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EBS Reidmar: 750 vs 502

Aloe

Aloe

Apr 10, 2016
3,498
1
4,662
Ukraine
#1
hi,

choosing a new head and a bit got confused on Reidmar's specifications, the vendor doesn't list 8ohm power ratings and the thing about 'peak power vs RMS' also confuses me. what do I want/need:

1. 150-200W in a 8ohm 112
2. 300-500W in a 4ohm 212/210 or pair of 112s

which of those heads will be best for me? will 502 cover those needs or I need the 750?

I know that more power never hurts, but the 502 appeals to me as it's capable of 2ohm loads, so I can run two 4ohm 212s if I'll want to.

appreciating any advice. thanks
 
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#3
I am using two 4 ohm cabs. I have a bunch of different amps. I need to sell a few LOL. I can probably clarify this for you a little bit.This is going to be long but I hope it will help you.
Currently I am using the 502. I am a Marcus Miller fan, I like clarity and headroom and I wand my J basses to sound exactly like they would plugged directly into a mixing console.What I like about the 502 is that it has the most realistic J bass sound with very little EQing. It is also really loud.
I have an EBS HD350 amp that also does 2 ohms. Same thing with that amp you don't need to fiddle with the knobs very much at all. Another plus is the Drive knob. It warms the amp up a bit and gives it more punch.But the amp isn't as powerful as the 502.
Both EBS amps have a contour switch on and off which to me is completely worthless. That smiley curve might work in your living room, but on stage it makes you disappear.
I have used a Eden WT550 for many years, it is a great amp does 2 ohms. It is a bit heavier than the new Micro amps it isn't any louder than the 502 but there is a sense of fullness and power that the small amps don't have.On the downside, the EQ is kind of complicated. 3 band parametric plus bass and treble and a variable smiley curve knob. Flat, the amp does not sound that great. kind of dark and lifeless.So you have to really get to know how the EQ works to get the best out of it. But the tone is there you just have to know how to get to it.
Littlemark LM II does not do 2 ohms, so for two 4 ohm cabs you need a second LM II. Which I have.
But... The natural sound of the amp is not pleasant. The high mids are too harsh and the treble control is around 4 K I think. Too low for me.I like to add 6 K and maybe even a bit of 10 K. Depends on what the cabs sound like. I have Avatar 12s with a tweeter. The LMII has a variable mid contour that seems to ad the 6 K, but it also drops out the mids so I have to add those back in for my sound. And another variable filter that cuts the treble. I have no use for that. I'm not that type of player. So that amp also requires a lot of fiddling but unlike the WT550 I was never able to get my J bass to sound really good just OK. With a P Bass that amp sounds OK.
And lastly I have two Little Marcus amps. When they came out I just bought them online without even trying them out. I figured if Marcus was involved they had to be good.
Surprisingly when set flat they literally sound like crap. Really dark and muddy. The variable contour on it is called the Millerizer. By itself you wont get the Marcus sound. I had it set round 10 to 11 o'clock crank the treble to 3 o'clock the high mids at 2 and that gave me a really good Marcus sound. (btw I have a 74 Jazz bass active and other similar basses and have been a Marcus fan for 35 years).There is also a variable treble cut called Old School. Nothing I can use.
So two little marcus amps and two 4 ohm cabs will get you there but with quite a bit of fiddling on the EQ. And two separate amp setups simultaneously is kind of a hassle.
I went back to the EBS 502 to keep it simple. Besides, when you play higher volume gigs, the PA does all the heavy lifting and you just need to be able to hear yourself with a tone that you like. And the 502 does that.
I have also owned a 500W Carvin amp. It was red, had a graphic EQ a parametric EQ contour .a switchable tube, all kinds of EQ options but no matter what i did I was never able to get a good sound out of that one. But it was really loud.
So there you have it.I hope this helps
I am not a professional player anymore and I have way too much gear. So the LM II amps and the little marcus amps are going. I'm keeping the HD 350 ( for my rehearsal setup), the 502(that will be my main amp) and the WT 550 also stays. It might still be useful on outdoor concerts. I might try running the 502 preamp into the Eden power amp.
 
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#4
thanks @gimmeagig, I appreciate the comparison between Reidmar, Little Marcus and Eden WT (actually all three were on my short list). I got a Reidmar 750 some time ago and I'm digging it. I'm using it with a single NeoLine 112 and admit it may be too much for my needs, but I got a good deal on it and don't regret it.

like you, I'm not using the contour switch. the only thing I don't like with the 750 is that the pre-EQ DI is pre-gain (on 502 it's post-gain). I might flip for a 502 some day, it's basically the same amp with a different power section, without the 'Drive' control and with a different buffer (2M Ohms instead of 1M on 750; not really sure how different it will sound considering my pedalboard is buffered).
 
