Orange OR15H Reissue

This is an all-tube amp 15W (EL84) manufactured in China by Orange.

The settings are very simple (Master Bass / Medium / Treble, Gain).
Compared to the "Terror" family he deserves to have a cabinet worthy of the name (no toaster) and an effects loop tube.

For a 15W he has chest! This is not an amp to play at home but for small concerts.

UTILIZATION

The config could not be more simple. A volume, a gain and a conventional EQ. And 15W/7W switch (useless by the way)

The connection is simple but effective:
- Instrument Input
- Connections for speakers and 8Ohms 16ohms
- Effects Loop

The manual speaks mostly lamps and their use. Might be interesting for a first purchase of tube amps but otherwise this type of device does not need a manual.

This must be done on purpose to get a bad sound with this amp (subject to have a good speaker to go with).
For me, the max volume, EQ and gain around noon for MIDI and go!

SOUNDS

Headroom of this amp is awesome. My style (blues / rock, hard rock) is more than enough and even more.

I play mostly with Les Paul equipped with copies of PAF.

The sound is fat enough (some legacy Orange). The stamp is very nice, especially for an amp of this size. With everything at noon, immediately "Still Got the Blues" by Gary Moore. By lowering the volume of the guitar you get to the Led Zeppelin and virtually AC / DC still dropping a little.
Not really clean with this amp but it might be expected given the headroom and power.

So it's very rock from beginning to end. This really is a great little amp that does not blush beside my Metropoulos that costs more than 20 times its price! The only complaint we do this is rather important compression. But it is to be given to only EL84 amp itself. I'm used to a JTM 45/100 with 4 KT66 so it's normal that I lack "something" at the attack and dynamics.
Nothing catastrophic and besides, I think many will appreciate the natural compression of the amp.

I only gripe I have is the sound slight crunch ("edge of breakup") which suddenly lacks a bit of character. It does not really feel the notes "explode" but it's more a question of feeling than his. Registered, it is much less obvious.

For the big crunch is excellent and very enjoyable to play.

Edit: After replacing the preamp tubes (NOS January 5751 in V1 & V2, NOS January 12AT7 PI) is much better (for what I want). The grain is more open and found the attack dynamics. Less gain in overall but it's still more than enough and it allows you to use the gain control over a large part of the race. Now it's AC / DC and Led Zep in a mini head! I recommend the change. The original JJ are good but they have a bit too much gain for my taste. For classic rock and blues rock, now is almost perfect with greenbacks.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had two weeks but I've played a small package of hours.

I hesitated a lot before taking a 15W and above with EL84. The aternative was a Germino Lead 55LV. This is not the same price or the same weight or the same power. Actually the EL84 not compress poorly sound (a bit too much for my taste) but this does not prevent the amp to be very good especially for the price. It's almost ridiculous compared to the result. And Chinese manufacturing does not mean anything. It is clean and well finished. Lamps are JJ, which is very honest.

If I had to choose again a 15W EL84 I certainly would resume this amp.

See the first review for specifications.
It is very neatly finished (exterior). Inside I have not checked yet.
I find it a little heavy against (8kg, it's not nothing), so in a suitcase on wheels, in a box or car is good, but carry in a bag or shoulder, it will start being a little harder
I think it's an amp with a lot of bias in general, so you should know what you want accurately, and try it before you buy it.

UTILIZATION

Extremely easy to use and plug and play:
volume, gain, bass, middle and trebble.
I personally do not like to take my head long with the settings (I had a vypyr 30 before, with millions of amp models, effects, adjustments, I know what I mean!) so it suits me perfectly.
Note that there is no reverb, but the presence of an effects loop can allow you to add a good bill

