Aguilar DB 700 Hybrid Bass Amp

Aguilar's DB tube preamp voice in an 11.2-pound, 700-watt head with onboard cabinet IRs.

The hard part of a hybrid bass head has always been the trade. A tube preamp gives a bass the warmth and give that help it sit right in a band, and the amps built around one have tended to be heavy enough that you think twice before every load-in. Aguilar's DB 751 is the head many bassists think of for that sound: three 12AX7s, a MOSFET power section, and 42 pounds on the scale.

The DB 700 is Aguilar's answer for players who want that voice in something they can carry in one hand. It pairs a two-12AX7 tube preamp with a Class D power section, delivers 700 watts into 4 ohms (350 into 8), and weighs 11.2 pounds. The EQ will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time with a DB 751. Bass, mid, and treble are centered at the same 40 Hz, 750 Hz, and 4 kHz points, and the Deep and Bright boosts add 5 dB at 30 Hz and at 5 to 7 kHz.

Where the DB 700 adds to the DB formula is in getting your sound to the house. There are two XLR outputs. The front-panel D.I. is switchable pre or post EQ. The second, on the rear panel, sends a post-EQ signal that you can run through one of three cabinet impulse responses. Aguilar preloads its SL 112, SL 410x, and DB 410 cabinets, and you can load your own through the Aguilar Cabinet Suite software over USB-C. The amp runs safely with no speaker connected, so it works as a recording front end or a silent stage rig. A headphone out, aux in, and headphone mix control cover practice at home.

The rest is built for travel: universal 100 to 240 volt mains, two Speakon outputs that handle loads down to 2.67 ohms, a series effects loop, a tuner out that stays live when the amp is muted, a -10 dB input pad for high-output basses, and rack ears included on a chassis 3.5 inches tall.

If you love the DB sound and have been wishing for it in a head you can carry with one hand, come plug into this one.