Authorized Canadian Acoustic Image Retailer
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Note: This page provides information about the Series II models. Although no longer available as new, you may find Series II or IIa items "in the wild", so we're providing this page for your reference. Some of the text is repeated from our main page, but that's because it still applies!
GH Services is an authorized Acoustic Image Dealer. We provide competitive pricing on Acoustic Image products in Canada and the United States. Acoustic Image amplifiers are hand-made in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A.
GH Services is located in the Niagara Region of Canada, near Toronto and the Canada-U.S. border. Owner Greg Holmes is a long-time bass player and studio musician, ready and able to help you with any questions you have. More about GH Services here.
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| Acoustic Image Series II Clarus 2R on EX cab, with BassLab SOUL-IV and hard travel case |
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| Acoustic Image Series II amp (Clarus 1R) |
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| Acoustic Image Series II speaker cabinet bottom view showing the downwards-firing 10 inch woofer |
The Clarus (200 Watts into 4 Ohms) and Focus (600 Watts into 4 Ohms) models combine a one or two channel preamp section, an optional 8-preset digital reverb, and a switch mode power amplifier in a compact book-sized package that weighs about 2 kilograms (4 pounds). The head is so lightweight that newer versions don't even need a handle! It provides transparent, powerful, and accurate sound reproduction across the full frequency spectrum for acoustic and electric instruments.
The preamp section has an optional mic channel and provides 4-band equalization and a parallel effects loop with return level control on each channel, a selectable notch or high pass filter which is very effective for feedback or "boominess" elimination, and a balanced direct out with ground lift to allow connection to a mixing board for PA augmentation or recording.
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| Acoustic Image Series II Focus 2R and Focus SA power amp |
The switch mode power amp section drives loads as low as 2 Ohms on the Clarus models and 4 Ohms on the Focus, and has a switch for dual voltage operation (115/230V, 50/60 Hz) and a detachable power cord.
Unlike other solid state amps, the Clarus and Focus have a distinct, warm sound, more like a tube amp, and they are not "voiced" like many electronic instrument amps -- the frequency response is almost "ruler flat". The EQ is sufficient to overcome room acoustics or to shape your sound without adding noise to the signal, and the optional reverb adds fullness and presence. The amps were not designed to be driven hard to create distortion in the amp, but effects pedals can be used at the input or in the effects loop, and the fidelity of the amp lets the effect shine through.
The Focus SA satellite power amplifier is the power amp section from the Focus amp heads. It delivers 600W into 4 ohms and weighs only 3.5 pounds. It's designed to operate with any standalone preamp and can be used with AI amp heads via the balanced direct out or effects loop send outputs, to increase the total power. The Focus SA has one combo input jack, which accepts either 1/4" plug or balanced XLR, and an Input Level control. When used with one of the Focus heads, the resulting system is 1200W, weighing only 7.5 pounds!
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| Acoustic Image Series IIa Coda R combo |
The Series II Contra (1 channel) and Coda (2 channel) are compact and powerful combo amplifiers for acoustic and electric instruments. Combining a 3-way speaker system with the Clarus amplifier in a compact 10 kilogram (25 pound) package, many noted players believe they achieve the world's best acoustic sound for bass, guitar, and keyboards.
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| Acoustic Image Series IIa combo rear view |
In this context, "acoustic" means a comfortable volume level where the combo is effectively invisible, providing amplification without coloration.
You can see in the left photo that the head is connected to the cab with a short Speakon cable. You can connect another speaker cabinet to the other output on the amp, or you can disconnect the short cable and run two external cabs.
The combos have a flat frequency response coupled with an extended, tight,
well-controlled bass sound and clarity of reproduction. Omnidirectional output
of frequencies below 800 Hz allows instruments amplified by the combos to be
easily heard by other musicians across the bandstand.
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| Comparison of the Series IIa (left) with the Series II design |
The combos were redesigned into a more integrated and compact format, called the Series IIa. The electronics and speaker components are the same, and the sound is the same, but the amp has been lowered into the speaker cabinet to give a sleeker look.
