• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is there much difference in the Power section of the popular Class D Amps

#41
Check out the sa-500 Straight Ahead by Jay Ganz. He's on TB and has a Facebook page. It's a very small (pedal board friendly), very portable/light power amp. It has a very quiet fan, a volume control, power switch, and speaker jack - nothing else. It has it's pros and cons, but I've been very happy with mine. It's also under $300.
 
#42
JPJ said:
What I'm wishing/hoping someone would come out with (from one of the reliable US mfrs) is a super-small, relatively light weight (200-400 watt) Class D pure power stage with no fan/air cooled and all of the certs and extra tweaks and mods necessary to make it the safest and best sounding mini/travel amp possible at a relatively affordable price. Key here is to have something that has NO tone controls or anything that would be a tone tweaker, other than maybe a mute switch or "standby" switch. Any "tone shaping" would come from a preamp alone.

Uses:
Power amp to pair with any pre-amp (or a variety of preamps)
Fly rig
Home studio/home practice rig
Small gig rig
etc.
Click to expand...
3lbs, the Mesa Subway 350 has no fan, use the AUX IN and you have a clean Power Amp.

Bonus... It comes with a free preamp on the front and an extra (if you call right now) DI Box included at no additional charge and very little additional space in the Amp's Box. All together for them light days, when ya just want a quick head to work.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...subway-d-350-ultra-compact-350-watt-bass-head

I have used a Mesa Subway 800 and a Genzler 800 as just power amps many times, powering PA pole speakers and monitors. From the mixer to AUX IN on Amp Head and go.

They work fantastic.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Luther, BlueTalon and agedhorse
#43
waveman said:
So why not just repackage the amp as a power amp and bypass the pre?
Click to expand...
Because that requires a new model name/number, sheet metal, internal mounting hardware, BOM, safety and EMC certification, regulatory technical file, and then there’s the building, inventorying, minimum order and production requirements, etc.

For the few that want this kind of product, it’s going to be limited to small builders who do not have the overhead and generally do not have safety and EMC regulatory compliance.

Ots less expensive to build and sell a single product with full functionality that can be bypassed than a neutered product IME.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fdeck, BlueTalon, waveman and 1 other person
#44
prowla said:
A rule of thumb is that 10x the power is 2x as loud; thus the difference between 500W and 800W may not be that huge.
That said, I've just acquired a 4x 1300W power amp, which might be a bundle of fun!
Click to expand...

Crown has a free calculator here:

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers

800 watts is at most 2.0 dB louder than 500 watts. I say "at most" because of the limitations of most speaker cabinets at those power levels. Aged Horse can provide a much better explanation than I can, but the extra 300 watts is not what most people would expect in terms of a real increase in loudness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse and seamonkey
#45
S-Bigbottom said:
3lbs, the Mesa Subway 350 has no fan, use the AUX IN and you have a clean Power Amp.

Bonus... It comes with a free preamp on the front and an extra (if you call right now) DI Box included at no additional charge and very little additional space in the Amp's Box. All together for them light days, when ya just want a quick head to work.
Mesa/Boogie Subway D-350 Ultra-compact 350-watt Bass Head

I have used a Mesa Subway 800 and a Genzler 800 as just power amps many times, powering PA pole speakers and monitors. From the mixer to AUX IN on Amp Head and go.

They work fantastic.
Click to expand...

Are you forgetting the Bonus (if you call right now) headphone amp?
 
  • Like
Reactions: downlowuponit, agedhorse and S-Bigbottom
#46
agedhorse said:
Because that requires a new model name/number, sheet metal, internal mounting hardware, BOM, safety and EMC certification, regulatory technical file, and then there’s the building, inventorying, minimum order and production requirements, etc.

For the few that want this kind of product, it’s going to be limited to small builders who do not have the overhead and generally do not have safety and EMC regulatory compliance.

Ots less expensive to build and sell a single product with full functionality that can be bypassed than a neutered product IME.
Click to expand...

As someone who is familiar with all of the manufacturing processes mentioned above, I have to say that it is nice that the Mesa D350 (and anything like it from other mfrs that may currently exist or may be coming down the line) is available from a reliable, well-regarded manufacturer. So thanks to AgedHorse and the team for making it to begin with. It should hit the spot for what 95% of the market is looking for.

