Changing the speakers in my Harley Benton 2x12 - Are these Celestion vintage 30's made in China?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- Hey everyone! Today I'm posting a video on the process of swapping out the stock vintage 30 speakers in my Harley Benton 2 x 12 cabinet, for the V30's that are stock in the Mesa Boogie over sized 4x12 recto cabinets! I highly recommend you familiarize yourself with wiring and impedance if you plan on doing this to one of your guitar cabinets. It would be a bummer if you went through all this hassle, and then found out that your amp doesn't support the impedance of your new wiring configuration, or worse you DAMAGE a piece of equipment because you end up running it incorrectly!
But aside from that, changing out your speakers can give your guitar cabinet new life and maybe change the sound of it completely! You know that I feel like guitar cabs make up a majority of your tone, so it makes sense that swapping speakers would dramatically effect your tone as well!
Also, don't let the size fool you. 2x12's are loud AF.
Thanks for watching!
#celestion #vintage30 #harleybenton
Here's the gear I use in my videos! If you are interested, please purchase through these affiliate links to help support the channel!
Video Production:
My Camera! - amzn.to/326lAYd
With this lens - amzn.to/2NAnzA5
You'll need this adapter! - amzn.to/2ZpgKDB
My back up and B roll camera! - amzn.to/2ZaZqqG
My video microphone - amzn.to/2Zow4R0
Camera tripod - amzn.to/2HqUing
Other guitar gear I use:
Mooer GE200 - amzn.to/31Yi6a0
Hotone Ampero - amzn.to/322fW9u
Mogami Gold guitar cables - amzn.to/2NAne0h
Strings - amzn.to/2KRJWPq
Picks - amzn.to/2ZjKDVO
Thank you so much for checking out my videos. Follow me on Social Media!
Facebook:
/ doubleddose
/ cellarwitch-2410072533...
/ sacrificerofficial
Instagram:
/ taylordanley
/ sacrificerpdx - บันเทิง
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.79[1/2] แก๊งไทบ้านพาบุกเมืองบั้งไฟโก้ ยโสธรรรร!!!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ldr3_fvTEXk/mqdefault.jpg)
What do you guys think? Worth the upgrade, or nah? Also SUBSCRIBE ;)
What is the difference in break-in between the two?
Great question. To be 100% honest, I have no idea. I am the original owner of the Mesa cabinet these speakers were in, and I also have a 2nd brand new HB cabinet that just came... I have never noticed a difference in tone over time. I know that supposedly speakers sound better as they age, but in my experience theres not a perceivable difference between brand new and broken in.
But that's just my observation, I could be wrong 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanley Fair enough. I've just noticed that highs tend to mellow over time in speakers. But, those high mids sound like a beehive in the hecho en china speakers
@@mikemccourt6225 interesting. I dont know that I will ever put the china v30s in another cabinet. I may just sell them, not sure.. so I may never find out!
I had a mixed reaction to the speakers depending on which part of the tracks we're playing at the time. Sometimes I liked the Chinese vintage 30s sometimes I like the made in England vintage 30s. Perhaps you could experiment with putting one.of each in the 2x12 to see how they blend. The Chinese v30s seem to have a better high end response but lacked the full body of the ones made in England. It made me think that blending one of each in the same cabinet would actually give a wider range of tonal response. It might even be interesting to see if mounting the Chinese v30s in the Mesa cabinet sound different from how they sound in the 2x12.
I agree with commenters saying: 1) the UK Mesa’s are old/broken in, the Harley’s new; 2) All V30’s made in China now; 3) Mesa had their V30’s voiced specifically to their cabs. So the difference here is objectively indecisive before breaking the Harley’s in.
What does it mean to "break in" a speaker?
@@alexandertorrente198 It means the fibers of the cone get a chance to be stretched to where they will remain, and as a result the sound grows less harsh as the fibers are stretched as the cone is that much less ridgid. You will have a ton of hi mids with new speakers that will smooth out over time.
@@alexandertorrente198 It means that the speaker is run at moderate volumes for a while to "relax" the paper surround that holds the speaker cone in place, that way they sound better, it is most noticeable on paper surround speakers (guitar/bass) and much less on rubber surround speakers (PA)
@ From my understanding it is mostly the surround that is "broken in" and not the actual cone, it is also most (near exclusively) important on paper surround speakers (instrument speakers - guitar/bass) PA speakers have some form of rubber (foam) surround, and they change much less over time.
I agree with you, but i want to say one more thing, they are just not the same price!
