12AX7 vs SS pre amp volume difference?
Hello fellow Music Man lovers. I recently joined your ranks and have an HD130 Reverb head along with a 210 HD130 combo. The head is from 77’ with the solid state phase inverter, while the combo is an earlier model with the 12ax7. Both are freshly re-capped and re-tubed/biased with the same set of EH 6CA7’s. They’re both incredible! However, I noticed while doing an A-B test of the two running through the same 2x12 cab, there are some pretty unique differences between the two amps. Aside from tonal differences, the main difference is that the solid state version is much louder. Has anyone else compared the two and noticed the same thing? The 210 combo also doesn’t get even close to the same volume as the head + 212 cab when cranked. I know the speaker size and type can play a factor here, but it’s interesting that they are so drastically different and both 130w. The combo on volume 4 and master 7 matches the head + cab on volume 4 master 2. The combo has two 200w Peavey Scorpions and the cab is two 90w WGS ET90’s.
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11 years 5 months210 HD-130 Combo with two Peavey Scorpions
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11 years 4 monthsSubjectively speaking, the…
Subjectively speaking, the SS PI amps probably are a bit "louder" than their 12ax7 PI counterparts. Most likely, the output stage of the SS PI amps is louder too as they are configured much differently than the 12ax7 PI amps. But as MM210 says, it's all very subjective and hard to quantify. -mgriffin
There are SO many variables…
There are SO many variables that come into play when discussing LOUDNESS of an amp. How hard the preamp is hitting the finals, pots that are of spec or different, how hot the bias is on the adjustable ones, how hard the SS phase inverter/driver is driving it. I usually just decide whether or not I like it and just go with that. Numbers don't mean much to me. JMHO. Mike.