Eden E12 hates my J - advice sought...

[MisterFingers]

[size=4]Fellow Basschatters[/size]
Any feedback on this issue gratefully received:
I bought an ex shop demo Eden E12 kickback combo a few weeks ago but it's only recently that I've been putting it through it's paces with the JB at home.
[size=4]This combo is rated at 80w (and 120w peak), but I'm getting either power amp clipping or speaker fart even at about 40% of peak volume. This is definitely to do with an inability to handle the lows because even at lower master volumes with the low eq turned up it happens. I know this is a practice amp, but I'm not pushing it hard at all, but it just hates the J lows. Input gain/compressor settings have no effect, so it's not a pre-amp problem from a passive bass.[/size]
[size=4]Is the amp faulty or has the speaker coil/cone been damaged in the shop, or is it just me expecting too much from a budget Eden?[/size]

[Mr. Foxen]

Ignore knobs position as percentage volume, farting tells you you've exceeded its max. Back off one pickup on your J, both on full scoop the mids, and mids is where dinky combos work. There is probably a bass knob on the amp, turn it down.

[MisterFingers]

So basically you're saying that a 12" 80w bass combo can't handle..er..bass?

[voxpop]

Yep.
The problem I have found with wattage is that it does not indicate how loud the combo will go.
No one knows how that figure of 80 watts was measured and the loudness is also controlled by the sensitivity of the drive unit.
Most 80 watt ( budget ) combos will barely keep up with a drummer, even at moderate practice levels.

I would get anther bass player or shop to give it a once over to make sure it is not faulty or damaged.

Hope this helps.

[chris_b]

Do you have a gain?

If you do, turn the gain down and the master up.

[MisterFingers]

Thanks for the replies - I've tried all combinations of gain v volume, and the fact that it doesn't happen with headphones points towards it being either the power amp stage clipping or the speaker unable to handle the push. There's a slight chance that it could be a faulty amp, but more likely that even at neighbour friendly practise volumes, it just cant handle the massive lows that a J puts out - it's probably aimed at rocky mids rather than jazzy dub lows.
There's an amp repair shop quite near me, so I'll quiz the tech. I actually saw a post on TB that complained about how underpowered it was for a small band rehearsal, but I think even a mellow pianist would drown me out at the levels I can use without the distortion. I'm waiting on a reply from Eden about this, but I have a feeling it'll be a gumtree job and I'll end up with a Mark Bass JB school job. What I don't get is that this small combo retailed originally at about £350, not the cheapest of the cheap - and 80w seemed more than adequate for home use - but it isn't.

[Lozz196]

I reckon there has to be an issue with it. Admittedly my practice amp doesn`t have a clipping indicator, but I can push lows all the way up on an active bass and it still handles it fine, at 25 watts through an 8-inch speaker. There shouldn`t be any problem with an 80 watt amp at home practice levels.

[MisterFingers]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1369995889' post='2095281']
I reckon there has to be an issue with it. Admittedly my practice amp doesn`t have a clipping indicator, but I can push lows all the way up on an active bass and it still handles it fine, at 25 watts through an 8-inch speaker. There shouldn`t be any problem with an 80 watt amp at home practice levels.
[/quote]

There seems to be, and it's an intermittent one unfortunately, as I've been pushing it hard this morning and it's been perfect. Damn.

[clauster]

If you can easily open the cabinet up, check there isn't a wire/cable in close proximity to the cone.

I'd a similar intermittent problem once. Found a wire very close to the cone. Gaffa'd it so it couldn't et near the cone anymore. Buzzy-noise-be-gone.