SOUNDS

So now, about cleans:
You will not have cleans fenderiens cristalins or very cold and cleans acute way metal / hard rock 80.
on the other hand, you have great cleans round and hot, with a little crunch that makes them look very old school likeable. Personally, I love, again after all a matter of taste. Means are to have clean low volume anyway, but cleans round.
A high volume, I have not tried yet.
Here we are between 0 and 2 gain I say (10 ...)
After 2, between 2 and 3 I would say, we move to a more crunchy sound I love: it was a great warm sound, with saturation in the attack string so Dead Meadow (on the song "what Needs must be "for example) or creedence clearwater revival (Lodi or other)
It's pretty "retro" as I find her, it goes great for blues too.
A 4 gain, it happens in the real crunch, and there you can enjoy playing the most ballsy blues, ZZ Top, AC / DC and other (clutch, piece electric worry for example). Very good sound, still warm, round, velvety ...
Very typical, I personally love it!
Beyond 5 (half of the stroke of the knob thus gain ...), it starts the monster! It was a big win, which allows to reach the hard rock of the 70s (Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad ....). Very rich soundscapes, fuzzy, very warm and pleasant to my ears!
Pousssant in a little, we can go quietly making a turn towards stoner with very fuzzy sound (but not as heavy with a muff, while more subtle and rich sound, and still very hot)
Again, very typical 1970 must be love!
Note that the amp sounds better than 15W 7W, are more dynamic, warmer, richer, it feels better lamps anything.
Also, be careful, it sounds very very strong!
In the apartment, I do not exceed 1/10 of the volume, even with low gain! So to cruncher lamps, will have to wait a bit, or group play ...
I think investing in an attenuator, playing at low volume is doable, but a little more flexibility in the master volume would be really appreciated for me anyway.
For single channel is relatively even when inconvenient. You can of course play with the guitar volume to decrease the gain, but on my guitar does not have trebble bleed, you lose a lot of acute example. Solutions with a boost are also possible. Here, it should be mentioned that negative, but considering the price, I think a dual channel would result in a loss of quality.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a very typical amp: it has a particular sound, typed 70, very warm, a little mushy (orange forces). It is not super versatile, but what it does it does great!
It's really an amp for people who know what they want, and if you like it, it really is a great amp!
Positives:
- Great sound, very warm, vibrant and retro
- Ease of use
- Effects loop
- Range huge gain that can go from blues to stoner or doom
- Fort volume group can play without problems
- Price very correct with respect to the quality of its
Negatives:
- Its very typical (negative only if you want a versatile amp)
- Fort volume to play flat (an attenuator can be fix this problem, I will modify this review as soon as I have one)
- Mono channel makes passages crunch / clean delicate enough without guitar with electronics properly.
Here! Overall, this is an amp with a lot of bias from orange, this is why it is imperative to my opinion to try well in detail before deciding, if the risk of disappointment can be large enough (hence the presence of a lot of opportunity I think). on the other hand, if you like the sound, it will be the amp of your life!

Previous notice

It is solid and very well done!

UTILIZATION

It can not be simpler, plug it plays. The knobs allow pretty much carve the sound and are very reactive.

SOUNDS

Admittedly it is not made for the clean and that's good because it is absolutely not what is asked. But to play blues, rock or hard good vintage is perfect. Crunch is beautiful with lots of dynamics and the bump in the midrange that makes it still going great in a mix. I go in ENGL V30 and I find indeed the sound of my guitars.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 5 months and I want to weigh the previous opinion. I was looking for a small portable head, to play in an apartment in repeats and small scenes. It was a perfect crunch, an effects loop and it collects my pedals without distorting. The OR15-H did this perfectly, with lots of personality and grain so typical of Orange amps (I had a AD30TC I can compare!). No, she's not super versatile, so the clean is hard to find, but it's just enjoyable to crunch desire and perfect for my projects, and I love it. So know what you're buying, but if you are knowledgeable about the product, you will not regret it.

Mono FX loop lamp with lamp
Front "Pics only"
Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Gain
Output Power switch 7 & 15 Watts
Amp Power: 2 x EL84
Pre amp: 3 x ECC83/12AX7
FX loop: 1 x Ecc81/12at7
Speaker Output Options (Heads)
1 x 16 Ohm cabinet connected to the 16 Ohm output
1 x 8 Ohm cabinet connected to one of the 8 ohm outputs
2 x 16 Ohm cabinets EACH connected to one of the 8 ohm outputs
Dimensions H21cm x L40cm x P18cm Weight 8.06 KG
With the exception of the sticker is finished correctly

UTILIZATION

Plug and Play, One leg is adjusted equalizer and roll here! The effect loop lamp is a real plus and accept all kinds of pedals. Switch 7W / StandBy / 15W although the practice still is not drastically lower level but it changes color. Personnellemnt a 30w 30 as the Thunder was a way for his clean, alternative booster signal enrée to gain a few decibels from it without crunch.

SOUNDS

British super clean well with a nice dynamic, not as pure as the "big" cousins ​​OR50 and 100, still very usable in 7W and 15W group for home. The coloring is superb whether on single or double. The distortion goes way too far and is a little FAT what we know of Tiny, there is the instant reaction to the blows of the pick when it goes into overdrive mode.

OVERALL OPINION

This micro GOLD 8Kg has a different voicing of the Tiny Terror, the top is clean and the distortion goes away, the crunch is good, a little less rough than that it is very Tiny RNR in the right sense. Managing the volume of the guitar also works well, the strengths of this OR is the look, loop and EQ, a little more flexible to use the Tiny greater versatility so. Now I repeat the same power, but voicing is so different test before purchase, if possible, because there is not anywhere ...