New And Older AD30 Comparison

[adkguy07]

I'd like to know any users/owners opinions on the current AD30's compared to those older AD30's say, the model that Jimmy Page used at the O2 concert Zeppelin gave in December 2007. I wonder also if anyone on this forum has used each version or have owned each version.


adkguy07

[Les Paul Lover]

I've only owned a later twin channel one for a brief period.

I had the chance to try the AD30r, and have had 2 AD15, one of which i have kept.

The original single channel AD30 is the same as the channel A (or is it channel 1? Can't remember of the AD30tc has channel A/B or 1/2).

Arguably, the later AD30tc (from 2006) have better transformers as Orange upgraded all the iron they used in their UK amps around that time.

My AD15, AD30tc channel A (or 1) and AD30r sounded very nearly exactly the same.
My favourite was the AD30tc.
Also, the reverb on the AD30R is very disappointing. There isn't much of it.

[Les Paul Lover]

I would add...... the AD series is one of the best amps around.

We don't talk about them much because they've been around for so long, but they sound glorious.... not high gain though. You'll need to work up the power amp for that.

[fiveightandten]

I can speak to new and old (though not single channel vs TC). I've owned 3 AD30's: A 2000 head, a 2006 combo, and a 2013 head. There's a noticeable difference between them. The output transformers were all different and have a different sound (but I've swapped the transformers between them as well). The 2000 had whatever unlabeled iron they were using back then. The 2006 had Demeters in it, and the 2013, I believe, had a Demeter PT, but the amp came to me with a Mercury Magnetics OT in it.

The curious thing about these amps is that they all had wildly different voltages coming out of the power transformers (and none of them really in spec). The voltage variation caused more of a difference in sound than the difference in output transformers ever did. Note that this is B+ voltage from the HT secondary. The heater voltages and rectifier heater were spot on spec in each amp. I swapped power transformers and output transformers around and concluded a few things:

• The variance in power transformers on these amps is wide, at least based on my sample size of 3. It's the biggest influence on the sound of the amp.

• The older output transformers are my least favorite. I prefer the sound of the Demeter OT, but I prefer the Mercury Magnetics OT I have to either of the factory irons.

• I did not hear notable difference in sound from the circuit boards in the amp (whatever difference in caps there were between them), just the transformers.

In conclusion, I wouldn't be worried too much about what year the amp came from. I'd say the post 2005 or so (whenever they switched to Demeter irons) have an edge. But you could very well get one with a PT that's putting out above or below spec voltage which is influencing the sound more than the OT is. The only way to know is to play the amp and see if you like the sound of it.

The AD30 I kept is my 2013 head, which I loaded with the PT from my 2006 combo (it had the highest B+ and I preferred the sound), and the Mercury Magnetics OT. The noise floor in the 2013 PCB was always higher than the other amps. I cleaned up the lead dress and heater lines and got it reduced, but it's still a little hissy. That's my only complaint about the amp.

My advice: try to buy an AD30 you can play in person. If you can't, I'd lean towards one with Demeter transformers, but don't discount the old ones. A Demeter OT direct from Orange is like $80 (the OT in the 2000 head blew and I replaced it), if you want to "upgrade" an older amp. And if you have money to burn, the Mercury Magnetics OT is a notable upgrade in the sound, IMO. I can't comment on their PT.

-Nick

[bclaire]

I have two AD30TC combos: a 2001 and a 2013.

I primarily use the 2001, but when I got the 2013 it was noticeably louder... which made me retube the 2001 and now they're identical.

[Gray]

Smaller knobs improve the sound quality.

[bclaire]

Smaller knobs improve the sound quality.

I changed knobs....