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AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:27 am
by gazman83
Hey guys,

Can anyone explain why there is an 8 ohms socket on the AD15/12 combo?

The back plate notes the impedance being 16ohms, and the V30 is 16ohms.

Just curious...

Cheers!

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 11:42 am
by Les Paul Lover
It's a bit confusing and not really well executed from a manufacturing point of view.

Inside the chassis you have 2 taps. The tap nearest the transformer is 16ohms, the outside tap is 8ohms.

The only way to know that is to open up the amp and read the markings in the inside PCB on which the taps are located. I marked mine in marker pen when I repaired the valve heater circuit on my AD15.


Image

In any case, you cannot see them with the amp assembled...... :lol:

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:53 pm
by Sooner
I don't know what your back plates look like but mine has 16 and 8 ohm outputs labeled from left to right that match the order of the outputs on the chassis.

And to answer the OP's question, the 8 ohm output is there in case someone wanted to change out the V30 speaker for an 8 ohm, use the amp with an 8 ohm external cabinet, or wire an external 16 ohm cabinet in parallel with the existing V30 which would have a total impedance of 8 ohms.

Image

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 5:19 pm
by Les Paul Lover
Sooner wrote:
Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:53 pm
I don't know what your back plates look like but mine has 16 and 8 ohm outputs labeled from left to right that match the order of the outputs on the chassis.

And to answer the OP's question, the 8 ohm output is there in case someone wanted to change out the V30 speaker for an 8 ohm, use the amp with an 8 ohm external speaker, or wire an external 16 ohm speaker in parallel with the existing V30 which would have a total impedance of 8 ohms.

Image

You're correct. I've got that written on the back plate too. Indeed, the tap nearest to the transformer is 16ohms and on the left, the 8 ohms one furthest away is on the right.

I'd forgotten that was written there!!!!

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:57 am
by gazman83
Thanks for the response guys!

My back plate says only 16ohms, not 16/8ohms like yours, would that mean the 8ohm socket is not functioning?

Image

Also, any idea on the date of production, and which factory, from the serial number?

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:16 am
by Les Paul Lover
gazman83 wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:57 am
Thanks for the response guys!

My back plate says only 16ohms, not 16/8ohms like yours, would that mean the 8ohm socket is not functioning?

Image

Also, any idea on the date of production, and which factory, from the serial number?

Your back plate is the same as ours.... it says 16 and 8 ohms.....

All AD15 were made in the UK. I think they might have been assembled by the Trace Elliot factory, but not entirely sure. I don't think Orange had much manufacturing capacity back then.

As for the date, your serial number is an earlier format, but the only way to know is to check the date on the inspection sticker within the amp chassis.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:35 am
by Les Paul Lover
The 16 / 8 ohms thing is written on the right of the black sticker. We aren't talking of the impedance stated on the black sticker itself.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:24 am
by gazman83
Ok thanks Ant, I guess the 16ohms on the black sticker is referring to the Speaker probably.

I did see the 16ohm and 8ohm noted to the right, on the plate, so was confused and curious to work out if both sockets could be used.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:58 pm
by Sooner
Les Paul Lover wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:16 am
I think they might have been assembled by the Trace Elliot factory, but not entirely sure.
No doubt the early units were made by Trace Elliot. Back in 1998, I asked the folks at Rhodes Music in London about the Trace inspection sticker and their response was "Designed by Orange. Manufactured by Trace Elliott". Rhodes was owned by Orange at the time and the designer, Adrian Emsley, had his shop in the basement below Rhodes. Jason Green, the former president of Orange USA (and previous employee of Rhodes) has also confirmed here on the forum that the early units were manufactured by Trace.

As I recall the early serial number formats ended in 300, 301, and 302. I suspect these were probably manufactured in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The production was moved sometime in 2002 to a new factory when Trace went out of business. The change to the current serial number format appears to correspond with the move to the new production facility.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 4:00 pm
by Sooner
gazman83 wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:24 am
Ok thanks Ant, I guess the 16ohms on the black sticker is referring to the Speaker probably.

I did see the 16ohm and 8ohm noted to the right, on the plate, so was confused and curious to work out if both sockets could be used.
Someone probably just got lazy and only wrote the speaker impedance on your sticker.

Yes, you can use both outputs but only one at a time!!!

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 9:26 pm
by gazman83
Thanks guys, making more sense now!

Would that mean I could disconnect the 16ohm speaker, and use the new Suhr Reactive load IR connected to the 8ohm socket? I'm keen to explore the world of IR's for quiet practice at home, so looking at the Suhr (which is very $$$) and Torpedo Captor with a Cab Sim pedal/AI DAW combo (more affordable)

https://www.suhr.com/electronics/tone-t ... e-load-ir/

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 3:35 am
by Sooner
gazman83 wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 9:26 pm
Would that mean I could disconnect the 16ohm speaker, and use the new Suhr Reactive load IR connected to the 8ohm socket? I'm keen to explore the world of IR's for quiet practice at home, so looking at the Suhr (which is very $$$) and Torpedo Captor with a Cab Sim pedal/AI DAW combo (more affordable)

https://www.suhr.com/electronics/tone-t ... e-load-ir/
Looks like it should. Let us know how it sounds.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:19 pm
by Les Paul Lover
Sooner wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:58 pm
Les Paul Lover wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:16 am
I think they might have been assembled by the Trace Elliot factory, but not entirely sure.
No doubt the early units were made by Trace Elliot. Back in 1998, I asked the folks at Rhodes Music in London about the Trace inspection sticker and their response was "Designed by Orange. Manufactured by Trace Elliott". Rhodes was owned by Orange at the time and the designer, Adrian Emsley, had his shop in the basement below Rhodes. Jason Green, the former president of Orange USA (and previous employee of Rhodes) has also confirmed here on the forum that the early units were manufactured by Trace.

As I recall the early serial number formats ended in 300, 301, and 302. I suspect these were probably manufactured in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The production was moved sometime in 2002 to a new factory when Trace went out of business. The change to the current serial number format appears to correspond with the move to the new production facility.
Thanks for the clarification. I thought all AD15 were made by trace Elliott.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:56 am
by Sooner
Les Paul Lover wrote:
Thu Jan 03, 2019 11:19 pm
Thanks for the clarification. I thought all AD15 were made by trace Elliott.
I was talking about Oranges in general. I don't recall exactly when the AD15s were discontinued. Could have been before the move to the new factory so all of them may have been made by Trace.

Re: AD15/12 - ohms question

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2019 2:44 am
by steamboat
2004 is the last year I've ever seen them made, along with the single channel AD30.