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Hiya all! I was tipped off by NY guitarist Greg Ruggiero, who's even more obsessed about small gear than I am. The Bulgarian-made Kyro Dulo 830 pedalboard amp pushes out incredibly loud 30 watts and stays clean all the way. My first tryout with a gentlemanly jazz quintet proved that it's dynamic and definitely darker-voiced than a Quilter SuperBlock. Although meant to be used as a power amp, its 3-way EQ, other features and voice make it a viable stand-alone amp. The footprint is small (3.75" x 4.75") and the net weight including universal-voltage AC adaptor and power cable is just 1.8 lbs. Got mine from Thomann; don't know about US distribution.
The photo shows the amp docked transversally to a Toob Metro 6.5GP.
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09-21-2023 09:31 AM
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Looks really nice and is priced competitively. The only dealer here in the US does not currently have any, but will inform you when they do.
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It appears to be not completely new, there are reviews going back to 2020, but it's out of stock everywhere, including on the Kyro website. From what I see with a brief search, it's possible that only 100 were ever built, but that might not be true. I'm not sure what's going on with the company nor this product.
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Strange. Kyro Audio's two e-mail addresses (support, info) cannot be reached. I'm in the same time zone with Bulgaria so I tried to give them a call twice this morning. Got the ringing tones but no reply or message. The website is up and Kyro's latest FB posts are from early summer this year. I don't do Instagram, perhaps there's a clue.
I think the first run of 100 units was followed by some changes into the enclosure. I was dealing with another Bulgarian maker in 2020 who just vanished, citing Covid-induced component shortages. The Dulo's introduction must also have been hurt by the Pandemic. All I know for certain is that Thomann has them in stock. For how long? Have contacted Thomann's purchasing guys who may or may not want to shed light on the situation. After all, the amp is so good and attractively priced that it should interest Americans even if ordered from Europe.
Will pursue my testing today with larger, more efficient cabs and daisy-chaining two Metros. After all, unlike the SuperBlocks, the Dulo does 50W @ 4 ohm.
Edit: It's not hi-fi sterile but hellishly loud. Thomann says they have Dulos in stock almost all the time.Last edited by Gitterbug; 09-22-2023 at 09:00 AM.
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A further note: Beating open E major chord as hard as I could, the amp and a Toob 12S produced 117 dB at one meter's distance.
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wow
Originally Posted by Gitterbug;[URL="tel:1288176"
isn’t that illegal ?
(ps i just started another thread
on the Harley B GPA 100
micro amp …. £68)
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A versatile micro-amp is the Trace Elliot Elf. 1.6 lbs., 200 watts into 4 ohms, 3-way EQ, master volume and included compression at high levels, XLR, headphone out.
It has served me well.
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Agreed, although more bass-voiced than TC Electronic BAM200. Add Warwick Gnome to the same category; probably louder than the other two. G+K MB200 was years ahead of these and still my bassist friends' favorite, but hard to come by. Oh well, at some point I have to stop buying and start selling these... Originally Posted by Tom Wright
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for my micro rig
I’m staying with my Bam200 w my Metro for the moment ….
it’s got enough clean volume
but I’m also still trying various pedals to get a bit of grease/dirt when I dig in
its an ongoing process ….
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I also have that GK. The Elf tone knobs are different, with mids at 400 Hz, a really useful band for controlling body resonance. Highs at 4K also useful for mag pickups.
GK is interesting, with a high bass knob at 250, and mid at 1000 Hz. Elf is a bit more musical in tone, and smaller.
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The GK is sterile and dry for guitar. Bassists appreciate the 4-way eq. My grandson (yes, I'm getting seriously old) uses the Elf together with a Metro 6.5BG for both guitar (rock rhythm) and bass guitar. (About bassists: I have the feeling that their tastes vary a lot more than guitarists'. Particularly true about upright bassists - each instrument, PU system and instrument is an individual.)
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Hmmmm. So this could be used in combination with a preamp pedal like this type of a thing
Universal Audio UAFX Dream '65 Reverb Amp Pedal | GAK
or equivalent
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Turns out I tried to call Kyro on a public holiday. But that doesn't explain why my e-mails bounced back. Anyway, thanks to Thomann's mediation, there's now a direct line of contact. I will know more soon.
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"Soon" is a relative concept - in this case almost two weeks. I just got a message from Emil Kirilov, CEO of Zekeng JSC, apparently a software and firmware company with PCB manufacturing capabilities. Kyro Audio is just one of their many activities. Emil says they have been restructuring and are now in the process of acquiring a new factory for added capacity. They will be able to address the US amp market next year.
I of course used the opportunity to beg for a variant with on-board reverb, and also suggested a small two-channel head half the price and size of Henriksen's and AI's offering.
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It still looks like the SuperBlock has more modes, a DI out, reverb, compression, etc - and it weighs almost exactly the same. Is the Dulo that much louder?
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You're right in that Dulo is a power amp, while SuperBlocks are full-fledged amps with all the bells and whistles. The Dulo is distinctly louder and darker. 117 dB through a 12" speaker is serious. Yet, the SuperBlock is also loud enough through a large and sensitive speaker. For my needs in a swing sextet, even a 6.5" Metro GP speaker is sufficient, so the SuperBlock remains my go-to amp.
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I've been quite happy with my Toob BG and the SuperBlock. Originally Posted by Gitterbug
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You happy, me happy!
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