# Carvin TS100 Poweramp



## David (Jul 3, 2006)

I've had this for quite a while, and I thought it would be nice to post up a review for anyone looking for a cheap tube-poweramp.







Features: 10
Features on a poweramp? No I am not smoking weed... It can switch between EL34's and 6L6 tubes. To bias them, you only need to flip a switch on the inside. It has 2 channels, 100W and 50W. It operates at 4, 8, and 16 ohms. You can also bridge the 100W, or have it 2x50W Stereo. I'm not tech-savy, so I have no clue what that means, but tehre is a switch for it! The front of it is metal I'm guessing? and it's shiny, and I can see myself in it.

Sound: 9
Obviously, it just amplifies the sound, and there isn't much more to it... but, w/o the tubes, cleans are very dry and stale. When you turn up the tubes though, it's all of a sudden warms up and just sounds great. It has a perfect, natural tube reverb, which Line 6 has failed to deliver properly on their POD products.=D When you turn up the presence of the tubes, you can hear it gradually getting gainier, and gainier, with distortion on. Full blast is just fucking awesome! I noticed for a while, that it sounds much more metal when it's in a room that's like 80 degrees. The instructions say to let the tubes warm up for a good 30 seconds, but to get the true intensity of the tubes, leave it on for at least 2 minutes, and it'll just roar.

Build: 7
It looks all nice and all... very clean, but I just get the impression that if I were to smack it with something, the thing would break off like no toher. The knobs feel as if they could be broken off if I were to apply some pressure to it. I've also read some reviews about the screws on the top being stripped after taking the cover off. I haven't taken it off yet, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Worth: 10
I think it's worth the $500. It's clean, and it has some powerful tubes in it which combined with my XT Live, pwn the shit out of so many other people's rigs.

Loudness?: 10
Depends. I can the 100W channel at 25% and play in my house without bothering the neighbors next door (townhouse, thin 6" thick wall). But, if I turn it up to 50%, my neighbors 2 doors over can hear it... and all the way, well, you better be in a big room or outside... because it goes fuckin LOUD. Basically, the beginning is very loose for low-level playing, and as you turn it up, the volume level gets touchy when you turn the knob. A little turn makes a lot of difference. As we all know, the louder you make a tube amp, the better it sounds. 

Overall: 9.2=)

I don't really know what other sections there would be about a poweramp...


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## Jerich (Jul 21, 2006)

i had one of these right off the first 100 made and then and now feel it is not loud enuff to cut through a band...playing in a rehersal...SOUNDS great at low volumes....good luck with it....they are always on ebay!!!


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## Scott (Jul 21, 2006)

Im kinda regretting selling mine...I mean, I didn't have anything to use with it, but I still have the 8 space rack and it's bitching at me to feed it with gear


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## David (Jul 21, 2006)

Jerich said:


> i had one of these right off the first 100 made and then and now feel it is not loud enuff to cut through a band...playing in a rehersal...SOUNDS great at low volumes....good luck with it....they are always on ebay!!!


I've gigged it 3 times already, and it works fine. Not even mic'd, but the places were pretty small anyway. I suggested the amp to a friend, who then bought it. His doesn't amplify the volume at the same rate that mine does, meaning how much you turn the knob, vs. how loud it is. His is a bit quieter, and it gets chunky at loud volumes. 


I guess I got lucky, because the louder you crank it, the smoother it gets.


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## zimbloth (Jul 22, 2006)

TS100 is a great sounding poweramp. As usual with Carvin, you get excellent quality for a very fair price. 

The only thing I'd say is, I wouldn't quite say the features are 10, when there's power amps like 2:90s out there that can do all kinds of special functions like "deep", "half-power" and "modern" etc. Sure, you don't necessarily need this, and I'm obviously biased cuz I use a 2:90, but it would be cool if all poweramps had things like this 

But, it's your review not mine  Just my $0.02!


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## Jerich (Jul 23, 2006)

As usual with Carvin, you get excellent quality for a very fair price. 
The only thing I'd say is, I wouldn't quite say the features are 10, when there's power amps like 2:90s out there that can do all kinds of special functions like "deep", "half-power" and "modern" etc. Sure, you don't necessarily need this, and I'm obviously biased cuz I use a 2:90, but it would be cool if all poweramps had things like this 

I agree 100% Zimmy!


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## David (Jul 23, 2006)

zimbloth said:


> TS100 is a great sounding poweramp. As usual with Carvin, you get excellent quality for a very fair price.
> The only thing I'd say is, I wouldn't quite say the features are 10, when there's power amps like 2:90s out there that can do all kinds of special functions like "deep", "half-power" and "modern" etc. Sure, you don't necessarily need this, and I'm obviously biased cuz I use a 2:90, but it would be cool if all poweramps had things like this
> But, it's your review not mine  Just my $0.02!


well I didn't know that, haha. 

good to know though, thanks.


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## Nipples (Nov 10, 2006)

Jerich said:


> As usual with Carvin, you get excellent quality for a very fair price.
> The only thing I'd say is, I wouldn't quite say the features are 10, when there's power amps like 2:90s out there that can do all kinds of special functions like "deep", "half-power" and "modern" etc. Sure, you don't necessarily need this, and I'm obviously biased cuz I use a 2:90, but it would be cool if all poweramps had things like this
> 
> I agree 100% Zimmy!


I own one too, and Id really like a deep, modern switch. It doesnt need a 1/2 power switch though.

But the thing it does have over the Mesas is the ability to bridge to mono.


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## Leon (Nov 10, 2006)

Scott said:


> Im kinda regretting selling mine...I mean, I didn't have anything to use with it, but I still have the 8 space rack and it's bitching at me to feed it with gear



dude, you pimped the living shit out of that thing. you should be proud that you were able to finally sell it


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## Scott (Nov 10, 2006)

Yeah I know. I ended up ebaying it again, and like, 2 weeks later I think someone on here was looking for one


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## velocity (Nov 11, 2006)

i was going to ask you if you still had it. now i want to try a tube power amp with my rig...


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