PJB Super Flightcase BG-300

Once again, the formidable five-inch Neo-Power drivers provide the power and projection on the Super Flightcase, working in multiple for super efficiency and accuracy in reproduction of frequencies down to low B and beyond. For newcomers to PJB technology, this is a lightweight but extremely powerful unit that uses an advanced Neodymium iron boron (NeFeB for all you physicists) magnet motor structure to drive a proprietary PJB transducer. These are currently the most powerful magnets available, being nearly 20 times more powerful than conventional magnets of the same mass. The six drivers are arranged in the Super Flightcase in a four-plus-two format, with four drivers facing forward and two facing upwards, which is essential to help you hear your sound — normally much of the sound is travelling away from you, either through your legs or body. The four front-facing drivers are mounted in a computer-optimised, vented enclosure, with three circular vents at the bottom to extend the low-end response. Once again, this is an amp that sounds the same from all directions; whether sitting, standing, close to or far away, the sound is the same. This is very useful on a combo amp if you haven’t tried it before — in fact, just the night before writing this review I was asked to turn down the amp I was using because I was deafening the guys on the other side of the room during rehearsal with a big band. The (borrowed) amp I was using gave me a totally erroneous idea of the sound level, directing the sound around my feet and away across the room.

The Super Flightcase is built up to PJB’s usual bombproof standards, with all the attention to detail that I’ve come to expect from this marque. It’s slightly larger than a Roland Bass Cube, and slightly heavier (although still perfectly manageable) at 15kg. The substantial cabinet has protective steel corner plates and a recessed control panel at the top, while underneath are four chunky, non-slip feet that protect the base of the amp and stop it moving on smooth surfaces. The control panel will be familiar to PJB watchers, and comparing new models to existing ones can be revealing to see how things change in the light of development. The Input level pot, with clip LED and Active/Passive switch, now offers ±15dB of control, compared to the 10dB of the original Flightcase. The input jack, effects send/return jacks, headphone jack (which mutes the sound to the speakers when plugged in), five-band EQ (±18dB at 50Hz, 160Hz, 630Hz, 2.5kHz and 12kHz — better than many studio desks!), Limiter on/off switch, (with its LED and control pot, preset to a 3:1 ratio) and master Volume pot will all be familiar fare. On the back panel, next to a substantial-looking heatsink (which didn’t even begin to get warm over the several hours I was testing it), are the balanced DI XLR output (with ground lift switch), Line Out jack and Tuner Out jack (which can also be used as a second line out if desired) and the power switch, which has a two-second delay for speaker protection. As usual, the Super Flightcase has the full range of protection circuits provided for decades of trouble-free use.

The Super Flightcase displays all of the attributes of other models I’ve reviewed in the past, including super-silent usage when switched on. Any hiss, hum or crackling coming out of the speakers will invariably, in my experience, be a result of a dodgy lead or electrics in your instrument. Selecting active or passive on the input switch matches sounds excellently to different basses — I tried my Ricky and Yamaha passives and Indie and Shine active six-strings through the Super Flightcase and got superbly consistent, clean and faithful results. While a 0db setting will be fine for most purposes, the increased input range of ±15dB offers even more subtleties on treating your sound, from subtle (and not so subtle) overdrive to cutting an overly hot signal from a custom instrument. Basically you’re assured of quality results here.

If you are already familiar with any part of the PJB range, you’ll need no further convincing from me as to the build quality, unrivaled performance and sheer flexibility and scope of these amps. If you are not, then you are in for a very pleasant surprise when you try one.