Please tell me why I should avoid Ashdown amps? (aka why Ashdown are just great!)

[Al Krow]

Not sure anyone said or considers "D" to stand for "digital" in class D amps, but good that you've cleared that point up for us 😜

[Woodinblack]

10 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Not all class D are sterile, or more sterile.

Of course not. I am not even a member of the 'valves are better' club, just that I really like the sound of this amplifier that happens to be valve.

As a gigging thing, it is certainly less practical than my TC RH450, just that I like the sound of it. Certainly got no intention of selling the TC.

10 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

D got it’s letter because it was next in the alphabet and Class C had already been coined for non-audio power, it doesn’t mean digital etc.

It always makes me cringe when I hear the term Digital amp, not that I have heard it recently.

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow some people do/did initially think that, some people know already.

Some people also mistakenly think class D is sterile.....

Edited October 15, 2018 by Cuzzie

[bartelby]

10 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Not sure anyone said or considers "D" to stand for "digital" in class D amps, but good that you've cleared that point up for us 😜

Lots of people on here have called them digital amps in the past.

[Cuzzie]

@Woodinblack sensible words from the Bristol massive.

Misunderstanidngs in ‘Class Power’ disturb me as well.

We all need to play what’s practical and makes good sound/audio sense and a trade off between it all to get what we want. This is from a heavy bass all the way through to heavy equipment.

[Al Krow]

31 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@Woodinblack sensible words from the Bristol massive.

Misunderstanidngs in ‘Class Power’ disturb me as well.

We all need to play what’s practical and makes good sound/audio sense and a trade off between it all to get what we want. This is from a heavy bass all the way through to heavy equipment.

The word d****** should never be used next to D class in the same sentence. Let's all resolve to make sure that such utterings belong to a distant and more ignorant past.

I would suggest, respectfully, that D class amps are in general more sterile than valve amps. It's simply down to the difference between transistors and valves. This is not news.

I would also respectfully suggest that, apart from us bass players, no one else will care or notice and why I'm perfectly happy with my Markbass LM3 and DG M900 - they're both great amps and I gig with them both.

My Mesa M6 with its valve pre & A/B poweramp, trumps all the pure D class amps I've played for sheer sound quality, but weighs 25 lbs.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Al Krow

[Chienmortbb]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Fair enough!. There's a reason why they invented the D class amp right? 

The half way house (valve pre + MOSFET A/B) found in my Mesa M6 or the Aggie DB 751 is, for me, the ideal compromise between full valve goodness and more sterile D class whilst keeping things realistic for our ageing frames! (Or alternatively a D class plus a pedal board).

I've just recently liberated my M6 amp from its 2x12 Mesa PH combo housing and paired it with my VK 210. Delicious.

Ok I'm going completely off topic now...😂

 

I think a lot of what you write makes sense but received wisdom is that it is the power section of a valve amp that gives it the character. In that case a hybrid with solid state preamp and valve power amp is the sensible compromise. But of course all the weight is in the power section so they do it the "wrong" way round and sell it on its valve preamp. Of  course the preamp valves do alter to the sound. Matrix a,ps have a switch mode power supply (like most Class D amps) and a MOSFET Class A/B power amp.

[Cuzzie]

Pretty sure there are transistors in Class A, A/B etc as well as D

Then you get the silicone/Germanium etc debate plus which tube you like/prefer.

Not sure why the constant debate on audience caring or not comes out to justify  or relegate something, always seems nonesensical to me, as you say all of us buy gear we wanna use from the simplest cable, strap upwards, only exception is for a look alike tribute band where you may want to replicate the exact look.

Other than that, it’s a meander.

Ashdown make time amps, Geezer Butler is awesome with a great sound that suits what he wants to do.

[Chienmortbb]

One of the big bugbears with discussing audio of any sort is the use of subjective words. Sterile is one such word. You could also add warm, heft, creamy and a thousand more. Of course a well designed valve bass amp will incorporate some of the inherent characteristics of thermionic valves/tubes. One of the drawbacks is that the "Tone"  people love from a valve amp comes from it being driven hard. You cannot get that from either a valve amp being used well under its rated power or from any solid state amp that does not have some form of signal processing applied to it. That is why many prefer to use an SS amp of some type with some sort of preamp (Sansamp etc) to mimic the valve sound.

[Chienmortbb]

On 15/10/2018 at 10:04, Cuzzie said:

Pretty sure there are transistors in Class A, A/B etc as well as D

Then you get the silicone/Germanium etc debate plus which tube you like/prefer.