Nothing odd or different about the HB Vintage 30s being made in China. The Vintage 30 was the first speaker Celestion switched to Chinese manufacture back in 2003. I bought a couple of HB 1x12s with Vintage 30s and the drivers are identical to the aftermarket Vintage 30s available from my local Celestion dealer. The Mesa and Marshall Vintage 30s are different - they are specially voiced for Mesa and Marshall, not the same as "stock" Vintage 30.
Says someone who doesn’t have the British version lol. Dude they sound totally different. I have both an Engl and Mesa 4X12 and can tell you that they sound identical with the British versions. We then hooked up a Randall with Chinese v30’s and the tone was wider and more fuzzy at higher volumes. Its definitely noticeable.
@@illuddivinus3309 Show us with a video that they sound different.
@@illuddivinus3309 Or Audio. But tell us what is what.
Are the mesa and Marshall v30's made in China to?
@@J_Braz_ i believe so
Good vid. I am sure someone already put this in the comments but there are so many I can’t find it. The Ohm rating of speakers changes their sound, the exact same speaker type will get more top end as you move up from 4 to 8 and to 16. It is just something that is impossible to overcome and happens to all speakers. So two V30 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel for 8 ohms and two V30 4 ohm speakers in series for 8ohms will sound very different in the top end with the 16 ohms speakers sounding brighter. And, that is before accounting for the power amp as it will drive them differently if they are not the same ratings. An amp tapped for 4, 8 and 16 will also change its character with those different loads.
Maaaan both the cabs together were something glorious 😍
8 ohm and 16 ohm speakers sound different though, as they tend to have a different number of coil windings. Not sure you can really compare the specific speakers you tested in a meaningful manner. I like the knowledge from your videos though, keep it up!
Ohmage is a HUGE factor.
Yeah you‘re totally right. its a General rule that speakers with higher ohm Rating will have More highs and high mids. 4ohm speakers are significantly darker
I like the spiky edge of the Chinese made ones to be honest, gives the ear more information, but if you wanted to tame it i'm sure you could pull back on the presence on the amp and it'd give you the desired effect
This is very similar to the Orange PPC/Crush Pro cabs in my experiance. Awesome review/demo, thank you for demystifying the price/quality of the Harley Benton cabs.
🙌
its more a difference in new Vs old IMO. all tho once broken in the Chinese ones will sound relatively close to the English made V30.
Time will tell!
Exactly
What do you think is break in time for the Chinese V30’s?
Dude. That was awesome! Thank you for doing all that work. Great job. I liked both...
Glad you enjoyed it!
Insane brother always making great content. England V 30s are the real deal.
Hey Taylor,
Thanks for the QUALITY video!
You answered actually 2 questions I have been pondering ....
The difference between the sm 57 and 58, (which I agree with your opinion)...
And .... your in depth,logical speaker swap comparison results.
Thanks to your vid here, I will be purchasing a Harley 212 cab.
The speakers sound very similar to me, and while I do slightly like the england over china tone, ...
It would be very easy to EQ the benton to match it.
Thanks again.
I subbed cuz of your intelligence, ...and your a helluva guitarist too!
Regards,
Gerry
Thanks!! 🙌 I keep getting people asking if I can EQ out the harshness... I'm gonna have to follow this up when the new HB cab comes in!
Great idea using a DI re-amp! Most TH-cam vids I've seen use different performances, and often two different mics; even if they're the same riff or model mic, there can be subtle differences, whereas using the exact same recording seems to be the most accurate way to do a "shoot-out"..
I try to be a scientist over here!
Thanks for the comment! 🙌
Great video! I think the ohms factor is a huge one here. Mesa 2x12s are two 16-ohm I’m made Vintage 30’s wired in parallel which makes the cabinet run at 8 ohms. That might be another interesting comparison to make since they are same ohms ratings. Love the info in the video here. Thanks!
The UK ones sound a bit better here, but I'm confident that if you set up the amp slightly differently, move the mic a bit, or apply some EQ afterwards, you could get them to sound indistinguishable in a blind test.
I can see why you choose to send exactly the same signal to both, but for a real world application test it would be nice to also hear the difference if you set the amp/mic up the way you like it with both. Hearing it with some different tones, especially lower gain/clean would also be nice, perhaps
Basically, I agree that they sound different, but wonder if that difference is relevant in practice.
I also wonder in what way the different impedance affects the sound.
Great points, I wonder this myself. I can tell you to my ears, when my band is practicing, I can definitely hear the differences displayed but they are much less apparent. The difference is so minimal that I think I'm going to swap the 16 ohm MIC speakers back into my HB cab lol.
