Changing the speakers in my Harley Benton 2x12 - Are these Celestion vintage 30's made in China?

[@TaylorDanley]

What do you guys think? Worth the upgrade, or nah? Also SUBSCRIBE ;)

[@mikemccourt6225]

What is the difference in break-in between the two?

[@TaylorDanley]

Great question. To be 100% honest, I have no idea. I am the original owner of the Mesa cabinet these speakers were in, and I also have a 2nd brand new HB cabinet that just came... I have never noticed a difference in tone over time. I know that supposedly speakers sound better as they age, but in my experience theres not a perceivable difference between brand new and broken in. But that's just my observation, I could be wrong 🤷‍♂️

[@mikemccourt6225]

@@TaylorDanley Fair enough. I've just noticed that highs tend to mellow over time in speakers. But, those high mids sound like a beehive in the hecho en china speakers

[@TaylorDanley]

@@mikemccourt6225 interesting. I dont know that I will ever put the china v30s in another cabinet. I may just sell them, not sure.. so I may never find out!

[@richardwhite8484]

I had a mixed reaction to the speakers depending on which part of the tracks we're playing at the time. Sometimes I liked the Chinese vintage 30s sometimes I like the made in England vintage 30s. Perhaps you could experiment with putting one.of each in the 2x12 to see how they blend. The Chinese v30s seem to have a better high end response but lacked the full body of the ones made in England. It made me think that blending one of each in the same cabinet would actually give a wider range of tonal response. It might even be interesting to see if mounting the Chinese v30s in the Mesa cabinet sound different from how they sound in the 2x12.

[@jackmckee8196]

I agree with commenters saying: 1) the UK Mesa’s are old/broken in, the Harley’s new; 2) All V30’s made in China now; 3) Mesa had their V30’s voiced specifically to their cabs. So the difference here is objectively indecisive before breaking the Harley’s in.

[@alexandertorrente198]

What does it mean to "break in" a speaker?

[@jesperdahl1486]

@@alexandertorrente198 It means that the speaker is run at moderate volumes for a while to "relax" the paper surround that holds the speaker cone in place, that way they sound better, it is most noticeable on paper surround speakers (guitar/bass) and much less on rubber surround speakers (PA)

[@jesperdahl1486]

@Paul From my understanding it is mostly the surround that is "broken in" and not the actual cone, it is also most (near exclusively) important on paper surround speakers (instrument speakers - guitar/bass) PA speakers have some form of rubber (foam) surround, and they change much less over time.

[@戴旻游]

I agree with you, but i want to say one more thing, they are just not the same price!

[@blakehavens8705]

Mesa v30s are not made in China

[@captainfruitbatify]

Nothing odd or different about the HB Vintage 30s being made in China. The Vintage 30 was the first speaker Celestion switched to Chinese manufacture back in 2003. I bought a couple of HB 1x12s with Vintage 30s and the drivers are identical to the aftermarket Vintage 30s available from my local Celestion dealer. The Mesa and Marshall Vintage 30s are different - they are specially voiced for Mesa and Marshall, not the same as "stock" Vintage 30.

[@illuddivinus3309]

Says someone who doesn’t have the British version lol. Dude they sound totally different. I have both an Engl and Mesa 4X12 and can tell you that they sound identical with the British versions. We then hooked up a Randall with Chinese v30’s and the tone was wider and more fuzzy at higher volumes. Its definitely noticeable.

[@giuliano8031]

@@illuddivinus3309 Show us with a video that they sound different.

[@giuliano8031]

@@illuddivinus3309 Or Audio. But tell us what is what.

[@J_Braz_]

Are the mesa and Marshall v30's made in China to?

