High End Bass Amps- What do you like?

[zombywoof5050]

I think my Alembic F-2B (stereo tube preamp) might have been considered high end about 40 years ago, but it still does the job for me. It doesn't have an XLR DI out, but running the 2nd channel out thru a Radial JDI serves as a great (independently tweakable) tube DI.

 

[agedhorse]

A pair of 112's will almost always sound better than a 212 because the cabs act as horizontal baffles (separating the woofers), which is expensive.

How does that work any better? Why is that expensive?

 

[DeepHz]

There's an SA200/SA410 rig for sale on Reverb right now.

Just don't look to see what they're asking for it.

EDIT: I think that Dolf Koch only designed the VT-300 (all-tube head) for Eden.

I found this from a Tom Bowlus article speaking about the SA 200

It should come as no surprise to some of you that I have a bit of a love affair with tube heads/amps, though I also really like a quality solid state amp (different horses for different courses). Well, my lastest "love" is an all-tube head spawned from the mind of Roger Sadowsky. When I first heard that Roger might be doing an all-tube head, I was very interested. Then, I learned that he intended on marketing this head primarily in Japan. Bummer... Fortunately, he decided to sell some direct here in the USA, and I eagerly grabbed one up. The amp is actually built by Dolf Koch (who also builds the Eden VT-300B)

Mr Koch has some talent............

 

[lomo]

A pair of 112's will almost always sound better than a 212 because the cabs act as horizontal baffles (separating the woofers), which is expensive.

Sorry but this simply is not true. If the drivers, overall internal volumes, porting and impedance are pretty much the same (which they are), then there will be no significant difference in tone or volume between the 212 and pair of 112s. I also prefer to have 2 smaller cabs over 1 larger cab, but that's because I'm willing to pay a little more for modularity so I can more easily schlep a 112 when I don't need both, or leave 1 cab at each of 2 separate locations.

 

[C Stone]

Not sure it's high end now (was when I purchased it in the 90's).
FENDER BXR 300C an absolute workhorse! Super tight clear deep, rich, full tone and responsive.
I gigged with it for years never let me down it is weighty though has a built in "DeltaComp" which I rarely used and played plenty of outdoor gigs and NEVER needed to turn it up higher than five or six, turned it up once and in the garage for ***** and giggles and my girl at the time came running in to say the shelves rattled off the wall not the stuff on the shelves mind you the shelves itself! Also had to push the tv back in it's place. Still use it to this day albeit on about 1 or 2. Can be had for around $300 US.

 

[monsterthompson]

How does that work any better? Why is that expensive?

My interpretation regarding the expense is that a 112 is never half the price of a 212, so a 2x112 rig will be more expensive than a 212. It won't necessarily be "expensive" but it will be more expensive.

 

[dbase]

I guess that's my Que... here you go

 

[LowWay]

My interpretation regarding the expense is that a 112 is never half the price of a 212, so a 2x112 rig will be more expensive than a 212. It won't necessarily be "expensive" but it will be more expensive.

This is absolutely true. It's about $400 more for 2 NXT112s than a single NXT212, but for both my ears and my back, worth every penny.

 

[jeff7bass]

Sorry but this simply is not true. If the drivers, overall internal volumes, porting and impedance are pretty much the same (which they are), then there will be no significant difference in tone or volume between the 212 and pair of 112s. I also prefer to have 2 smaller cabs over 1 larger cab, but that's because I'm willing to pay a little more for modularity so I can more easily schlep a 112 when I don't need both, or leave 1 cab at each of 2 separate locations.

Sorry but it is true. That's why the world's most sought after cab, the SVT 810, was so popular. The clarity in part was achieved by the fact there were four separate compartments. More focus. Cost more and it's heavier but it works.

 

[jeff7bass]

My interpretation regarding the expense is that a 112 is never half the price of a 212, so a 2x112 rig will be more expensive than a 212. It won't necessarily be "expensive" but it will be more expensive.

