tm87 Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Hello, hope everyone is doing well in these crazy times!! So I bought the Hartke LX8500 bass amp head (it's Class D with Class A tube preamp) NEW and the 410 Hydrive cab second hand but looks in great condition. Super excited, switched on and first thing I noticed was a fair amount of hiss! The kind you'd expect more from a high gain guitar amp... hmmm... no idea how normal this is for a bass head or for this model in particular, anyway, started playing and was very underwhelmed by the amount of output I got. Playing in my small home studio, no compression, everything @12 O'Clock and with the preamp gain @ 90% and master volume @ 50% but it seems to be comfortably within practice type volumes, nowhere near gig volume (peaking around 80db on 2 different phone app db meters). It gets a bit louder obviously if I push the master. @ 90% I'm getting never more than 90db, bit more hefty but I'd be swallowed by a loud drummer! I thought this was supposed to be a great gigging amp with tons of headroom and plenty of power for small-mid size venues??? Amp is 800W CONTINUOUS @4ohms so should be getting minimum 400W @8ohms with this cab (site I read reported 550W continuous @8ohms so should be plenty). Does it sound like I've been sold a faulty second hand cab or been sent a new working but somehow underpowered amp head?? Is there any way I can test both of the amp and cab without other gear to plug in/mix with? At the lowish volumes I'm playing at (I can talk over it with relative ease at the settings mentioned above - 50% Master Volume). I don't feel the head getting warm either... again not sure if that's normal for this unit but it does have a fan that's supposed to switch on at a certain temp... Any help is massively appreciated! Can anyone with the same gear get a db reading at the same settings or with comparable gear etc? or again any help as far as testing. I'm also playing an Ibanez SG series active bass (battery is fine). Thank you beautiful people! 🙂🎸 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 The hydrive cabs are great. Unfortunately the heads are a pile of derrière. Lots of underwhelming reviews and annoyed users. Can you send it back for something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm87 Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 I can try! XD Disappointed as I actually found it hard to get solid reviews on it and the ones on shopping websites were generally very highly rated (I know, can't trust them for S~*t) plus the very few demo videos on it seem solid :/. I mean should it really feel this underpowered?? Any recommendations for a head?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haruki Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 there's a nice looking tecamp 900 in the amps for sale (not mine and not related) - its what I used to use with a hartke 410 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 (edited) May be a dodgy lead or speaker cable. Check the easy stuff first..... Re the hiss - check the bright button isn't engaged The video reviews look pretty good and no one mentions that it's underpowered - I reckon its a lead or a faulty amp. Edited September 28, 2021 by Mudpup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Plenty of options for similar money, especially if you buy used. Mark Bass, Darkglass, Tech21 etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm87 Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 Aye, all cables checked/swapped out etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Cabs don't create hiss. They reproduce hiss that amps create, so don't blame the cab on that. Why is everything at 12:00? That gives the same result as if those knobs weren't there. Use them. You should be getting 90dB with less than a watt, so some output voltage testing with a pink noise source is in order. However, I wouldn't put a lot of faith in phone app meters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverinebass Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 I would never buy a Hartke now. A mate got the TX600 and when I tried it, it had no power. I'm sure that on talkbass someone had taken the top off to reveal the power module saying "400w." I fully suspect the newer ones will be the same. Underpowered junk. They can have Victor Wooten on as many adverts as they like. It doesn't matter as their amps are dreadful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tm87 Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 Yea, as much as I tried to find plenty of reviews/endorsements...seems I've fallen for marketing hype. It's going back. Looking at the Little Marcus 800 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Have you tried it with a lower Gain setting? 90% is a hell of a lot of gain, and will produce hiss, no matter what volume you're playing at. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 If you need so much gain that you're noticing a lot of hiss, my first thought would be that you aren't driving the amp hard enough. Hiss will usually be produced by the preamp section of the head. You're not using a passive bass into an active input are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Does this head have a pre amp tube ? If so maybe faulty Alternative and loud is Orange Little Bass Thing 500W head .. superb as is Ashdown RM heads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Those settings should be frighteningly loud not practice amp loud. Gain at 90% is suspicious. Either your bass is knackered (preamp battery not fine ?) Or the amp is knackered ( tube? ) Or cab is perhaps running on one remaining driver ( battery test it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante_the_bassguy Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 I have the LX8500 amplifier and all of a sudden the compressor will not turn off, and the drive knob won’t turn on. The compressor is constantly orange and the drive is not on at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Time to take the unit to an amp Doctor for a check up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel406 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Hartke has never impressed me. The new stuff is the worst they have ever made. No power, no body and worst tone in the business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassManGraham Posted February 28 Share Posted February 28 Sounds like it may be a dodgy unit, but before returning it, double check all cables and bass control harness & jack socket wiring etc, dodgy or dry solder joints can play havoc with signal path I have a Hartke LX8500, ( I also had the LX5500, but didn't need both) I think they are great, plenty loud, easy to use and probably the best value 800W class D out there. I like the tone and punch, the compressor works well for me, I go for a clean tone and tend not to use overdrive. I love the backlight controls on dark stages I have been using this head with a Barefaced Super 12T Or my Vanderkleys. The only minor issue which does not affect or bother me is the fan cycling on and off which is audible in studio but inaudible when gigging. I regularly use the LX8500 in preference to GK, Mesa, GR amps costing twice as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 On 06/02/2024 at 06:53, joel406 said: Hartke has never impressed me. The new stuff is the worst they have ever made. No power, no body and worst tone in the business. Come on Joel tell us what you really think!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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