[@vexedpixels]

@@J_Braz_ i believe so

[@Jmdeclue]

Good vid. I am sure someone already put this in the comments but there are so many I can’t find it. The Ohm rating of speakers changes their sound, the exact same speaker type will get more top end as you move up from 4 to 8 and to 16. It is just something that is impossible to overcome and happens to all speakers. So two V30 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel for 8 ohms and two V30 4 ohm speakers in series for 8ohms will sound very different in the top end with the 16 ohms speakers sounding brighter. And, that is before accounting for the power amp as it will drive them differently if they are not the same ratings. An amp tapped for 4, 8 and 16 will also change its character with those different loads.

[@briansnyder3405]

I like the spiky edge of the Chinese made ones to be honest, gives the ear more information, but if you wanted to tame it i'm sure you could pull back on the presence on the amp and it'd give you the desired effect

[@solomonicdemons680]

Insane brother always making great content. England V 30s are the real deal.

[@EddyDarkNightmare]

Maaaan both the cabs together were something glorious 😍

[@tankdarla637]

Dude. That was awesome! Thank you for doing all that work. Great job. I liked both...

[@TaylorDanley]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@braddtatum]

Great video! I think the ohms factor is a huge one here. Mesa 2x12s are two 16-ohm I’m made Vintage 30’s wired in parallel which makes the cabinet run at 8 ohms. That might be another interesting comparison to make since they are same ohms ratings. Love the info in the video here. Thanks!

[@zane94oz]

its more a difference in new Vs old IMO. all tho once broken in the Chinese ones will sound relatively close to the English made V30.

[@TaylorDanley]

Time will tell!

[@juliandelrio]

Exactly

[@mjbdough7920]

What do you think is break in time for the Chinese V30’s?

[@justinolson6819]

This is very similar to the Orange PPC/Crush Pro cabs in my experiance. Awesome review/demo, thank you for demystifying the price/quality of the Harley Benton cabs.

[@TaylorDanley]

🙌

[@metal571]

Hey Taylor, I see the V30s in the Harley Benton are model T3904A. If you happen to still have your UK V30s, could you tell me what the model number is on those speakers? In case it's interesting and there's a difference, I ordered an 8 ohm UK V30 directly from Mesa and got a T4335B. Just wondering if your Mesa 4x12 has a different UK V30 variant, as I know there are actually a few different ones out there depending on the age of your Mesa cab. Thanks!

[@TaylorDanley]

I don't know what model number, but I bought that cabinet new in 2009 if that helps! If I had the speakers pulled out, I'd check, but I ended up putting them back in the mesa cab... On a side note, I think the UK made for mesa V30's are better (smoother, less harsh top end) after spending a few months with them in the 2x12.

[@teddysnydermusic]

I use the HB vertical 2x12 like yours with a 15w 5150iii LBXii and I love the super crisp high end

[@Sighdaball]

I think in these Chinese to UK comparisons the HB just sounds brighter. But I believe that isn't anything you can't take care of with a good eq, like the 10 band MXR. And woah baby that Jackson!!!

[@janekailey2173]

I’m wondering why he failed to show the speaker driver LABEL on the back of the magnet on the Harley Benton driver

[@freshelfpie]

How "broken in" are the Chinese V30s? V30s of all sorts are known for being harsher when new, until the surrounds break in and soften a bit. Seriously curious, since I have the horizontal Harley Benton cab and it DOES sound quite different from my Carvin cab with English 16 ohm V30s. Curious how many hours I need to break the Harley Benton in.

[@jacobsamano9761]

Hey Taylor please answer my question I need your help! I just bought a Harley Benton G212 Vertical Cab to go with my new EVH 5150 iii 15 watt LBX Stealth amp and it’s my first time buying a cab and I’m not sure how to connect. My amp is 8ohms so it definitely matches but the pictures of the cab shows 2 input jacks on the back. So which one do I plug the cable running from the speaker output Jack of the amp head into on the cab? The left Jack (input) or the right Jack (through)? Would really appreciate it I’m expecting the cab to arrive tomorrow.

