OK, then how about the difference between two amps in the same series?

[BassTractor]

Has anyone compared one of the following heads:

Beta Aivin BH500H
Harley Benton BA500H
Ibanez P500H Promethean
RedSub BT500H

with its 250W little sister? (where applicable)


Do they sound roughly the same?


best,
bert

Edited December 31, 2012 by BassTractor

[BassTractor]

Since no answers came in, lemme change the question:

When an amp factory delivers a certain solid state amp in two versions, say 250W and 500W, is there any experience out there that says they'll hardly ever or often will sound similar?

I was thinking that maybe when they have the same internal design, then some extra power stage transistors and a bigger psu might just make for a very similar amp. Then again, I know zilch.

So is there anything that can be said about that as a rule of thumb?


best,
bert

[stingrayPete1977]

IME they often make subtle differences just so the models dont tread on each others toes! My Genz 3.0 is all FET but the 6.0 has a Valve preamp, someone who wants the valve will plump for the more expensive one, someone who wants an amp bigger than 300 watt but solidstate rather than the valve preamp (and there are plenty of people out there who do regardless of what the experts tell me is enough) will have to go up to a Max series head to get that feature, I know all this to be true because I did just that, went for the 6.0 as my main head, bought a 3.0 as a spare/practice room head, preferred the sound of the 3.0 and bought a 9.2 Max twin channel head to essentially get the preamp of the 3.0 but with the power stage from a 900w shuttle

Most things are marketed like this, cars manufacturers being the experts!

Edited December 31, 2012 by stingrayPete1977

[Prime_BASS]

The markbass little mark tube and it's 800 watt brother are largely the same.
The sound is exactly the same as in these modern units the power amp section is sectioned off from the preamp.

Although that said, personally the 800 when it start pushing gets more compressed(in a bad way IMO) than the 500 and overall the 800 power amp isn't as good as delivering that power.

[Delberthot]

I may be imagining it but I find that the Boost control on my Gallien 1001RB II gives me more grit than on the 700RB II I had before

[BassTractor]

Thanks, guys! Hanging on your lips here.

My years in selling stereo gear and some TVs has given me quite some examples of units not even sounding basically the same, but some even [b]being[/b] the same, except for the position of a dip switch on the main board.
Glorious example is one TV where the right remote control gave access to a special "Brand and Model" menu.

So I was thinking there was a good chance the Beta Aivin BT500H and BT250H heads were very similar to each other. I'm so curious now that I'll try to get hold of a Promethean 500 W head and compare


[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1356983001' post='1916130']
The sound is exactly the same as in these modern units the power amp section is sectioned off from the preamp.
[/quote]

You mean they'll have that same pre, and the power sections won't colour [i]that[/i] differently? Or?


best,
bert