Lately, I've been on a Donner kick. I've purchased a number of their products and have been really satisfied with their quality and affordability. Quite simply, I've gotten a lot of bang for my buck. Which leads me to this. A few months ago, I bought a cheap acoustic bass guitar right here on amazon. Here's the link if you're interested: https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Acoustic-Guitar-Construction-Equalizer/dp/B003H8MXQQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=best+choice+acoustic+bass&qid=1561017663&s=gateway&sr=8-1

While it sounded okay acoustically (I sort of wish it was louder"¦), I'd been itching to plug it in. Problem was I didn't own a bass amplifier. I did own a handful of traditional electric guitar amplifiers, but a quick internet search let me know that it wasn't a good idea to plug a bass into one of them. Apparently, they're not designed to handle the big wave-lengths created by a bass guitar. Especially at higher volumes.

Since I enjoyed the Donner's 10 watt practice amp, the DEA-1, I figured I'd give their bass amp a shot. Turned out that Donner offered two bass amps: a 15 watt version and a 25 watt version. Since I wanted the ability to jam with others without being drowned out by their rigs, I chose the larger (and presumably louder) 25 watt version. It's called the DBA-2.

Shipping/Packaging Condition: It arrived safely in two days' time. The amp came with simple directions and adaptors for auxiliary inputs such as MP3 or CD players. That's always a nice feature. With it, you can plug in your smartphone and jam along with your Itunes catalog, Youtube videos, or whatever else tickles your fancy. Plus, it came with a decent guitar cord (I can always use extras).

Weight/Quality of Build: Though it isn't all that much bigger than its 10 watt cousin, this thing is much heavier. The DEA-1 is barely over 10 pounds. This thing is over 20 pounds. Unlike the DEA-1, which boasted a heavy-duty black plastic exterior, the DBA-2 has a fabric (maybe felt?) exterior layer. The corners are further protected with a metal that looks like chrome but probably isn't. The front has a black metal grate sporting the familiar Donner logo in its upper left corner. The control knobs are a thick black material that sort of gets lost against the black control panel. It would be nice to see them changed to silver or white. That would help them stand out better.

On a side note: the treble, middle, and bass control knobs are labeled "EQUALIZATINO" on the front of the amp (see the attached photograph). I'm assuming it means the same thing as equalization, but in a different language. Either that, or it's a misspelling. A quick Google search didn't clear things up for me, so I'm still wondering.

Sound: What can I say? The DBA-2 sounds good. I don't feel comfortable saying it sounds great simply because I've never, until now, plugged a bass into a bass amplifier and listened to how it sounds. In other words, I have nothing to compare it to. But it delivers clear, punchy tones. The low-end wasn't quite as booming as I had perhaps hoped, but it wasn't bad, either. Heck, for all I know, it might be far boomier (hey, did I just invent an adjective?) than most 25 watt bass amps. The mids were genuinely impressive, and the higher-ends sounded solid.

Final Take: Ultimately, I am happy with the amp. It sounds good and is competitively priced. The Donner company has really staked out a claim for making quality guitar gear that doesn't put a giant dent in your bank account.

Great. I returned a different one that sounded awful. Using this with an acoustic bass"¦excellent.

Good lil amp for the price. My daughter got her first bass and needed an amp but didn't want to break the bank. This one fit perfectly. Only problem I've had is it making noise from background interference if left on while not playing. Really a non-issue as you should probably turn off when finished playing anyway. I'm happy with it,for a beginner budget amp it isn't bad at all

I was a little suspicious of ordering a bass amp from Amazon since all my previous music gear had been bought in store. However, I have been thoroughly impressed with this amplifier thus far. Something that I continue so strive to understand is the difference between the two channels (e.g., clean vs. overdrive). I am still learning on this, however, I guess having an overdrive channel somewhat negates the need for a pedal. That's cool, in my opinion, and it also helps to save some money on gear. Something that would have been nice to have been included would have been a more comprehensive manual. As with much of my gear, learning by experience is pretty much the only way to go but it would have been nice to have a more thorough explanation of the channels and knobs to go off of from the manufacturer. Nonetheless, this is a nice amplifier, in my opinion, and I enjoy practicing on it regularly. Thanks.

The media could not be loaded. I posted a picture of this Donner amp next to my Fender Rumble v3 500W, which is a gigging quality amp. As you might expect, the Donner amp is more limited. But that's not the point! At 35+ lbs the Fender amp is bulky and cumbersome to move and carry, whereas the little Donner is easy to pick up for quick practice or rehearsal. For what it's designed for, the Donner delivers in spades and the small speaker deliver a rich bass sound (the speaker is totally enclosed, not open back, which is how Donner likely managed this "magic"). The 3 band EQ is serviceable, for example my bass has single coil pickups and buzzes when I play at home next to my halogen lamp, and turning down the treble knob will cut the buzz down. Practicing bass by yourself can be lonely work, so I love that Donner added an MP3 input to an amp with such a low price point. you can play along with MP3s or drum tracks. I often practice late at night, so I also love that the speaker will shut off when you plug in headphones, but you still hear a good bass sound in the speakers (and any MP3 you're playing to of course).
For home and garage band use, coffee shop gigs and all around portability this is a great amp! Also great for beginners that don't want to break the bank or have little storage room like college student dorms.
I found another use for it: I went to an acoustic jam where everyone played acoustic guitars, mandolins, fiddles, ... usually that crowd expects you to being an upright acoustic bass, but I don't have one (yet?) While that crowd is usually "allergic" to electrically amplified instruments, the little Donner amp was less threatening and had the perfect volume to play along in the acoustic jam.

One final though: I saw some people asking if it can be used with a guitar. It can, you won;t damage the guitar or the amp, but the speaker is really tuned for a bass, so your guitar will not sound as bright. It looks like Donner has a guitar amp (I might get one) and I suspect it would be better for a guitar.