Mesa Subway D-800 vs Thunderfunk TFB 800-B2

[DrumsAndBass]

Regarding the Thunderfunk, what's the difference between the 750 and the 800?

(Other than 50. )

Thanks.

Yes, I'd like to know the same info. as to what's the difference. And, is the 800 appreciably more muscular at 4 ohms than my 550B which I am preparing to sell.
The Mesa 800+ employs a no-brainer with that variable HPF. Why in the h - e - double "l" don't more companies include that feature ???

 

[12bass]

Do you know about the 'gold chip' mod ?? It an op-amp upgrade from TL072 to NE3052 (?) IIRC, it really opens up the top end.
Tobias/SS rounds -> TF550A/gold chip -> Berg CN212 sounds plenty bright to me.

LM4562 is the chip.

 

[hennessybass]

I think the bid difference is the TF 800 is safe down to 2 ohms. I think the 750, can be used at 2, but not recommended kind of thing? Somebody might correct me here, or add onto that.

As far as the cost, and if it's worth it... It's a really good amp. It's handmade, right here by a guy you can talk to, using the absolute best components, designed in a way that it can be repaired and last a life time and longer, it has pretty much every single feature you could possibly ever need, and can be EQd to sound fantastic for almost any style or approach to bass playing - but at the same time sounds fantastic with a minimum of knob twisting. It has big power in a relatively small and light package (not compared to today's class D heads of course).

The TFB is an amazing amp... but a little bit of an old school thing at this point in time. Asking if the TFB is worth the price is a bit like asking, is it really worth it to spend $150,000 for a low mileage mint condition 1970 8cyl Dodge Challenger when you can buy a brand new Honda Civic for $20,000?? The both get you from point A to point B.

I gave the D800 a try, and thought it was pretty different from the TFB800. I ended up not keeping the D800. Very different feel to the two amps. I guess that's the note envelope? The TFB had much more note separation. Much more tight controlled lows. Much more tight feel overall. I guess that's the lows, and low-miss? By comparison, the D800 felt a little more mushy to me. More of that big pillow underneath the band kind of thing. I found it a little undefined or unruly. Both are very powerful and both have a very nice top end that is mellow.

In some ways, I think the TH500 is a little more similar to the TFB in the way the amp plays, feel, and low end tightness... but only to a point, because once you start cranking the TH or start really digging in, it starts to break up. The TFB just stays clean. I found the D800 to stay very clean as well. With my passive J, I could run the gain up 3/4 of the way or more without getting any lights to start to flash. The TH has a little more bite in the mid-mids/ upper-mids, where as the TFB is just sweet sounding and never harsh. I think the D800 has that in common with the TFB. I guess the overall feel of the way the amp played, and the low end are the big differences in the D800 and the TFB800... at least IME/IMO.

 

[Joebone]

Great comparison. My own comparison had the Subway 800+, and I found that the High-Pass Filter played a large role in getting it closer to the T-Funk. But yes, separation and articulation of attack and decay remain superior with the Tfunk. I find steady eighths are an interesting amp test, and that the good A/B amps have generally stomped the Class D amps in this regard, but the Ds are getting a lot better.

Never could find my happy place with the TH500...

 

[hennessybass]

Great comparison. My own comparison had the Subway 800+, and I found that the High-Pass Filter played a large role in getting it closer to the T-Funk. But yes, separation and articulation of attack and decay remain superior with the Tfunk. I find steady eighths are an interesting amp test, and that the good A/B amps have generally stomped the Class D amps in this regard, but the Ds are getting a lot better.

Never could find my happy place with the TH500...

Agree with all of this. I got the D800 before the 800+ came out, and think I might have liked the addition of the HPF.
I had played quite a few Class D heads, but never found one I loved. I think when the TH500 came out, it was top of the line, and it served me well for a long time, but my amp needs changed, and the TH didn't fit the bill any more.

If you are after a Thunderfunk Tone in a small package, check out the Quilter BB800. It is so simple, and just sounds good. The feel of the amp reminds me of the TFB in terms of power and the way it plays. Complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as features, but part of the appeal of the TFB is that even though it had all those knobs, you never had to move but one or two of them a couple clicks. The Quilter is like that... one or two clicks on one or two knobs will do it.

 

[Stu_Bass]

Agree with all of this. I got the D800 before the 800+ came out, and think I might have liked the addition of the HPF.
I had played quite a few Class D heads, but never found one I loved. I think when the TH500 came out, it was top of the line, and it served me well for a long time, but my amp needs changed, and the TH didn't fit the bill any more.

If you are after a Thunderfunk Tone in a small package, check out the Quilter BB800. It is so simple, and just sounds good. The feel of the amp reminds me of the TFB in terms of power and the way it plays. Complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as features, but part of the appeal of the TFB is that even though it had all those knobs, you never had to move but one or two of them a couple clicks. The Quilter is like that... one or two clicks on one or two knobs will do it.

Dave always said, "Turn enhance knob to the right until you like the top end then turn the timbre knob to the left until you like the bottom end, done!"

 

[Joebone]

Hadn't heard that one, but it's true!

I've generally used all of the EQ sparingly...currently playing around with boost and cut in the upper mids, depending on context, but the mileage to be derived from the timbre knob is amazing.

 

[hennessybass]

I did the Enhance knob about 2 clicks up, the Timber about two/three clicks to the left, and I think usually boosted about 4k a bit. Great amp. I let mind go, but I have two amps I love now, a Fender TBP1 pre/power rig, and the Quilter.

 

[Stu_Bass]

Another trick is to set the center frequencies at 40-400- 4k which mimic the original DB750's layout. The 751 changed the 400 to 750 which can be added via the fourth PEQ band on the TFunk. Thus at 40-400-750-4k you have both a DB750 and 751 style tone stack.

 

[Thorsoundcore]

Regarding the Thunderfunk, what's the difference between the 750 and the 800?

(Other than 50. )

Thanks.

Looking into some of the TF amps, and I found myself wondering the same w/out a definite answer (even after reading the rest of the thread/doing a search). Can anybody else chime in at this point about the difference? Figured asking again here would be better than creating another thread..

 

[MarkA]

Looking into some of the TF amps, and I found myself wondering the same w/out a definite answer (even after reading the rest of the thread/doing a search). Can anybody else chime in at this point about the difference? Figured asking again here would be better than creating another thread..

From what I recall, reading through some of the TF threads, the 800 had some updates re. cooling -- maybe something with the power/power management, too, that enabled it to squeeze a few more Watts out (maybe by virtue of running cooler?) or stay a bit more dynamic at its limits when running at 2 Ohms -- but I'm not sure what, exactly, that entails.

The manual lists the power for the 750A and 800B2 as being identical at 8 and 4 Ohms (630 and 305 Watts, respectively) but more for the 800 at 2 Ohms (800 vs. 750 Watts).

I've read some for sale ads (and, I believe, other posts) in which the owners said they'd had their 750 "updated to 800 specs," so there must be some difference.

***EDIT: This is the main thread I was thinking of: 2 New Thunderfunks!!!! . Dave Funk posts several times, starting on page 2.***