Busking 200FR - Portable Battery-Powered Combo Amp

Click the "VIDEOS" ↑ tab above to see a 30-second demo video of this amp in action! 

This new small and lightweight amp is designed SPECIFICALLY for buskers; it runs on a battery, and has multiple channels with flexibility and enough low end to convincingly use with a bass. And it's affordable! How do they do it?

NU-X (pronounced "NEW EX") is a brand that we've carried for a couple years now; they make really useful electronic musical gear. Specifically, we've had their wireless instrument systems for a while, and more recently, we added their wireless headphone (for in-ear monitoring) set. They make a wide variety of nifty stuff - even keyboards and electronic drum sets!

They've just released this new "busking" amp, and it ticks all the right boxes - and is surprisingly affordable! With four to six hours of play time on the built-in battery, this should provide solid amplification for your street corner busking, your campfire jams, your traveling street band, your parade float, and more. It would be useful in a parade, or in a field where no power is available; helping you keep up with all those mandolins and fiddles and such. Super-easy to set up and use, it features familiar tone controls (Bass-Mid-Treble) and a built-in DI output - as well as auxiliary inputs and outputs (for smartphones, linking amps, and more), dual-purpose input jacks (1/4" and XLR) and even its optional (included) Bluetooth module.

Its class D (digital) amplifier module pushes with authority with well over 200w of power (around 236w on battery, and 276w when plugged into the wall). It has a robust 8-inch main driver (woofer) along with a pair of 3" tweeters for rich, full tone and plenty of bass to provide a solid bottom for your bass instrument(s). 

Stood on its end, it's only around a foot and a half tall, and under 11" in the other two directions. And it weighs less than 21 lbs, with the onboard Li-Ion battery included. It's kind of insane!

We've tested this amp here in our shop with upright bass, and it sounds fantastic - real, not hyped, and quite transparent (meaning that it's not adding excess tonal coloration or distortion). The input impedance on both channels is 1MΩ, which is very good for most piezo pickups (the type of pickups most of us have on our basses) - though channel one can also be switched to line level impedance if desired.

Bluetooth (w/ the included outboard module) and AUX-In mean you can stream backing tracks or music through the same speaker. It's even got a standard pole-mount socket on the bottom, so you can get the sound up into the air where it can be heard. 

This thing should cost WAY more than it does, and that's why it's hard for us to keep it in stock. Jump on this bandwagon while you can!

Other Uses

This powered two-channel speaker is not specifically a "bass amp" and has full-range response. It can be used for lots of purposes other than just a bass instrument amplifier:

• A small battery-powered (or plug in) stage monitor
• A mini outdoor "PA" for a person playing an instrument and singing with a mic
• A small "announcement" PA for events, carnival booths, craft shows, parades, etc.
• A background music powered speaker that can run without AC power
• A play-along amp (with a Bluetooth or plug-in music player) for a wedding cocktail hour instrumentalist
• ...many more!