Great content Taylor!
I think in these Chinese to UK comparisons the HB just sounds brighter. But I believe that isn't anything you can't take care of with a good eq, like the 10 band MXR. And woah baby that Jackson!!!
Mesa vintage 30s are made specially for mesa in the uk, and sound closer to the old uk v30w before manufacturin for all v30 went to china
V30s are not 30 watt. They are all 60 watt
@@mikeflanders1292 the "w" was a typo. By no means i was talking about the wattage. But merely the sound.
I have a Randall 2x12 with China V30’s and by far the best cabinet I’ve owned , I also have a Marshall 4x12 made in England V30’s and love that cabinet too , but the Randall Diavlo 2x12 is a lot easier to transport and even though has the China V30,s and well broken in sounds KILLER.
Mesa V30's are specifically voiced for Mesa as Celestion does for other amp companies, (some not all). Chinese V30's are the generic type found in Orange amps, etc.
Another variable is the difference in ohms. Speakers react differently to different ohm loads. Higher ohm loads have more resistance and thus take more power to move them than a lower ohm speaker.
I use the HB vertical 2x12 like yours with a 15w 5150iii LBXii and I love the super crisp high end
Hi Taylor, really glad I ran into your channel - a smooth blend of entertainment and useful info. Either it’s the gear you review or smth else, but you nail my youtube content prefs spot on, keep it running man!
Now to the subject. Considering the high gain stuff, the chinese HBv30 is my piece of cake for sure. I always tend to lean towards clarity/presence/mid-treble domination - at least you can deal with it dialing it out if needed, but you can’t add something that’s not there in the first place;). But again crunch and cleans might be a totally different story - I mostly find myself liking speakers for high gain not so with clean-crunch stuff and vice versa. One of the good all-rounders for my taste is a g12H creamback for example.
How do you find sm58 compared to sm57 for high gain recording?
Thanks, tha means a lot!
In all honesty I think the Chinese v30s kind of sound more similar to cream backs, maybe that's why you like them more! The classic UK v30 is just what I've been used to for the last 10 years, so I'm biased.
I use an sm58 because it's a little more forgiving with placement, and it just takes less time to set up for shooting videos. Tonally, they are really close, but the 58 has a little more low end. I WILL be modding a 57 here soon (if you aren't familiar you can mod them to sound more like sm7b's). I also like using 2 57's with a Friedman clip sometimes.
In Essence Broken in vs New Shootout
You cant compare the 16 Ohm driver with the 8 Ohm version. They are different speakers with different sounds, they will perform differently on the same signal from the amp. Also, the amp powering the cabinet will perform totally differently powering an 8 ohm cab then a 4 ohm cab. Nice video though.
Very cool, thanks again I'm putting greenbacks 2 heritage 30 vintage and 2 greenbacks M 25 WATT should be AWS
great vid, subscribed!
🙌
I have the Horizontal HB 2x12 v30s. The left speaker sounds more like the Mesa's and the right one is way brighter and harsher sounding. I guess the secret is getting used to eq the ugly top end/harsh mids to fit your mixes. After that, the cheap cab will do the trick anytime
That's bizarre, wonder why they sound different. Yes, depending on how flexible your EQ is, you can really get in there and dial in that top end.
@@TaylorDanley exactly, and for me it's an extra feature to have two different sounding speakers. I guess that happens because the HB cabs are built in a B-stock fashion so not all the speakers are new or have the same construction.
I like the sound of the chinese speakers better so thats nice to know haha. I would love to see a 8ohm vs 16ohm shootout and a series vs parallel wiring shootout. That would make a fun video forsure.
A new Sub waiting for that video ;)
Might be a while before I do another comparison vid with these. I'm sort of waiting to see if the chinese speakers end up breaking in and sounding different first.
@@TaylorDanley Oh, you're gonna do the thing you got called out for not doing?
This video might be 2 years old but the riffage was epic.
Itd be dope to see you swap one of the v30s for a cremback g12h-75. The peavey invective cab ($750) has this setup and it sounds sweet
I have another cabinet with creamback. Was going to wait a bit to see if these break in and change at all, then maybe that's what I'll do!
One of the speakers in my HB 212V died and I replaced it with an Eminence Texas Heat and it sounds so damn good
Bummer it died, but glad you got something that worked for you! I'm not familiar with those speakers, I'll have to check them out!
