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**New SWR headlite™ Mini-Amp**

#61
I tried the LMII bag and did not like it. Its just a very soft bag, so not much protection. Also, its designed so that you still have to plug/unplug everything. I really like to save weight, but I'd rather carry the weight of a 2u gator rack bag (8LBS I think) and know my amp is totally protected and wired up ready to go.

My .02
 
#62
Hmmmm. Well I knew they were coming out with an amp called Headlight and it was some kind of component type system where they could be linked.

The SWR guys I'd talked I told they need 900 watts. Guess they didn't listen to little ol me. Uh I mean 900 from one output. These things do look neat and might serve some purposes but I need more power than 400 watts and another amp means another cab. Unless you can bridge the two somehow but I didn't see mention of that in the specs. Now one could always do something like take a 4x10 with 8 ohm drivers and have one set at each speak on at 4 ohms, then run the two amps. A 1ru rig and one cab but that would be strange.

Now I do see where the separate power amp some folks are going to like. Choosing to hook their favorite Preamp to one or more of them. I would like to see that power amp in a higher wattage package.

If they can get a half rack at 400 watts they surely could get a full rack space and an 800 watt output? Then guys could take something like a Kern Preamp (or other) and use a 2 space rack.

I do not see the glory in this package when you can get a Shuttle 9.0 as a stand alone unit. Perhaps the benefits will come to me after I have digested some of this.
 
#64
rpsands said:
The Shuttles are not 1u. If you want 1u, there is a point.

MB2-500 and F1/F500 are your only other micro options.
Click to expand...

You are correct.

Though the Shuttle 9.0 does not take up any more volumetric space than two of these, weighs about what one of them does, and is 900 watts.

I'm not on the 9.0 bandwagon just using it to compare.

I will say I was looking at the features of the Headlight I do like what I see in features. Now if it were 800 watts alone I would be giddy. :D

I will have to play one before I reserve final judgement on them. Fortunately I have an SWR dealer near me (Galaxy Music) and I will be able to compare my LMIII and 9.0 to them just to see how powerful they are.
 
#68
tombowlus said:
Ah, you may be right. I was thinking that you were just referring to the crop of super-duper small 500-watt heads. :cool:
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Naw. In that department, these new SWR heads are already kicked in the pants for the value, but there is seriously something to say for the 1U formfactor.

Hell with all the 1/2 rack and 1/3 rack units available you could get a LOT of amp and effects into a 3u rack case.

2 semi parametrics, a presonus tube pre = 1u
2 amplites = 1u
2 1/2 rack FX units = 1u
 
#69
::::BASSIST:::: said:
I tried the LMII bag and did not like it. Its just a very soft bag, so not much protection. Also, its designed so that you still have to plug/unplug everything. I really like to save weight, but I'd rather carry the weight of a 2u gator rack bag (8LBS I think) and know my amp is totally protected and wired up ready to go.

My .02
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't like having to unplug everything from the head everywhere, but it's still better than others' bags. As for protection, it's plenty good for the "weekend warrior" gigs I do(cafes, etc).
 
#70
I have played through these beauties, and they are sweet. Warm, versatile, powerful, and they come in a nifty carry bag also. I never understood what "SWR tone" means... there's such a wide variety of artists that play SWR... Stanley and Marcus of course, but also Robbie Merrill, Alex Webster, Bryan Beller (Dethklok), Pablo Stennett from Ziggy's band, John Hatton from Bryan Setzer's Orch... SWR rocks and so do these new amps! :o)
 
#72
The controls look extremely similar to the Baby Blue series of amps, with the addition of a couple bells and whistles (compressor, mid freq shift). I wonder if there is any chance that SWR got a little lazy design wise and basically just strapped a digital power amp to the baby blue pre?

That would be a very, very good thing. The Baby Blue is one of the best sounding amps ever made, IMO.

I'm not sure I get all the complaints about price and missing 100 watts. Price seems within the normal micro head range. Who's to say they didn't use the same digital power amp that most everybody else uses, and the difference in rating is a difference in implementation?

Edit: This could potentially retire my little mark. The gk micro head couldn't do that.
 
#73
Great looking for sure.

I just bought a TC Electronics RH450 today which for a bit more $$$ and weight... offers more IMO. Same with the SM12.0 I used to own. Both are $200-300 more than the SWR, but offer compression, presets and a tuner in the case of the TC and 2 preamps and more wattage with the 12.0.

Nothing against SWR, but you'd figure that since they are a couple of years late to the party, they would release something killer and really leading edge.
 
#79
Baird6869 said:
Nothing against SWR, but you'd figure that since they are a couple of years late to the party, they would release something killer and really leading edge.
Click to expand...

There are ones who lead and ones who follow. I think Markbass made a lot of companies realise how thin ice they are walking on. If you do not see such change in preference of players coming, it takes a while to catch up.

Perhaps they just took their time on this one. After all, G-Ks step into micro head market was a disaster, since it was not throughly tested yet. I doubt any manufacturer would want 10+ pages of negative feedback on Talkbass.
 

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