New Arkham Class D “Beast”

#21
I'm very hesitant---even with amps that claim 2 ohm compatibility. 2.67 is fine. The amps based on the Ice 250AX2 like GK, tecamp, Demeter---won't do less than 4 ohms. Some, like AI, lower the rail voltage into 2. Heat is the enemy of electronics.
 
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#27
It’s alive! Sounded GREAT last night with the fretless. Really outstanding build quality and form factor and the tone was to die for, as expected. This gig was fretless only so I’m looking forward to playing a gig with the fretted 6 on NYE to get a more familiar reference point. so far, nothing shocking coming from the abyss with rad1000p, but man the 1200w ICE module performs phenomenally.

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#28
I'm using the Abyss into the 1200. But I'll tell ya'----the fact that it has the 30hz hpf built in makes it a game changer. It seems that Micah got it right. I'd like to see if Jake can do a comparison with the Abyss. If there is little difference the Beast IMO becomes the best bass amp on the planet. I'm really glad that I bugged Micah into switching from the 700 to the 1200.
 
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#29
Mike Arnopol said:
I'm using the Abyss into the 1200. But I'll tell ya'----the fact that it has the 30hz hpf built in makes it a game changer. It seems that Micah got it right. I'd like to see if Jake can do a comparison with the Abyss. If there is little difference the Beast IMO becomes the best bass amp on the planet. I'm really glad that I bugged Micah into switching from the 700 to the 1200.
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The Beast is tempting, even while owning a Zephyr. I always use an hpf, but, I think I recall you said the slope was pretty steep(?). I’d love to try one sometime.
 
#30
I haven’t had any time to make a reasonable comparison between the beast and the abyss plus pascal 1000 yet. But in my little bit of fiddling, the beast sounds really tight and full and taut low. How much of that is due to the HPF at 30 hz or the glory of the 1200 W ICE module is not clear. But man, I remember how much I love that power module now, it definitely edges a little above the pascal, IMO. And one of the things I loved about it was that taut fullness on the bottom.
 
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#36
Mike Arnopol said:
as I stated earlier---even with amps rated at 2 ohms---I wouldn't do it. The 1200 will do three 8 ohm cabs (2.67 ohms) no sweat. I would not do two 4 ohm cabs on any bass amp.
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Even an amp with real world guaranteed 2 ohm ratings and a history of successful operation?

Why not?
 
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#38
How many folks roll with a 2 ohm load?
I’ve been playing out for 35 years and have never done it or even seen it (on a bass rig).
*Edit: I take that back, I have seen/played some double-fridge SVTs.
 
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#39
agedhorse said:
Even an amp with real world guaranteed 2 ohm ratings and a history of successful operation?

Why not?
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My GBE 1200 is rated for 2 Ohm operation. I haven't used it that way, but I'd be reasonably confident doing so (provided that I remembered to flip the switch in back for 2 Ohms). I loaned to it a friend, years back, when his amp died, who ran it at least down to 2.67 Ohms (I reminded him to put it in 2 Ohm mode beforehand -- I think and hope that he did), if not 2 Ohms.

There are tube amps with 2 Ohm taps -- I don't know enough about tube amps to know whether running that way places any additional stress on the amp (similar to a solid-state amp) or not. (My Shaw B-150 has a 2 Ohm tap though, again, I haven't run it that way yet.)

I know that the D-800-series amps (and some others) have a 2 Ohm mode (though, again, one needs to be mindful to flip the switch for 2 Ohm operation). I've never played a D800 but, based on your track record, Andy, I'd feel pretty confident running one at 2 Ohms.

That said, in general, I'd be inclined to be more cautious pushing a solid-state amp at 2 Ohms than I would be at 4 or 8 Ohms, for the following reasons:
  • Not every cab maker is as thoughtful as you or Mike -- some cabs have weird impedance dips. Some are rated in ways that one might quibble with (a recent thread -- forget which -- about a replacement "8 Ohm" driver for an old SWR cab illustrates that). Such weirdness seems, to me, potentially more perilous at nominally lower loads (though I know that amp makers try to account for that).
  • Some amps are rated at 2 Ohms... with caveats. The EA Doubler II (maybe the version 1 as well -- not sure) can supposedly run at 2 Ohms, but you are discouraged from pushing it at that load. The Quilter Bass Block will also supposedly do 2 Ohms, but, per the company literature, you "may experience clipping at high volume." (In fairness to both companies, they are up-front about it.) The Mesa Walkabout was never, as far as I know, officially cleared (was it at one point?) for 2 Ohm operation -- and more recent discussion in the Walkabout thread gets into why, though there were always some who argued against it -- but, when I had mine, I was told by Mesa tech support that I'd be fine running it that way. (I never did, though I did briefly hook up a big, 2.67 Ohm stack at home -- I'm sorry that I didn't gig it that way once before selling the amp, though, now, I'm not sure how wise that would have been, long-term.)
murphy said:
I trust Andy with my Mesa Subway D-800....Are you saying you do not trust this amp at 2ohms?
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If by "this amp" you mean the new Arkham amp that's the subject of this thread, there is an important distinction between it and the D800: The D800 is rated for 2 Ohms minimum. The Beast of Both Worlds (at least in its current, pre-production incarnation) is rated at 2.67 Ohms. I would trust it to do 2.67 Ohms, like I'd trust the Magellan and the two Glock amps I mentioned earlier to do 2.67 Ohms (what they're rated for). I don't think Andy would advocate running any amp outside of its intended design parameters or consider the 2.67 Ohm minimum on any of those amps so rated to be a failure or design flaw. I don't know if that's what you were getting at, though -- perhaps I misunderstood you. I wouldn't run a 2.67 Ohm-minimum rated amp at 2 Ohms.

I would trust the Subway amp (and my GBE) to run at 2 Ohms (what they're rated for), but, even then, I'd be inclined, at least at first, to keep an eye on either amp, particularly if I were pushing it hard or using a setup with it that I wasn't familiar with. There are other amps I'd be hesitant to do this with, whether rated for 2 Ohms or not.

Coming back to the Arkham Beast, I can't speak for Micah (@Arkham Sound), but I think that, in this case, 2.67 Ohms is the minimum recommended nominal load for the power module used without additional, current-limiting circuitry or other measures to enable safe operation at a lower nominal (2 Ohm) load. It might be possible to implement such, but it would likely come with increased cost and complexity -- possibly other tradeoffs -- not my area of expertise, though.

I get the appeal of 2 Ohm operation (particularly if one already has the cabs). I've contemplated 2 Ohm setups before (though I've never gone through with one) and can see some situations where they'd be handy. I like that my GBE can do 2 Ohms. I like 2.67 Ohms, too, though -- it allows for three 8 Ohm cabs or for a "Big 4 Ohm/Small 8 Ohm" setup (212+112, 2x15+115, 410+210, etc.) which offers a nice amount of flexibility and three potential setups with two cabs.
 
#40
To clarify, Murphy was talking about 2 ohms and the Subways, in response to Mike's comments about not trusting an amp (any amp) rated at 2 ohms into a 2 ohm load.
 
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