Ambrosi Amps' K-Power Amps - Retrofit poweramp solutions for the Lunchbox - With pictures & videos

    The prices on Atomic's site are NOT including VAT, for what it's worth.


    Personally, I have got more enjoyment out of my Power Rack using a regular guitar cab, but maybe that's due to me not (yet) owning a CLR... My current FRFR option you see is a rather cheap 12" PA speaker with 1" tweeter, but it doesn't sound drastically worse than my studio monitors, so maybe I'm just not ready for the 'paradigm shift'. With the new Direct Cab Separation profiling technology, I'm considering buying a Matrix Neolight NL212 and being done with it (gotta love the light weight!).


    Cheers,
    Sam

    Quote from sambrox

    The
    prices on Atomic's site are NOT including VAT, for what it's worth.


    Hey man, thanks for chiming in!


    That's just too much for me, however stellar it may be. I guess I'll just put anything Atomic on the backburner for right now.



    NL212? That thing is huge, I don't know where I'd put it and especially what to do with it. I barely have need for 1x12, a 4x12 replacement really would be an overkill. But it does get some love from what I gather...

    I'm just trying to be as truthful to my experience and personal opinion that I'm clearly presenting only as a personal opinion no more no less in an honest and truthful discussion about equipment.

    Well, the NL12 might be an option for you...? Me, I often need the extra oomph of a second speaker when I'm playing medium-sized gigs (500-1000 audience) for onstage monitoring, otherwise I'd snap up the 1x12 for noodling and smaller gigs. They're supposed to go crazy loud for the size anyway. I played a show with a bass player the other week that had an Aguilar system :
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com…1x12-bass-speaker-cabinet
    It's a tiny system and is light as a feather, but sounds IMMENSE! It's actually his main touring rig now, and this is a dude who plays some pretty large places with artists like the singer from A-Ha (yeah, cheesy, but large none the less!). That convinced me to investigate neodymium cabs, and the Matrix stuff gets such good reviews that I'm willing to buy blind.


    Cheers,
    Sam

    Edited once, last by sambrox ().

    OK, I'm officially intrigued by NL12 now ;)


    Being UK made, it certainly helps with keeping the price down for me. The price is also somewhat doable, I'd just like GF to give me an assessment whether it can take being plugged into the K-Power amp that started this train of thought for me. It's rated at "60W RMS, 120W Peak" and whether 8 or 16ohm impedance would be better suited to the internal workings of the amp? Yes, I've seen several NL12 threads around but this is a new amp on the block! <3

    I'm just trying to be as truthful to my experience and personal opinion that I'm clearly presenting only as a personal opinion no more no less in an honest and truthful discussion about equipment.

    The most important vale to foresee how loud an audio system will be is the SPL (sound pressure level), expressed in dB. This depends on the power amp's output voltage, and on the cab's impedance and sensitivity. As for the cab, the lower the former and the higher the latter, and provided the amp can safely operate at that working regime, the higher the volume you'll get with a given amp. See my last video, that shows how much more volume you get by just using a lower impedance :)
    So if you retrieve the Matrix' parameters we'll know how loud it will sound with the K-Power amp :)


    PS: the K-Power Amp is rated @ 68 W @ 4 ohm. But there might be news on this... see my next post ;)

    It seems it would be possible to use a switching transformer for the K-Power Amp. With this option, we might jump from 68 W\4 ohm to 90 W\4 ohm.


    Disadvantages:

    • It would be more expensive, by about 35 €;
    • It would be a bit less musical (and like all the other SS available based on a switching transformer, such as the Kemper power amp and the Camplifier);


    Advantages:

    • it would be more powerful, by about 35%;
    • It would be way lighter (we'd save around 50% of the overall weight.


    Now, the point is that Andrea is an artisan, and he needs to carefully tailor his investments. So I'd like to ask you guys how many of you would spend more in order to get the above. With this variant the final price would be around 250 € in Italy (don't take this for more than just a rough guessing, it's just to give you an idea).
    Your feedback will be invaluable for this project to see the light! Thanks

    Well the NL12 specs on the site are as follows:


    - for the 8ohm version:
    "This cabinet is primarily intended for valve amplifiers within the 15-60w power range" and also
    "Amplifier Type: Valve
    Recommended min. power: 15 W @ 8Ω amp rating
    Recommended max. power: 60 W@ 8Ω amp rating"


    - for the 16ohm version no manual but there is this SPL graph (unsure how to match it to the poweramp?):
    [Blocked Image: http://uk.matrixamplification.com/media/mconnect_uploadfiles/n/l/nl12-16r-freq.png]


    I'm not really concerned with SPL right now as I am with the ability of the speaker to coexist peacefully with the K-Power without either one giving up the white smoke. 8)

    I'm just trying to be as truthful to my experience and personal opinion that I'm clearly presenting only as a personal opinion no more no less in an honest and truthful discussion about equipment.

    Quote from viabcroce

    It seems it would be possible to use a switching transformer for the K-Power Amp. With this option, we might jump from 68 W\4 ohm to 90 W\4 ohm.


