wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Hi all As some of you might have realised, I like investigating stuff that's not generally known in the UK. I've had the amp itch for a little while - I love my Walkabout dearly, but you know how it is - and while hunting for information on something else, I happened across a Polish audio company called HandBox. They do loads of stuff, including a line of amps - one of which, the R-400 caught my eye. It's 400w, fairly small & light, with a traditional power section and simple controls. I exchanged a few emails with Leszek, the owner, who really seems to know his stuff. To cut a long story short, it landed on my doorstep this morning. (Disclosure: I'm just trialling this amp. I've paid the shipping for it to come over here, and I'm just going to share my thoughts about it with the BC community. I could end up buying one, or if I decide to keep my Walkabout, I'll return it.) First impressions:[list] [*]It was very well packed. Even thought the amp itself is in a flightcase-style box, it still has a fitted case with pockets. [*]I'm not sure what the flightcase finish is - it's cool looking with subtle distressed look (other styles are available), and a tactile feel. [*]The amp's knobs are solid, with a little bit of a 'clicky' feel as you turn them (I'm not sure what the technical term is!). [/list] I have to dash out now... more soon...! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 We need to know about the HEFT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Yes, for God's sake - is it HEFTY or not?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Time will tell :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 You tease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Like the look of it. Subscribed. Can't wait to hear what you think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyder Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Looks great. I really love the simple layout . But how does it sound.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Intriguing! Looks great and I love the simplicity it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Looking at their website with Google translate, they have some intriguing looking amps. The rackmount 100 watt valve amp on their home page could probably tick a box on a few peoples wish lists. [url="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.handbox.pl%2Fcgi-bin%2Findex.pl&edit-text=&act=url"]https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.handbox.pl%2Fcgi-bin%2Findex.pl&edit-text=&act=url[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deksawyer Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Some very interesting gear there. Damn you!! D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 OK - the kids are safely installed in the softplay, so here's a bit more about it, mainly from what I've asked Leszek. There's a drive switch at the input which bumps the signal for passive basses, and a bright / dark switch, too. I think we can guess what that does, but I don't know the specifics. I'll ask. The EQ is a James / Baxendall tone stack, as used on the Ampeg Portaflex, etc. The lack of a mid knob worried me at first, but I did a bit of revision and I can see that it's possible to boost mids if needed by rolling back the bass and treble. Leszek replied to say he didn't want to use any semiconductor filters on the amp (this is a bit technical for me, but it sounds like a good thing), and assured me that the mids were nice and clear in the first place, so apparently I needn't worry. I asked him why there's no ground lift on the DI, and he replied that it's not needed as the DI is on the audio transformer, not an integrated circuit (again, I can't pretend to understand what this means). As mentioned, there is a 120W valve version of this which is the same dimensions but 3U, and is (I think) 13kg. It sounds interesting. The amp is available in a few styles, including a vinyl covering and a full flightcase. I've got a gig on Friday, and an all-day rehearsal on Saturday, so I'll have lots of time to A/B it with the Walkabout... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Oh, some more info from another email - there are three tubes in the pre (full-voltage only- there's no starved plate stuff) and the limiter is optically controlled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Yes, but what about the handles? And the feet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1460380812' post='3025161'] Yes, but what about the handles? And the feet? [/quote] Reassuringly solid :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I may be knocking at your door to have a skeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 that looks rather nice, if you don't decide to keep it then I wouldn't mind a go with it, I had a look at the prices and they seem very good value (provided that my google conversion of the price was right!) If you are going to keep he Handbox I might make a bid for your Mesa! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 [quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1460395169' post='3025366'] that looks rather nice, if you don't decide to keep it then I wouldn't mind a go with it, I had a look at the prices and they seem very good value (provided that my google conversion of the price was right!) If you are going to keep he Handbox I might make a bid for your Mesa! Matt [/quote] Of course - anyone around Newcastle who wants to see / try it is more than welcome. Just give me a shout. Here's some more bit and pieces, starting with an EQ plot: And here's the 120w tube version: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 (edited) That tube version looks VERY interesting... Edited April 12, 2016 by Bigwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 I think I've found the website. [url="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.handbox.pl%2Fcgi-bin%2Findex.pl"]https://translate.go...-bin%2Findex.pl[/url] hopefully the translated version any idea what the differences are between the amps shown are? some have pushbuttons, some toggle switches an there seem to be different layouts as well but they are all on the R400 standard page a test of this amp would be ace, maybe if enough people want to try it we could book a couple of hours at a rehearsal room and give it a test with different cabs and basses, I'd be happy to chip in for the room hire. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 12, 2016 Author Share Posted April 12, 2016 [quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1460461025' post='3025883'] I think I've found the website. [url="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.handbox.pl%2Fcgi-bin%2Findex.pl"]https://translate.go...-bin%2Findex.pl[/url] hopefully the translated version any idea what the differences are between the amps shown are? some have pushbuttons, some toggle switches an there seem to be different layouts as well but they are all on the R400 standard page a test of this amp would be ace, maybe if enough people want to try it we could book a couple of hours at a rehearsal room and give it a test with different cabs and basses, I'd be happy to chip in for the room hire. Matt [/quote] AFAIK the differences are all cosmetic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 12, 2016 Author Share Posted April 12, 2016 ...and here's what the switches do: Bright / dark switch... Off: flat On: +3dB @ 100Hz / -3dB @ 750Hz / +2dB @ 10 kHz Contour knob... 0 to -12dB @ 1kHz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 So what is the actual size and weight please? I couldn't find that in a quick look at the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Looks very impressive, thanks for all the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 12, 2016 Author Share Posted April 12, 2016 [quote name='Passinwind' timestamp='1460481647' post='3026113'] So what is the actual size and weight please? I couldn't find that in a quick look at the website. [/quote] It's 375 x 108 x 315mm, and 7.5kg.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passinwind Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1460483085' post='3026134'] It's 375 x 108 x 315mm, and 7.5kg.. [/quote] Thanks, hope it works out well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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