Is this a good buy?

[shoulderpet]

Getting back into playing in a band after a long break due to various reasons and I need a combo amp that will do medium size gigs. 

 

I used to have a Rumble 500 but I see that these are now around the £700 mark and money is tight, I have seen the below for just a hair above £250 new.

 

Wondering if anyone has used these and if so is this a worthwhile purchase.

I know the 1000w is marketing bs and it will very likely put out a lot less but wondering if this combo will be powerful enough for medium size gigs and if it is reliable.

 

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Bugera-BXD15-1x15-1000w-Bass-Comb/1WNZ?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA8Lu9BhA8EiwAag16by9i7P-RPrZkMy_aQPP9nc1IkVOvSuwoBDlR3k-h8IpEfb4Ey-v92BoCvpsQAvD_BwE

 

Thanks

[Beedster]

Buy a combo used on here, that link looks like a ‘get what you pay for’ unit to me 

[PaulThePlug]

I'd start with seeing whats local on Faceache... see whats about for £X... might even be a rumble round the corner-ish?

 

[Sean]

On 14/02/2025 at 11:56, PaulThePlug said:

I'd start with seeing whats local on Faceache... see whats about for £X... might even be a rumble round the corner-ish?

 

I agree. I'd be looking for Ashdown, Hartke and Trace Elliot used gear. Good kit, repairable (if it goes wrong) and you'll get all your money back selling it on in the future. £250 should get you something robust and very giggable that will last years.

£250 shipped for a new amp is £50 of VAT, £50 of retail/distribution costs, shipping to you.  It's not a lot of product. It's pennies components plus labour and some profit. 

Edited February 16 by Sean

[shoulderpet]

Thanks for the replies, in the end I ended up our purchasing this off of BaggyMan , looking forward to once this is delivered.

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/508185-markbass-121h-combo-with-cover-now-£400-come-on-this-is-a-steal/

[Lozz196]

Good purchase that

[Sean]

That's a bargain.

[Beedster]

That was a good move 👍

[simonlittle]

They’re fantastic amps. Great choice 👌

[Chienmortbb]

I realise that it is a bit late, but if all my stuff were stolen, I would happily use the Bugera. It uses the same amp and circuitry as the 10001M head. To me that is a bargain and the only downside is that with a 15" speaker, the dispersion and top end would be a little compromised. The 12 is more expensive but IMHO a better buy.

[agedhorse]

In general, when buying new, you get what you pay for... and if a product's claim looks too good to be true it's worth further investigation to determine how untrue that claim might be.

Edited February 18 by agedhorse

[Beedster]

On 16/02/2025 at 13:29, Sean said:

£250 shipped for a new amp is £50 of VAT, £50 of retail/distribution costs, shipping to you.  It's not a lot of product. It's pennies components plus labour and some profit. 

 

41 minutes ago, agedhorse said:

In general, when buying new, you get what you pay for... and if a product's claim looks too good to be true it's worth further investigation to determine how untrue that claim might be.

What they said ^

[Dan Dare]

On 18/02/2025 at 14:51, Chienmortbb said:

I realise that it is a bit late, but if all my stuff were stolen, I would happily use the Bugera. It uses the same amp and circuitry as the 10001M head. To me that is a bargain and the only downside is that with a 15" speaker, the dispersion and top end would be a little compromised. The 12 is more expensive but IMHO a better buy.

 

This. The Veyron 1001 head is frequently praised on here as good value. Given that the combo has a turbosound driver to go with it, it won't be cr@p. £250 for something you can gig with is not to be sneezed at. 1000w is probably pushing things a bit, but if it's "only" 500, that should still be ample. I wouldn't worry about "dispersion and top end", either. A 15 will produce as much top end as a 12, 10 or anything else (bar an actual tweeter). You may need to be inline with the voice coil dust cap to hear it, but that's a  minor worry. Unless you slap all the time, it won't be an issue.

[Chienmortbb]

On 19/02/2025 at 16:48, Dan Dare said:

You may need to be inline with the voice coil dust cap to hear it, but that's a  minor worry. Unless you slap all the time, it won't be an issue.

You dismiss this but beaming, as the fall off in higher frequencies off axis is called, is far worse on a 15” than a 12 and a good 10 beats both. It is Physics sadly.

 
 

 

[agedhorse]

7 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

You dismiss this but beaming, as the fall off in higher frequencies off axis is called, is far worse on a 15” than a 12 and a good 10 beats both. It is Physics sadly.

 
 

 

Yet there are several mechanisms that are used to improve off axis high frequency extension. This is why some 15” designs are better than others in this regard.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

If the bugera can pump out 1000W, why does it only have a 200W speaker? Am I being thick? (if so, it won't be the first time)

[Chienmortbb]

3 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

If the bugera can pump out 1000W, why does it only have a 200W speaker? Am I being thick? (if so, it won't be the first time)

The Bugrera amp is about 700 watts into 4 ohms, 350+ at 8 ohms. Not outrageous to pair that with a 200 watt speaker. 

[King Tut]

I’ve got the Bugera head. This looks like a bloody good combo for the money, the heads are great. They missed a trick by not having a speaker out connection though.

[Downunderwonder]

9 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

If the bugera can pump out 1000W, why does it only have a 200W speaker? Am I being thick? (if so, it won't be the first time)

Bugera, rhymes with stuff that accumulates in nostrils, at least as far as their marketing numbers are worth.

[mikebass456]

On 16/02/2025 at 15:45, shoulderpet said:

Thanks for the replies, in the end I ended up our purchasing this off of BaggyMan , looking forward to once this is delivered.

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/508185-markbass-121h-combo-with-cover-now-£400-come-on-this-is-a-steal/

Nice! 😎👍

[Chienmortbb]

9 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Bugera, rhymes with stuff that accumulates in nostrils, at least as far as their marketing numbers are worth.

Agreed, like many companies now they use a silly figure. However the amp is very powerful, I estimate over 700 watts into 4 ohms. 700 watts. RMS is 1000watts peak and 2000 watts peak to peak. 

[agedhorse]

700 watts RMS is 1400 watts peak and 2800W peak-to-peak.  You forgot the squared factor in the formula. 

[Dan Dare]

On 07/03/2025 at 09:59, Chienmortbb said:

You dismiss this but beaming, as the fall off in higher frequencies off axis is called, is far worse on a 15” than a 12 and a good 10 beats both. It is Physics sadly.

 

Could you explain the physics to me? I'm always keen to learn. Thanks.

[Happy Jack]

So it's not so much "good buy" as "au revoir"?

 

[bremen]

I didn't understand what either the dead dog or the old nag said 😂