Fender Rumble 500 head vs any other high-end class D amp

wyleeboxer

wyleeboxer

Apr 28, 2005
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Orange County, CA
#1
I was in another thread earlier that was asking about best class D amps? Like the Berg B amp, D800+, Darkglass, Puma, etc.. now I'm wondering how some think the Rumble 500 head stacks up to these higher end heads in terms of sound, quality, and headroom? I know the build quality and wattage isn't there with the Fender but how significant is it?

I've owned for the past 30 years of playing starting with Ampeg SVT, SWR SM900, GK2000rb, a SWR 350 red face which I still have, all heads mostly played through an SWR 610 I had ( doing original rock band stuff) always had tons of head room, tone, and great dynamics with these rigs... then 10 years ago and getting older I started the whole cover band thing (R&B, Funk, Motown) and all I mostly need is a 112 and good small class D head for restaurant/bar or the occasional outdoor gigs where I use 2 112. The heads I've been through are GK mb500 both heads and combos, Kustom KXB500, GK mb200 which I still have and like the tone for a class D amp but lacks power and dynamics, Traynor SB, and all have left me sort of blahhhh and wanting my old stuff back but in a smaller package... :thumbsdown:
And now I've been using for the past 6 months a Fender Rumble 500 which sounds great and easy to get a usable tone, but am I still missing something that say a higher-end and wattage class D amp can produce?
 
#3
Btw for reference, I recently got a new Bassman 500, which costs about twice as much as the Rumble 500 but uses the same power amp. The difference is in the preamp. I really like how this one sounds so it was worth it to me, but if I was happy with the sound of the rumble, then I’d have that and an extra 400 bucks.
 
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#6
The Rumble is a lower price point amp. Hardly a fair comparison IMO.
It's good stuff, but not in the same class as some of the others you mentioned.
I have a Rumble and like it. If I had a need for one of the others and my buget allowed, then I could go that route.
If you want to play "is Fender as good as..." then you should be looking at their "Pro" line of stuff.

I can get around just fine in a Camry, but if I wanted the additional features of a Lexus and I could afford it, then I would do that.
 
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#8
Yes I’ve owned the Rumble for 6 months now and haven’t had the opportunity to push the limits of the amp yet. My only issue with the class D amps that I’ve already owned is that I feel their lacking that fast transient note attack and kick, its hard to pin point because I use smaller cabs now.. probably all in my “head” tho ;)
 
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