Blackstar Amplification HT-5RH

This is one beast of an amp for being only 5 watts. This amp comes with two channels, one being dedicated to a clean tone that give some volume can produce a solid classic rock dirty tone, and a distortion channel that can get very beefy and thick.

The interesting thing about this amp is the ISF control knob that acts sort of like a voicing knob. Helps shape the tone in interesting ways. This amp is two channels which is great for the money and convenience.

UTILIZATION

Blackstar HT-5RH Tube Amplifier Head Features:

* 5-watt tube head
* 1 x ECC83 and 1 x 12BH7 tubes
* Unique push-pull power amp design
* HT Pedal preamp
* 2 footswitchable channels
* Stereo digital reverb
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
* Fully equipped for studio or practice
* Speaker-emulated output with 1 x 12" or 4 x 12" voicing
* Effects loop with effects level switch
* Footswitch included

SOUNDS

I like this amp with just about any guitar you decide to throw at it. The tone of this amp is exactly like the combo version but just in a nice little head. I particularly like this amp with a solid Gibson Les Paul. I feel that the two were fit for each other. It seems like perhaps the builder of this amp voicing the amp towards the Les Paul because the tones of it are just flat out amazing! The clean channel is very good and very reminiscent of an old Fender deluxe amp. When You crank up the volume you get a great classic rock tone ala AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. The emulated speaker output is kind of weak in my opinion. It doesn't sound that great compared to speaker that's inside the amp

OVERALL OPINION

Overall this is a very solid amp for the money. At new these amps come in at around $379, which isn't a bad price for this high quality amplifier. I would recommend this amp to anyone who wants a great sounding tube amp that doesn't want to pay an arm and a leg to get one. This is a great amp to record with and and excellent amp to practice with in the home or office.

Blackstar has made a huge splash on the amp world in recent years. They have made great sounding fantastically priced amps for the masses. The price is what is so amazing to me. The amp sounds so very good and to keep their prices for a multi-channel combo like this under $1000 is remarkable. Blackstar has effectively used a great design as well as superb marketing which has enabled them to produce a great quality and sounding amplifiers. Many touring and professional artists all over the globe are now turning towards Blackstar for their guitar amplifier needs. The have successfully taking a huge niche in the market over the last few years.

This amp is a 5 watt amp that has a push pull power amp section, two switchable channels, and great sounding emulated speaker output great for recording straight into a session. This is the same feature wise as the combo but just in a head version.

UTILIZATION


HT-5RH Head

Overview

The HT-5RH is a head version of the HT-5R combo. With all the same great features and tone it's compact and portable, and more than capable of driving a 4x12!

This award winning guitar amp is fully equipped for the studio or practice and features stereo reverb, enhanced tone controls and a speaker emulated output.

* Innovative 5 Watt valve head
* 1xECC83 and 1x12BH7 valves
* Unique push pull power amp design
* Award winning HT Pedal preamp
* Two footswitchable channels
* Enhanced tone controls
* Patent-Applied-For Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)

* Digital Stereo Reverb
* Fully equipped for studio or practice
* Speaker emulated output with 1x12 or 4x12 voicing
* Effects loop with effects level switch
* Footswitch included
* Cool vintage styling



SOUNDS

This amp is such a work of art that it is receiving many people to come to Blackstar as a whole and check out their entire line of amps. They seem to be signing new artists to their endorsement list on a daily basis. The have such a great set of amps that this one first on very nicely on the low watt all tube amp combos. This little amp has a fantastic clean tone that chimy and sparkles all the way up the guitar's volume pot.

This amp is the same tonally as the combo version but just in a head. The clean is a must hear channel but this thing lives in the distortion channel. You can roll off the by gain and distortion rolling down you volume and get a nice sparkling clean that rivals any Fender amp that I have ever heard. You get a creamy lush gain that is British in flavor but its ow wonderful color of overdrive.


OVERALL OPINION

At new these amps come in right at around $399, which is a steal of a price. You can't get a whole lot for that money but you can get a nice sounding all tube amplifier from Blackstar. This is a two channel dream amp for someone wanting to step into the tube amp world. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a good practice amp that sounds huge at low volumes. You will need a speaker cabinet to go along with this head.

Amplification lamps 5 Watts RMS, insert effects loop, exit mule, standby, headset, speaker outputs 16 and 8 ohms.
ISF but dj explained if the knobs act well on their range, you can easily find the desire rglage.

USE

Config ultra simple, useless manual.
Just be careful to connecting HP and respect Impedance (if 1/2 or 4 speakers).


SONORITS

The sound is very good, clear one obtains excellent rendering, well rounded bass (even modrer) and well rendered acute.
In drive: blues crunch in metal, with a sound from the type Marshall mesa, even short low volume, but happiness!

NOTICE GLOBAL

One regret, no reverb ... damage.
Otherwise, this is a great amp, very well built, solid: in short, the quality.
The quality is paid, and for once, was expensive watt, near 700 Euros new version two head + HP (clestion)
But for the studio, the apartment, the rpeter (without battery because otherwise too slight) one obtains a set that has the mouth and dpote!

Small head 5W all-tube, suitable for play at home. I do not return characteristics, they do not vary from one opinion to the other.
The number setting is consistent, and it is a real breath of fresh air in this world full of head equivalent power with only two or three settings. Here we have a true medium setting on the lead channel (two counting ISF) and an effects loop, so what find his sound and not playing only with its imposed by the amp.
The selection of the output impedance is also a definite plus, and the output emulation.

If chipote, it lacks settings on the clean channel and a detachable or reverb assignable to one or other of the channels, or both. A general master would also have been great, but it's starting to run out of space to put knobs on the head already comprehensive in its range.

UTILIZATION

For the clean channel is a breeze: volume and tone. I would have appreciated a little more, but it's coffee, and reverb allows for very usable cleans.

On the Lead channel, I was disappointed too, but really too much gain and impossible to have a rock sound like a good crunch boosted. If you make metal, this is perfect. For others, it is too much.
So I replaced the 12AX7 with a 12AT7, and there ... it gets very interesting! You lose a little precision settings and sound, but it lowers the gain to make it usable on a large part of the race of the potentiometer. Own the blues, rock, metal and everything else!

on the other hand, even if the head is intended for use at home, because she still relatively strong. I was very surprised and in my opinion, the use apartment with fussy neighbors will be problematic.

SOUNDS

With this mind, I found what I was looking for: a versatile, affordable and not too powerful head to play at home. Certainly, it will not replace my usual amp heads, but she is doing very well.
I mostly play with Les Paul-type guitars, but it was also very convincing with a Telecaster that dragged me some time.

OVERALL OPINION

Of course, this is a head which is not suitable for the purists. In the opinion of my technician, it is suitable for use at home, but do not ask him to ensure repeat or live under penalty of having reliability issues ... and that is not what I said request.

It is complete, versatile (if changing the lamp preamp), compact and does not have a design to rot the aesthetics of your living room. That bonus, then!
Competing products have never appealed to me because too incomplete (only one tone control, no gain setting, no effects loop to put an equalizer, fixed impedance, ...). Congratulations Blackstar!