In order to have a compact enclosure while maintaining accurate reproduction across a broad spectrum of frequencies, a compromise was made in the absolute volume at which the combos and EX cabinet can play at the lowest frequencies. Generally, if the EQ is flat, and aggressive low notes on an electric bass guitar are played, the cabinets can handle the low frequencies up to the point where the preamp "Level" control and the "Master" control are at their 12-o'clock positions (about half way up).
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| Using the lifter to tilt the cabinet |
We've found that we set both controls to their 10-o'clock positions for most restaurants and small clubs, leaving plenty of headroom. This is with the combo providing amplification for both guitar and bass simultaneously, and sometimes a microphone. A truly portable PA!
For some venues, a Contra EX extension cabinet can be added for more coverage, but in a higher volume situation you'll want a larger extension cabinet or augmentation by a house PA system. To peel the paint off the walls, we like to use the Acoustic Image amps with AccuGroove cabinets. The fidelity of this combination is amazing. The amps also work very well with the popular speaker cabinets (twin 15 bass cabinets, quad 10s, and so on) that some venues have on hand as "house cabinets".
A built-in lifter mechanism under the front of the combos and EX cabinet allows them
to be tilted to better direct sound to the player's listening position. An
optional padded gig bag with shoulder strap makes the combos convenient for the
travelling musician.
The available configurations included the amplifier alone or in combination with a cabinet, in single or dual channel, and with or without reverb. The following table shows the many possibilities.
| Series II Combos, Cabs, and Cases | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Description | Type | Power Output |
Inst. Chan? |
Mic Chan? |
Reverb | |
| 410 BA | Contra SII 11.5" High, 15" Diameter, 26 lbs. |
combo | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | - | - | |
| 411 BA | Contra R SII 11.5" High, 15" Diameter, 26 lbs. |
combo | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | - | yes | |
| 410 AA | Coda SII 11.5" High, 15" Diameter, 26 lbs. |
combo | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | yes | - | |
| 411 AA | Coda R SII 11.5" High, 15" Diameter, 26 lbs. |
combo | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | yes | yes | |
| 410 BE | Contra EX Extension Cabinet 11.5" High, 15" Diameter, 21 lbs. |
cabinet only | - | - | - | - | |
| 410 C | Padded case for Contra, Coda, EX 4 lbs. | case | - | - | - | - | |
| 401 C | Hard travel case for Contra, Coda, EX 6.5 lbs. | case | - | - | - | - | |
| Series II Amps and Cases | |||||||
| Model | Description | Type | Power Output |
Inst. Chan? |
Mic Chan? |
Reverb | |
| 400 IA | Clarus 1 SII 10"x9"x2.5", 5 lbs. |
amp only | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | - | - | |
| 401 IA | Clarus 1R SII 10"x9"x2.5", 5 lbs. |
amp only | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | - | yes | |
| 402 IA | Clarus 2 SII 10"x9"x2.5", 5 lbs. |
amp only | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | yes | - | |
| 403 IA | Clarus 2R SII 10"x9"x2.5", 5 lbs. |
amp only | 120w/8ohm 200w/4ohm 300w/2ohm |
yes | yes | yes | |
| 430 IA | Focus 1 SII 10"x9"x2.5", 4.5 lbs. |
amp only | 350w/8ohm 600w/4ohm |
yes | - | - | |
| 431 IA | Focus 1R SII 10"x9"x2.5", 4.5 lbs. |
amp only | 350w/8ohm 600w/4ohm |
yes | - | yes | |
| 432 IA | Focus 2 SII 10"x9"x2.5", 4.5 lbs. |
amp only | 350w/8ohm 600w/4ohm |
yes | yes | - | |
| 433 IA | Focus 2R SII 10"x9"x2.5", 4.5 lbs. |
amp only | 350w/8ohm 600w/4ohm |
yes | yes | yes | |
| 440 SA | Focus SA SII power amp 10"x6.5"x3.1", 3.5 lbs. |
power amp only | 350w/8ohm 600w/4ohm |
- | - | - | |
| 300 C | Padded gig bag for Clarus and Focus | case | - | - | - | - | |
All amps (heads) came with a padded gig bag and a 6-foot 14-gauge speaker cable (Speakon to 1/4") for connection to standard cabinets. Combos came with a short cable (Speakon to Speakon).
