Epifani UL502 or PS600 or what?

[hivez]

In a bit of rash weekend I bought TimmyC's Epifani 2x12 when really I was doing nicely saving up for finishing off my loft conversion. I'd like a better amp for the cab mines a bit of a wuss. I stuck an ad on here first seeing if anyone perhaps wanted to sell me a Epifani amp but it seems everyone is happy with theirs at the moment which is hopefully a good sign.

So I'm thinking of buying one from the Bass Gallery I can just about afford it if I lay off the DIY (no problem there). The question is, am I just being influenced by the brand by wanting an amp to match the cab. I love the sound of the amp that crisp clean sound just does it for me, however I've only heard the 502 and wondered if there is much difference between it and the PS600. To further complicate matters there is an offer from a fellow Basschat member for an EA iamp 800 which I also like but have not played one through an Epifani cab although I'm sure I could try it out.I know I could go to the Gallery and try a few things out but I'm just as likely to come away with nothing when I start trying a few different things.Hell of a ramble this I know and if anyone wants to offer amplification councilling I'm listening.

Thanks

Dave

[6stringbassist]

Best to try them side by side, but I found the two to sound way different, the 502 is the better one.

[hivez]

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='275696' date='Sep 2 2008, 06:38 PM']Best to try them side by side, but I found the two to sound way different, the 502 is the better one.[/quote]

Thanks, I read a magazine review that they were basically the same but the PS has less features for less money hence my interest, but I guess there is a little bit of sales talk written in.

[Soliloquy]

The power stages are different too, one's a switch mode and the other's a class D, not too sure exactly what that means.

I found the PS that I tried lacked the depth and sparkle that the 502 has. I actually bought the UL902.

The PS range looks a bit odd, not that that's necessarily that important.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Soliloquy

[hivez]

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='275837' date='Sep 2 2008, 10:06 PM']The power stages are different too, one's a switch mode and the other's a class D, not too sure exactly what that means.

I found the PS that I tried lacked the depth and sparkle that the 502 has. I actually bought the UL902.

The PS range looks a bit odd, not that's necessarily that important.[/quote]

Thanks I haven't really considered the 902, to buy new the 502 is about my limit but the words "depth and sparkle" is what I'm after and sways me towards the 502.

Cheers

Dave

[franzbassist]

I've owned both and still own the PS600, as I found it gave me all I needed to gig with in the single channel.

To my ears, they sound pretty much the same, and Bassplayer's review said the following (edited for brevity) about the PS600, which you may find interesting...

[i]I waxed unusually poetic when I reviewed Epifani’s UL-502 head and UL-502C combo in July ’05. The 502 was remarkably sweet sounding, with burnished and musical response grounded in swift power delivery. It was also laden with features that many bassists would find superfluous on the average gig, notably the dissimilar EQ in each of the preamp’s two-channels. That’s why Epifani dreamed up the less expensive PS-600. It’s basically a UL-502 stripped of the extra features, but blessed with the same preamp and Class D power amp.

The PS-600 sounded quite similar to the UL-502. In fact, A/B-ing them made it difficult to tell the difference. Like the 502, the 600 was tinged with a golden midrange, plush-but-controlled lows, and a serene, lacy top. I never wanted for more power, and the transient response and grunt were excellent. The 600 was exceptionally pleasant sounding—it almost seemed as if the preamp filtered out harsh frequencies, leaving only buttery, smooth tone. The EQ, though limited, worked fine, but I barely touched it. If you’re a slapper who digs the scoopy thing, the mid-cut feature, with its variable level control, is for you. I tended to favor a flat tone. The 600 was clear and delicate sounding, but not wimpy. It may not be the ideal amp for gritty rock tone, but for everything else, its elegant and refined sound is among the best in bass.[/i]

I guess if you change your sound on the fly a lot during a set, say between finger style and slap, and you want your amp to do the eq work for you, then the 502 is the better option.

Cheers

Gareth

Edited September 3, 2008 by walbassist

[chris_b]

The majority of Epifani cab users don't seem use Epifani amps. The two favourites seem to be Markbass LM2 and the GenzBenz Shuttle, both a lot cheaper than either the UL502 or PS600.

Edited September 3, 2008 by chris_b

[hivez]

Thanks Gareth and Chris the magazine article was the one I read too, which made me think about the PS600 although I am swayed by the potential of the UL502 in terms of sound changes and the price difference is not so great between them. I think I've read every thread on here with Epi in the title and did notice that the the cabs are used with other amps such as yourself Chris, this is why I thought of sticking "or what?" on this post. I am really grateful for the replies I've narrowed it down to one of the Epi amps at least but it is worth thinking about something from Markbass. Its got to be soon though I just received by new cable from Dave (OBBM) ( I swear it came next day- lovely quality) and I've nothing worthwhile to plug into it on one end anyway.

Regards

Dave

[franzbassist]

Did you sort yourself in the end? I only ask as I'm selling my PS600 at the mo...

[hivez]

Thanks

Its the usual thing I was too impatient and bought one from the Gallery (a 502) then there's yours and a 902 on here now (should have waited). Now I've got it I wouldn't like to sell it, it is lovely. Good luck with the sale they are usually snapped up on here from my reading of all the previous threads.

Regards

Dave