#5
okay, as I got a 502, updating this thread.

my big surprise was my 502 and my 750 sound a bit differently. the difference is not only in the power amp, as I definitely can hear it in DI as well. and I can hear it with my active basses as well. I can hear the difference with filter disengaged.

so, my 502 sounds... uhm, more like EBS. like some baked-in flavour I actually expect from EBS. it has pronounced lows and highs with filter disengaged and the tone is rounder and more modern overall, like a bit synthy as well. again, that's the tone I really expect from EBS, that's the way their amps and preamps usually sound like.

my 750 on the other hand sounds much more transparent. with filter disengaged it's more of a clean DI tone than the EBS color. I'd say that it has a bump in the mids, similar to DIs like JDI, and the basic tone is more mid-forward, maybe with slightly rolled off lows.

when EQ is engaged, they sound closer, but still 502 is more synthy/colored. to get similar results, I'm boosting lows on the 750, but cutting on the 502, but that might be just pots' taper (they could vary from pot to pot, so the center might not be at the detent).

which will I keep? IDK yet, comparing both to see which I like better. but I surely didn't expect that there could be an actual difference in sound.
 
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#6
Aloe said:
okay, as I got a 502, updating this thread.

my big surprise was my 502 and my 750 sound a bit differently. the difference is not only in the power amp, as I definitely can hear it in DI as well. and I can hear it with my active basses as well. I can hear the difference with filter disengaged.

so, my 502 sounds... uhm, more like EBS. like some baked-in flavour I actually expect from EBS. it has pronounced lows and highs with filter disengaged and the tone is rounder and more modern overall, like a bit synthy as well. again, that's the tone I really expect from EBS, that's the way their amps and preamps usually sound like.

my 750 on the other hand sounds much more transparent. with filter disengaged it's more of a clean DI tone than the EBS color. I'd say that it has a bump in the mids, similar to DIs like JDI, and the basic tone is more mid-forward, maybe with slightly rolled off lows.

when EQ is engaged, they sound closer, but still 502 is more synthy/colored. to get similar results, I'm boosting lows on the 750, but cutting on the 502, but that might be just pots' taper (they could vary from pot to pot, so the center might not be at the detent).

which will I keep? IDK yet, comparing both to see which I like better. but I surely didn't expect that there could be an actual difference in sound.
Click to expand...

Interesting. In the meantime I figured out that I like the 502 best with the contour on, bass backed off a little and the mids boosted at around 600k.
Sounds great that way, but I'm back to using my two little Marcus amps. I am in a 12 piece horn band and the 502 is not giving me what I need for that.
 
#7
okay, I've played more into a 502 and definitely can say that it sounds differently to a 750, most observable with 'filter off'. I'll mostly repeat myself, but 502 is more round, smooth, colored with perceivable loss of details in high end. the 750 with filter off sounds like a Phil Jones or a linear amp, i.e. lots of zingy details. when the filter is on, those differences are not that prominent.

so why does it happen? I attribute this to a different buffer, IME a buffer could have exact same coloration, so that explains it. does this coloration really eat up dynamics? I'd say that not really, the 502 is still a responsive and dynamic amp.

then I got another surprise. I was under impression, Reidmars have a HPF, as the HD heads had. looking at specs, it doesn't seem so, for both. but the 750 has rolled off lows (just in the same ballpark as some of my passive DIs), that's why it's perceived as having a HPF. this said, my low B sounded best into 750; I think, I want a HPF for playing in the 502.

I also think that maybe the 502 has somewhat less floor noise, and that's a different power amp that makes it. not that the 750 is that noisy, but the 502 seem quieter to me.

which do I prefer at the end? I'd say the DI on the 502 sounds better (but the 750 isn't bad at all), but with a cab... IDK yet. 750 is more honest and open sounding and actually I have less problems with plugging whatever into it, it just sounds good, 502 is more picky. on the other hand, this coloration might help to sit better in mix (it kinda removes the frequencies that are usually taken by guitar).

so, bottom line: both 502 and 750 are great heads, but they do sound slightly differently, at least, mine do. if you don't mind some coloration to your signal (somewhat similar to TC or MarkBass heads), you'll find the 502 good. if you lean to the Phil Jones side, 750 might be a better choice.

as for power -- for me the 502 is pretty loud for a 125W RMS @ 8 ohms, but I've only played only on practice yet. with a single NeoLine 112 (8ohm) and volume below 9 o'clock it's loud enough to play with a drum set, or at least this was my experience. bear in mind that technically the 502 is still only a 250W RMS amp and it's very loud for that, on par with some heads labeled 500-something. but if you need more, get a 750/752 and don't overthink it. I probably just don't and that's it.
 
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#8
after playing three days in a 502, I'm selling it and keeping the 750. I prefer how it sounds into the cab and that's it. it's a pity, I tried to like this little fellow.

I know, this post is long, but now this story ends.
 
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#11
I would be shocked if the “buffer” made any audible difference at all. There’s a lot of differences between the two models that are much more likely to be the cause of the perceived differences.
 
#12
well, my story isn't over. I've played a 502 with a band again and I like it more than the 750 at low volumes.

the 750 sounds like a big hifi amplifier and that's gorgeous. however, when playing a 502 with my band:
1. I'm able to turn it to lower volume to be heard
2. I hear more nuances in my playing

I still badly want a HPF to use with the 502 though.
 
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