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Genz Benz Neo Pak 3.5

I tend not to read manuals. :)
I'll direct quote it:

Neo Pak 3.5 Manual said:
Driving speaker loads below the amplifiers rated minimum load (4 ohms) will result in intermittent operation as the protection circuits are activated

I, personally will go by official literature before something said on an internet forum, would sure be a nice extra if it did go to 500 watts at 2 ohms safely tho!
 
Okay, here's more info...

I took the Neo-Pak and 112T at my weekly church gig. It's a very controlled environment from week to week, and is always a good place for me to evaluate things since very little changes. In the recent past I've been using the GBE 1200 into the NeoX-212T, and before that an Eden wt550 into a 212xlt, 210xst or 112xlt depending on my mood.

Now, no 112 is going to sound as full or as thick as a 212. So let's just put that up front. However the NeoX-112T sounds much fuller than the Eden 112xlt, and I mean much fuller. The 112xlt is very aggressive sounding, and I never cared for the bass response. You have to dial it way up on the EQ to get oomph out of the 112xlt. The NeoX-112T on the other hand has a more even low, but it's not as deep sounding as the 212T. The tones are similar enough that it's a non-issue.

The rig handled things just fine. The Neo-Pak puts out 225 watts at 8 ohms, and it was plenty. I think I was running the head at about 75% capacity, and it had plenty of oomph and headroom. If I had used the Neo-Pak with the 212T, it would have been WAY plenty.

Dynamics where there, with plenty of warm tube character. I even boosted the lows just over 1 o'clock to emulate the fullness ofthe 212T, and it still had no problems with it at all.

The Neo-Pak is just great I think. Load in/out was a cinch with this compact design. I can't say enough about it. Definite keeper.
 
Second generation NeoPak 3.5's will operate at 2 ohms putting out 500 watts.

There aren't many out there as this is a very new "generation". The manual for these has been updated.

Just as a note, we don't make anything for intermittent use at a stated ohm load. You can crank it at 2 ohms all day long and it won't hiccup.

Eublet...one thing about your comment on how light it was. We went to quite and expense in using an all aluminum chassis. This aluminum is far stronger then if we tried to get away with using thin gauge steel. I just want you to have confidence in the durability. This is the only amp we have with an aluminum chassis.
 
Please allow me to clarify the 2 ohm operation on the NeoPak.

The NeoPak 3.5 was introduced with a 4 ohm minimum load capability. All 4 ohm capable NeoPaks are noted as such on the back panel.

With the availability of some improved components that were not available (in production) when I originally designed the amp, we upgraded the NeoPak to 500 watts at 2 ohms once we were confident that the parts would perform as excpected. All 2 ohm capable NeoPak 3.5's are identified as such on the back panel. The new owner's manuals reflect this change as well. The duty cycle of 2 ohm operation is similar to that of the GBE series.

Hope this helps clarify.

Looks like Roger just beat me to it!
 
Okay, all this talk about running the Neo-Pak at 2 ohms makes me wonder why? You can push a 4 ohm 212 which is plenty loud for most medium gigs. You could push a 4 ohm 410 which would be even louder. You could push two 8 ohm whatever's, and it would be plenty loud. If you're pushing 2 ohms with anything, you're probably talking about two big 4 ohm cabinets, 212's or 410's. Why would you want to use a light weight head for that?

For single cab work, the Neo-Pak is great! In fact, for someone who needs a modulur setup, I'd think a Neo-Pak and two NeoX-112T's would be awesome! Take one cab or two cabs depending on the gig. I can't imagine a PA covered gig that this setup wouldn't handle, barring the ridiculous of course. Should be more than enough for any club-type project.
 
From some customer comments, it appears that some users have compact 4 ohm cabinets that they would like to have the ability to use a pair of, for gigs where they need just a little bit more support.
 
