10 inch guitar speaker shootout - Jensen, Celestion, Eminence

A quick comparison of the Jensen C10Q, Celestion G10 Gold, Celestion G10 Vintage, and Eminence Ragin Cajun. Three guitars, three playing styles, three amp settings. To keep the focus on the speakers, the guitars went straight into the Little Wonder amp, and the sounds were kept clean. Which speaker(s) do you prefer, and why?

[@tested211]

Thanks for doing this, I'm currently selecting 2 10"'s and this is very helpful! I'll just put some bookmarks below as it helps with comparisons Quazi Jazz bit: 0:16 Jensen C10Q 0:26 Celestion G10 Gold 0:35 Celestion G10 Vintage 0:44 Eminence Ragin Cajun Clean Chords: 1:05 Jensen C10Q 1:29 Celestion G10 Gold 1:53 Celestion G10 Vintage 2:17 Eminence Ragin Cajun Growly: 2:58 Jensen C10Q 3:07 Celestion G10 Gold 3:15 Celestion G10 Vintage 3:23 Eminence Ragin Cajun

[@jdillo16]

Great demo! I wish more gear shootouts were this quick and to the point

[@CycloneJack]

Thank you for using a no-nonsense format in your comparison video. KZbin would be a less unpleasant place if more people made videos the way you do.

[@kevinhughes9200]

I like the Gold 10 the most. It just has a good open, clear sound to it.

[@StealthArt]

nice comparison, i like the c10q's the most, sounds brilliant and defined

[@DeanMk1]

I like the idea of that speaker in a Princeton Reverb.

[@StealthArt]

@@DeanMk1 If I listen to it again I'd say Jazz/Mellow/Mono on C10Q's and Rock/Vibrant/Solo on Vintage. So yeah pretty much playstyle difference

[@DeanMk1]

@@StealthArt Not sure what brought that on. All I said was I like the idea of the C10Q in a Princeton Reverb. However, since you brought it up, my pick still stands. Eminence krushed everything else in that test and would be my overall pick out of that bunch, for any kind of music.

[@mrmixalotcreative5847]

Nice video, I like the format and quick changes between speakers

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

They all sounded good ! Can I say that ? All have their own sound.

[@frantisca]

Thanks for the upload. The Ragin Cajun covers all bases to my ear ... \m/

[@SaxJockey]

Thanks for uploading this video. Demonstrates the tonal differences quite clearly. It was enough to convince me that the Jensen C10Q has a clean jangly tone. I put one in modelling amp and it improved the Fender amp models considerably; not too surprising given that Fender do fit Jensen speakers to some of their combo amps.

[@spotterstockholm]

Awesome review man! I'm looking into getting a '68 Custom Princeton, and considering a speaker switch at some point in the future, this was very useful!

[@blortslompson2388]

Have a modded 68 custom with a Jensen and just ordered the G10 Vintage to slap in it. Hope to mellow it out a bit

[@soundknight]

Emi had that strong upper mid with a treble noise dive after 4500kHz (it's their signature). I prefer the loose bad and bright treble of the Jensen. The Celestion shine when you kill the amp with too much gain.

[@JoeFic9997]

I own a 77 Vibro Champ and replaced the speaker with a Jensen and it sounds great. That is also my preference in this comparison but the Eminence comes close for my ears. I’m building a new 1x10 cab and this was very helpful so thank you!!

[@danyjr]

==JAZZ== Jensen C10Q: 0:16 Celestion G10 Gold: 0:26 Celestion G10 Vintage: 0:35 Eminence Ragin Cajun: 0:44 ==LP CHORD== Jensen C10Q: 1:06 Celestion G10 Gold: 1:29 Celestion G10 Vintage: 1:53 Eminence Ragin Cajun: 2:17 ==GRECO OD== Jensen C10Q: 2:58 Celestion G10 Gold: 3:06 Celestion G10 Vintage: 3:15 Eminence Ragin Cajun: 3:23

[@lucasvonbraun]

Great vid .. The Gold is gold

[@bentyreman5769]

I used to own the G10 vintage, I noticed after a while of using it, you will find it opens up and starts sounding sweeter, but the gold sounds really great, by far the best sounding one.