@@TaylorDanley the combination is great. The Texas Heat is chunky and warm so it blends nicely with the tight/crunchy V30
I heard a guy, who obviously was a old time pro, with lots of combos under his belt, say that he had tried, like *everything* - found out that the perfect, like magic combination of 2 drivers was a V30 and the 35XC.
I personally got them both, but also the Eminence Maverick (tune-able) which is like, heavenly in a 1x12.
I am just about to start experimenting with the 3 different 1x12´s in different combinations.
But the guy sweared that the: V3 (unknown version) with a 35XC was the greatest sound he had ever achieved.
My own V30´s are new and 8ohm, and chinese (but that doesnt matter, other stuff do) - so i will have a blast trying it for myself.
That said: Check out the Eminence Maverick and Reignmaker (us vs uk) : the dB tuneability give you *lots* of different flavors in either one. But a 2x12 with both, even more so.
Wow, great comparison m8
Very well done video.. basically if your in a budget then it's cool... But it doesn't replace a mesa like others will have you believe
That's why i personally prefer to go with Eminence. While they don't sound the same as a V30, they have a really unique sound to them that sounds absolutely crushing. If you wanna go with eminence, i would definitely suggest either the CV75, the Govenor, or the Man O War. Eminence Speakers are also made in Eminence, Kentucky, which is also my homestate, which I thought was really cool.
I hear great things, but have never tried then myself
I love eminence. I run a Governor and a swamp thang In an open back 212 and it sounds massive and very very full.
You got that evil riffing down to the core, mad respect man _\m/
Thanks! 🙌🏻
Lots of people here are thinking that "V30's are not made in China". Yes, some of them are.
Celestion are manufacturing speakers in China for at least 10-15 years. Depending on what cab/combo they are installed, you need to open the back an look at the sticker on the side of the speaker if you wanna check.
Mesa Boogie has different voiced V30 speakers "Celestion Vintage 30 (custom made for MESA in Ipswich, England) - used in our closed back Rectifier® cabinets" - that's from Mesa website.
So, that's why here they are sounding different.
I know these facts for years...but maybe it's just me :))))
I can confirm that the UK manufactured 8ohm speakers are smoother sounding than the Chinese 16ohm speakers which have a nasty high frequency spike on axis. I have the exact same speakers and recently transferred the UK 8ohm speakers to my 2x12 cabs. Messa cabs still use the UK speaker so that is one of the reasons they will sound different/better than another manufacturer like Harley Benton.
This is my experience also, but there are ALOT of opinions as to why that is. I suppose only time will tell!
I did the same swap with the Mesa 2x12 vert.. I thought that slight eq diff. might have been the cab size difference but came to the conclusion that,
like the gentlemen below note, it was the "break in", and maybe the impedance adding a pinch of "high". I do, however, posses a pair of old V30's, UK,
that have been in several 4x12/2x12 cabs, that were obtained in the 90's. One of them is bright, and one of them is noticeably darker sounding.
It sounds like the Mesa's. I think the Mesa V30's may have diff. edge dope too. Be that as it may, I don't use treble or presence on my Marshall heads,
(maybe 1), and never have the tone knob past 7 on my bridge pup. I ordered another HB cab though.
Another thing that’s not mentioned here, in the HB cabinet, the speakers are front mounted and 4x12 the speakers are rear mounted. Front mounted speakers will be slightly scooped in the low mids. If you rear mounted the Chinese vintage 30s - it would thicken the tone. As well aging the speakers will get them identical
!6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers sound different, so the comparison is not really accurate. Most of the vintage 30´s you buy online is chinese. The brittish made that comes in mesa and other high end cabs are a lot more expensive. But even if you compare the brittish made there is a difference between 16 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. 8 ohm speakers are a lot darker sounding than 16 ohm speakers.
This may be true, but saying my comparison isnt accurate is a little odd. I mean I compared speaker A to speaker B, pretty straight forward. I'm didn't make the video to debate impedance, you know what I mean? 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanley What he says, *is* true
Another great video of yours, thank you for that.
How have you had / played the british V30 in the past?
Probably the chinese ones need to be broken in.
Cheers
Thanks!
I have them in my mesa 4x12s. Could be they need to be broken in, no idea. I've gone back and forth on how I feel about the chinese ones lol. I definitely prefer the v30s from my mesa, but could be break in, only time will tell
Cool video. Did you break in all the speakers before you tested them?
I made 2 of these, one after they had been broken in... tbh I cant tell any difference
Hi love the channel
Hi Taylor, please feel free to call me a dork, but I like the Harleys better, especially in the mix. Might be personal taste, I don't know. Sound ist allways quite subjective.
