Stock AD30VT vs. Ragin Cajun

[marnold***]

I borrowed my friend's AD30VT and tested it against my Eminence Ragin Cajun-equipped version. His is on the left in these videos. Mine is on the right. See the videos themselves on YouTube for the details on the settings. I used my DST-3, using only the Screamin' Demon. My camera isn't the greatest (nor is my playing) but I think you can get the gist anyway.

Clean (Black 2x12)


Medium Gain (UK70s)


High Gain (US Higain)


One thing that struck me was how similar they were in volume. To my ear, the Ragin Cajun was much louder than my stock speaker. This can be explained in several ways:
1) His is newer than mine and they are using a slightly different speaker now (possible, although tonally they are very similar)
2) Since mine is older and has gotten much more use, the speaker does not age well (unlikely)
3) It was an aural illusion that they were different (possible, but my son and my wife thought the same thing)

Thoughts? Comments? Witty banter?

[M29]

First off these amps always impress me. I had an ad50vt and it sounded great too. Your amp sounds more present/more midrange to me and your friends has a lower midrange than yours. I think I prefer the Rajin Cajun better with a more up front sound. These amps do sound sweet.

Your playing is awesome, I really liked that! Rawk-on Rev

M

[tunghaichuan***]

One thing that struck me was how similar they were in volume. To my ear, the Ragin Cajun was much louder than my stock speaker. This can be explained in several ways:
1) His is newer than mine and they are using a slightly different speaker now (possible, although tonally they are very similar)
2) Since mine is older and has gotten much more use, the speaker does not age well (unlikely)
3) It was an aural illusion that they were different (possible, but my son and my wife thought the same thing)

Thoughts? Comments? Witty banter?

I would bet that the RC is louder due to it's sensitivity: 100dB/watt/meter.

I'm not sure what the stock speaker's sensitivity is, but I would bet that it is lower.

tung

[just strum]

OK, I am a Rajun Cajun fan, so we know where I stand on this.

Take each one of the clips and just click on the red bar back and forth so you are hearing it much closer to a "side-by-side" comparision. By doing it that way, you can almost compare chord for chord the difference.

After I did that, I thought the stock speaker sound like it was coming through one end of two cups connected together by string.

In other words, the stock doesn't even come close.

Again, switch back and forth by clicking on the red bar.

[duhvoodooman***]

I prefer the RC--fuller, more open sound, warmer tone. Probably wouldn't sound as good with the mids heavily scooped, since that's where its strength seems to lie.

[just strum]

Probably wouldn't sound as good with the mids heavily scooped,

Can you explain that? What do you mean by scooped?

[duhvoodooman***]

Can you explain that? What do you mean by scooped?

Crank up the bass and treble, and turn the mids way down. The resulting EQ profile looks "scooped" in the middle. Visualize how it would look on a 10-band graphic equalizer, and you'll have the picture.

[just strum]

Crank up the bass and treble, and turn the mids way down. The resulting EQ profile looks "scooped" in the middle. Visualize how it would look on a 10-band graphic equalizer, and you'll have the picture.

Got it - I was trying to define it in an audio way, never considered visual. Need to think outside of the box.

[marnold***]

OK, something is completely insane here. I put my old speaker back in and with the same settings, my amp is considerably quieter than his. I got his permission to take the back off to see if Vox did indeed switch speakers. Otherwise, what's the deal here? Is my tube shot? Both of them seem to be glowing about equally, which is not much.

[M29]

Rev your speaker probably has less sensitivity than his like tung mentioned. It could even be the same kind of speaker, they can vary but it sounds like they made a change and used a more sensitive speaker to make the newer amp a little louder. Would be interesting to see if the speakers are different thought. Keep us informed please.

M

[just strum]

OK, something is completely insane here. I put my old speaker back in and with the same settings, my amp is considerably quieter than his. I got his permission to take the back off to see if Vox did indeed switch speakers. Otherwise, what's the deal here? Is my tube shot? Both of them seem to be glowing about equally, which is not much.

I had a distinct increase in volume when I switched mine. I think the other thing that might make it seem like it's louder, is it is more sensitive to any adjustments made in settings. If the speaker reacts better to the settings, you will be hearing tones that you never heard with the old speaker.

IMHO of course.

Edit:
1) I guess I should have read the other responses, but at least I'm on the right path.

2) I don't know if it really is louder, but I do know it makes my ears bleed quicker.

[marnold***]

OK, so I opened up his amp to find that the speakers are not the same. Very similar, but not exactly alike. No big surprise since I'm sure they have a general spec and the get whoever can make them cheapest. So I took both original speakers out. The magnet on his is about 1/4" bigger in diameter than mine. The weight is approximately the same. I put his in mine and mine in his. Guess what--his amp is still louder! So the speaker is irrelevant. I put my Cajun in his amp and in the limited amount of time I had to test (the kids are going to bed) it sounded like 50 pounds of awesome in a 10 pound bag. The high end is tamed, the mids are more pronounced, and the bass is tighter. Despite the extra mids it doesn't sound muted, it sounds growlier.

When I tested them with the stock speakers side-by-side, not only was mine quieter but it seemed less "lively" too--muted and boring. This leads me to two possible conclusions:
1) My tube needs replacing. As I said, it glows about as much as the one in his does--which isn't much at all. Through the little grill on the back of the amp, I can see that his tube is an Electro-Harmonix. Mine doesn't seem to have anything printed on it.
2) Vox changed the specs on the AD30VT amp itself between the time I got mine and he got his. Not impossible, but I have a hard time imagining that they would sink much R&D into a product like this with razor-thin margins as it is.

Tung, DVM, jim p, other amp gurus . . . HELP!

Tomorrow's my day off so I could hit a guitar shoppe for a new tube.

[markb]

Crank up the bass and treble, and turn the mids way down. The resulting EQ profile looks "scooped" in the middle. Visualize how it would look on a 10-band graphic equalizer, and you'll have the picture.

AKA "smile curve" and variations thereof. Mid boost = "frowning". Even GEs have smileys .

I think the RC is much nicer on the cleans than the stock speaker. The RC may get louder as it breaks in. I doubt it's loosened up yet.

[marnold***]

FWIW, according to Valvetronix.net, the sensitivity on an AD30VT's stock speaker is 97dB. The Ragin Cajun is 100dB. Not sure what that translates too in real world figures.

[markb]

3db = twice as loud (approximately).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudspeaker (scroll down a bit)

[just strum]

3db = twice as loud (approximately).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudspeaker (scroll down a bit)

That explains the bleeding ears.

[duhvoodooman***]

Have you tried the reset sequence mentioned on pg. 15 of the manual? And I assume you've confirmed that the power level knobs in the back are set the same between the two amps?

[M29]

Rev, try his tube in yours and see what happens. Might save a few bucks and some gas buying a tube to try. They just pull out and push in.

[duhvoodooman***]

Rev, try his tube in yours and see what happens. Might save a few bucks and some gas buying a tube to try. They just pull out and push in.

The problem in these amps is getting at the tube--it's a real pain to change. Nothing like changing a preamp tube in your average tube amp.