Why do some folks hate Hartke so much?

[4Mal]

I dont like them because the Hartke 4000 head blew my 1x15 speaker... You would think that it wouldnt since the cabs together took 450 watts and the head put out only 400 watts...
That is Hartke for you.

uhh, dude...amps don't generally blow speakers. Bass players who don't listen to their rig complaining do ... If your rig sounds like it's in pain, it probably is and you should
1.turn down
2. change your EQ to cut the offending freq
3. plan on buying new gear ...

Your choice ...

 

[steve21]

i don't like the sound of the hartkes i've played.

 

[BartmanPDX]

I have a Hartke 410XL that I got around 1990. I've never pushed it even remotely hard, always treated it very well, and I have to say, it sounds very different than any of the Hartkes I've heard that were made in the last 10 years or so. I wonder if they changed the specs/manufacturing, etc???

Anyway, it sounds pretty good. Some day (probably after I get yet ANOTHER bass), I'm going to get a Bergie, but for now, it still sounds pretty nice to my ears . . .

 

[4Mal]

I had an older 3500 for quite a while. Ran it at 4 ohms through a pair of JBL 15's. Not a bad sounging setup at all. Clean and punchy. It never hiccupped on my watch. I paid $275 for it used and sold if to a sales guy at Bass Northwest for $250.

I never did play through thir cabinets. For some reason, Aluminum speaker cones have never struck me as a technology promising warm... (and this coming from a JBL guy...).

Far as Carvin goes. Well in my experience it doesn't go far... (well except for the power amps which do seem to be a relative bargain...)

I think part of the knock on Hartke comes from the physical packaging. This is an amp that needs to be racked and needs to be 'placed' in the van rather than tossed in the van... What do you really expect at the price point though ... You aren't paying for a Hummer, it's kind of unrealistic to expect one for a Chevy price tag ...