AD30 head vs combo: Has anyone compared the sound side by side?

[fiveightandten]

Has anyone compared these 2 setups side by side?
-AD30TC 2x12 combo
-AD30HTC with PPC212OB

I'm thinking about getting rid of my combo and using a head instead. I'm looking for insight on how much the sound will differ, and how.

-Nick

[bclaire]

Almost... I've used my combo through a 4X12 before and not using the combo speakers. It sounds great but becomes more directional and focused rather than the openness of the combo cab. That said, an open back 2X12 isn't going to sound much different than the combo cab I would bet...

[fiveightandten]

Nevermind, I just bought a head. I guess I'll find out.

Best offer accepted! It has a MM OT installed. Seller is about a half hour from me.

https://reverb.com/item/6412948-orange- ... ead-orange

[fiveightandten]

Almost... I've used my combo through a 4X12 before and not using the combo speakers. It sounds great but becomes more directional and focused rather than the openness of the combo cab. That said, an open back 2X12 isn't going to sound much different than the combo cab I would bet...

Thanks Billy. Agreed, the PPC212OB is a lot different. From my experience, combos sound a little more lively, as the speakers produce sympathetic vibrations, but all amps sound different, and the 212OB has diagonal speakers.

I've been using an attenuator with the AD30, and that is much easier said than done with a head and cab. Also, I've been gravitating towards AlNiCo speakers, and those things are expensive. It's cheaper to load the 2x12 cab with what I like, and use the heads I want with that...rather than loading the combo AND loading a 2x12 for use with my heads.

I'll see how this head sounds.

-Nick

[Ronnie Robinson]

Great score

I've got the head and it sounds great especially with an open back cab also sounds great with greenback speakers.

[Dark Helmet]

I've played my combo and I've played the head through a 412

different, very different.

cleaner stuff I like the OB combo. the more drive/gain you use, the more I prefer the head/CB-cab...

neither is better or worse, just have their sweet spots.

I do think channel 2 is a bit nicer on the CB Cab.... channel 1 I'm more agnostic.

[fiveightandten]

Great score

I've got the head and it sounds great especially with an open back cab also sounds great with greenback speakers.

Thanks, I pick the head up tomorrow.

Yeah, the PPC212OB does sound good with Greenbacks. I'm currently running one of mine with a Greenback and a Scumback Scumnico. I like the 212OB so much, I bought 2 of them. The other one has the stock V30s in it.

I've played my combo and I've played the head through a 412

different, very different.

cleaner stuff I like the OB combo. the more drive/gain you use, the more I prefer the head/CB-cab...

neither is better or worse, just have their sweet spots.

I do think channel 2 is a bit nicer on the CB Cab.... channel 1 I'm more agnostic.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm aware the AD30 will sound different through a 4x12. I was more curious about any subtle differences between the head + PPC212OB pairing and the combo. I really like the way the combo sounds. But I've been using it with an attenuator, and it's a pain to plug that in line with the combo. I've also been rotating amps back and forth a lot lately, and when I throw a combo into the mix, it makes more work lugging gear around.

[StratusX]

Nevermind, I just bought a head. I guess I'll find out.

Best offer accepted! It has a MM OT installed. Seller is about a half hour from me.

https://reverb.com/item/6412948-orange- ... ead-orange

Interested to hear how it sounds compared to a stock one. It's a post 2008 so it'd already have the better Demeter transformers in it. Wonder why they would've switched to Mercury

[fiveightandten]

Interested to hear how it sounds compared to a stock one. It's a post 2008 so it'd already have the better Demeter transformers in it. Wonder why they would've switched to Mercury

I can't AB them side by side right now because my combo is at the practice space. But from my first impression, it almost sounds like a different amp. It's crazy.

The first thing I noticed was the...I'll call it, "harmonic alignment" of the overdrive character. The overtones and the distortion texture are just much more pleasing to the ear. The other AD30s I've played have a bit of a grainy overdrive texture to them and it can be harsh if you're not careful with your intonation and gain. It gets "out of alignment" and sounds odd ordered easily. That's GONE with this amp. The texture is just much more musical and pleasant. It has a great mesmerizing shimmery tubey overtone to it.

It's darker sounding, it's a lot tighter, it has much more "heft" to the notes and overall it just sounds a lot fuller and more pleasing.

I want to check this 2009 amp to see if there are any circuit changes compared to my 2006 model, as I'm surprised the OT would make this much of a difference.

I'll sum up my first impressions:
2006 amp with Demeter OT:
-Brighter
-More springy
-EQ controls seem more responsive
-Distortion texture gets messy and unpleasant if you're not careful
-Less low end. Sounds thinner.
-Notes have less heft to them.

2009 amp with Mercury ORO30 OT:
-More pleasing tone. The distortion texture is more pleasing. The harmonic content is less harsh, more musical, more 3D. The sound just has more depth to it and is more pleasing and musical.
-Notes have more heft to them. The amp sounds more muscular, bigger, more full. It has more low end.
-This amp is tighter. The response is quicker and less springy or spongy.
-It's darker overall. On my 2006, I would keep the treble knobs below 5...on this, I'm turning them up to 7 or 8.
-Treble and mid knobs seem less responsive. The amp sounds a lot bigger, so you have to roll off some low end to get it to sound like the 2006.



This amp does have different tubes, and there are some variables. So I'll have to AB them when I get them in the same place and see if my first impressions hold up. I miss the springy-ness of my 2006. I miss how it sounds brighter and more open on the top end. I love how this one is more pleasing, more musical, more 3D, less harsh. I love how this one can do tight rock and roll crunch. I love how this one sounds bigger, has more heft, and sounds more muscular. 2006, more Voxy, 2009, rock machine. That's my 2 cents for now.