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every have a amp that really brought out the BASS from your speakers?


jbsl

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You ever had a power amp, SS or tubes, that just makes the BASS from your speakers just hit you in the chest and put a real BIG GRIN [:D] on your face?

My best friend used to dj with La Scalas and used a Hafler DH 200 SS 100 watts power amp that just put out the bass that just hit you in the chest and put a real BIG GRIN [:D] on your face!!![Y]

Well ever since I got my La Scalas I have used SS and tubes and have gotten good bass but not chest thumping bass. That is until my buddy said he still had the Hafler in his closset.

Brought it back from San Antonio the other night and have been using it as the main amp and bi amping using tubes for the midrange and tweeter horns and the Hafler for the bass.

So far bi amping gives the best overall sound.

I miss going to his parties cause he could really cut loose with the La Scalas and they always sounded incredible. Some people don't realize how loud a 100 watt amp with La Scalas can get.

So anyone else have or had a amp that had that type of bass? It may not have had the best mids, highs but the bass was as good as it gets.

post-13699-13819349699776_thumb.jpg

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In my case, using Cornwalls, an Adcom GFA 555ii or 545ii has very good bass. There are some caveats however.

If you can get the series ii, these will probably have the power supply bypass caps which can make a very audible difference. The bass will be different from what a number of you may be hearing in your set ups so you may not like it; however, these are very affordable used amps and the bypass caps are easily and cheaply installed or refreshed.

I found the bass to be very accurate, articulate and definitely not muddy. However, it would NOT be described as "rich" or "full". My friends can all hear the difference. Most agree that it sounds very accurate but not all are in agreement that it was necessarily "better". If you can hear one with the power supply caps bypassed, it is definitely worth a listen. Please keep in mind that this is a $250-350 amp. I would think in a bi-amped configuration (say after an electronic crossover) this could lead to a very nice configuration.

It is interesting that the Hafler DH200 was mentioned. These can be purchased for about $150. They are various degrees of modification available (some quite expensive). For someone with limited skill and about $25 worth of parts (mostly caps), these can sound even better (especially since they are getting fairly old by now). I will disagree on point however. Of all their good attributes, a strong bass is not one of them, IMO. Overall, the Hafler DH200 or 220 is a good choice.

Good Luck,

-Tom

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The bass I would get from my Cornwalls when using my 160 wpc mid-70s Kenwood KR-9600 would rattle your teeth. Doesn't sound as good all-around as my Scott 299b but man oh man the bass was to die for. They just don't make those gigantic 2-channel SS receivers like they used to. Not without a huge pricetag anyway.

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I forgot to mention...

Many years ago I heard a couple of pro amps driving an Altec VOTT system. We listened using a Crown amp (D series & I forget the specific model). It sounded very good. We then hooked up an Altec amp (9440 I believe). The bass was fantastic! The amp had been recently refurbished, but it was still stock as I recall.

Again, this is a very different sound then what you will be getting from some of the tube amps mentioned previously. Whether you find the difference to be better or worse, I can't predict. These Altec amps do come up on eBay occasionally. There are some different versions (9440, 9444?, 9440A etc) and I do not know which is the preferred model. Remember these were used in commercial environments and are at least 25 years old I guess. They will need some attention. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, the bass reproduction would be worth the effort. They don't cost all that much on eBay, but I have no idea how much of a job it would be to clean one up.

Perhaps DJK or others have some thoughts on this.

Good Luck,

-Tom

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The new IcePower amps such as the Bel Canto Ref1000 produce tight bass that is in a different category than other amps I have owned and they love low impedances. I kept my 555II around for bass duties but these amps grab the drivers with an iron fist. Then again, for the price they better though the cheap Murano Audio 100 watter sounds fantasic with K-horns.

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In my case, using Cornwalls, an Adcom GFA 555ii or 545ii has very good bass. There are some caveats however.

If you can get the series ii, these will probably have the power supply bypass caps which can make a very audible difference. The bass will be different from what a number of you may be hearing in your set ups so you may not like it; however, these are very affordable used amps and the bypass caps are easily and cheaply installed or refreshed.

I found the bass to be very accurate, articulate and definitely not muddy. However, it would NOT be described as "rich" or "full". My friends can all hear the difference. Most agree that it sounds very accurate but not all are in agreement that it was necessarily "better". If you can hear one with the power supply caps bypassed, it is definitely worth a listen. Please keep in mind that this is a $250-350 amp. I would think in a bi-amped configuration (say after an electronic crossover) this could lead to a very nice configuration.

It is interesting that the Hafler DH200 was mentioned. These can be purchased for about $150. They are various degrees of modification available (some quite expensive). For someone with limited skill and about $25 worth of parts (mostly caps), these can sound even better (especially since they are getting fairly old by now). I will disagree on point however. Of all their good attributes, a strong bass is not one of them, IMO. Overall, the Hafler DH200 or 220 is a good choice.

Good Luck,

Tom

 

 

I ran 86 Khorns with an Adcom GFA 535 series II and was very pleased.  Still own it but it's not in use.  Now I use an Accuphase E-530 into Al K steep slope crossovers on Khorns and the bass will remove stuff from the shelves.  Kidney stone busting bass.  Really quite something.

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You want to feel bass -

anyone locally should hear this sub http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ele/468472341.html

this is my friend's sub - I am not promoting the sale simply because I don't think he is selling it anymore - this horn hits so hard its unbelievable what 2 10" drivers can do in a proper enclosure.

if you are DIY savy - go to the link he posted and try to make one yourself - its so worth it.

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I've been the very satisfied using Gainclone digital amps with a hearty power supply and lots of capacitance. The amps are fast, efficient and extremely quiet and they compliment the Khorn bass bins' speed as well as any amp I've tried. Unfettered by transformers, the GCs provide all the low frequency information the bass bins can handle to produce fast and articulate yet deep, thumping bass. I've run my speakers (top and bottom) with digital amps and found them to be everything I've mentioned but also a bit dry and sterile. While I didn't really appreciate them on the top-end, the 'dry and sterile' bit doesn't present a hindrance to the bottom-end. As a bonus, because they are so efficient (at idle, they use as much power as a flashlight bulb) and quiet, I can leave them on 24/7.

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