Okay, the Neo-Pak is here. I've only played with it a bit, and am even fooling with it some right now as I sit here. I also picked up the GB bag for transport.
This little guy is great. I've yet to play it at a gig (will this weekend) but sitting here in my practice room it is very nice sounding.
Here's a collection of random thoughts about it:
It sounds the same as the 1200 to my ears. Perhaps I'll know more after I get it out somewhere. The features are the same more or less, so you'll be able to quickly find your way around the head.
It seems to have a little more gain than the tube channel on the 1200. Not enough to call it different. I just notice that the O/L light will flash a tad sooner on the input stage.
Can't say I've noticed any missing "oomph" from the head. I sat it on top of my 1200, which was on top of the 212T. Then I kept swapping the speakon back and forth between the two heads. Again, no difference in tone that I can hear.
It has plenty of power. I'm pretty sure this will be the head that goes with me most of the time. Some might be surprised by my next statement, but if you understand the relationship between watts and perceived volume, then it will make sense. Volume difference between the 1200 and Neo-Pak is very minimal into a SINGLE cab. This is running the EQ flat. Of course, the 1200 lets you really boost EQ settings and retain headroom. The 1200 would really pull away from the Neo-Pak with a 2nd, 3rd or 4th cab. You can push four 8 ohm cabs with the 1200. Only 2 with the Neo-Pak.
Head is very light, and looks stunning. The large front vents allow you to see inside the head, and the tube sits squarely in the center. There's a nice blue LED behind the tube, so it glows blue, with a little hot red center! Very cool looking. Makes the head very sexy. Nice job whoever came up with this.
The fan is in the rear, and it pulls air inside the head, and blows it out those cool vents in the front. The fan is virtually silent. I haven't yet been able to make it kick up to a higher speed, but I haven't played it very loud for more than a minute or two either.
The bag is a perfect fit. Snug, and padded plenty for protection. Shoulder strap will make toting it very easy.
I also bought a NeoX-112T to compliment this little guy. I know you didn't ask about the cab, but just thought I'd throw this in there. This little 112 is great. It sounds very much like the 212. In fact, I think it sounds a little bit better. Slightly more growly and mid present. But not much. Just a touch. It's light, and easy to cary. The Neo-Pak and 112T would make an excellent rehearsal rig, and would handle most small and medium gigs where things aren't blaringly loud. I bought the two together to use this summer for outdoor combo gigs at some local waterfront restaraunts. After hearing how much power it has, I plan to use it in place of my 1200/212 rig this weekend just for fun.
I'll give you some more details after that if you're still interested.
