EA Review - iAMP 350 Combo

BY TERRY BUDDINGH

Most 1x10 bass combo amps, while far more manageable than their behemoth brethren, are better suited for bedroom practice than for use as a serious gigging rig. Euphonic Audio has made an earnest effort to offer an alternative to both the typically underachieving 1x10 combo and the cumbersome club combo. The iAMP 350 is no mere practice amp-it's intended to be a serious professional amp for gigs and recording.

Brave New Combo

Among amps, beauty should be more than skin deep, but the exterior is still important. The iAMP is coated with a thick, rubbery polyurethane finish that's more durable and stain-resistant than carpet or vinyl coverings. The combo features a transmission-line cabinet design (see page 24), and the extra internal lumber adds to the amp's weight. At 60 pounds, the iAMP 350 is a bit heavier than you might expect. Fortunately, EA attaches a pleasant-feeling, extra-thick leather handle to the top. There's also a spring-loaded handle moun-ted to the cabinet's bottom. While this provides another lifting option, its main function is to support the amp in tilt-back position.

The iAMP 350 combo uses the same 350-watt head that's available separately (as the cleverly named iAMP 350 head). If you want to run the combo head with a different cabinet, you can easily extract the

The compression tweeter screws into the back of the woofer. EA chose an especially massive woofer magnet to increase the speaker's sensitivity.

rugged self-contained chassis by removing four screws. EA made the front panel easy to read by using crisp silkscreened graphics. The iAMP offers a lot of tone-shaping flexibility: Four bands of parametric EQ plus four well-voiced presets provide almost unlimited tone-tweaking potential. EA provides an XLR DI out for recording and sound reinforcement. A stereo input jack lets you plug a CD player into the iAMP and practice along with recordings. A headphone jack and speaker mute switch let you enjoy the iAMP's sound without bothering others.

Potent Portable

I tested the iAMP in a variety of settings, ranging from a five-piece R&B/zydeco group to a 17-piece big band. The EA handled an active 5-string amazingly well. The lowest notes sounded taut, punchy, and surprisingly full, and each note's fundamental was well defined, solid, and strong. Producing a huge B-string sound is a demanding task for a single 10" speaker; adding EA's CxL-110 extension cab increased the volume and headroom significantly.

A Jazz-style 4-string sounded especially clear and detailed thanks to the coaxial woofer/tweeter arrangement-when both woofer and tweeter are on the same axis, notes have a more coherent and focused sound. The combo punched through the densest big band textures with an authoritative, centered voice that projected to the back of the room. The iAMP has a well-balanced frequency response, and the tweeter blends seamlessly with the woofer to produce an open, natural-sounding top. With the 4-string, the combo performed admirably without the extension cab. I was also impressed with how natural my German upright (with Underwood pickup) sounded through the EA combo. It produced a full and rich bottom with a distinctive woody-textured midrange. Arco playing sounded detailed and defined.

The deep button's moderate bass boost, combined with contour 2's upper midrange dip, produced a full and clear sound that worked especially well with 4-string basses. These two presets are so well voiced I never needed to use the iAMP's powerful parametric EQ during my gig tests. To enhance the EQ section's intuitive feel, EA angles the frequency-selecting sliders to give a better graphic representation of their function. It's easy to find EQ sweet spots by slowly adjusting the sliders.

One For The Road

The iAMP 350 combo packs pro-quality sound, well-chosen features, and tone-shaping flexibility into a compact, roadworthy package. Sure, £1,249 sounds like a lot of money for a 1x10 combo, but you're unlikely to find a better-sounding or more versatile pro-quality combo for less. Combined with the CxL-110 extension cab, the EA iAMP 350 combo is capable of going toe to toe with any rival.

Euphonic Audio iAmp 350 Combo List Price: £1,249 (UK MRP)
Construction:
Electronics:
Portability:
Sound:
Value:
Pros: Pro tone and flexibility in a potent and portable package. Cons: Don't expect lots of 5-string headroom without the extension cab.

CxL-110 Extension Cabinet

The CxL-110 extension cab uses the same coaxial driver as the iAMP combo. The CxL-110's tightly controlled, punchy, and well-focused sound worked well with other heads, too. Both solid-state and tube heads sounded smooth and well balanced through the little coaxial 1x10. The tweeter always sounded pleasantly relaxed, never harsh or brash. The low mids were juicy and ripe, producing more of a satisfied purr than an aggressive growl. The CxL-110 may be small, but its hi-fi rich sound is hugely impressive. TECH SPECS The CxL-110 features the same components and construction as the iAMP combo (minus the head). Type: 1x10 transmission-line cabinet with coaxial tweeter Made in: USA List price: £549 (UK mrp) Warranty: One year limited Frequency response: 45Hz-14kHz Power rating: 350 watts RMS Impedance: 8 ohms Sensitivity: 103dB (1 watt, 1 meter) Dimensions: 13 1/2" x 14 3/4" x 12 1/2" Weight: 36 lbs

 

E&OE. All UK prices shown are as of 1 September 2001 and are subject to change without notice. For up to date pricing details please contact www.euphonicaudio-eu.com. All material © 2001 United Entertainment Media Inc. All rights reserved. A Music Player Network Publication. All content reproduced by kind permission of BASS PLAYER ONLINE. BASS PLAYER and Music Player Network are registered trademarks of United Entertainment Media Inc.