Nice video you did there. Stay safe and healthy.
Greetings from Germany.
Great comparison. I just ordered the Chinese German cabinet. As much as there is a difference I sort of like the Chinese break up because I play grunge like Soundgarden type tone Black Sabbath. If I played metal like you I would probably make a big difference and I would have to have the English variety.
TBH, yeah, they are different but I feel like it's not that one is "better" you can make each sound great. I went back to the stock speakers, and I'm pretty happy with them! I'm sure you'll enjoy them also.
@@TaylorDanley Thats true, its not about "better" or "worse", but *different*
I think one of the differences not enoguh people talk about is impedance. It makes a big difference in tone. 8ohms, like mesa uses, have that characteristic smoother sound. 16ohm v30s sound A LOT brighter in my experience. Every "harsh" sounding V30 I've ever heard, whether it was new or broken in, was a 16ohm speaker.
Great video brother !!
Your sound is insane.
Your recording sound /mix is huge.
Keep up the amazing work and thanks for these vids man. !
🤘🙌
Mesa 212 also sound really cool.
To me the obvious difference is the HB is front mount.....the Mesa rear mount. The “young me” would’ve gone for the rear mount.....usually a deeper bottom end (my ears). But me now usually prefers the front mount. For me, the front mount typically sounds a little tighter and crisper (some say “it sounds clearer). I agree the upper mid “breakup or noise” was noticeable. I’m not a fan of v30 live (because I usually play loudly). My experience was w/a 50w head....v30 was ok live, but I prefer my GK-85’s live due to the fact they stay tight when pushed hard. Reminds me of an EV, but warmer. Now a-days I either use an AX8, or a tighter front mount 2x12 with my Soldano rack.....just let the PA do the bottom end work. Good vid regardless.
Thanks! That makes sense. I assumed the UK v30s sounded brighter/tighter just because it's a smaller cab, but I didnt consider front vs rear mount. Good point!
This was really useful! Thanks a lot, you just earned a loyal subscriber
Glad you enjoyed it. I've been trying to tell people about this thing ever since I found out about it! 🙌
At least the Chinese ones give some semblance of rhythm separation through all that gain, but 8ohm speakers are usually a little darker due to why they have a different rating anyway.
Great video, nice to know this, so there is quite a difference between Chinese and English Celestions ... but how much of that is due to different impedances?
I went with some Marshall Vintage I found online and they sound much better then the Vintage from China for sure.
In all fairness I thought the MIC v30s sounded pretty decent. When you factor in the cost though, its nuts you can get a speaker of that quality for that price
@@TaylorDanley So true the reason I picked up the Marshall Vintage was that they were 8 ohm and 70 watts and only $100 a piece. I had them in an old cab I sold a few years ago and really liked them.In another cab I rebuilt I'm using Eminence GB128's I really like the way they sound with my Laney AOR.
The Ohmage maybe have caused the change in the tone... a true test would be comparing 16ohm to 16ohm-- with the two 8ohm speakers in parallel, and a 4 ohm cab, you get more "sag" which gives it a less focused bottom end and less punch and crunch, but more of a smooth peanut buttery sound (that I frankly love about the V30s anyways).
Glad you pointed out the Ohmage thing, I would hate it if somebody got overeager and then destroyed their amp.
I have been thinking about buying a HB 2x12 cabinet myself, and then replacing the speakers in time as I save up the money. thanks for making this video.
i know what you're talking about, but I have to say, "ohmage" is not a word. the proper term is "impedance"
@@amaurythewarrior AH! So it is.
I wonder how it would compare to Chinese 8 ohm V30, as they also have the smoother sound
I can't believed it. Made in China is better for this time for me. More aggressive. More highs, suitable for modern metal.
Use a tone generaler for making the new v30s sounds like the ops one..Mutch varmer and smother.
I like the UK's. Seems like the old adage you get what you pay for applies. There are also tonal variations (so I am told) between front mounted and rear mounted speakers. For $200 might be worth buying the Harley Benton and swapping out the chinese V30's for a pair of Green Backs I have laying around.
They're totally worth it, the cabs are plywood and pretty well built. The chinese speakers really aren't bad at all... I'm actually considering swapping back and just using the MIC v30s
@@TaylorDanley Good to know the build quality is there. Will definitely have to check them out. Thanks!
@@mhoff7722 no problem!
Test in clean/sweet overdrive sound would be nice.