Okay, all this talk about running the Neo-Pak at 2 ohms makes me wonder why? You can push a 4 ohm 212 which is plenty loud for most medium gigs. You could push a 4 ohm 410 which would be even louder. You could push two 8 ohm whatever's, and it would be plenty loud. If you're pushing 2 ohms with anything, you're probably talking about two big 4 ohm cabinets, 212's or 410's. Why would you want to use a light weight head for that?

For single cab work, the Neo-Pak is great! In fact, for someone who needs a modulur setup, I'd think a Neo-Pak and two NeoX-112T's would be awesome! Take one cab or two cabs depending on the gig. I can't imagine a PA covered gig that this setup wouldn't handle, barring the ridiculous of course. Should be more than enough for any club-type project.
I have a 4ohm 2x10 and am currently building another one, well, not yet, but will be soonish, so, i know it would be a possible benifit :)

Cheers for the confirmation GB guys!
 
Personaly 2 ohm capability just makes it one less limitation if sometime I need to run 2 cabs and both aren't 8 ohms. It's more of a convenience issue as opposed to a volume/power issue with me.
The quality product choices out there today are just great. What a selection.
 
I was curious about your 800 watt head, and see your profile says Max 800? surely you mean the Max 700?

If that is the case, its only 475 watts at 4 ohms, and wouldnt be much louder than the Genz Benz, only a db or two.

It is a MAX preamp that has two CS 400's that can be bridged into 4 ohms. You can biamp and run 400 to the highs, and 400 to the lows.

I am stronly considering the Neo though, as I can't imagine needing more than what it can offer running through 212's with PA support.
 
For single cab work, the Neo-Pak is great! In fact, for someone who needs a modulur setup, I'd think a Neo-Pak and two NeoX-112T's would be awesome! Take one cab or two cabs depending on the gig. I can't imagine a PA covered gig that this setup wouldn't handle, barring the ridiculous of course. Should be more than enough for any club-type project.

Ok, just thinking out loud, let's say you have 2 NeoX 112's (8 ohm) for the modular rig and you also have a NeoX 212 (4 ohm) for those larger gigs. Now could you somehow connect all 3 to the GBE750 or 1200 for those few outdoor type gigs? (since you'll be getting 2 ohm total). I'm assuming that you'd need to connect the 2 112's together since there's only two speakon connections on the back of the head.
 
Ok, just thinking out loud, let's say you have 2 NeoX 112's (8 ohm) for the modular rig and you also have a NeoX 212 (4 ohm) for those larger gigs. Now could you somehow connect all 3 to the GBE750 or 1200 for those few outdoor type gigs? (since you'll be getting 2 ohm total). I'm assuming that you'd need to connect the 2 112's together since there's only two speakon connections on the back of the head.
You're gonna need a Y cable since the NeoX's only have a single speakon connector.
 
Well, if the new heads will do 2 ohms, it's definitely a plus. Having the option is always good. I can't imagine ever using it intentionally. Perhaps a person with a 3x112 setup would find it handy. The ability to do 2.66 ohms in that situation is highly attractive.
 
Second generation NeoPak 3.5's will operate at 2 ohms putting out 500 watts.

There aren't many out there as this is a very new "generation". The manual for these has been updated.

Hasbeen- I'm looking at buying a Neo-Pak from an online seller.

You're saying that the "2nd generation" Neo-Paks have "2 ohm minimum load" printed on the back.. is that the principal way of identifying these new amps?

Exactly when did they go into production?

I need to be able to find out from the seller if the unit is 2 ohm capable.
 
well......you hit my sentiment exactly. I posted in some other threads that I don't really understand this "1000 watts in a cigar box" need. Because the bass player now has to carry 200 pounds of speaker to use it.....so a 40 pound amp will be the least of his trouble.

I think this is why some like you understand the need for a "lightweight" and a "lead sled".....two different tools for two different jobs.

But alas, we try to respond to what the market wants....not what they need.

While that makes complete sense to me I think the 2ohm facility is nice. It does mean that the amp is more useful as a backup for a big amp.
 

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