[@eternalvoid2678]

The UK ones sound a bit better here, but I'm confident that if you set up the amp slightly differently, move the mic a bit, or apply some EQ afterwards, you could get them to sound indistinguishable in a blind test. I can see why you choose to send exactly the same signal to both, but for a real world application test it would be nice to also hear the difference if you set the amp/mic up the way you like it with both. Hearing it with some different tones, especially lower gain/clean would also be nice, perhaps Basically, I agree that they sound different, but wonder if that difference is relevant in practice. I also wonder in what way the different impedance affects the sound.

[@TaylorDanley]

Great points, I wonder this myself. I can tell you to my ears, when my band is practicing, I can definitely hear the differences displayed but they are much less apparent. The difference is so minimal that I think I'm going to swap the 16 ohm MIC speakers back into my HB cab lol.

[@marcomoscoso7402]

I have the Horizontal HB 2x12 v30s. The left speaker sounds more like the Mesa's and the right one is way brighter and harsher sounding. I guess the secret is getting used to eq the ugly top end/harsh mids to fit your mixes. After that, the cheap cab will do the trick anytime

[@TaylorDanley]

That's bizarre, wonder why they sound different. Yes, depending on how flexible your EQ is, you can really get in there and dial in that top end.

[@marcomoscoso7402]

@@TaylorDanley exactly, and for me it's an extra feature to have two different sounding speakers. I guess that happens because the HB cabs are built in a B-stock fashion so not all the speakers are new or have the same construction.

[@diogoandre3588]

Hi Taylor, great video, I bought an harley benton 2x12 v30 too, and if I use it in mono (8ohm) shoud I switch the amp for 8ohm too, right? And if I switch the cabinet for stereo (16ohm) and use two power cables, wich position shoud I put on the amp (in my case is a peavey 6505+)? 4, 8, or 16 ohm???

[@toemasmeems]

Bro i just bought this Orange 212ppc and i wish that i could hear it more without cranking it do you think I could stand it on its side so thats essentially a vertical so that its in my face rather at my feet?

[@yousocrazy1199]

Just one question. can This Harley Benton cab can handle weight like 40lbs amp head on top of it?

[@alfredbaxter1061]

What about technics sb a71 speakers they some big speakers they tall got 2 12s on them I thought about changing them out and put some jbl in them

[@tyreechiejackstone7379]

Great idea using a DI re-amp! Most KZbin vids I've seen use different performances, and often two different mics; even if they're the same riff or model mic, there can be subtle differences, whereas using the exact same recording seems to be the most accurate way to do a "shoot-out"..

[@TaylorDanley]

I try to be a scientist over here! Thanks for the comment! 🙌

[@gerryvillemaire1635]

Hey Taylor, Thanks for the QUALITY video! You answered actually 2 questions I have been pondering .... The difference between the sm 57 and 58, (which I agree with your opinion)... And .... your in depth,logical speaker swap comparison results. Thanks to your vid here, I will be purchasing a Harley 212 cab. The speakers sound very similar to me, and while I do slightly like the england over china tone, ... It would be very easy to EQ the benton to match it. Thanks again. I subbed cuz of your intelligence, ...and your a helluva guitarist too! Regards, Gerry

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks!! 🙌 I keep getting people asking if I can EQ out the harshness... I'm gonna have to follow this up when the new HB cab comes in!

[@keithhatlak4325]

Isn't running it at lower ohms mean it runs higher watts? Is that the reason the UK speakers sound fuller?

[@doug941]

Perhaps the speakers need a breaking in period? What do you think?

[@audioengineer86]

One of the speakers in my HB 212V died and I replaced it with an Eminence Texas Heat and it sounds so damn good

[@TaylorDanley]

Bummer it died, but glad you got something that worked for you! I'm not familiar with those speakers, I'll have to check them out!