    Now, the point is that Andrea is an artisan, and he needs to carefully tailor his investments. So I'd like to ask you guys how many of you would spend more in order to get the above. With this variant the final price would be around 250 € in Italy (don't take this for more than just a rough guessing, it's just to give you an idea).
    Your feedback will be invaluable for this project to see the light! Thanks


    I'm guessing it will make it less small-cab-friendly? ;)
    Any difference with regards to a stereo option?
    For me, the price is still perfectly fine. Shaved weight also means lower shipping cost! :thumbup:
    Supporting a "local" project is something I'm always willing to throw a few extra euros at, especially if it's a well thought-out project like this one seems to be...

    I'm just trying to be as truthful to my experience and personal opinion that I'm clearly presenting only as a personal opinion no more no less in an honest and truthful discussion about equipment.

    The starting goal was to make a low wattage poweramp as cheap as possible with high quality tone. So for me the most appealling solution would be the original project under 200 euros.

    Thanks guys, keep your opinions coming! It would be difficult for Andrea to look after several different versions, and he certainly can't afford building stuff no-one is going to buy :)


    Interesting tho, while you are still a very small sample, that you'd prefer the least powerful option. Since the Profiler came out I had my ears filled with watts never being enough because of crazy drummers, high volumes, need for a clean headroom and the like...
    When I proposed KPA-Solution to build a very small Campifier the consensus was that no-one wanted such an amp...
    I'll confess I am perplexed, but maybe time has made us all wiser... who knows :)


    MuddyFox: definitely go for the 8-ohm version! See the K-Power Amp specs in this thread ;)

    So very cool to see what you guys have brought to the table wow love to try one when she's available to make the trip to the states!! Awesome job work my friend...
    I cannot leave without my dose of humor though.....Sooooo when will YOUR foot controller be released for it!! hahahaa!

    Quote from viabcroce

    Thanks guys, keep your opinions coming! It would be difficult for Andrea to look after several different versions, and he certainly can't afford building stuff no-one is going to buy :)


    Interesting tho, while you are still a very small sample, that you'd prefer the least powerful option. Since the Profiler came out I had my ears filled with watts never being enough because of crazy drummers, high volumes, need for a clean headroom and the like...
    When I proposed KPA-Solution to build a very small Campifier the consensus was that no-one wanted such an amp...
    I'll confess I am perplexed, but maybe time has made us all wiser... who knows :)


    MuddyFox: definitely go for the 8-ohm version! See the K-Power Amp specs in this thread ;)


    Well, maybe it's the way you presented the prototype but I felt that it was already very loud? But if you say that it is not powerfull enough to keep up with a loud drummer then I could reconsider my answer.


    Also don't forget that the small Camplifier proposition was not a retrofit one.

    Quote from sixtycycle

    So very cool to see what you guys have brought to the table wow love to try one when she's available to make the trip to the states!! Awesome job work my friend...


    Thanks for your encouragements :thumbup:


    Quote from sixtycycle

    I cannot leave without my dose of humor though.....Sooooo when will YOUR foot controller be released for it!! hahahaa!


    No date has been announced yet :P


    :D



    Quote from Pick909

    Well, maybe it's the way you presented the prototype but I felt that it was already very loud? But if you say that it is not powerfull enough to keep up with a loud drummer then I could reconsider my answer.


    8o
    Not sure I'm following you on this...
    Of course I consider the amp very loud, that's why I had asked for a smaller Camplifier!
    Remember, it also depends on the cab's sensitivity and impedance.


    Quote from Pick909


    Also don't forget that the small Camplifier proposition was not a retrofit one.


    Ehm... well... it was, actually :)
    I had asked\suggested them to realize a cheaper 60-W version with identical characteristics to the other models.

    He Muddy Fox,


    I am confused.
    At first you guys were debating if VAT would have to be applied in the US, so I thought you live in the states.
    Now you say a certain cabinet is designed in the UK, which you consider to be good......??


    Where do you live ? USA or UK ?


    The reason I ask is this :


    If you happen to live in the UK, there will be a very affordable cabinet (and even amplifier) solution available to you in the very near future.


    I will open a new thread about this, since I do not want to hijack this one and I am holding myself back from commenting about musical power supplies and class D ; class A/B statements in this thread very hard already ;) .


    Tilman

    Quote from Tilman

    He Muddy Fox,


    I am confused.
    At first you guys were debating if VAT would have to be applied in the US, so I thought you live in the states.
    Now you say a certain cabinet is designed in the UK, which you consider to be good......??


    Where do you live ? USA or UK ?


    :D
    I don't know what confused you about any of my rantings... The prices are in $ which to me, being in EU, means shipping+customs at the very least. If I'm concerned about VAT, that can only mean that I'm not Stateside.
    I even mentioned a few posts up that I'm in EU.
    But I do concede that even I sometimes get lost in my usually-long-winded musings about money. No harm done, we're on the same page now! :thumbup:




    Hey that's great!!! While I'm not actually in UK, I am however a bit further south in EU so you can color me interested in any "budget" solution of decent quality that you can offer or have information about. Will be looking for your thread and if I somehow miss it, please PM me with a heads up.
    Thanks!

    I'm just trying to be as truthful to my experience and personal opinion that I'm clearly presenting only as a personal opinion no more no less in an honest and truthful discussion about equipment.

    I know, from the Blueamps website, that KPA-Solutions are working since a while on a hybrid FRFR/guitar cab speaker cabinet which could be offer in the Kit form.It is suppose to be affordable! This cab could be the perfect friend of the K-Poweramp discuss here, or a new cheaper Camplifier... :thumbup: