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Epifani 902UL....Finally

#141
KJung said:
Now the specs list 1800 watts at 8ohms, and say that the amp can be run in 'series or parallel' mode. Given that the amp puts out 900 watts per side into 4 ohms, the 1800 watt into 8ohm spec suggests that the amp will now be designed to be able to be bridged. If that is the case, this amp at 18 pounds (according to the spec) is becoming MUCH more interesting to me:)
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My only thing is...what single cab would you be puching with 1800 watts at 8 ohms? I could see if it was a big 4 ohm cab, but there aren't many really large (over 4x10) cabs that are rated at 8 ohms.
 
#143
gruuv said:
Thanks for the info, Joker. Any news on what kind of $ these will go for?
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I heard it'll be a little more than the previous 902. Even though they doubled the watts, they're not doubling the price.
Somewhere's in the neighborhood of $2400 MAP.
 
#144
vision said:
My only thing is...what single cab would you be puching with 1800 watts at 8 ohms? I could see if it was a big 4 ohm cab, but there aren't many really large (over 4x10) cabs that are rated at 8 ohms.
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I can't imagine an 1800 watt cab @ 8 ohms either, but I like the 2x900 watts, Nick's 502's 600 watts can easily push his 1000 watt UL410. When I tried his proto type UL 902C, my UL410 really opened up and came alive, the extra 300 watts gave it the extra headroom to really feel it hit you in the chest. I wouldn't need any more wattage.

I plan to run the 902 (when I get one) my UL410 on one side and when needed my 2 UL112's on the other.

With the UL 902C, you could run 4x410's @ 8 ohms each.
 
#146
MacGroove said:
When I tried his proto type UL 902C, my UL410 really opened up and came alive, the extra 300 watts gave it the extra headroom to really feel it hit you in the chest. I wouldn't need any more wattage.
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+1...Thats why I think he should come out with a mono 900 watt model. (Like Ken suggested.) It would be perfect for all the guys using a 410UL (or 610UL) that just need a bit more power. Right now there a huge gap in the lineup - Nick has both the Performance 600 and UL502 at 600 watts mono, then nothing until the UL902 at 900 watts stereo. It would make sense to me if he kept the Perf. 600, upgraded the UL502 to 900 watts (half the power section of the 902, which would cut down on weight and cost) and then the UL902 at 2x900 for the guys out there touring using a pair of 410UL's.

That may be coming later though...I'm sure it takes alot of time to bring out a new model, and he's been working on the 902 for a while! Maybe we'll see a 900 watt mono head in the next year or so.
 
#147
vision said:
+1...Thats why I think he should come out with a mono 900 watt model. (Like Ken suggested.) It would be perfect for all the guys using a 410UL (or 610UL) that just need a bit more power. Right now there a huge gap in the lineup - Nick has both the Performance 600 and UL502 at 600 watts mono, then nothing until the UL902 at 900 watts stereo. It would make sense to me if he kept the Perf. 600, upgraded the UL502 to 900 watts (half the power section of the 902, which would cut down on weight and cost) and then the UL902 at 2x900 for the guys out there touring using a pair of 410UL's.

That may be coming later though...I'm sure it takes alot of time to bring out a new model, and he's been working on the 902 for a while! Maybe we'll see a 900 watt mono head in the next year or so.
Click to expand...

good thoughts, vis... i'll pass it onto nicks.
 
#149
vision said:
My only thing is...what single cab would you be puching with 1800 watts at 8 ohms? I could see if it was a big 4 ohm cab, but there aren't many really large (over 4x10) cabs that are rated at 8 ohms.
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+1 to all of the above comments. From a marketing perspective, the 902 seems like a questionable product. If you can bridge it, it's actually too much power for a vast majority of the market. If it can't be bridged, you are stuck always using two cabs, or only using half the capability of the amp.

Per your comment (and my pleading for the last two years while waiting for this thing:D ), could you imagine how many 'upgraded 7 pound 502's rated at 900 watts into 4ohms Nick would sell'? That would be an AMAZING thing, and IMO hit a total 'sweet spot' in the market regarding power, size and weight.

I just can't see what they are thinking with this amp?