[@audioengineer86]

@@TaylorDanley the combination is great. The Texas Heat is chunky and warm so it blends nicely with the tight/crunchy V30

[@R.Stridstrom]

I heard a guy, who obviously was a old time pro, with lots of combos under his belt, say that he had tried, like *everything* - found out that the perfect, like magic combination of 2 drivers was a V30 and the 35XC. I personally got them both, but also the Eminence Maverick (tune-able) which is like, heavenly in a 1x12. I am just about to start experimenting with the 3 different 1x12´s in different combinations. But the guy sweared that the: V3 (unknown version) with a 35XC was the greatest sound he had ever achieved. My own V30´s are new and 8ohm, and chinese (but that doesnt matter, other stuff do) - so i will have a blast trying it for myself. That said: Check out the Eminence Maverick and Reignmaker (us vs uk) : the dB tuneability give you *lots* of different flavors in either one. But a 2x12 with both, even more so.

[@papaidolatrine2499]

Another variable is the difference in ohms. Speakers react differently to different ohm loads. Higher ohm loads have more resistance and thus take more power to move them than a lower ohm speaker.

[@kotymccallister5150]

Is it possible maybe the chinese one just wasn't broken in? Also, could you get them to sound the same by rolling the presence back just a hair on the chinese one?

[@TaylorDanley]

I'm waiting for a while to see if they break in. They had a decent amount of play time at live rehearsal volumes, but I just want to make sure since theres no consensus on how long it takes for a speaker to break in. I can tell you from my experience, using an axefx you can really dial in these speakers, and then they end up sounding similar to the mesa uk v30, but not the same.

[@kotymccallister5150]

@@TaylorDanley there's a speaker called the avatar hellatone which is just a broken in v30. I can't remember how many hours they break them in for. Depending as on a lot of factors like how hard you push it iirc. Just crank your amp every day through them for a while and see of that works lmao

[@TaylorDanley]

@@kotymccallister5150 yeah, I'm gonna give it a bit longer. Right now it gets like 3-4 hours a week at a pretty loud volume.

[@CorNigrum]

8 ohm and 16 ohm speakers sound different though, as they tend to have a different number of coil windings. Not sure you can really compare the specific speakers you tested in a meaningful manner. I like the knowledge from your videos though, keep it up!

[@asherplatts6253]

Ohmage is a HUGE factor.

[@jamesfindice2871]

Yeah you‘re totally right. its a General rule that speakers with higher ohm Rating will have More highs and high mids. 4ohm speakers are significantly darker

[@lauried.2708]

Thx for the video. I am using a 20watt tube amplifier that requirers a minimum of 8 ohms. I want to connect the HB cabinet to another cabinet with 2 x 12 inch 50watt 8 ohm Eminence speakers. Should they be configured to 8 ohms? In series or parallel? are they any special concerns? mono or stereo jack(s)? I thought that the HB speakers were 8ohm but, I guess that they ran them to be 16ohms from what you say in the video. thank you

[@HalfApology]

I have a Randall 2x12 with China V30’s and by far the best cabinet I’ve owned , I also have a Marshall 4x12 made in England V30’s and love that cabinet too , but the Randall Diavlo 2x12 is a lot easier to transport and even though has the China V30,s and well broken in sounds KILLER.

[@djandrewification]

Itd be dope to see you swap one of the v30s for a cremback g12h-75. The peavey invective cab ($750) has this setup and it sounds sweet

[@TaylorDanley]

I have another cabinet with creamback. Was going to wait a bit to see if these break in and change at all, then maybe that's what I'll do!

[@AmendedOfficial]

Is there anyway you could test Chinese 8 ohm version with the mesa v30?

[@lydiagraham2188]

Great content Taylor!

[@brrblack497]

I stumbled into this, this morning, looking for a new cab. Damn dude, you look so young! This was only 4 years ago, lol. Fatherhood and the internet are a rough run apparently, bahahaha. Seriously, thanks for this, very informative.

[@REBELSCL]

I'm curious.. Is the Harley Benton cabinet made from plywood or MDF?

[@TaylorDanley]

Plywood

[@ricmel8008]

Hi, do you know if a 12x10 is a lot louder than a 2x12? Meaning one cab has a 12 inch and a 10 inch and the other has 2x12. Is the 2x12 a lot louder?

