Genzler Kinetix 800 NAD! Will post a review and such

#22
hasbeen said:
It is like the Streamliner on a couple of fronts: Clean, intuitive and straightforward interface and a Class A tube pre that delivers warmth and great feel. However, the Kinetix has some significant "pluses" over the Streamliner. The Kinetix is the punchiest amp I've ever played without having to do "drastic" eq'ing. A bit on this- If I take a powerful and gutsy amp like the GBE1200, I can get it quite punchy. To do this though, I have to really push the low mids in the eq section. The Kinetix does it naturally with boosting the mids only to 1 o'clock.

The Kinetix also has a quality that I've never really experienced before; "depth". This amp's tone is almost 3d-like. There's a depth and clarity to it yet, there is so much "going on" with harmonic content. It is very tough to explain.

The touch sensitivity and response has it over the Streamliner too.

This is a tough one so don't read too much into it, but, with all the levels (volume, gain, master) at the same position of the Streamliner, the Kinetix is louder and ballsier. I don't know what the pot tapers are so this isn't scientific. In the end though, there is headroom for days in this amp.
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This is very interesting, and reinforces what others have said about Kinetix vs Streamliner before.
I love my SL900, and I have never played an amp that behaves better in a live situation - that bouncy feeling under fingers, mid punch just works wonderfully in the live mix. I've owned some other high-end amps that didn't work 100% of the time for me - while some did sound "better" than SL, that didn't always translate into the mix.

I wouldn't say that the Streamliner sounds the best, but it feels "alive" and 3D- So when you say that Kinetix's tone is 3D and there's more depth.... I don't know, I feel I'll have to buy it eventually :). I'm excited to think there's something better than the Streamliner.
 
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#23
hasbeen said:
Extremely well. Being transparent though, I am NOT that kind of player. I like CLEAN headroom for days. I did though, test it with your approach in mind and it was excellent.

Side note: I don't really go for "drive and crunch" because i'm late 70's/early 80's old-school. We were trying to get the cleanest sound possible. Having said that, I really love the "grind and crunch" of Chris Squire, John Wetton, Mars Cowling etc.....this amp has it in spades.
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Ah, I remember Mars Cowling. Our paths crossed during the Tube Works days. He was such a gentle, great person and probably the loudest bass player I've ever heard during the Pat Travers days. Sorry we lost him too early.
We have a great pic of him and his bass rig in the back of a pick up truck, down in FL where he lived.
 
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#24
Jeff Genzler said:
Ah, I remember Mars Cowling. Our paths crossed during the Tube Works days. He was such a gentle, great person and probably the loudest bass player I've ever heard during the Pat Travers days. Sorry we lost him too early.
We have a great pic of him and his bass rig in the back of a pick up truck, down in FL where he lived.
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I forgot he was a GB guy.
 
#25
goran said:
This is very interesting, and reinforces what others have said about Kinetix vs Streamliner before.
I love my SL900, and I have never played an amp that behaves better in a live situation - that bouncy feeling under fingers, mid punch just works wonderfully in the live mix. I've owned some other high-end amps that didn't work 100% of the time for me - while some did sound "better" than SL, that didn't always translate into the mix.

I wouldn't say that the Streamliner sounds the best, but it feels "alive" and 3D- So when you say that Kinetix's tone is 3D and there's more depth.... I don't know, I feel I'll have to buy it eventually :). I'm excited to think there's something better than the Streamliner.
Click to expand...
I "voiced" the Streamliner so I like it too. If I had to take a Streamliner or a Kinetix to a gig though, I'd take the Kinetix.
 
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#26
Big Streamliner fan. Been my main amp for several years, and I honestly could not be happier. So good I bought a second as my back-up amp.

I tried the Magellen, and did not dig it (no offense to anyone who is involved with that amp). I thought it had a very strong voice - very unique to that amp - that was always present. Anyway -- I'd like the chance to try a Kinetix some time.

Maybe I'll sell one Streamliner and get a Kinetix.
 
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#28
mambo4 said:
darnit, I thought I was done with GAS
Responsiveness is one of the things I love most about my SL
I like to set my Gain just at the edge of overdrive
So I can dig in for distortion / dirt, but otherwise pluck light and be clean (ish)

How does the Kinetix handle that approach?
Click to expand...

Agreed... this thread sucks ;)

I'm definitely intrigued enough to pick one of these up.
 
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#29
What does this do? Is it the Mids EQ profile ?