I
 
#150
KJung said:
+1 to all of the above comments. From a marketing perspective, the 902 seems like a questionable product. If you can bridge it, it's actually too much power for a vast majority of the market. If it can't be bridged, you are stuck always using two cabs, or only using half the capability of the amp.

Per your comment (and my pleading for the last two years while waiting for this thing:D ), could you imagine how many 'upgraded 7 pound 502's rated at 900 watts into 4ohms Nick would sell'? That would be an AMAZING thing, and IMO hit a total 'sweet spot' in the market regarding power, size and weight.

I just can't see what they are thinking with this amp?

I
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+++1
 
#152
KJung said:
+1 to all of the above comments. From a marketing perspective, the 902 seems like a questionable product. If you can bridge it, it's actually too much power for a vast majority of the market. If it can't be bridged, you are stuck always using two cabs, or only using half the capability of the amp.

I just can't see what they are thinking with this amp?
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly...the only guys who would really need 2x900 watts are the big touring pros that are using a stack of 2 4x10 cabs. (That would be an absolutely KILLER rig!) But for the majority of his potential market guys would only be using half of the amp at one time. Yeah its nice that it will power four 8 ohm 4x10's, but who is actually gonna use it for that? IMHO...if you are using that much size and weight in cabs, you don't really care about the size or weight of the head - which totally goes against the marketing of the Epifani line being "Ultralight".
 
#153
I totally agree with all of you about a single 900 watt UL model. To have 3 variations would be great.
I don't understand why, but there are reason's (for now) for not being able to go with a single 900 watt or to brake up the 2x900 power section. I see this on many European power amps and then you get into the rediculously expensive models.

As far as Andrew Grouche using the UL902C, right now he's trying out several variations of the PS cabs and was using the PS600.
 
#155
vision said:
My thoughts exactly...the only guys who would really need 2x900 watts are the big touring pros that are using a stack of 2 4x10 cabs. (That would be an absolutely KILLER rig!) But for the majority of his potential market guys would only be using half of the amp at one time. Yeah its nice that it will power four 8 ohm 4x10's, but who is actually gonna use it for that? IMHO...if you are using that much size and weight in cabs, you don't really care about the size or weight of the head - which totally goes against the marketing of the Epifani line being "Ultralight".
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again, good thoughts, vis, but just as you pointed out, the *real* target that nick was shooting for, were the touring pros who need this kind of massive power. heck, the first guys to take prototypes on gig werent his usual NYC cronies, rather it was daryl jones and chris mcbride on their recent tours.

nick feels that the ul502 as well as the performance 600 are more suited for the regular joes like you and myself, and honestly, my 502 is more than enough for my needs.
 
#156
Sorry for the repeated question, but nobody seems to know.

Can the 902 be bridged or not:confused: . Seems like such a simple (and key) question, but no one seems to know. The web site spec just changed, and is now totally confusing. Last week, they stated that the amp can be run in 'series or parallel' configuration (which sounds like 'stereo' or bridged) and listed the output of the amp at 1800 watts at 8 ohms.

Now, the have kept the 'series parallal' blurb but have changed the spec from 1800 at 8 ohms to 900 watts x2 at 4 ohms.

Does anyone know about this. Again, seems like a simple question. Originally, the answer was 'no' to bridging. However, the website description now opens up the question again.
 
#157
I am sure i will be flamed.. But I have NEVER heard a switching power amp that i personally thought had the punch that I prefer... they seem to have the full freq spectrum but seem to be lacking something.... I will need to actually try one of these to so I wont be prejustice against them from the start..
and an AB test to other transformer based/ caps power supply amps to see if it measures up even if they do boast 900 watts a channel.
The Walter Woods has allot of power but it does not have the punch factor that I require... technology has changed since the 80s but the old Carver PM1.5 was supposed to be 1500 watts.. it was switching supply... and my 200 watt 90s ampeg SVT3 non pro was louder and punchier...The QSC powerlites amps were switching supply .. no balls compared to a tranny / cap supply...

I like the Idea of the Iamp 800.. they use an analog tranny/cap supply from what i understand... with a class D amp...
that adds some heft..

