Ashdown B Social

[Muppet]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]S[/color][/font][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]o I managed to get my hands on one of these small desktop amplifiers. This is the original version although they have now introduced a B Social Lite, which is a smaller, one speaker version. [/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]The build quality is great- it feels very solid and the external components don’t feel cheap and plasticky. [/color][color=#000000]It’s bigger than I remember and also heavier. The sound quality through either the active or passive input is excellent and setting the optimum level is easy with separate level controls for the two instrument inputs. It’s then also very easy to balance this with the separate eq section that controls the stereo input.[/color] [color=#000000]It’s not going to go ear bleedingly loud, but then that’s not the point.[/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]It accepts a Bluetooth stereo feed in (from a phone or similar) as well as accepting a regular 3.5mm cable input. [/color][color=#000000]The sound quality from Bluetooth streaming is also very good and will connect automatically after the initial device pairing. [/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]The Apptek functionality works fine, using a four pole 3.5mm lead in to the headphone out of my iPad. As your bass is plugged in to the B Social not the iPad there is some latency but it’s not huge. You don’t need to use Ampkit though; Amplitube, Bias/JamUp and other iOS apps work just as well. To be honest I’m not using these as the sound quality from the amp itself is excellent. [/color][color=#000000]Oh and there’s as stereo line out too in case you needed it. [/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]The unit also allows you to connect a bass (or guitar – guitars sound good through this too) wirelessly, using a dongle with a ¼” plug on the end. The dongle is rechargeable via micro-USB. [/color][color=#000000]It’s bloody ugly mind, especially if you compare it to the design of other transmitters such as the SmoothHound wireless system. [/color][color=#000000]Sound quality is not as good as with a lead, but it works fine and in tandem with Bluetooth streaming provides convenient wire free playing.[/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]Also impressive is the quality of the recording in to my laptop via USB. Noise levels are very low, latency is virtually zero and no specific software is needed. [/color][color=#000000]If you want to monitor via headphones, a switch on the back disconnects the speakers.[/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]Any niggles? Some minor. [/color][color=#000000]The speaker cones are not covered – the new B Social Lite has grilles so maybe these can be retrofitted. [/color][color=#000000]I’d like a tuner and also maybe an accessible mute switch.[/color] [color=#000000]And the manual could cover more around connectivity, Apptek setup and recording.[/color][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#000000]This really is a great desktop solution with loads of features, some I will use more than others. It’s portable, looks good and delivers excellent sound quality. The only issue remains around price. I’d really struggle to justify spending £600 on this, even though I can understand now why Ashdown pitched it at this price point. [/color][/font]

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[Muzz]

What's it actually for, though?

[floFC]

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1485267044' post='3222614']
What's it actually for, though?
[/quote]
It's for whatever you like, be wild!

I'll tell you what I use mine for:
I live up North (ish) but work in London, so I stay here during the week and rent a small room. To pass time in the grim city I needed a docking station for my phone to play some music and a small practice amp to play my bass through. And cables, lots of cables.
So I got the B-Social, the sound quality streaming audio from my phone/laptop through the bluetooth connection is pretty good. I can use my bass using the included wireless system and play along, or practice against a backing track, drum track etc. I have even recorded a few things just because it is there (that involves cables though). So for me it is a great solution for my predicament - I guess this is not what Ashdown had in mind when they created it, otherwise it would have been called the B-Hermit.
Like Muppet said, it is a great piece of kit, the build quality is fantastic and the features really good. A few bits are not ideal, but on the whole I really like it.
I didn't not pay the full price either, I could not have justified that.

[GreeneKing]

There's one for sale on TB. Initially $245 and now open to offer. I wonder if he'll ship? They don't seem to hold a price Stateside.