blackstar ht1 or ht5 ????

TheMoz

hi I did want a Yamaha thr10 but no one selling so going down this route anyone have god/bad experiences of these ?? should I go for the higher watts? if so can I get a good crank up gain at home levels ?? thanks in advance mark

ecc83

Nothing at all wrong with the HT-1 but given the choice I would go for the "Big ol Five".

It is a vastly more versatile amplifier and ideal for recording. If you put one thru' a sensitive speaker you can gig one.

Dave.

ICBM

If it was me I'd get the 5, if cost and size is not an issue. It's just a better amp - much more flexible (2 channels, full EQ) and inherently better-sounding, in my opinion. The 'cranked up gain' you get from the preamp - which is what you'll get at home levels even with the 1, really… unless you have extremely tolerant family and neighbours - sounds better through the more powerful output stage and bigger speaker of the 5.

Ah! Dave beat me to it between 'draft' and 'post' .

Fretwired

I have an HT-5 and it's a good amp. I also have a THR10 for noodling quietly in the living room as the Blackstar amp is loud. If you want a valve amp then I'd go for the HT-5 over the HT-1.

ToneControl

Depends what sound you want

I had an HT5, and after a few weeks I realised it sounded like I had an OD pedal (with some compression) on permanently, the clean sounds didn't sound like just an amp on its own either. I'd buy a Blackheart 5w (in fact I bought 2)

bertie

well unless you're part deaf and live on yer own,  you wont be able to max out the HT1 -  I had one for a while, and still had to use an attenuator to "max" it,  ,  I found the best tone was the clean channel maxed out with an attenuator- the OD channel was 'fizzy' to say the least - and still too loud for comfort in a 10 x 12 room

If we're talking combos, and the 5 comes with bigger speaker/cab - Id go for that, 

midiglitch

I had exactly the same experience as Bertie. Honestly though, I'm not sure I'd go for either. Fwiw I think 'good crank up gain at home levels' is an oxymoron at best, and a myth at worst...

ecc83

as I understood it the design philosophy behind the HT-5 was NOT to make an amp that could duplicate the sound of 100W into a 4by12 but at a level that would allow you to play next to a sleeping significant other!

The ideas was to see if a very low push pull power stage could be developed that gave something of the sound of the aforementioned stack but at practice room levels and modest cost, size and weight. The designer was well aware of the "watts to SPL" equation! Silent practice was considered in the form of a headphone outlet. 

Of course almost the first thing a lot of peeps moaned about once the "magic" had worn off was the relatively low clean SPL capability..But, it should have been obvious to many reviewers that5 watts into a 10" speaker of modest sensitivity (97dBW/mtr IIRC?) was never going to fill a town hall with Fenderish chime!

OD sounds that won't wake a chavvy need MILLI watts, power soaks are the only way to go.

 Oh! And I AM well deaf but I still find a 5 on full chat 'king loud!

Dave.

dchwhite

I have an HT1R, and whilst I'm very fond if it, if I could go back in time (with the extra money, and assuming the company had out the 12" HT5R then, I can't remember), I would persuade myself to go for a 5 instead.

ThePrettyDamned

The ht5 sounds good. Nice, smooth, compressed od and a good range of gain, from blues rhythm to shred.

The cleans are nice, too. I preferred the cleans on the mooer, but that's a much less versatile and more specific sounding amp. I really like blackstar amps. They feel solid and look nice, too.

There is a 2x10 version of the ht 5 I think? Might sound even better just for sheer spread, even at low whisper volume (which it can do, and well).

daveyh

I have a HT5, my son has a HT1.

He never uses the 1,  always the 5 so proof of the pudding is in the eating there.

ToneControl

TheMoz said:

hi I did want a Yamaha thr10 but no one selling so going down this route anyone have god/bad experiences of these ?? should I go for the higher watts? if so can I get a good crank up gain at home levels ?? thanks in advance mark

what do you mean by home levels?

Not getting complaints from neighbours? if so is it a detached house?

timmysoft

Much prefer the HT1, sounds less like a pedal into a power amp.