Um... wow. That’s about all I can say about this thing. What a beast (albeit a very clean and well mannered beast). Didn’t expect it to be that much larger than the Doubler.
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NAD EA Classic
- Thread starter Hasty
- Start date
Is that a MAS 28 cab the amp's sitting on?
What are your impressions of it relative to the Doubler (and is that a Doubler II)?
Me too. I have a Grace Felix now, but having a two channel input would be a nice option on the classic. It’s the best sounding amp I’ve ever owned in regards to a clean signal path.
Yep. It’s sitting on a MAS 28.
Pictures is a Doubler II, but I also have a first generation Doubler as well.
Let me ponder this question for a bit. I’ve had the Classic for a few months now and I’ve definitely developed some opinions. Spoiler alert… that Classic has pretty much ruined my chances of liking other things.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,935
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I've been a long-time iAMP player, and I have owned most versions of the iAMP. I must say, this latest iAMP Classic is just amazing, and the best of the bunch. Very authoritative, and very clear, with a tremendous tone stack. It is one of my all-time favorite bass heads, for sure! 
Ok, I've given this one some thought... played through both heads (EA Classic and the Doubler II) to compare them. They're both played through a MAS 28 can with mid and tweeter (rated at 4 ohm).
Doubler II- Overall Impression... clear and focused. A serious amp that gets down to business.
This is a fantastic amp. Some good improvements over the first gen Doubler from a physical standpoint. Acoustically, I would rate both Doublers as excellent heads that clearly define your bass. Very clean and an excellent representation of what you put into it. This has both good and bad points. Good because it's your bass, only louder. Bad because it can also be very unforgiving of any bad habits you might have because the tone created is exactly what you put into it. I think that's made me a much better player overall (from a technique standpoint).
EA Classic- Overall Impression... It's got the world on a string. Everything I like about the Doubler... but on steroids... and it always makes it saving throw.
Like the Doubler, the Classic does an excellent job of recreating whatever you put into it. Clean, clear, almost pristine. However it goes beyond that. This amp sounds huge, wide, almost expansive. It's so hard to put it into perspective. It almost has a physical presence, that just sort of wraps you up in a hug of bass sound... without being loud or oppressive, or even warm and fuzzy like big tube amps. Maybe it's something that just goes beyond words for me. It handles pedals and effects like a champ. My Double Bass sounds articulate, warm , and natural. The 5 string sounds wonderfully clean. The fretless 4 string... we won't even get into how good that sounds... but man the tone stack just make it almost perfect. And the fretless with a little bit of chorus... I almost salivate when I think about how good it sounds.
This thing also has power for days and sounds good all the way up the dial. The only thing it changes is the volume. I've played several outdoor gigs with a very loud big band and an even louder drummer. We don't always play loud, but when we do... we get loud! Also done some electric jazz quartets that I would compare to a rock band with more blue notes. I really haven't gone up higher than 40% on the master volume in any situation, there hasn't been a need.
Probably more than you asked for, but I hope it was useful.
I appreciate the detail! Might elaborate later but, for now, will just say thanks!
