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Genzler, Mesa, Aguilar & GK - The public's votes on class D amps

Choose your favorite of these amps

  • Total voters
    287
#61
I've owned the GK500, 800, Tonehammer 350, 500 and currently have the d800. All good. Owned several Genz micros so I have no doubt the magellan is excellent.

In purely objective categories the subway sets a new bar. 2ohm capable, 800watts, 5.5lbs, 5 year transferable warranty and nice carry bag included for $699.

Tone is subjective but I dig it.

IMG_3582.jpg


Shown with optional disco ball attachment.
 
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#65
I have the original Class D, a Woods from '82! It's still a wonderful amp. I also own a Streamliner 900 which is my go-to amp, and a Shuttle 6.0 which is in the studio for rehearsals & practice - when I'm not playing through my board. I had a LM III which I liked a lot until it died on a gig last winter. and at $300 to get repaired it's going to remain a doorstop. [sigh]

I was at NAMM for 3 daze this January. Since I had my Ristola fretless with me, I went around and tried pretty much everything. I didn't like the Aguiar Tonehammer at all, thought the Magellan was nice, the Trickfish rig was nice but too expensive for me, liked the TC OK but it was not quite warm enough for my fretless, and played through a ton of other stuff that obviously wasn't memorable or I'd mention it.

of course it's all just my 2 cents...
 
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#66
The only D-class amps that I have owned are Gk MB-800, GK MB-500, GK MB-800 Fusion, and Crest Pro-Lite 2.0 used with a sans Amp RBI.
I have demo'ed most other brands of class-D's but have not owned them.
And while I think that they were all very good quality and did the trick, they never really cut it for me.
Just never could get the feel I liked even when using a Tech21 BDDI up front to warm it up a bit.
IMHO they just can't do the job of a good quality hybred with a tube pre-amp or an all tube class A.
 
#67
B-string said:
Kustom must agree with you, so good they discontinued it ;).
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I have no idea why its no longer available. But in 35 years of playing bass, it is the best bang for buck piece of kit I have ever purchased. I have been through a plethora of class D amps (TH500, Puma 900, Markbass 11/f500, GKmb500) over the years and this is the best by some distance IMO. Using it with a Berg CN212 and Sadowsky NYC j bass and it kills.
Cost me 299 Euro new. Terrific
 
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#69
pedroims said:
No more love for Markbass? They used to be one of the best amps no many years ago.
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Still are and I remarked a couple pages back that I still have mine and they are not going anywhere. I'm not a fan, interestingly enough, of their cabs. When I run my BigBang through my old SWR Goliath cab, you ain't never heard tone like that. And my LM800 (non-tube) is flat out the best bass head I've ever owned.
 
#70
arbiterusa said:
Still are and I remarked a couple pages back that I still have mine and they are not going anywhere. I'm not a fan, interestingly enough, of their cabs. When I run my BigBang through my old SWR Goliath cab, you ain't never heard tone like that. And my LM800 (non-tube) is flat out the best bass head I've ever owned.
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I feel just the opposite, don't like the amps, but will use only Markbass cabs. Currently have a Traveler 210, a Standard 210 and 2 New York 15s.
 
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#72
How about the dirt/drive comparison of some of these amps?

I didn't ever push the Subway to break up as I was just getting used to the controls and was SOOO happy with it with no grit with my P bass. But now I'm curious. I was also running IEM and to FOH with it, so no cab experience.
 
#73
liveburning274 said:
How about the dirt/drive comparison of some of these amps?

I didn't ever push the Subway to break up as I was just getting used to the controls and was SOOO happy with it with no grit with my P bass. But now I'm curious. I was also running IEM and to FOH with it, so no cab experience.
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I run my Subway with dirt almost all the time. Its a really fuzzy great overdriven tone, never really get grit, its either dirty or clean. To do so I usually have to push the gain between 2 and 4 o'clock depending on what bass I am using...but it does sound remarkably awesome!
The TH500 had a great drive on her, it actually played with the mids too. I really liked it as it never got too dirty and was very responsive to tiny movements of the dial or playing.
My GK MBF800 is a totally different animal. It has 3 tubes in the pre and 2 channels, one for "clean" which I turn up to about 1 o'clock and I get a growl out of her like a lion (this is the channel I play thorough 90% of the time)...and the other I turn up to about 4 o'clock where I get a tone very similar to a Muff pedal, this channel is awesome for just getting flat out overdriven tones, starting with a little wool up to total breakup. Love me my GK MBF800!!!
 
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#74
buldog5151bass said:
I think the GK is the most versatile - never heard someone say they don't like it. I've heard people rave over the TH, and others who hated them. It really depends on the tone you want.
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I dislike the GK MB series. I had the MB800, and while it was quite loud, to me it had zero character. And not in a "beautifully accurate reproduction" kind of way. I always turned it up way too loud because it was so bland and dull sounding (even though it was too bright), it felt like there was no impact to the notes. It's like it had "negative tubes" in it, sucking the life and warmth out of your bass's tone. Plus I found the eq near-useless. Yuck. Eeeewwww. I can go on if you like. :)

I much prefer the KXB500, which is also cheaper but discontinued. I also like the GK RB series, so much better than the icky icky MB downstairs mixup.
 
#76
The topic says CLASS D amps-

The MarkBass Little Mark III is not Class D- it is Class A-B.

I wanted to vote for the MarkBass F-500 as my personal favorite Class D amp, followed
by the F1. I love these.

The way the voting is presently set up, I don't think
we can even vote for the MarkBass F1s or F-500 heads.

This is a shame.
They rule, to me.

If they are added as a choice, I would vote for them.
 
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#77
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#78
Real 57 Precision said:
The topic says CLASS D amps-

The MarkBass Little Mark III is not Class D- it is Class A-B.

I wanted to vote for the MarkBass F-500 as my personal favorite Class D amp, followed
by the F1. I love these.

The way the voting is presently set up, I don't think
we can even vote for the MarkBass F1s or F-500 heads.

This is a shame.
They rule, to me.

If they are added as a choice, I would vote for them.
Click to expand...


It would get my vote also, along with the GB Shuttle 6.2. The only amp I ever played on the list was the GK MB 500, which I didn't care for at all.
 
#79
Lots of great heads on that list, for sure. I understand that the MiniMega is over the 800w limit, but it costs less than many heads on that list, and I think very highly of it. Staying within the wattage range, though, you are still missing the current Acoustic Image heads (which are great), and the fantastic Bergantino B|Amp.
 
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#80
If the berg had a tube in the front end, I would probably already own it and be happy as a clam. That said, the character of it as described seems very much like the peavey mini mega. Clean, even, neutral. That is great but, not really my thing. I like more harmonics.
 

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