[@nealixd.3011]

I tend to love the Jensens for clean, clear, jangly pop rock, of the 1960s and 70s. You can always dial back the treble and push up the midrange or bass for overdrive as needed. I have an early 2000s Fender "Custom" Vibrolux Reverb combo amp that sounds fantastic. I think the two 10" P10R alnico Jensens really make it sound clear and clean with plenty of the Fender tube warmth. Wouldn't change those Jensens out for nothing.

[@jonkomatsu8192]

Nice demo. Comprehensive differences! Thanks!

[@matthewtorossi616]

thanks, i own the jensens stock in a few amps, and tend to like their sound. appreciate the comparisons.

[@777666777MICHAEL]

Jensen C10Q is the best to me

[@northmanlogging2769]

this is an ideal heads up comparison, and I thank you for it... good thing I already ordered celestions... the jensens I have currently didn't last 1 year, granted the 30w celestions they replaced where blown too, no idea what happened to the original speakes lol

[@musicisthebest674]

Thanks for the comparison and your style of discussion :) Imho, the Celestion Gold sounds best and the Eminence RC was a surprise, a good one... Cheers!

[@bdelaney101]

Eminence RC was best to my ears. Best balanced sounds and eq. Jensen was #2. Gold was worst for me because of it’s pronounced mids, but that still might sound decent in a mix. Thanks.

[@Sirstarfish]

All about those G10 vintage

[@M.T.G.]

Thanks for the video! I have a Sovtek Mig 60 with original box (eminence), but I'm looking for 10-inch speakers (I'm looking for a similar sound from Andy Summers - The Police) I think the Jensens are very good!!!!

[@arispap12]

Hi, nice comparison. After this, the news for me is: Cel Gold has some gorgeous low-end. Cel g10vintage very tight almost cold sounding low-end but focused. Emi RC open sounding but way too loud. C10Q is what it is. I'd prefer some more high-end in your test amp but otherwise good job, thank you. Cheers!

[@q.b.amplification8056]

Thanks very much for your insights Aris, which touch on something we debated when planning the setup. We found that the common method of close-miking a guitar speaker with an SM57 affected the tonal balance, sacrificing highs for fullness. Despite this problem, we went ahead with the standard mic placement for ease of comparison to other videos. Next time, we'd likely mic in stereo about 1m / 3 feet back for a more realistic tonal balance. In the flesh, the Little Wonder amp has a nice vintage-correct degree of clarity.

[@stormyweather2837]

I thought the Jensen c10q sounded the best. And I also think the my celestion 10/30 sounds heaps better then the g10 vintage. Cheers everyone! 🙂🙏

[@davesaenz3732]

At 3:00 The Jensen sounded the best.

[@luizalbertokoehler4904]

for me, in this video, the C10Q wins easily, followed by the Ragin Cajun

[@DeanMk1]

Interesting. I heard more clarity and a nicer "chime" out of the G10 vintage and the Eminence speakers with the first two examples, but the C10Q and G10 Gold seemed to come off with more clarity on the last example....hmmm...would've been nice if the test would've included an Eminence Legend 1058 or 10516, as well.

[@raulgrangeiro]

It would be nice to have 1058

[@DeanMk1]

5 years later and hearing it with fresh ears and different speakers. Still impressed with the G10 Vintage (not a Celestion fan, in general) and I like the C10Q a little more these days, but in this test. Eminence all the way. Not sure what I was hearing 5 years ago to make me comment the way I did then. Just now hearing it again and the Rajun Cajun has much better sound balance through all of the examples. If that amp were mine, I'd put the Eminence in it. ...but it still would've been nice to add a Legend 1058 (and maybe a WGS G10C?) to that mix.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I like the Jensen

[@vinnieirvine1365]

Great video. Based on reviews I though the Jensen would be my choice but hearing it, I think it sounds too brittle. I love the nasal tweed era tone of the celestion gold with a bit of growl, and really liked the ragin' Cajun- but overall I like the celestion vintage best. It's got a fatness in the tone that I am looking for to compensate the ice pick highs in my amp.