So for me history shows with the QSC Powerlite series, CARVER, Water Woods amps all with switching supplys, that the switching supply is no match for punch compared to a tranny/cap supply amp... Unless the Epifani is different…

Let the fire storm start… I have my heat shields in position..:)
 
#158
svtb15 said:
I am sure i will be flamed.. But I have NEVER heard a switching power amp that i personally thought had the punch that I prefer... they seem to have the full freq spectrum but seem to be lacking something.... I will need to actually try one of these to so I wont be prejustice against them from the start..
and an AB test to other transformer based/ caps power supply amps to see if it measures up even if they do boast 900 watts a channel.
The Walter Woods has allot of power but it does not have the punch factor that I require... technology has changed since the 80s but the old Carver PM1.5 was supposed to be 1500 watts.. it was switching supply... and my 200 watt 90s ampeg SVT3 non pro was louder and punchier...The QSC powerlites amps were switching supply .. no balls compared to a tranny / cap supply...

I like the Idea of the Iamp 800.. they use an analog tranny/cap supply from what i understand... with a class D amp...
that adds some heft..

So for me history shows with the QSC Powerlite series, CARVER, Water Woods amps all with switching supplys, that the switching supply is no match for punch compared to a tranny/cap supply amp... Unless the Epifani is different…

Let the fire storm start… I have my heat shields in position..:)
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll get a fire storm. This issue has been mentioned many times. I agree with you in general. However, one way to think about it is that the previous executions of switching power supply amps seem to be lacking in the ooomph that you are talking about. That doesn't necessarily mean the technology can't or won't ever deliver.

Every year, things get better, and I'm hearing great things about the Markbass stuff. Also, the Berg IP's have a lot of low end ooomph (although a lot of that comes from the compression/DSP EQ.... but nonetheless it's there).

I will wait to pass judgement on the Epi902 until I hear it:bassist:
 
#159
svtb15 said:
(...) I will need to actually try one of these to so I wont be prejustice against them from the start..

(...)

I like the Idea of the Iamp 800.. they use an analog tranny/cap supply from what i understand... with a class D amp...
that adds some heft..

(...) Unless the Epifani is different…

(...)
Click to expand...

yea,

you just gotta try one. one of the reasons why i've now gone to mostly "heads" rather than preamp / power amp setups is your very reason. for me, it was mostly about really heavy and big poweramps that i thought would give me some punchy authority, but ultimately did not. and yet, heads like my iAMP and the ul502 where every little bit is made to translate that low end waaaay better and in a smaller package have been terrific from the start.

again, what's in the epifani's is pretty much what nick felt would give him the most authority and slam of what is out there in terms of power sections. and with numerous into countless r&d sessions with various players of all stripes, he was able to find a power section that pleased most of his paying public.

but, if you've owned a crest ca9 and hoped to find that in an ultralight package, you're gonna be sorely disappointed no matter how you spin it. of my knowledge, no one's been able to put that kind of push into a 15 lbs. package... yet...

so, your skepticism is totally understood. i was like that w/ the bergantino IP series. thought, "who in the world would buy something like that?" then realized, "OHH, i would." ;)
 
#160
KJung said:
Sorry for the repeated question, but nobody seems to know.

Can the 902 be bridged or not:confused: . Seems like such a simple (and key) question, but no one seems to know. The web site spec just changed, and is now totally confusing. Last week, they stated that the amp can be run in 'series or parallel' configuration (which sounds like 'stereo' or bridged) and listed the output of the amp at 1800 watts at 8 ohms.

Now, the have kept the 'series parallal' blurb but have changed the spec from 1800 at 8 ohms to 900 watts x2 at 4 ohms.

Does anyone know about this. Again, seems like a simple question. Originally, the answer was 'no' to bridging. However, the website description now opens up the question again.
Click to expand...
Thank you for being gentle with me.. I just got off the phone with Nick at Epifani.. he said the amp Does Not Bridge to Mono.... He said he could not see a reason for it since the amp is so powerful the way it is, and it could blow up speaker cabs like an svt cab if used in the bridge mode...
Well we all know that i thought.. the standard SVT cab only takes maybe 350 to 400 watts or so.. maybe more for the older pro series.
Anyway he said NO to Bridge on the ouitput. the Parrallel/ Mono is the front panel inputs that can be routed that way to run togeter or seperate.. hope that helps.

They put guys on the moon almost 30 years ago but no one has figured out how to get that CA9 ooommmph into a 10 pound box... how can that be?
 

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