headlite and Amplite
Bass Amps
SWR
lows, and punch. To match the Headlite’s
tiny size, I hooked it up to my very efficient,
4-ohm Euphonic Audio Wizzy 12 cab. SWR
has its own Golight cabs, including a 4x10,
a 1x15, and a 2x10. These cabs are efficient
( 105 dB) and should mate well with the
Headlite, but watch the impedance because
some are 4 ohm while others spec at 8 ohm.
I set the Aural Enhancer to the “classic” 200
Hz center, dialed it to the 1 o’clock position,
and left the three EQ knobs on their detent-
ed flat settings. (Thank goodness for those
detents—the tiny black indicator dots on the
knobs are all but invisible unless they’re right
in your face.) Happily, this setting yielded
the classic SWR sound with a solid punch to
each note. Pushing the Enhancer’s shift but-
ton provided a warmer version of the same
sound, with the scoop center moved up to
600Hz. Pressing the Enhancer’s knob defeats
its function, providing a flat-EQ sound
suitable for acoustic instruments. Engaging
this button to remove the Enhancer’s deep
bottom and crisp edge that worked so well
for electric bass, I played an Azola BugBass
electric upright through the Headlite and was
rewarded with a full, warm sound. I should
add that the Headlite’s compressor did a
good job of leveling out the sound without
totally squashing it.
Amplite: The headlite
As a One-Knob Wonder
SWR’s new Amplite delivers the Headlite’s
power amp without all the additional controls
and features. It has just one knob on the
front that adjusts—you guessed it—the amp’s
volume level. The only other action on the
Amplite’s front panel is a set of power level
indicators that show when you’re getting all
the output the Amplite has to give. Poking
around the back of the Amplite, I found a pair
of Speakon connection jacks, a combo ¼"/XLR
input jack and a pass-though output jack for
sending the same signal to additional amps.
I tried an Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp
pedal straight into the Amplite and its
signal easily drove the Amplite. I also ran
the Preamp Out from the Headlite into the
Amplite, connected a 4-ohm speaker cab to
each unit, and used the Headlite’s Master
knob to adjust the volume of both devices.
Whether slaving with the Headlite or powering a separate preamp, the Amplite is a
handy amp to keep around for an extra bit
of oomph.
The Final Mojo
The Headlite and Amplite came in one thickly
padded, divided bag with plenty of room
for speaker and power cables. I thought it
ironic that these two tiny amps ship with a 6',
12-gauge speaker cable and a long, heavy
power cord. Combined, they weigh nearly as