[@q.b.amplification8056]

Thanks for your comment, Vinnie. Everyone seems to have their own favorites, but your impressions and mine are very similar, especially in the Little Wonder amp. That Celestion G10 Vintage really pushes some buttons.

[@q.b.amplification8056]

Thanks very much, Vinnie. I've installed the G10 Vintage in a lot of amps, and people are always impressed with it.

[@jjcummings206]

Same for me, G10 Vintage

[@davidawilliams1782]

G10 anniversary for me

[@eazyrider6122]

It seems they all have a place, it depends on what your after.

[@BluesRenegade]

Thanks for this comparison. Very telling. Jensen and G10 Vintage sound clean, Gold and Ragin' Cajun were muddy compared to the other two. G10 Vintage was cleanest, almost weak, thin. Jensen was pure old Fender sound clean. Gold lost clarity due to midrange push. RC was too muddy for me.

[@q.b.amplification8056]

You're very welcome, and thanks for taking the time to share your insights. It sounds like we're on the same page: QB has settled on the G10 Vintage for the Little Wonder amp, and sister company Auburn will be shipping it's Tomboy combo with this Jensen model.

[@BadMofoMusicCritic]

I was worried that the g10 was the worst sounding (put one in my 68 Princeton).. Until the last part with some dirt. It owned that one! Imho

[@manuxuser]

I fell in love with gold ....

[@lukeperry1891]

Mid punch of the vintage is what im after

[@TheKenpg31]

G10 vintage for me.

[@bigg4454]

G10!

[@georgefromgreece4119]

All are fine... But nothing like the Jensen!

[@stratowhore9051]

gold overall, but ragin cajun and celestion g10 good on louder bit; celestion g10 muffled on quiter bits; but there's US$100 difference between the G10 and the Rajin Cajun prices, so it should sound better -- or it had BETTER sound better

[@MrGlasstech]

I dont know where you shop speaker prices celestion v g10 goes for 55.00 each and the ragin cajun goes for 75.00. Not a 100.00 difference.

[@jjcummings206]

G10 Vintage, more bottom end

Love the comparison! Great job! Boy, when you said 'quick,' you meant it. Were we supposed to be able to read the notes as they went by?

[@chuckkirkpatrick6712]

Been using JBL E-110's for 40 years. Nothing beats those.

[@q.b.amplification8056]

A lovely driver to be sure. Have always regretted missing a chance at two D-110s many years ago.

[@coloradosquibnic7697]

The gold, obviously, but the price😫 can't pay that much for my hobby, I've got the Emi, and a Celestion ten 30, and a Jensen MOD 10-35 all budget priced tens, course the Ragin Cajun is a bit spendy,but very efficient, right now I'm still on the fence on the ten 30 but it's not broken in yet so I'll give it some time(hard to push it when the wife's home,,haha), it's a bit of bite and shrill for now, but it's new, thinking might try a copperhead, since I find the RC a bit dark for my style,but I LIKE it, haven't even loaded the Jensen yet so I have no opinion on that one, but the gold costs more than my amp, got an old jbl d130(15")alnico!I want to build a cab for(I have high hopes for that one😜under a 5 watt el84 head, sorry for the ramble, thanks for the video By the way if you don't want that gold I'll be happy to take it off your hands, charity of course😀

[@Blitzkrieg.u812]

Growls.. what Growls .. where? Comparisons must be made with all styles of tone(flavor)... I mean no disrespect!!!

[@davidkaiser810]

The sound clips are not long enough to establish what each speaker sounds like

[@q.b.amplification8056]

Thanks for your comment. The nature of the beast is that one person's "long enough" is another person's "too long" or "too short". But hopefully there's enough here for people to pursue their own investigations with a better idea of which direction they'd like to take.

[@TheKenpg31]

I think short clips are better to hear the differences quicker.

[@duc750duc]

Definitely the Eminence!

[@deeppurple51]

I love changing speakers. Could not tell the difference between any of these.

