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(More customer reviews)Literally. I pulled it out of the box and within moments my apartment smelled like Taipei, and I can't get the smell out. The amp got locked in the closet but the smell oozed out, so I put it back in the box and tried to air out the apartment. When I first took it out of the box, the two largest silica packets I've ever seen came out with it. They're about hackey sack sized. I tried again this morning and trying to play this thing, I have a screaming headache. This isn't just new plastic smell, this thing is toxic. I feel bad thinking about the exposure of the people building these things in China.
It's huge and it looks like a beast. I guess the 200 watt cab is the same cab but with a larger amp in it. It weighs 50 pounds but it's mostly hollow. It's just bulky. It made some promising and frighting cracking and popping noises as I turned it on and plugged in the bass with the volume on 1, and as I turned up the volume to about 3, I could feel the bass kick in. It looks like it should shake the apartment, so I kept inching the volume up. Before I knew it, it was 10 across the board and the thing had only just kicked in.
I have a cheap no name 10 watt amp that has no low to speak of. I've been cheating and running the bass through that and plugging the bookshelf stereo into the headphone jack of the 10 watt practice amp and that sounds pretty good.
When I decided to buy a "real" amp, I took the wattage of the desktop stereo, which is 75, and added a few for kicks, came up with 100, and found this thing. I'm not sure how to say this, but my Panasonic bookshelf stereo has deeper, richer, punchier bass. It'll rattle stuff I leave on its little 8 inch speakers, and unlike the Ampeg, I've never turned it anywhere near all of the way up. This Ampeg amp just seems to be struggling.
This is extra annoying because I was thinking it would be nice to have a beefier sound system, and the Ampeg has line in, so I could run a Discman style CD player and other things into the Ampeg and replace the stereo. Trying that, I'm just confirming that this thing is just underpowered. In the old days, I had a 100 watt "receiver" style component stereo system that would shake the house. You'd think this could at least accomplish a rich tone, if not a little punch, with 100 watts.
This Ampeg BA-115 is on the first page of top selling bass amps on Amazon yet there were no reviews for it. I was wondering why. The price was way lower than other 100 watt amps and I keep hearing references to "legendary Ampeg sound". Now I've come to suspect that Ampeg's sound is only historic, and people with fond memories of old Ampeg amps don't want to tarnish the memory.
Short version -- got it because it was cheap and boasted a lot of watts, but it doesn't even beat out my bookshelf stereo and I'm left feeling bad about having bought the thing, plus I can't get the smell out of my apartment.
I guess I'll sell this thing (got it new but from somewhere without a good return policy) and then actually walk into a real music store and try some things rather than trying to shop on specs (price, watts) alone. Maybe it's okay for the moment.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Ampeg BA115 BassAmp Series 1x15 Solid State Bass Combo Amplifier, 100 Watt
When you need a portable rig with legendary Ampeg tone, look no further than the BA115. This powerful combo features a 100-Watt power section and a single 15" Ampeg speaker that can rock a small- to medium-sized venue. Just plug in and you're ready to rock!
No matter what sound you're after, the Style Control puts absolute tone at your fingertips. With five presets to choose from, and the tone-sculpting capabilities of an onboard 3-band EQ, you'll be dialed in before the drummer can finish setting up his high-hat.
The BA115's monitor-style, tilt-back design allows you to put the sound where you want it, which is especially handy when you're using the built-in DI for recording or front of house applications. Rock-solid construction and Ampeg thump to go, the BA115.
Specifications:
RMS Power Output: 100-Watts
LF Driver: 1 x 15" Custom Ampeg Speaker
HF Driver: Piezo Tweeter
Preamp: Solid-State
Power Amp: Solid-State
Tone Controls: 3-Band EQ
Mid Tone Control: Style
Balanced Line Out: Yes
CD/MP3 Input: Yes
Headphone Output: Yes
Dimensions (W x H x D inches): 21 x 21 x 16
Weight: 62 Pounds
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