The UK Vintage 30's have a more complete/full/round...etc tone spectrum where the made in China do have some top heavy frequencies going on, as you mentioned. I almost went for the Thomann V30 cab but in the end built my own and bought used UK manufactured Vintage 30's. I would still recommend the Harley Benton and the status of Thomann in your corner. I have never lost in doing business with Thomann. They provide the win.
Agreed! All my transactions with them have been top notch! That's awesome you built you're own, I dont trust myself doing that lol.
Agreed! All my transactions with them have been top notch! That's awesome you built you're own, I dont trust myself doing that lol.
The Hound. I did the same as you. I built my own 2x12 and went with the English v30’s.. Sounds awesome and I get a lot of compliments on it.
Bro i just bought this Orange 212ppc and i wish that i could hear it more without cranking it do you think I could stand it on its side so thats essentially a vertical so that its in my face rather at my feet?
Has nobody mentioned the construction of the cabinet has a bit of effect. Rear/front loaded speakers. Baffle / mounting panel construction. My Harley Benton 1x12 sounds a bit more scooped than my birch constructed TV front cab 1x12 also with Chinese V30. Also on my Vox 2x12 I installed a series / parallel switch to switch 4/16 depending on my amp. No noticeable difference that I can perceive. But maybe I will try it again with an amp that has multiple speaker resistance options.
Hi Taylor, great video, I bought an harley benton 2x12 v30 too, and if I use it in mono (8ohm) shoud I switch the amp for 8ohm too, right? And if I switch the cabinet for stereo (16ohm) and use two power cables, wich position shoud I put on the amp (in my case is a peavey 6505+)? 4, 8, or 16 ohm???
Thx for the video. I am using a 20watt tube amplifier that requirers a minimum of 8 ohms. I want to connect the HB cabinet to another cabinet with 2 x 12 inch 50watt 8 ohm Eminence speakers. Should they be configured to 8 ohms? In series or parallel? are they any special concerns? mono or stereo jack(s)? I thought that the HB speakers were 8ohm but, I guess that they ran them to be 16ohms from what you say in the video. thank you
Hey Taylor, I see the V30s in the Harley Benton are model T3904A. If you happen to still have your UK V30s, could you tell me what the model number is on those speakers? In case it's interesting and there's a difference, I ordered an 8 ohm UK V30 directly from Mesa and got a T4335B. Just wondering if your Mesa 4x12 has a different UK V30 variant, as I know there are actually a few different ones out there depending on the age of your Mesa cab. Thanks!
I don't know what model number, but I bought that cabinet new in 2009 if that helps! If I had the speakers pulled out, I'd check, but I ended up putting them back in the mesa cab... On a side note, I think the UK made for mesa V30's are better (smoother, less harsh top end) after spending a few months with them in the 2x12.
Is there anyway you could test Chinese 8 ohm version with the mesa v30?
Hey Taylor please answer my question I need your help! I just bought a Harley Benton G212 Vertical Cab to go with my new EVH 5150 iii 15 watt LBX Stealth amp and it’s my first time buying a cab and I’m not sure how to connect. My amp is 8ohms so it definitely matches but the pictures of the cab shows 2 input jacks on the back. So which one do I plug the cable running from the speaker output Jack of the amp head into on the cab? The left Jack (input) or the right Jack (through)? Would really appreciate it I’m expecting the cab to arrive tomorrow.
The Bentons are just a little more fuzzy. But for the price, a young kid that doesn't have a lot of money, they couldn't find a better deal.
I like the UK V30's more. Ballsier and fuller BUT nowadays everyone including Soldano cabs uses chinese V30's. So its an amazing steal
Are the Harley Benton Stock Speakers already burnt in? These makes a difference! Also it would be interesting if you could EQ the highmid breakup out with a EQ between Amp (-Modeller) and Speaker! Thanks for the Video!
Thanks for the suggestion! Yes, they definitely had adequate time to be broken in, I've been playing this cabinet at various volumes for a couple months before I made the video. I'll have to try to EQ it out, I actually haven't attempted that yet! I have a 2nd one coming soon.
@@TaylorDanley yeah I was thinking the exact same thing. Pretty sure the ampero or the mooer would have some sort of equalizer pedal you could apply in the chain? Or an actual physical EQ pedal?
@@OinTaylor yes! They definitely both have eq pedals built in. My power amp also has an eq.. i think if I'm going to do this demo though, I'm going to use a modeler with a bit more horsepower..
@@TaylorDanley yes a 7-band or 10 band would probably work super duper.
