I am curious to hear how the EDB-2 does on batteries. What batteries do you use and how long do they last? I have this preamp but I yet have to use batteries to power it.
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Double Bass Headway EDB-2 battery life?
- Thread starter John Le Guyader
- Start date
If you are diligent with turning it off between sets, I think you'll find the battery life pretty good. I was getting about 4 months before having to change them in my EDB-1. And it still worked okay for quite a while with the low battery light on. Having said that, I just bought a new wall wart for mine 
It's a completely different story if you're using phantom power though. You might get a week or two out of your batteries then, IIRC...
It's a completely different story if you're using phantom power though. You might get a week or two out of your batteries then, IIRC...
That's a great point I should have included...currently not using phantom power, but maybe some day.
Good info all...now I feel very confident using mine on battery on gigs...and with a Double 4 on a laptop battery I wouldn't need to plug in at all.
As mentioned above, if you use phantom power you’ll burn through batteries quickly. I used my EDB-2 with a DPA 4099B and the Realist for sometime. The blend and sound of the Headway was great, but you had to be very mindful of the battery life. The EDB-2’s form factor, tone shaping, portability and cost make it unique. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to replace the batteries on the fly, because of the thumbscrew and plate access to the two 9 volts, inside the Headway.
I have the EDB-1. As long at is gets unplugged seems to last a long time. I always carry extra batteries in the bass bag.
In my experience it's not much of an issue unless you use the Phantom Power, then it cuts the battery life. Here's what the EDB-2 Manual says.
1st: Lithium: 200 Hrs of Power ON, or 100-150 Hrs (typical) if Phantom Power Switch ON. *When using Phantom, actual battery life will be determined by the current draw of the device being driven.
2nd: Alkali: 50 Hrs of Power ON or 25-35 Hrs (typical) if EDB Phantom Power Switch is ON. The DPA's current specifications are:Typ. 1.5 mA (microphone). 3.5 mA with DAD4099 or DAD6001-BC XLR Adapter
whatever that means? I'm not a technical guy. As I haven't used mine for a while, so I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that you have to remove the batteries to use the AC Adaptor.
Hey there... just wondering why you're running a 58 with phantom power? It's not needed, you will get more battery life without it.
I was aware that what was said in the manual, I was interested in actual experience since I've started to use it on gigs and wanted to drop the use of the power supply, and you guys provided the info I needed which I much appreciate.
Well, if your using the Phantom Power, it's actually been shorter IME. If we're talking typical three hour gigs, using lithium cells, and cycling the power on and off at the breaks, with a DPA 4099B I was getting somewhere around 140 hours, and when
they died the drop out was very quick.
Right now I'm just amplifying via a K&K piezo in the bridge, but good to know about the abrupt drop out on when on phantom power. The last two gigs I ran into Headway-->Straight Ahead mini amp-->old 1x10 I have instead of using my PJB bass cub, since I'm thinking of selling the bass cub. I love the low end I'm getting this way on the E and A string guts with this set up compared to the bass cub...its not too boomy or feeding back, its full and round sounding, but I'm very conservative on the EQ and have it dialed back.