Two 112's makes more sense for a lot of reasons but it's more expensive because it cost more to make. More materials, two tweeters instead of one, etc...

 

[LowWay]

Sorry but this simply is not true. If the drivers, overall internal volumes, porting and impedance are pretty much the same (which they are), then there will be no significant difference in tone or volume between the 212 and pair of 112s. I also prefer to have 2 smaller cabs over 1 larger cab, but that's because I'm willing to pay a little more for modularity so I can more easily schlep a 112 when I don't need both, or leave 1 cab at each of 2 separate locations.

Im not going to argue one is inherently better, but having 2 112s and 1 212 from the same high end model line, driven by the same bass and amp definitely sounded different to the point where I had to adjust the EQ and VHPF between them to get them where I liked them. I preferred the 2 112 solution because I liked the form factor and required much less extreme tone shaping to get the sound I was looking for. But they sounded different.

 

[jeff7bass]

Im not going to argue one is inherently better, but having 2 112s and 1 212 from the same high end model line, driven by the same bass and amp definitely sounded different to the point where I had to adjust the EQ and VHPF between them to get them where I liked them. I preferred the 2 112 solution because I liked the form factor and required much less extreme tone shaping to get the sound I was looking for. But they sounded different.

I get that with advancements in bracing, porting, insulation, etc.. has help alleviate most of the problems associated with high powered (high XMAX) drivers being crammed in a single space, but that's not the rule but rather the exception, and you pay for it. I did say "almost always" when alluding to a pair of 112's being better than a 2112.

 

[monsterthompson]

Two 112's makes more sense for a lot of reasons but it's more expensive because it cost more to make. More materials, two tweeters instead of one, etc...

Absolutely. In addition to materials, there's also overhead like packaging and shipping, which is never "half" of the 212. The amount of time to build a 212 isn't double that if a 112. Just about the only thing that doubles or halves exactly is the number of 12s

 

[Rockbobmel]

Absolutely. In addition to materials, there's also overhead like packaging and shipping, which is never "half" of the 212. The amount of time to build a 212 isn't double that if a 112. Just about the only thing that doubles or halves exactly is the number of 112s

That's why I bought my 2 x 112s used.

 

[agedhorse]

Sorry but it is true. That's why the world's most sought after cab, the SVT 810, was so popular. The clarity in part was achieved by the fact there were four separate compartments. More focus. Cost more and it's heavier but it works.

Not true from a physics perspective. The low frequency performance will be identical and the theory matches practice where internal volume, tuning and bracing are the same per driver.

Absolutely. In addition to materials, there's also overhead like packaging and shipping, which is never "half" of the 212. The amount of time to build a 212 isn't double that if a 112. Just about the only thing that doubles or halves exactly is the number of 12s

There is an increase in cost for 2 enclosures, but the performance (if the same internal volume and tuning, equivalent bracing) will be virtually identical. This is a physics based fact, not opinion.

 

[jeff7bass]

Not true from a physics perspective. The low frequency performance will be identical and the theory matches practice where internal volume, tuning and bracing are the same per driver.



There is an increase in cost for 2 enclosures, but the performance (if the same internal volume and tuning, equivalent bracing) will be virtually identical. This is a physics based fact, not opinion.

Read my response to LowWay above please. I clarified.

 

[P A U L]

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[Wicked G]

For me, my keepers are the:
Mess Boogie TT800
Orange Terror Bass 500
Genz Benz Streamliner
TC Electronic RH450/750

 

[Robal]

Very happy with my Trickfish Bullhead 1K, particularly its Mike Pope EQ design, light weight, lack of fan, and ability to easily drive my pair of Greenboy F112 cabs.

 

[agedhorse]

A single driver in 2CF will be the same performance per driver as 2 drivers in 4 CF.

It has nothing about cramming drivers into spaces since the space per driver is the same.