OK, I've had my B|Amp for three days now, I know it is early but I feel confident to share some thoughts. Some of you may have seen my previous posts, in short, I've had a Glockenklang Heart Rock which I love for the last ten years, I recently started a band again after a long break and I was looking for something lighter. I didn't believe I would find something that great, I was kinda looking for a good compromise between weight and tone. I tried the new Glockenklang Steamhammer, it had some nice aspects (very responsive for example), in the beginning I thought it was a good enough replacement, but at the end of the day I felt the tone was a little harsher than what I was used to. So it went back and I was reluctant to try another class D amp. I briefly tested a Mesa D800 which had a sweet tone but I knew it wasn't for me, I like a hifi, transparent tone. But based on the advice of the good fellows here on TB (esp. Tom Bowlus who has consistently given me impressively spot-on advice on gear) I thought I'd also give the B|Amp a shot. I loved the logic behind it, I was very curious but tried not to keep my hopes up because I thought it would be similar to the Steamhammer, having the same power amp and all. Boy was I wrong.
The B|Amp is actually cleaner than the Heart Rock. It is a little brighter flat and is comparably full (in my Glock comparison, the Steamhammer seemed more focused and the Blue Soul more open - the HR and B|Amp are just right for my taste). The HR might seem a little "warmer", but that's not because the B|Amp is sterile, it's because it's cleaner. But you can also give it a little grit with the overdrive effect if you need that kind of tone. I was afraid that the effects would sound fake because they're digital, but they're surprisingly nice - OK, I still prefer my Fulltone Bassdrive's overdrive, after all it has more knobs to tweak, but the B|Amp's overdrive really is good enough for some grit, very usable and the convenience it offers is undeniable. The distortions are also at a very good level with the latest firmware, and will probably get even better as the amp gets updated.
Now I've seen a few members here saying they're intimidated by the LCD screen and all the options, worrying that they will find it difficult to operate the amp. Let me assure you this is not an issue. It's like saying you're intimidated by all the roads outside your house, because you don't know where to go with all these options. Well, you can perfectly stay right where you are and not worry about it! The amp is usable from the moment you turn it on - set your gain so the overload LED doesn't blink, turn up the volume and go. You already have 4 well chosen eq points to shape your sound, just like with any other amp. But all the options available make this amp really special (as if its basic tone wasn't enough - which it is). And it's not hard to understand how it works, just spend a few minutes with the manual and you'll find your way around the menus, they are as simple as they could be and IMO it's worth the small effort. You're perfectly fine without it, but once you get familiar with all the possibilities you'll wonder how you can go back to the other... dare I say primitive amps, 'cause that's how I feel about other amps right now. For example, press mute, pluck a string and you have a tuner on screen! Easy.
Now, for the heated class A/B vs class D debate, since the HR is one of the heavyweight A/B beasts... Well they do feel different, but not necessarily in a bad way. I could use this analogy, it's like a hydraulic vs electric steering wheel in a car. The HR still feels more "natural" to me, after all it's what I'm used to, but I can't say the B|Amp (or Steamhammer) felt "bad". They feel quicker and maybe with a "flatter" response/decay. I'm sure I'll get used to it - actually it might even seem more "correct" theoretically, if that makes sense. But it's too soon for me to get into that, these are early and probably immature thoughts.
All in all, I am thrilled. This is a jawdropping piece of equipment, a perfect blank canvas which becomes a swiss knife of amps when you consider all the options. I like it as much as my Heart Rock, which I didn't consider to be possible, and even more in some aspects. It has little more self-noise, but not to an annoying level. The HR is still an amazing amp, but the B|Amp is like the ascendance to a new level in bass amplification - light, packed with convenient features while still user-friendly and without sacrificing tone. I know I sound like a commercial, but I really think it's that ridiculously good, and if you're into clean, hifi, transparent tone, you need one!
The B|Amp is actually cleaner than the Heart Rock. It is a little brighter flat and is comparably full (in my Glock comparison, the Steamhammer seemed more focused and the Blue Soul more open - the HR and B|Amp are just right for my taste). The HR might seem a little "warmer", but that's not because the B|Amp is sterile, it's because it's cleaner. But you can also give it a little grit with the overdrive effect if you need that kind of tone. I was afraid that the effects would sound fake because they're digital, but they're surprisingly nice - OK, I still prefer my Fulltone Bassdrive's overdrive, after all it has more knobs to tweak, but the B|Amp's overdrive really is good enough for some grit, very usable and the convenience it offers is undeniable. The distortions are also at a very good level with the latest firmware, and will probably get even better as the amp gets updated.
Now I've seen a few members here saying they're intimidated by the LCD screen and all the options, worrying that they will find it difficult to operate the amp. Let me assure you this is not an issue. It's like saying you're intimidated by all the roads outside your house, because you don't know where to go with all these options. Well, you can perfectly stay right where you are and not worry about it! The amp is usable from the moment you turn it on - set your gain so the overload LED doesn't blink, turn up the volume and go. You already have 4 well chosen eq points to shape your sound, just like with any other amp. But all the options available make this amp really special (as if its basic tone wasn't enough - which it is). And it's not hard to understand how it works, just spend a few minutes with the manual and you'll find your way around the menus, they are as simple as they could be and IMO it's worth the small effort. You're perfectly fine without it, but once you get familiar with all the possibilities you'll wonder how you can go back to the other... dare I say primitive amps, 'cause that's how I feel about other amps right now. For example, press mute, pluck a string and you have a tuner on screen! Easy.
Now, for the heated class A/B vs class D debate, since the HR is one of the heavyweight A/B beasts... Well they do feel different, but not necessarily in a bad way. I could use this analogy, it's like a hydraulic vs electric steering wheel in a car. The HR still feels more "natural" to me, after all it's what I'm used to, but I can't say the B|Amp (or Steamhammer) felt "bad". They feel quicker and maybe with a "flatter" response/decay. I'm sure I'll get used to it - actually it might even seem more "correct" theoretically, if that makes sense. But it's too soon for me to get into that, these are early and probably immature thoughts.
All in all, I am thrilled. This is a jawdropping piece of equipment, a perfect blank canvas which becomes a swiss knife of amps when you consider all the options. I like it as much as my Heart Rock, which I didn't consider to be possible, and even more in some aspects. It has little more self-noise, but not to an annoying level. The HR is still an amazing amp, but the B|Amp is like the ascendance to a new level in bass amplification - light, packed with convenient features while still user-friendly and without sacrificing tone. I know I sound like a commercial, but I really think it's that ridiculously good, and if you're into clean, hifi, transparent tone, you need one!