Anyone who is looking for a bare-bones Class D "amp only" can go the boutique route (or home brew), so it seems. Or...we can make do with one of the existing platforms that are available and just bypass the on-board tone controls via the Aux or Effects Loop. It's pretty clear that until customer demand changes significantly, a small, power-only light-weight finless amp with no tone controls as a stand-alone just isn't in the offering (other than those options already mentioned).
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
#47
JPJ said:
As someone who is familiar with all of the manufacturing processes mentioned above, I have to say that it is nice that the Mesa D350 (and anything like it from other mfrs that may currently exist or may be coming down the line) is available from a reliable, well-regarded manufacturer. So thanks to AgedHorse and the team for making it to begin with. It should hit the spot for what 95% of the market is looking for.
Click to expand...
I'm gassing for a Mesa D-350, and I just bought a D-800.
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
#52
JPJ said:
It's pretty clear that until customer demand changes significantly, a small, power-only light-weight finless amp with no tone controls as a stand-alone just isn't in the offering (other than those options already mentioned).
Click to expand...

I haven't read every word of the thread, but one that may not have been mentioned is the Ashly SRA-4150 (300w x 2 at 8 ohms): SRA convection-cooled - ashly

It would be ideal as a 600 watt amp if it only had the "Input Y" circuit that you find on Crown amps.
 
#54
Affordable options for those seeking around 300w.

I've had one of these for few years and it's been solid
Invalid Link Removed
It's not IcePower. 2 ohm per side stable, can be bridge to 4 ohms for (~500w)
The limiter works great. It does have a by-pass on the limiter.
Monoprice is good about returns if it doesn't work out.

Harley Benton Block-300 has IcePower and an EQ by-pass
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Find out their support and return policy before you buy one.
 
#55
radvbass said:
Thanks all for the responses so far. I'm not so interested in "building the power section". I'm more interested in having 1 solid, dependable, ergonomic power section and bring different tone to the party via the vendors pre-amps to help dial in my signature tones without the expense of the "whole amp". I know many of us go through the "endless search for tone". I know I do. I might look for a solid class d bass amp with less pre-amp features and play with vendor pre-amps to help find my sweet spot. Just an approach and looking for feedback (pros and cons). Thanks
Click to expand...

Buy a good D class amp and then buy different preamps that can be plugged into the Receive input socket.
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
#56
Agedhorse can weigh in with this one, but I have a Genz Benz 6.0-210 shuttle which has a tube preamp, which I think sounds fantastic, and so do many other bass players that hear me play. I use either a Godin Acoustibass or more often a Rob Allen MB2, both fretless, and both sound killer without any other pedals etc. It is also a rig that I have used often, but not at max volume, for at least 10 years, and I bought it used. I almost always use it also if we are playing through a PA.
 
  • Like
Reactions: S-Bigbottom and agedhorse
#57
moon-bass said:
Check out the sa-500 Straight Ahead by Jay Ganz. He's on TB and has a Facebook page. It's a very small (pedal board friendly), very portable/light power amp. It has a very quiet fan, a volume control, power switch, and speaker jack - nothing else. It has it's pros and cons, but I've been very happy with mine. It's also under $300.
Click to expand...


Absolutely check them out. Incredibly reliable, powerful. Jay is a great guy, too
 
  • Like
Reactions: moon-bass
#59
JPJ said:
Anyone who is looking for a bare-bones Class D "amp only" can go the boutique route (or home brew), so it seems.
Click to expand...
I'm an avid DIY'er, and have built a lot of my own gear. In fact I gigged on a completely home-made combo amp for several years. But now I'm older and wiser. ;) Of all the parts of my rig that I could make for myself, I'm going to leave the power amp to the big boys. For one thing, it's the most critical in terms of safety, because it plugs into AC and draws appreciable current. For another, it could do collateral damage such as blow a speaker.

I've done the "plug into the FX return" thing, when trying out homemade preamps. In addition to being easy and safe, the built-in preamp of the commercial amp functions as a convenient spare in case my DIY stuff craps out.

Here's an example of a DIY preamp:

ebpre.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: basmansam, rickdog, gtirard and 1 other person

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back