WOW - TC BAM200 Price today on Amazon

[DaDo625]

Mine finally popped after a few days/times used.

Bummer...
I've been using mine every day with no problems....but it has been light duty practice, modest volume.

Just a random puff of magic smoke ?

Or was Death Metal/Drugs & Alcohol/small arms fire/pyrotechnics involved? - If I might be so bold as to inquire?

 

[lug]

Bummer...
I've been using mine every day with no problems....but it has been light duty practice, modest volume.

Just a random puff of magic smoke ?

Or was Death Metal/Drugs & Alcohol/small arms fire/pyrotechnics involved? - If I might be so bold as to inquire?

Died whilst just sitting powered up w/o any input at all. One thing I thought was odd from the beginning was how hot it got under no load at all.

 

[DaDo625]

Died whilst just sitting powered up w/o any input at all. One thing I thought was odd from the beginning was how hot it got under no load at all.

So true - as in - use this for a coffee cup warmer - but that would only hasten the demise.
Yet another reason to hang on to all the packaging.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Dude go for it. It is a REALLY great amp. I don't know what the actual guts are in there regarding compression, eq, etc, but I have had the Elf, BAM200, and the Gnome iPro, and the Gnome is the only one that feels like a 500w+ amp when played at medium/moderate volume levels.

It's only 280W, so I am a bit confused. My concern is more how clean the preamp is (no colouration would be good) and whether I can then pair it up with a sufficiently flat amp. My current amps are two Warwick Profet 3.1s (the unpopular linear volume control ones) which are not completely uncoloured in terms of the preamp, but warm, but do have a return and compression. They are, in this day and age, heavier than optimal for 300W, though. Cabs - Tech (aka TecAmp) 1x15s with horns - 30lbs, seem relatively flat. It's either that or look at FRFR all-in ones, which do have the advantage of often being in wedge configuration. (I like to have two of everything for some reason).

I hear you on the FX loop. I would pay more if they would dump the USB interface and put an FX loop in there instead!

You seem to be able to get USB interfaces in your box of cornflakes these days - I don't need more of them!

 

[wintremute]

Mine finally popped after a few days/times used.

Well that totally sucks. How many hours would you estimate you put on it?

 

[MegaSwing]

Well, mine filled my living room with a foul smell during a light practice. It's probably done.

 

[lug]

Well that totally sucks. How many hours would you estimate you put on it?

I probably played 3 or 4 hours but I've left it powered up for maybe 20 hrs. It finally failed just sitting there w/o any input to it at all. I did notice it would get hot even with no load and the fan would come on in about a minute or 2 of powering up. Most of the failures were within minutes of powering up so I was hoping that past infant mortality, it would be ok. nope.

 

[txhawaii]

@lug I was on the fence about sending mine back but after reading your last post? Screw it. Back to sender.

 

[musicman556]

Yea. Y'all have convinced me. These "delayed pops" along with ho-hum tone are making me realize I just don't need this amp, even though it was inexpensive.

When I get back to town, mine with be returned aa well.

 

[lug]

Yea. Y'all have convinced me. These "delayed pops" along with ho-hum tone are making me realize I just don't need this amp, even though it was inexpensive.

When I get back to town, mine with be returned aa well.

I was fine with the sound, not so fine with the smell.

 

[musicman556]

I was fine with the sound, not so fine with the smell.

You are correct, it is passable as a loudener of input signal. But the strong/high-set HPF and stuff just made it not that much fun for me. I did kinda laugh and kinda of enjoyed pushing it for the few minutes I played it because you could hear it working to save itself/restrict lows, etc.

But it's not something I WANT... kinda like absolutely flogging a 30 year-old Toyota Corolla or something... it's fun just flinging a tin can to its absolute limits and beyond for a bit, but I don't want that for a daily.

The novelty of the low price has quickly worn off and I realize I already have MUCH better amps that in the scheme of things aren't that much heavier. (Thanks Mesa, GK, Aguilar!)

 

[MegaSwing]

At least Amazon is very customer-friendly, so a return/refund is no issue, other than the general inconvenience of it all. But it is clear that somebody facing the prospect of a total loss pulled a fast one here and took in a lot of money behind essentially false pretenses.

 

[bassbrad]

Mine gave up the stink today after less than 2 weeks of using it for practicing, but I have been averaging 2.5 hours a day. Dang it really sounded sweet with my 1x10, 1x12 and 1x15 with just enough power but not too much. It was a bit honky with my UB804 eub though.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Man, with every passing week, the failure ratio on these keeps going up! It was a surprising quirk at first with this amp, but we are truly into Ford Pinto territory now

 

[lug]

Man, with every passing week, the failure ratio on these keeps going up! It was a surprising quirk at first with this amp, but we are truly into Ford Pinto territory now

I've owned both! Truely, I'm lucky to be alive.

 

[Cave Puppy]

At least Amazon is very customer-friendly, so a return/refund is no issue, other than the general inconvenience of it all.

My Amazon return for the BAM 200 no longer shows a picture of it - Just says "image not available." Refund is almost done processing.

 

[DaDo625]

I've owned both! Truely, I'm lucky to be alive.

As have I.... 1971 Hatchback, 1.6L, 4 on the floor...

 

[DaDo625]

And I'm on day 16, home practice level, and no smoke & pop...It does get pretty toasty warm...
BTW I noticed that if I use it as a headphone amp is cools down pretty quickly...FWTW.
Plan on taking it (and some alternate) to band practice this weekend.

 

[Basselink]

Mine still worked as of the other day but too many fatalities for me - I just submitted the return request and will be looking for a nearby Kohl's.

 

[RJC1811]

Well mine fried as well. I can't say it was unexpected. I played at home for about two hours and it got really hot but kept playing. I took it to rehearsal last night and an hour in and it started cutting out. A few minutes later, the stink, and then it was done. I shut it down and unplugged it and let it cool. Tried again and nothing. Not something rattles inside? Maybe a glued on heat sink? Processed the return on Amazon today, just have to drop it off at the UPS store.

I have to believe this will cost TC a ton of money. Unless their plan it to file bankruptcy and leave Amazon and other retailers hanging?