Hiwatt’s new bass amp is “the most powerful in the world”
The DR401’s 400 watts and 12 tubes (not a typo!) back up that claim.
At the ongoing 2018 Musikmesse show, Hiwatt unveiled the DR401 bass head. The UK-based manufacturer claims the amp is “the most powerful all-tube bass amp in the world”—and it certainly lives up to its billing.
The DR401 has a staggering 12 tubes: eight KT88 power tubes, one ECC81 preamp tube and three ECC83 preamp tubes. Together, they deliver 400 watts of muscle; Hiwatt says it can even go up to 580 watts before it starts clipping.
The amp also features two preamp channels (Normal and Brilliant) with a pair of sensitivity inputs (Low and High) for each. A simple set of knobs allow you to dial-in your preferred sound: “Master Volume,” “Presence,” a three-band EQ, and input volume controls for each channel.
Prices for the DR401 have not been released yet. For more information, visit hiwatt.co.uk.