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New Carvin B1000

#101
These are in stock on the Carvin website now. I haven't played a B1000, but FWIW I have an older B800 which is almost the same power (300W @ 2ohm, 500W @ 4 ohm, 800W @ 2ohm), and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. If someone stole it or it somehow got destroyed, I would probably replace it with the B1000 if I couldn't find another B800. I use it with an Avatar 8ohm SB112 and a 4ohm B212, and any combination of these cabs with this amp will cover gigs of any size and type. From quiet restaurants with a singer, congas, and acoustic guitar, to medium sized stages playing sludgey metal with 2 guitarists and a loud drummer whose symbols I want to take away, I have never wanted more or less power from the head. The tone is representative of how the EQ is set and what bass and cabs you're using.
 
#104
Grateful said:
How is it misleading and salesmanny?
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I'd like to know why you feel that way as well.... 2ohm functionality is increasingly important in today's market IMHO. With both amps and cabs becoming increasingly compact, and single 12's and 210's becoming being designed to perform at higher SPLs and with a wider frequency range (extended range basses) than ever before...... many pro players want a 210 or even a single 12 with which they can extract the maximum wattage from their head (meaning a 4 ohm nominal impedance) for small to medium gigs, but have the ability to add another 4 ohm cabinet for outdoor or larger gigs.

These days, a hi-performance 210 and a burly 112, powered by am amp the size of pack of cigarettes has replaced the Giant Solid State 4-rackspace beaster atop a 410 and 115 that was the stage-pro's go-to rig twenty years ago..... and the new stuff sounds better and gets damn near as loud as back then too. It's an awesome time!!!
 
#105
Why ? Because I believe most bass players prefer to run their amps at either 8 or 4 ohms. It's my understanding that making an amp work at 2 ohms affects the amp's THD and Sound quality. Essentially, making the amp work harder and degrading the sound a little. Also, I wanted to add that I've had pleasant experiences with Carvin. I had a R series 2-10 combo that was a great value and I own a SB5001 that will be with me forever.
 
#106
So maybe this thread is an appropriate place to ask.... I have ZERO experience with any of the Carvin heads, but like everything I've heard.

My basic question is... I need tons and tons of power.. obviously the BX1600 is gonna be much more flexible than the B2000.... but in terms of basic "personality", what are the fundamental differences in terms of TONE between these two amps?

Anyone?
 
#107
pablomigraine said:
So maybe this thread is an appropriate place to ask.... I have ZERO experience with any of the Carvin heads, but like everything I've heard.

My basic question is... I need tons and tons of power.. obviously the BX1600 is gonna be much more flexible than the B2000.... but in terms of basic "personality", what are the fundamental differences in terms of TONE between these two amps?

Anyone?
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In simple terms, the BX is bright and modern sounding, the B is warmer and fuller, more old school.
 
#108
pablomigraine said:
So maybe this thread is an appropriate place to ask.... I have ZERO experience with any of the Carvin heads, but like everything I've heard.

My basic question is... I need tons and tons of power.. obviously the BX1600 is gonna be much more flexible than the B2000.... but in terms of basic "personality", what are the fundamental differences in terms of TONE between these two amps?

Anyone?
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I never played the 2000, but I own the BX1500. You said it yourself: the BX1600 would be more flexible. I pretty much have found my sound and don't do much tweaking at all, but, with the choices of EQ on that amp, I can't imagine that you would not be able to get whatever sound you wanted.
 
#110
I use the BX1500 in bi-amp mode when I have gigs where using two cabs/larger rig is called for, and the sound is strikingly better than running any single cab in full range mode. I think that flexibility makes the BX a better choice. And the expanded EQ range doesn't hurt either. IMHO.

It is just shocking how much fuller, clearer, and more controlled the rig is in bi-amp then full range.
 
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#111
Session1969 said:
Why ? Because I believe most bass players prefer to run their amps at either 8 or 4 ohms. It's my understanding that making an amp work at 2 ohms affects the amp's THD and Sound quality. Essentially, making the amp work harder and degrading the sound a little. Also, I wanted to add that I've had pleasant experiences with Carvin. I had a R series 2-10 combo that was a great value and I own a SB5001 that will be with me forever.
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That isn't necessarily so...

