have a decent listening enviornment for a accurate comparison.
Will be anxious to hear about how they sounded at NAMM and hope that the players will have a decent listening enviornment for a accurate comparison.