First: 8 ohm vs 16 ohm means different spiders, voice coil sizes, and possibly different cap sizes and even cone materials. One of the biggest differences between resistance ratings is the effect on tone. The higher the impedance, the brighter the speaker. This is why the old Fender bass amps used 4 ohm speakers.
Second: what’s the age and hours of use on each cab? Speakers have a break in period of at least 30 hours.
Third: cabinet materials matter. Are they both the same size and dimension? Are they both the exact same materials? You are goin to get different sounds.
Summary: the expectation should be that the HB cab will be brighter, and lack more low-end. This is not an apples to apples test.
Celestions are notoriously bad without beaking in, i think that's the case here. But cool vid, i would love to hear if you try them again after you hit them hard for 48hrs
I made a follow up video to this after I had played on them for a few months. Not much changed!
Taylor Danley cool cool still has that high end u don’t like?
Yeah. And like you can see in the thread, theres a billion opinions on 8 ohm vs 16 ohm, etc., etc. But for me, the proof is in the pudding. Thats just the way the mass produced chinese ones sound.
BUT, now that I'm using an axefx3, dialing them in is cake, so they dont bother me at all anymore. I actually swapped the speakers back to the stock ones recently, and have 2 matching HB cabs now for live use!
I agree that the HB V30's sounds way more edgy, but like folks have said they need some hours put on them......maybe do this again in, say, 6 months?
It's been quite a while since I did this video, and I haven't really noticed any difference to be honest. But yeah, probably time for an update!
You know what? I thought the STANDARD HB 2X12 with stock HB speakers actually sounded better than the V30 loaded ones!
HB made their own speakers?
@@TaylorDanley Seems so, the standard HB speaker cabinets, which are a bit cheaper have generics in them, and they sound good! Less harsh than the V30s!
How "broken in" are the Chinese V30s? V30s of all sorts are known for being harsher when new, until the surrounds break in and soften a bit. Seriously curious, since I have the horizontal Harley Benton cab and it DOES sound quite different from my Carvin cab with English 16 ohm V30s. Curious how many hours I need to break the Harley Benton in.
Were the English V30s new or old? Also, do they even make them in the UK anymore or is that only reserved for certain ones? Doesn't really make sense to have some v30s made in China and some in the UK. People have stated they actually like the sound of the Chinese ones more, part of that sound I think was here too, but that mid-high thing you talked about, yeah..
it looks to be built identical to my jet city cab,front grill and all
Not a huge difference at all. Im looking forward to trying my new new HB G212. I just put together my first guitar rig and I AM STOKED!
I have a Harley Benton 2x12" cab (the straight one) and it does not have this harshness. It sounds really great and I think it might be because I've had it since 2008 so it's played in now. I've been thinking about getting a 4x12" soonish and might compare them for myself anyways.
I use my 2x12 with my Bugera 6260 in the rehearsal and I've tried other cabs but that 2x12" just matches my sound so well. Tubescreamer as boost to get that sparkly top end on high gain.
I think the straight HB cabs have different speakers... I could be wrong though.
cool
Hi, do you know if a 12x10 is a lot louder than a 2x12? Meaning one cab has a 12 inch and a 10 inch and the other has 2x12.
Is the 2x12 a lot louder?
I’m wondering why he failed to show the speaker driver LABEL on the back of the magnet on the Harley Benton driver
Why does everyone make such a big deal about the price of the speakers? Most likely the answer is “wholesale pricing”. I’m sure Thomann is getting better prices than MSRP.
People dont realize how ripped off they're getting buying single units from sweetwater, or even speaker cabs in general. Those $130 Celestion V30s are about $40/per once you get into triple and quad digit quantity orders (and $30/per or less for 10k of them). Speaker cabinets are a HUGE grift, fuckers charging you $500-1000 for a $100 worth of wood, speakers, and mesh.
What about technics sb a71 speakers they some big speakers they tall got 2 12s on them I thought about changing them out and put some jbl in them
Mesa V30 are proprietary. I have that right from Celestion. They will even not release the specs. I was interested in the difference between those two as well as the Marshall ones. Both the Mesa and Marshall are custom made for them by Celestion and are different than any V30 you can buy.