[@matthewblack7206]

They're all fairly good - but the G10 Gold for me.

[@eyedunno8462]

Agreed. They all have their own flavor but the G10 Alnio is noticeably richer and more refined at all settings. I would pick that speaker hands-down for amps with limited EQ control

[@chuckkirkpatrick6712]

I guess I'm deaf. Didn't hear a shred pf difference between any of them....

[@mrredritehand]

Gold

[@JamesMcCutcheon]

The guitar pick ups always inject a weird not gain break up.I hear it but no one else ever does.

[@cahootspastor7855]

Highpass please ^^

[@Arcturian1111]

The Jensen sounded best IMO.

[@ragnaroksangel]

What is "best" when all of this sounds awful?

[@chuckkirkpatrick6712]

The Golds....

[@josephesposito3499]

Jensen has the best tone. Can I ask how would I wire SIX 10" speakers for a 100 watt amp?

[@forester057]

Wow so dark I can’t hear crap. Turn up the tone knob and see what you’ve been missing (everything except thump thump thud thud).

[@DaveDexterMusic]

Isn't that the point? To show how they sound unprocessed? And this shows that most of them are pretty bassy.

[@martinscalici1905]

Tune

[@westinclinard8189]

either the amp or guitar is WAY too bassy.

[@fraterfraxinus6293]

Not a shootout. Audition at best. The tone and performance of the speaker depends entirely on the amplifier feeding it. What works for your oddball amp is not applicable to other amps.

[@abc123gpl]

Ohh Eminence Ragin Cajun …. Mumpf....Mumpf....Mumpf....Mumpf....Mumpf....Mumpf....Mumpf....

[@SubCultureMEDIAHilbert]

Somehow this video was able to make them all sound like garbage. LOL. How’d you pull that off? 🤔

[@keithclark486]

Maybe you should take the shit out of your ears and stuff it your mouth and you'd change your mind.

[@alandavis8930]

I have been a professional Sound Engineer designing systems and working in the live environment for some 35 years. With the greatest of respect, this video does not provide any useful information regarding the choice of speakers. You are listening through a computer, iPhone or other device that in no way allows you to begin to hear the frequency abilities of any of the speakers demonstrated here. In addition, there are many, many technical reasons why you would chose one over the other and in the case of mic-ing up the cabinet with a Shure 57 you have to question microphone technic, condition of the microphone and many other parameters. I can make all of these speakers sound great - and equally terrible. This is not the way to evaluate speakers.

[@q.b.amplification8056]

Thanks for your comments and observations, Alan. While it's true that online guitar speaker comparisons (most of which employ the same techniques used here) have obvious limitations, their popularity and the general consensus seem to suggest that they do expose noteworthy differences between speakers. And although online comparisons can't tell the whole story, they can be a useful starting point for people who don't have the luxury of gathering several different speakers to try. What's more, edited A-B comparisons like these make it much easier to focus on the detected differences between speakers than a manual procedure of installing, testing, and removing several speakers would yield. In addition, lots of musicians have superior playback systems connected to their computers, reducing the limitations of the medium. So while it would be great to be able to compare numerous pre-loaded drivers in identical cabinets, in person, in real time, few people get that chance. Besides, if you really can "make all these speakers sound great - and equally terrible" as you claim, aren't you telling guitarists that their choice of speaker doesn't matter? That's a little hard to accept.

[@soundknight]

Q.B. Amplification very true, I'm in North Australia, we don't have access to much up here just cheap and major label stuff.

[@raaycommunications8254]

I totally agree. 1 mm different placement of the mic = different sound you would have to gps the amp and mic to the mm to have a live comparison. ... and I always state "Thanks man!, my laptop speakers sound great!" LOL.

[@richardmurray345]

So my 30 watt NAD amp and 8" near field monitors wont give me clear sound?

[@Luthiart]

Yeah, you're right Alan. If a process isn't perfect, it's better to not do anything at all, right? I say there shall be no more sound comparison videos on You Tube! You should be able to tell what a speaker sounds like by READING about it!