1728396983732.png
 
#31
@mambo4 ---- As mentioned in the Owners Manual, as posted above, this switch establishes a tonal foundation in the lower frequencies and also adjusts the HPF in the various positions.
Now I will say that in the LEAN position you may feel that the mids have a different more prominent voice, mostly due to the change in the lower register.
We don't offer a switch to change the mid profile, but here is where the MID control is your friend, as it is a completely passive network so running this control from noon to the full clockwise setting will offer more unique mid signatures, in combination with the LEAN/FAT/THICK switch.
Hope this helps.
 
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#33
hasbeen said:
It is like the Streamliner on a couple of fronts: Clean, intuitive and straightforward interface and a Class A tube pre that delivers warmth and great feel. However, the Kinetix has some significant "pluses" over the Streamliner. The Kinetix is the punchiest amp I've ever played without having to do "drastic" eq'ing. A bit on this- If I take a powerful and gutsy amp like the GBE1200, I can get it quite punchy. To do this though, I have to really push the low mids in the eq section. The Kinetix does it naturally with boosting the mids only to 1 o'clock.

The Kinetix also has a quality that I've never really experienced before; "depth". This amp's tone is almost 3d-like. There's a depth and clarity to it yet, there is so much "going on" with harmonic content. It is very tough to explain.

The touch sensitivity and response has it over the Streamliner too.

This is a tough one so don't read too much into it, but, with all the levels (volume, gain, master) at the same position of the Streamliner, the Kinetix is louder and ballsier. I don't know what the pot tapers are so this isn't scientific. In the end though, there is headroom for days in this amp.
Click to expand...
It sounds like a fantastic amp. My only question has to do with the implementation of the HPF; I can't imagine buying an amp without a variable HPF, but I've heard this amp does something special. Care to comment?
 
#34
hennessybass said:
Big Streamliner fan. Been my main amp for several years, and I honestly could not be happier. So good I bought a second as my back-up amp.

I tried the Magellen, and did not dig it (no offense to anyone who is involved with that amp). I thought it had a very strong voice - very unique to that amp - that was always present. Anyway -- I'd like the chance to try a Kinetix some time.

Maybe I'll sell one Streamliner and get a Kinetix.
Click to expand...
The Streamliner was SA200 influenced in the simplicity in it's layout and also it's tone. I asked Jeff and Andy to design a bass amp that was more straight forward and "old schoolish" than our previous designs. I joked to our team that our bass amps didn't have the following terms on any controls: Bass, Treble or Volume. Rather, we had highs, lows, level, master, gain etc.

That was the origin of the design. I can't comment on the origin of the Kinetix as I had ZERO influence and/or input in it's design. It is certainly a different animal than the Streamliner though. I would say the only things they have in common is a nice straightforward layout and a Class A tube pre
 
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#35
mambo4 said:
What does this do? Is it the Mids EQ profile ?

View attachment 7048861
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I see Jeff already answered this below. From my own VERY subjective POV, I only used the Lean and Fat. For all my bass tones, fretted or fretless, I want tight and quick response. I also don't want to hear a lot of low-end "rumble". I want the amp to really, really track and track quickly, what my right hand is doing.

I also believe that with the bass, mids are your friend. YMMV

With the Kinetix, there really is a very, very pleasing complexity and character mid tone going on that I love......lots of harmonic content.
 
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#36
Jazzdogg said:
It sounds like a fantastic amp. My only question has to do with the implementation of the HPF; I can't imagine buying an amp without a variable HPF, but I've heard this amp does something special. Care to comment?
Click to expand...
The lean/fat/thick switch will handle that.
 
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#39
I played one at a local shop and it sounded fantastic. I could get a "clean, modern" tone, and I could get an "old school, SVT" type tone. I rarely play with an amp/cab any more but I still want one. My MG350 is all I NEED with my MG112T-V cab, but I just know a Kinetix would kill thru that cab...the 2-3 times a year I use it. :(
 
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#40
SteveC said:
I played one at a local shop and it sounded fantastic. I could get a "clean, modern" tone, and I could get an "old school, SVT" type tone. I rarely play with an amp/cab any more but I still want one. My MG350 is all I NEED with my MG112T-V cab, but I just know a Kinetix would kill thru that cab...the 2-3 times a year I use it. :(
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It was a tough call for me, I really dug the Kinetix. But the 350 combo and an extension fit my needs and my budget. If the budget gets a bit bigger, I might have to snag a Kinetix for those times. Would go good with the BA210 and BA-10 II.
 
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