OP here... My intention here was to gather some feedback from those who have compared "old school" lead sleds like my old Crest CA9/Alembic F1X to the newest generation of bass amps- the class D, micro amps. At the heart of my question is whether there is any sonic sacrifice for the sake of portability. Most think not.
How the thread turned into several pages of amp gut shots is a mystery to me. I suppose threads take on lives of their own and that is fine. This is, after all, a public forum.
It deserves to be pointed out however that returning to hand wired, PTP, all tube amps was never an option I was even remotely considering. To spite the seductive, old school, military spec, overbuilding that the gut shots clearly show, power tubes, in and of themselves, are the weak link in those bass amp designs. They may deliver a sound that you like but arguing that they are superior is just silly.
The wiring may be spectacular, the transformers may be bigger than a Buick, the chasis' may be made of aircraft aluminum, but if there is a power tube involved you are using an inherently delicate, and therefor, unreliable technology. Amplifying bass frequencies places enormous strain on power tubes. Practicality must be considered.
A look under the hood of a Ferrari will reveal the same kind of meticulous crafting, but nobody would ever claim that a Ferrari is the best car to drive to work.
How the thread turned into several pages of amp gut shots is a mystery to me. I suppose threads take on lives of their own and that is fine. This is, after all, a public forum.
It deserves to be pointed out however that returning to hand wired, PTP, all tube amps was never an option I was even remotely considering. To spite the seductive, old school, military spec, overbuilding that the gut shots clearly show, power tubes, in and of themselves, are the weak link in those bass amp designs. They may deliver a sound that you like but arguing that they are superior is just silly.
The wiring may be spectacular, the transformers may be bigger than a Buick, the chasis' may be made of aircraft aluminum, but if there is a power tube involved you are using an inherently delicate, and therefor, unreliable technology. Amplifying bass frequencies places enormous strain on power tubes. Practicality must be considered.
A look under the hood of a Ferrari will reveal the same kind of meticulous crafting, but nobody would ever claim that a Ferrari is the best car to drive to work.
