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Class D amps - which to try next?

ultra60

ultra60

Supporting Member
Sep 16, 2010
1,567
1,955
Herndon/Chantilly Va.
#1
Always looking for the next best tone, lol. I've got an SVT, and a 3 pro that are my main amps. The following are some class D heads I've owned:

Eden WTX264 - real nice. Liked the tone. Thought the wattage was a little low, but it saved my rear, at a large gig, when the SVT took a dive.

MB500 - I've been through 2 of these. Not bad. Loud with good tone.

MB800 - Like the MB500 but sounds a little clearer to me.

TH500 - I owned one for about 2 days. Thought it was mid heavy. Not a tone I liked, but wondering if I did not give it a fair shake.

D800 - I like it. Seems solid. But I might prefer the GK tone more.

Where does one go from here? I don't know that I really need 800 watts.
 
#2
If you want to tread into the "boutique" waters - Trickfish Bullhead .5k or Bullhead 1K

MarkBass has 74 class D heads you could try. I love them, afraid to own one due to crappy customer service and supposed repairs.

Skip the Hartke TX300 and TX600. First one I tried was DOA, second one made a horrible popping sound through the speaker, third one sounded woody and hollow.

Try the Peavey MiniMega...1000w and lots of lights and buttons to noodle with.

Since you seem to like Ampeg, roll the dice on a Portaflex 300, 500, or 800. You may get one that's awesome or it may go up it may knock you out and you'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice missing a kidney.
 
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#3
Ever try any of the Genz Benz amps? A couple or few different flavors. Shuttle, Streamliner, Focus.

The Ibanez Promethean (I have a 300H) is solid. All my examples are older and no longer in production.

What about the WD-800 or Rumble 800.
Genzler?
Quilter?
Is the Darkglass a D?

Some ideas there.
 
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#6
Have no experience with the Genzler, but I have a Genz Benz Shuttle. It is very clean and puts out what you're putting in, plus your eq boosting or cutting. The 6 and -max have a tube pre, I think with a blend.

If you want something like the GK's these may not be your flavor, but they are great amps and all share some "DNA" with the D-800 and Genzler. Both by proud Pappas that are active members here, so service and technical questions get answers quickly and accurately.
 
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#8
A little over your price but, I run a DNA 1350. Very happy with it. This is the 800 watt version minus a couple bells and whistles. You may be able to get it cheaper if you shop around. This is the first listing I saw that was close.

DNA 800 bass amplifier | eBay
 
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#9
I have a GK MB500 as a back up. Good amp.
You may want to try Phil Jones heads.
Nothing new but I like the TC RH450 for the features.
Built in tuner, compressor, mute, 3 memory banks for tone setting, 4 band EQ
and tube simulator that sounds pretty decent to me.
Also has foot pedal for mute, tuner, and Mem banks.
Wanting to try a Bergantino head soon.
 
#11
Depends what you like in tone....I'm currently using a Peavey MiniMega 1000w.......love it....super transparent but it also has other features that I don't use for folks that like less transparency
 
#17
ultra60 said:
D800 - I like it. Seems solid. But I might prefer the GK tone more.
Click to expand...
This would lead me to suggest you might give a listen to the WD-800 during your search. I would also add the Berg heads (I like the Forte) and perhaps the Aguilar AG 700.

I own a TH500 and it does have a learning curve when to comes to wrapping your head around how to make the controls to get the kind of sounds you want. I would also characterize it as anchoring the other end of the amp voicing continuum from the GK MB heads.
 
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#19
There are a variety of very effective and useful Class D bass amps using either the ICEPower 250ASX2 or 700ASC. The different flavors are largely due to the specific preamp design and / or power module drive design. The results provide us with a variety of voicing choices. These include, but are not limited to the Aguilar TH500, TH700, Genzler Magellan, Genz Benz 9.X, Mesa D800(+), Mesa WD-800, Demeter Minnie 800D / VTBP-801, Bergantino B|Amp / Forte and others. There are also a few ICEPower 1000ASC units in amps, such as the Bergantino Forte HP. That module is early on the development curve.

The details and characteristics of each of these topologies need to be assessed by each player and can not be oversimplified by gross generalizations. But, in any case, the quality of the preamp design plays a large role in the performance characteristics of the amplifier.

One would need to gig for a sufficient time with any one of these to be able to make sensible comparisons. Most of us settle on trying a couple of them and call it good enough; because most of them are more than capable, and one or another fit our gigging needs pretty well. Reading some of the various threads on these heads and looking at the instruments / playing styles should help inform you. GL
 
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