Features for the Series II Clarus and Focus models
Features for the Series II Contra and Coda Combos
All of the feature of the Clarus, plus:
Series II Technical Specifications
| System | |
| Frequency Response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz, ± 0.5 dB |
| Distortion | <0.5% full output, <0.01% typical |
| Hum and Noise | -85 dB or better |
| AC Power | 115V/60Hz, 230/50Hz, switchable |
| Size, amp | 10" x 9" x 2.5" |
| Size, cabinet | 12" height x 15" diameter |
| Weight, amp | 2 to 3 kilograms (4 to 6 pounds) |
| Weight, cabinet | 10 kilograms (25 pounds) |
| Preamp | |
| Mic Input | 600 Ohm balanced, XLR connector |
| Phantom Power | 38 volts, on/off switch |
| Instrument Inputs | Low impedance (1 M.), High Impedance (10 M.), separately buffered |
| Direct Out | +4 dB, balanced, XLR connector, ground lift |
| Effects Loop | Parallel type, 1/4" jack w/ return level control |
| Bass Control | Shelving type, ±15 dB @ 60 Hz |
| Mid Control | ±15 dB @ 650 kHz |
| Treble Control | Shelving type, ±15 dB @ 10 kHz |
| Brite Control | ±15 dB @ 9 kHz |
| Notch Filter | -18 dB sweepable from 30 to 700 Hz |
| High Pass Filter | -12 dB/octave sweepable from 30 to 700 Hz |
| Reverb | |
| Type | Digital with 8 presets and level control |
| Reverb Presets | 2 Hall (Concert Hall, Arena), 3 Room (Club, Chamber, Garage), 2 Plate (Plate, Vocal) and 1 Spring |
| Power Amp | |
| Topology | Class D (PWM) |
| Switching Frequency | 300 kHz |
| Output Power (Clarus) | >120 Watts (8Ohm), >200 Watts (4Ohm), >300 Watts (2Ohm) |
| Output Power (Focus) | >300 Watts (8Ohm), >600 Watts (4Ohm) |
| Minimum Load | 2 Ohm (Clarus), 4 Ohm (Focus) |
| Output Connectors | 2 parallel Neutrik Speakon type, wired to pole 1 |
| Focus SA | |
| Input | Combo jack accepting either 1/4" plug or XLR |
| Input impedance | 5k ohms |
| Signal level for full power output | 250 mV, rms ("instrument level") |
| Controls | Input Level |
| Outputs | 2 parallel Speakon jacks wired to pole 1 |
| Power output | >350W (8 ohms), >600W (4 ohms), both RMS continuous |
| AC Power | 115V/60Hz, 230/50Hz, switchable |
| Size | 10" x 6.5" x 3.1" |
| Weight | 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) |
| Speaker Components in Contra, Coda, and EX | |
| Frequency Response | 30 Hz - 20 kHz (40 Hz - 16 kHz +/- 3 dB) |
| Impedance | 4 Ohms |
| Max Power | 300 Watts |
| Max SPL | >112 dB @ 1 m |
| Woofer | 10 inch, downfiring, 30 Hz - 800 Hz |
| Midrange | 5 inch, forward firing, 500 Hz - 10 kHz |
| Tweeter | 1 inch forward firing, 8 kHz - 20 kHz, with on/off switch |
| Crossover | Passive, alignment corrected |
| Other | |
| Available Accessories | Extension speaker (Contra EX Model 410 BE), padded gig bag with shoulder strap, "twist lock" (Speakon) to "twist lock", and "twist lock" to 1/4 inch speaker cables. |
Series II Controls and Connections
Series II Clarus 1, Focus 1, and Contra controls and connection panel.
Series II Clarus 1R, Focus 1R, and Contra R controls and connection panel.
Series II Clarus 2, Focus 2, and Coda controls and connection panel.
Series II Clarus 2R, Focus 2R, and Coda R controls and connection panel.
Power and speaker panel for all Series II models.This page describes the Series II models, which are no longer available. For current models, please see our main page.
For all enquiries, contact ghservices.com@gmail.com.
