Best poweramp for RM4

[Tbag]

A European 1.2 liter bi-turbo engine is way faster than an average USA V8 engine.
Cubic inches (read: quantity of powertubes) is not telling you everything.
I guess in my case the RT2:50 is more efficient. I've tried El34, KT66, 6550 etc...
b.t.w. I run my 2:100 exclusive in modern mode and I love headroom.
Bottomline is don't judge the volume on the quantity of powertubes.

Theres just a very good chance your volume control peaks a lot earlier than your Mesa, hence the illusion it's a louder sounding amp, this was a trick Marshall used to use back in the early days, but after a certain point not much more happens, try it!

But i was never trying to use numbers against numbers, but seriously, there is also a point where say a 6v6 is not going to be louder than 100 KT88's is there?

Apart from the fact that your 1.2L turbo wanna be fast car is going to **** out at 100km/h were the V8 will just keep going! (which is the same thing with these poweramps)

But good analogy though!

 

[JeffHenneman]

Tbag,
I am glad you got more specific. You hit it on the head about precieved volume. Thats exactly where I was going with it.
When it come to the low end, I know exactly where you saying. High "tube watts" tend to handle that bass atlot better they lower watt amps. I have even noticed alot of people talk about the low end being bigger on a triple rectifier compared to the dual.
I personally like the power section of randalls. Especially how well they reflect the sound of different tubes. I got into the randalls mostly for studio use. The power section stays nice and tight which is perfect for hi gain recording. I have only cranked the amp really loud a few times and the marshall comment you made about after a certain point not much happens seems to sum it up for me. I really need to crank them up some more. I have noticed however that the rm100kh seems to be a bit more open sounding than my regular rm100. I even used the exact same tubes and the KH is more of a full sound.
I forgot to add in my previous post that I love running my 5150 preamp sections thru my mesa 2:90. It sound so awesome, just two bad I have to run two cabs to do it. So I am kinda doin the oposite of what you do with the 5150 power section.

 

[Darden]

The power amp search as always been a pain for me because I'm strictly mono. I use the effects return of a Landry LS100 for my RM4. I've been intrigued by some of the new solid state offerings (like the Matrix and Retro Channel), but I'm leery of stepping back from tubes.

 

[Ulf]

I have a few comments here:
In general, the 2:100 should be louder than the RT2/50, if the specs are true.
However, as said before, some amps declare 100 Watt but really deliver less. This might depend upon the used tubes, the bias and, I guess, also from the sensitivty ratio between the preamp and power amp. Like: -10 dB/+4 dB. Anyway, I doubt the 2:100 has less watts than the Randall, sorry.
Another aspect might be that the Randall poweramp could have a prominent accent in the midrange. Is that so? No clue!
Of course, this comparision needs to be done with the exact same speakers.

I also noticed that most amps do not get louder and louder when tweaking the Master Volume. They often reach a certain volume and then subjectively get more dirty than loud. Personally, I don't want this, this is why I like amps with more power. I also fell the bass response in these amps is often tighter and can be deeper. It is the bass that tears the energy/watts from the amp.

However, all of this depends on the volume you really use your amp at. 50 Watt can be really loud.

Another comment: The 5150 gets its sound mainly from the preamp. The poweramp was biased colder to save the tubes. Personally, I think the Bias mods (I have had these done) do not make the amp sound better in general. It is a matter of taste. A lot of thrasher like colder EMGs, too.

 

[JeffHenneman]

Ulf:
I don't think the Mesa has less watts than the Randall, just saying that it may be close is dB range. Hope I wasn't being confusing.
As far as bass tearing away watts, more bass definitely eats away at headroom.
I tend to agree about the bias on the 5150. I don't really think the bias mod is something I would ship an amp away to get modded. I don't even think it is all that important anyway. If you can do it yourself then I guess it is worth checking out, but I feel it takes away some of the grind of the amp.
I will put it this way, I have done it before, but since getting another 5150 about a year ago I have not had any desire to crack it open and install the bias mod.

 

[Tbag]

Thats really cool Jeff,

I also bought a Bugera 6262 to mod the **** out of instead of using my housemates 5150 block letter, and to both of our surprises it was devastatingly awesome sounding with no mods, but me being me went ahead and did what i felt necessary, i completely reconfigured the clean channel which is now a Fender Clean channel, and installed a NFB knob which is great for low volume playing. I installed a nice choke and the amp is now staying and the 5150 is departing soon. I know the 6262 were also biased cold but I have not had the urge at all to change it as it just sounds too good. We used it exclusively on our bands new single "Out of my Hands" by Mending Melissa, it's on iTunes, check it out! Sweet 5150 grind with no boost, into a Mesa 4x12 and sm57.

Tell me what you think Jeff?

 

[JeffHenneman]

Ok cool. I will check it out when I get home tonight.

 

[Skyze]

For a cheap awesome sounding one, I been using my Carvin T100 with the RM4, sounds great and the T100 I picked up around $250.

 

[Anomaly]

Not really a Power Amp but I tried my Mark V Combo as a power amp the other night, & Whooa!! Sounds so much better than my RM50 :wink:

I can switch from Diode, Tube rectifier, Pentode or Triode mode via channel footswitch from MarkV. If I could only get the EQ slider to work :lol:

 

[joey_truelove]

I set my bar at 50W per channel and I think that's plenty of push to play for the entire village I live in.

I have the Marshall 9100 and it's a great piece of equipm. + it's easy to modify should you want to. I for instance went with KT66s for lead, which meant a diagonal arrangement where one of the empty rear socket holders had to be used.

Note that the Marshall 9000 series poweramps were designed with EL34s in mind and going with KT66s/ 6L6GCs will lower headroom slightly as there will be a missmatch of output impedance.

For cleans I use a Mesa/ Boogie Fifty/Fifty, which is a really sweet and fat amp with a rather Fendery sound. The ouput transformers may be a touch small but then the amp does compress and distort nicely should you want it to.

Btw: you can still run a stereo amp in mono per se if going with multiple speakers.

 

[joey_truelove]

I also do prefer higher wattage!

My RT2/50 is louder dan my 2:100!

That depends firstly the amp circuit design, secondly on the bias level of the valves in question and thirdly the output iron. Then with the inconsistancy of modern valves some may have a smaller headroom yet put out the same power.