Quilter SBUS @ 9 Volts, Anyone?

[Sigmund451]

Ive wondered if there is any benefit to this for home practice.
I would still use it to drive a 12 inch speaker at 1 watt.
I would still play at similiar volumes

Im not using a ton of gain to play rock so I dont know that there is any benefit to ordering an second power supply.

It seems to me that any possible loss in tone I might be getting would be from not driving the speaker hard enough for low voume practice.
There does seem to be a point where volume gets so low that it doesnt sound as full.
Its been my presumption that its the speaker, not that Im not pusing the amp enough.

Has anyone experimented with this?
Im happy with what Ive got but Im curious if its worthwhile to mess with it.

[sgosnell]

The SBUS does struggle to provide adequate volume when using 9V or 12V for power. Speakers vary a lot, and some need a lot more power than others. I get more volume when I use my Vibrolux Reverb as a cabinet, at least in part because it's using two 10" speakers in parallel, so 4 ohms impedance, than with my Toob Metro BG+. No surprise there to me, because the VR speakers are more efficient, lower impedance, and bigger. I mostly use the 9V power when I just need to drive the DI to a PA, not to drive a speaker. I get plenty of volume, and normal tone/sound, from a 9V battery through the DI. Driving a speaker is somewhat more problematic, though. At home, I just use the 24V adapter.

[Sigmund451]

Thanks, it sounds like I can just ignore that option for now. As I said, Im plenty happy with it with the included 24 volt pws. I just wondered if I was missing something. Thanks for saving me the trouble.

I guess I can always give it a whirl if I get an adapter for a pedal some day. I dont tend to use pedals so who knows if/when that will happen.

[Gitterbug]

I've owned three SuperBlocks since their introduction and have never even tried the 9V option. However, I've seen a video, too amateurish and grainy to be forwarded, with guitarist Greg Ruggiero playing a guitar solo in the NY Central Park using a 9V battery to feed his SuperBlock and one of my Metros (typically 91 dB sensitive.) Can't remember how many horns, but it was a loud jazz band for sure.

[EastwoodMike]

For home practice (TV volume) not a problem. I had it mounted to and supplied by my pedalboard. Headroom is much less as one should expect. I was playing through a 12” Jensen 8Ohm neo if that is of any help.
I also could get a 12v supply off the board and I could possibly get away with small combo rehearsals.

m

[Sigmund451]

Thanks Mike I guess my question is if there is any real advantage for the jazz player not looking for a low headroom situation? The last thing I need is more power supplies and wires if there is no advantage.

[sgosnell]

The only advantages I can see are that an AC outlet isn't required. The SBUS can be run on 9 or 12V using a battery or standard pedalboard power supply if needed, but the output is limited. I don't find that it sounds any better, and to me it actually sounds slightly worse. Perhaps 12V sounds marginally better than 9V, but neither sounds as good as 24V to me. But good sound is subjective, so the only way you can really know is to try it and see if you prefer it.

[EastwoodMike]

Well, if the player is looking to play at 1 watt, then they are kinda expecting low headroom. Still loud for quiet nights. A fender champ is ~5watts and very loud and clean for home practice at 2.5-3 on volume. Outside though, it gets no louder, just more compressed and broken up.

If a high headroom loud clean is what you are after, then the best option is with the supplied Brick without doubt.
But at quiet volume at home 9V can still be clean, just not as loud clean.

In the end with the PBUS it’s a moot argument since it has a master volume anyway. Turn gain up as far as you wish, then attenuate the volume with the master.

The only thing I don’t like about the brick is the 24v connector begging to be damaged sticking out the side.
The need for a separate brick is the biggest drawback of these small heads.
I have a tc bam200 and for convenience at rehearsals it wins. 200w with integrated power supply. Same size as the SBUS and slips into the front pocket of my gig bag, cables and music folder included. Just wish it had reverb.