There are a number of amp makes/models that operate optimally at 4 ohms, but can tolerate 2 ohms to a limited extent, or in a pinch (Euphonic Audio & Mesa Boogie come to mind).

That isn't the case with the Carvin B1000 and B2000, which are designed to operate normally @ 2 ohms. That being the case, and knowing Carvin's reputation for good quality, I seriously doubt that either of these two amps suffer much, if any, increase in distortion or overall degradation of sound quality when operated normally at their lowest impedance rating.

MM
 
#112
I recently bought a Carvin B1000, and am extremely happy with it. I use it in a loud classic rock cover band, and don't need to turn it up past 2, even for outdoor gigs. PLENTY of clean power. Big fat punchy sound all night long. Easy tone controls, can dial in a great sound quickly with no fuss. EVERYONE who's heard it thinks it sounds amazing. My very first Carvin product, certainly not my last!
 
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#113
lowerclef said:
I recently bought a Carvin B1000, and am extremely happy with it. I use it in a loud classic rock cover band, and don't need to turn it up past 2, even for outdoor gigs. PLENTY of clean power. Big fat punchy sound all night long. Easy tone controls, can dial in a great sound quickly with no fuss. EVERYONE who's heard it thinks it sounds amazing. My very first Carvin product, certainly not my last!
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Good to hear. I like the layout of it and my Carvin BX1200 is kinda heavy, although it's a great amp.
 
#114
I currently use a bx500 and a bx1500 (separate bands and typically different venues). The bx1500 is my main amp and the bx500 is my backup, and I use it for smaller gigs - typically dive bars. I rely heavily on the 2-ohm capability as all my cabs are 4 ohms. So why, why, why am I so intrigued by this amp? Somebody slap me...
 
#115
The problem with this amp running full power at 2ohms is that most 4ohm cabs aren't rated to run at 600w. I, for example, run 15" cabs, and it is damn near impossible to find a 15 that can handle 600w. Okay, so then I get an 8ohm 15 and run at 325w. But then if I double up my cabs and run at 4ohm, I'm not getting the full power/volume of the amp!

Really the only way to get the most out of these carvin 2ohm amps is to run them through carvin brx cabinets. And that's super lame. I mean let's say at some point I can finally afford a greenboy dually. Well guess what? The b1000 would leave that thing hungry, sending only 600w to its 4ohm load!
 
#116
ArturoOsito said:
The problem with this amp running full power at 2ohms is that most 4ohm cabs aren't rated to run at 600w. I, for example, run 15" cabs, and it is damn near impossible to find a 15 that can handle 600w. Okay, so then I get an 8ohm 15 and run at 325w. But then if I double up my cabs and run at 4ohm, I'm not getting the full power/volume of the amp!

Really the only way to get the most out of these carvin 2ohm amps is to run them through carvin brx cabinets. And that's super lame. I mean let's say at some point I can finally afford a greenboy dually. Well guess what? The b1000 would leave that thing hungry, sending only 600w to its 4ohm load!
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Perhaps the more important question is not whether you are "getting the most" from your amp head, but whether you are getting sufficient power (and tone of course) for the gigs you play. As for the power reserves left over after your cabs have been driven to their maximum necessary SPL, we call that headroom - excess amp capacity that is even more important for the quality of your tone, than it is for the quantity of your volume.

MM
 
#118
lowerclef said:
I recently bought a Carvin B1000, and am extremely happy with it. I use it in a loud classic rock cover band, and don't need to turn it up past 2, even for outdoor gigs. PLENTY of clean power. Big fat punchy sound all night long. Easy tone controls, can dial in a great sound quickly with no fuss. EVERYONE who's heard it thinks it sounds amazing. My very first Carvin product, certainly not my last!
Click to expand...
What type of cab are you using the B1000 with & what impedence is it?
 

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