Not sure why the constant debate on audience caring or not comes out to justify  or relegate something, always seems nonesensical to me, as you say all of us buy gear we wanna use from the simplest cable, strap upwards, only exception is for a look alike tribute band where you may want to replicate the exact look.

Other than that, it’s a meander.

Ashdown make time amps, Geezer Butler is awesome with a great sound that suits what he wants to do.

You can have valve amps that are Class A, Class B. Class AB and Class D (they can also be Class C but that would be a radio transmitter). As for Ashdown, never had a problem with either their amps or the company ,and they do make fine amps. ( I did own a Mag 300 15" combo for many years and have used other amps at various times). Any switching device (Valves,Transistors and FETS) can be used for all classes o]power amplifiers but some work better in some classes than others.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Chienmortbb
Mopre info added for clarification.

[Cuzzie]

@Chienmortbb exactly the point. Wide brush strokes over a genre/class/type of something are unhelpful IMHO.

In some circumstances it is helpful, for example as you mentioned  Sansamp (Tech21 are great) have a tone to groups of their pedals, but also it can unfairly pigeonhole others 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said:

You can have valve amps that are Class A, Class B. Class AB and Class D (they can also be Class C but that would be a radio transmitter). As for Ashdown, never had a problem with either their amps or the company ,and they do make fine amps. ( I did own a Mag 300 15" combo for many years and have used other amps at various times).

I assume my CTM100 would be a class AB, it certainly doesn't run that hot - I was surprised just how unhot it was after a 3 hour gig fairly flat out.

I do like the ashdown stuff, apart from the MiBass 220, which just flat out sucks and whatever descriptions you can have, heft, girth, life, almost certainly doesn't have. Sterile, probably.

The odd thing is, the CTM100 running at bedroom volumes at home for practicing is fantastic, it is quiet, doesn't lose bass when turned down and just performs really well. Only downside is waiting for it to warm up!

[krispn]

BINGO!

 

[naxos10]

Eyes down 2 fat ladies KT88's

[Beedster]

Seemed a relevant thread 

 

[krispn]

@Al Krow I think way more people than you think mistake/mistook Class D for digital. It’s a popular misconception!

[grenadillabama]

Even my little Superfly has a warm cheweyness that other tiny amps lack !     

Edited October 18, 2018 by grenadillabama
no marshall comments needed

[Al Krow]

Ok I appreciate that I am likely to be very late to the party on this one as it's been out for a year, but I've just come across this: 26lbs for an all valve head!!

Well done Ashdown Engineering!

Anyone got one? Does 30W cut it with a full band?

Be interested to see if they have plans to launch a 100W or 200W Little Stubby any time soon.

 

[Woodinblack]

8 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Be interested to see if they have plans to launch a 100W or 200W Little Stubby any time soon.

 

No - they mentioned it in some video they did. Trying to get everything in the box with all the valves laying down and the transformers meant that 30w was the highest they could push it.

[Al Krow]

11 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

No - they mentioned it in some video they did. Trying to get everything in the box with all the valves laying down and the transformers meant that 30w was the highest they could push it.

Shame. I just can't see 30W being that useful for live use with either of my bands.

[krispn]

TJ Spicer reviewed his on You Tube

 

[Quilly]

50 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Shame. I just can't see 30W being that useful for live use with either of my bands.

If you had a really good efficient cabinet, like a barefaced two10, you might (just) get enough volume out of it . You’d really be surprised how loud they get 

[Al Krow]

It's the 'just' and lack of headroom...which unfortunately makes it a non starter for me.

I know tube watts are supposed to "sound" louder than D class watts due to more complex harmonics etc, but I kinda like to have 500W+ with a D class amp up my sleeve to have comfortable headroom at gigs. Not exactly sure what that equates to with tube amps, but I'm guessing we'll above 30watts?

[Quilly]

The CTM-30 is a great sounding amp

 but I really recommend scouring the internet for a second hand CTM-100

Edited January 29, 2019 by Quilly

[Quilly]

3 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

It's the 'just' and lack of headroom...which unfortunately makes it a non starter for me.

I know tube watts are supposed to "sound" louder than D class watts due to more complex harmonics etc, but I kinda like to have 500W+ with a D class amp up my sleeve to have comfortable headroom at gigs. Not exactly sure what that equates to with tube amps, but I'm guessing we'll above 30watts?

Yes 30w is 30w at the end of the day . It might sound as loud as a 100w class d amp . From experience 100w is probably the entry level for a useful amp for valves