Celestian Neo Creamback Speakers

hotpickups

I'm looking to be getting a 2x12 vertical cab from Zilla and thinking of the speakers to go in it. Reasons for a 2x12? Well I'd like a fuller sound but weight is an issue in my older years so 4x4 cabs are out but 2x12s I could manage Also cos' I am a paranoid chap I like to think that if ever a speaker went down at a gig I will still have another in there to get through the gig as I'm sure I'd be pretty damn unlucky if they both went at the same time. So lightweight speakers I'm looking at are the Celestian Neo speakers or the other Neo speakers of course.

Has anybody had any experience with them that they'd like to share with my their opinions etc? I'm not a high gain player at all more of a vintage rock sound I guess. Definitely Metal. Any advice?

Wazmeister

I've got the Neo in a 1x12 I had from Zilla mate...

Super light and I've found it to work with everything I've thrown at it, including the Kemper.
Highly recommended.

Paul at Zilla is superb.

p90fool

I switched from Classic Lead 80s in everything (for over 20 years) to Neo Creambacks in everything, I'm very happy with them.

hotpickups

Wazmeister said:

I've got the Neo in a 1x12 I had from Zilla mate...

Super light and I've found it to work with everything I've thrown at it, including the Kemper.
Highly recommended.

Paul at Zilla is superb.

Yes I've been very impressed with Paul's customer service. He's done a great job on the cab housing for my RDA amp I've had converted too. 

ICBM

If you're concerned about reliability, make sure you get the speakers wired in parallel (two 16-ohm speakers giving an 8-ohm cab, unless your amp needs a 4-ohm load) and that you don't run an amp through it that's more powerful than the individual speaker rating (60W) or you'll probably just blow the second one after the first one has gone. It's actually extremely rare for speakers to fail unless they're overpowered anyway, so since you're then running an amp of less than half the rating of the cab you shouldn't have to worry at all.

hotpickups

ICBM said:

If you're concerned about reliability, make sure you get the speakers wired in parallel (two 16-ohm speakers giving an 8-ohm cab, unless your amp needs a 4-ohm load) and that you don't run an amp through it that's more powerful than the individual speaker rating (60W) or you'll probably just blow the second one after the first one has gone. It's actually extremely rare for speakers to fail unless they're overpowered anyway, so since you're then running an amp of less than half the rating of the cab you shouldn't have to worry at all.

Yes I'll run them in parallel. Both my amps run at 8ohms, both 30 watt, so I'll get the 16 Ohm speakers. I blew one up in my past but I did crank it

bazxkr

I've heard great reports/reviews on the neo creamback. Thinking of chucking one in my DSL40C to replace the 70/80 which by all accounts is pretty weak. Like the idea of better sound but the weight loss is also a bonus too.

Plenty of nice demos on the neo creambacks on YT, look really good buys

rossyamaha

Glad this thread came up. Randomly, I was playing with the Line 6 power cab the other day and put it on the creamback setting. Everything sounded amazing. Naturally made me want the real thing in my other stuff. 

hotpickups

Just to throw the spanner in the works the Jensen Stealth Neo speakers sound good too. American sounding though which isn't a bad thing

andy1839

I've got a Creamback Neo in a Zilla Fatbaby 112 cab.
Every amp I put through it sounds class.
It's my go-to rig with my Friedman head and pedalboard.

skaguitar

Wazmeister said:

I've got the Neo in a 1x12 I had from Zilla mate...

Super light and I've found it to work with everything I've thrown at it, including the Kemper.
Highly recommended.

Paul at Zilla is superb.

I've just bought a Zilla fatbaby with a neo creamback... my fender supersonic 22 sounds great through it but am interested in going the kemper route... forgive my ignorance but does the kemper play straight through the cab..?

And sorry to the op for derailing a bit... @Wazmeister if you could pm me about it if you don't mind

hotpickups

skaguitar said:

Wazmeister said:

I've got the Neo in a 1x12 I had from Zilla mate...

Super light and I've found it to work with everything I've thrown at it, including the Kemper.
Highly recommended.

Paul at Zilla is superb.

I've just bought a Zilla fatbaby with a neo creamback... my fender supersonic 22 sounds great through it but am interested in going the kemper route... forgive my ignorance but does the kemper play straight through the cab..?

And sorry to the op for derailing a bit... @Wazmeister if you could pm me about it if you don't mind

No problem. I love reading all your comments 

Dominic

No ,you need a power amp unless you have a powered Kemper OR a FRFR active cab

drwiddly

I rep!aced the speakers in one of my 2x12 cabs (CL80 & WGS Retro 30) with a pair of Neo Creambacks about a year ago. They sound great and they're much lighter so my ageing back is very grateful.

Monstronaut

I replaced two of the speakers in an old 70s marshall cab with two neo creambacks to reduce the weight. The best i can say is that havent noticed much of a difference in sound. The cab still sounds amazing and i can put up with lugging it around.

roberty

I have a neo cream + century vintage in my zilla 2x12, and a neo cream in my DRRI. Just perfect for me, the right amount of fatness

PolarityMan

I have a 2x12 with neo v30 . I think it's the century heritage or something. Super light obviously I can hold it above my head with one hand without any issues. Sound wise it's pretty good, sounds a little more brittle than real v30s and easier to get ice picky but with little EQ tweak can keep it tamed. Handles the low end from my diezel nicely.

ICBM

PolarityMan said:

I have a 2x12 with neo v30 . I think it's the century heritage or something. Super light obviously I can hold it above my head with one hand without any issues. Sound wise it's pretty good, sounds a little more brittle than real v30s and easier to get ice picky but with little EQ tweak can keep it tamed. Handles the low end from my diezel nicely.

Those will be Century Vintage. I found something similar - they have a slightly harsh top-end that I found annoying after a while, and lack bottom end unless you’re using an amp with more than enough.

They were better than the original Century - probably the harshest and most fatiguing speaker I’ve ever heard - but still not perfect... not that surprising with new technology. They seem to have got it absolutely right at the third try with the Creamback.

Neodymium speakers are the future, I’m pretty sure - Jensen have their Tornado series too, which I’ve so far only heard the original of but is one of my favourite speakers of any type.

hotpickups

ICBM said:

PolarityMan said:

I have a 2x12 with neo v30 . I think it's the century heritage or something. Super light obviously I can hold it above my head with one hand without any issues. Sound wise it's pretty good, sounds a little more brittle than real v30s and easier to get ice picky but with little EQ tweak can keep it tamed. Handles the low end from my diezel nicely.

Those will be Century Vintage. I found something similar - they have a slightly harsh top-end that I found annoying after a while, and lack bottom end unless you’re using an amp with more than enough.

They were better than the original Century - probably the harshest and most fatiguing speaker I’ve ever heard - but still not perfect... not that surprising with new technology. They seem to have got it absolutely right at the third try with the Creamback.

Neodymium speakers are the future, I’m pretty sure - Jensen have their Tornado series too, which I’ve so far only heard the original of but is one of my favourite speakers of any type.

Yeah the tornado neo was my other choice but just a little bit more expensive than the celestian. Too much for what I want to pay anyway