i love how the Harley benton with the UK V30 sounds more like a mesa than a 2x12 mesa LOL
There not the same vintage 30’s , Mesa has there’s specifically voiced for them , the Marshall vintage 30’s are different again that the standard vintage 30’s and as of 2003 all celestion speakers are made in China except a few heritage models like the alnico blue and heritage greenbacks , celestion speakers get better sounding the older they get so a ten year old speaker will sound warmer and fuller that a brand new speaker that isn’t broken in
That's an insanely insightful comment, thank you. I knew making this video was going to cause some debate based off of threads I had read on forums. At the end of the day, I'm swapping the speakers out for myself and making a video that will hopefully be enjoyed by other people, you know? 🤷♂️
Taylor Danley sorry wasn’t criticizing just throwing some info out there , I learned most of this the hard expensive way , there’s also vintage 30’s with other labels on them if you know where to look , some are Marshall gold ( the original vintage 30 from the 70’s ) and Mesa used to label them as black shadow on some custom orders , the Harley Benton cab will get better sounding after awhile , few years ,
Just one question. can This Harley Benton cab can handle weight like 40lbs amp head on top of it?
What a racket! How are you supposed to tell any difference between speakers with that distorted dirge droning on.. it’s a
nonsense
Thanks so much for this comment. I love it when I can share stuff like this . My subscribers really get a kick out of it. Cheers!
The Mesa V30' s are voiced to their cabs.
It would be fair either from Mesa or Celestion to designate or market them as different speakers, not completely different model, but different variants. A V30 out of a Marshall cab sounds different from a V30 out of a Mesa cab. Kohle proved this by switching the speakers between cabs...
If you you gym med element for 72 houers then the going to sounds the same..When sneakers are med paper is very hard and that make them sounds brigther and a bit harder.. i have fine this and compar them to my ops V30 from 1963 and they Kalmar sounds the same now.
Perhaps the speakers need a breaking in period? What do you think?
I really like the idea of the video and the execution, all good, but I really wish you would not poison the well and tell us what your opinion of the sound before we hear it. Its your video though. Still great content. The HB cab is still a good deal.
Taylor, are your monitors meant to stand horizontally?
Because if not, hopefully you know why you can't do that with vertical monitors.
As others have pointed out, all V30s are Chinese these days and have been for awhile. Mesa has theirs made special for their cabs. I like both and think one of each would be great.
I know people say that, but I dont think that's correct. You can buy UK made v30s direct from Mesa, so they obviously still make at least some in the UK 🤷♂️
@@TaylorDanley that's true, but the Mesas are voiced specifically for and by Mesa. So its comparing 2 speakers that are supposed to sound different. Mesa isn't the only company that use v30s. Whether you're buying another brand that has celestion v30s or having a nice custom cab built, if you choose celestion v30s you're going to get those same Chinese made celestions. The idea that Harley Benton is using some lesser Chinese made V30s is the part I think people are pointing out. If you go online to purchase non-mesa v30s you are going to get the Chinese v30s. HB isnt using some cheaper speaker and calling it a v30, they're using legit v30s. All that being said I think I'd rather have the Mesas. I currently have the Harley Benton cab and am pretty happy though.
@@TaylorDanley Celestion has cleared this up before. The real Chinese vs UK comparison is comparing old UK v30s with Chinese V30s. Celestion claims there is no difference and many tests support that. The Mesas are a different deal though. They made an OEM deal with Celestion for their specific speakers and part of the deal is they stay in the UK.
@@SaintKines gotcha, I just get that comment a lot like people are implying you cant buy UK made v30s anymore, lol
@@TaylorDanley as far as I know you can still get brand new Mesa V30s and theyll always be made in the UK. I also heard that other companies have speakers that are based on the v30 that they voiced differently and then gave a different name. Not sure which ones or where they're made. You also have old Celestion v30s that used to be made in the UK.
10/10 video
🙌
Wow there's not much difference at all. For the price difference i'm going with the Harley Benton for sure thanks for showing this.
I have that same guitar! Jackson’s rule .
🤘🤘
Is it possible maybe the chinese one just wasn't broken in? Also, could you get them to sound the same by rolling the presence back just a hair on the chinese one?
I'm waiting for a while to see if they break in. They had a decent amount of play time at live rehearsal volumes, but I just want to make sure since theres no consensus on how long it takes for a speaker to break in.
I can tell you from my experience, using an axefx you can really dial in these speakers, and then they end up sounding similar to the mesa uk v30, but not the same.
@@TaylorDanley there's a speaker called the avatar hellatone which is just a broken in v30. I can't remember how many hours they break them in for. Depending as on a lot of factors like how hard you push it iirc. Just crank your amp every day through them for a while and see of that works lmao
@@kotymccallister5150 yeah, I'm gonna give it a bit longer. Right now it gets like 3-4 hours a week at a pretty loud volume.