[@GoudVis56667]

I like the sound of the chinese speakers better so thats nice to know haha. I would love to see a 8ohm vs 16ohm shootout and a series vs parallel wiring shootout. That would make a fun video forsure. A new Sub waiting for that video ;)

[@TaylorDanley]

Might be a while before I do another comparison vid with these. I'm sort of waiting to see if the chinese speakers end up breaking in and sounding different first.

[@willcresson8776]

@@TaylorDanley Oh, you're gonna do the thing you got called out for not doing?

[@brentcraig3163]

Mesa V30's are specifically voiced for Mesa as Celestion does for other amp companies, (some not all). Chinese V30's are the generic type found in Orange amps, etc.

[@SNOKRASH]

Great video brother !! Your sound is insane. Your recording sound /mix is huge. Keep up the amazing work and thanks for these vids man. !

[@TaylorDanley]

🤘🙌

[@aextre.]

Mesa vintage 30s are made specially for mesa in the uk, and sound closer to the old uk v30w before manufacturin for all v30 went to china

[@mikeflanders1292]

V30s are not 30 watt. They are all 60 watt

[@aextre.]

@@mikeflanders1292 the "w" was a typo. By no means i was talking about the wattage. But merely the sound.

[@Mark-zi6nt]

Taylor, are your monitors meant to stand horizontally? Because if not, hopefully you know why you can't do that with vertical monitors.

[@Masterfighterx]

Were the English V30s new or old? Also, do they even make them in the UK anymore or is that only reserved for certain ones? Doesn't really make sense to have some v30s made in China and some in the UK. People have stated they actually like the sound of the Chinese ones more, part of that sound I think was here too, but that mid-high thing you talked about, yeah..

[@tomhock8088]

Very cool, thanks again I'm putting greenbacks 2 heritage 30 vintage and 2 greenbacks M 25 WATT should be AWS

[@OsmiumStudios]

I wonder how it would compare to Chinese 8 ohm V30, as they also have the smoother sound

[@mattcat5668]

This video might be 2 years old but the riffage was epic.

[@tankdarla637]

Does one being 8 ohm and one being 16 ohm affect the tone?

[@TaylorDanley]

TBH, I have no idea. Lots of people in these comments will tell you yes, but I just don't know enough to confirm or deny it. I can tell you this though, I do think break in is a myth. These speakers sound the same today as they did the day that I purchased them.

[@tankdarla637]

@@TaylorDanley lol, I thought the little speaker in my Fender Champion 20 was breaking in and sounding better over time, in reality I think I was just getting better at dialing it in though...

[@R.Stridstrom]

@@TaylorDanley There is a difference in 8 vs 16 ohm, and besides that - the "break in" works like this: new, you could think that the mid or treble is sharp, but in reality the mechanical stiffness of the driver surround and such causes the *bass* to be less, so eventually (x hours) the *bass* will be louder/better, and the perceived trebeliness will be lower. More balanced. (and then, remember that ones hearing memory is actually kind of short, so we become accustomed to sound after just a while, too - difficult to make a compairson "by ear" by yourself)

[@robj144]

Cool video. Did you break in all the speakers before you tested them?

[@TaylorDanley]

I made 2 of these, one after they had been broken in... tbh I cant tell any difference

[@Stretchwreckedem469]

That's why i personally prefer to go with Eminence. While they don't sound the same as a V30, they have a really unique sound to them that sounds absolutely crushing. If you wanna go with eminence, i would definitely suggest either the CV75, the Govenor, or the Man O War. Eminence Speakers are also made in Eminence, Kentucky, which is also my homestate, which I thought was really cool.

[@TaylorDanley]

I hear great things, but have never tried then myself

[@esco7352]

I love eminence. I run a Governor and a swamp thang In an open back 212 and it sounds massive and very very full.

[@StuntcatTV]

You got that evil riffing down to the core, mad respect man _\m/

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks! 🙌🏻

[@DavidAllenMD]

I bought a used line 6 slanted 4 12 cab with celestion speakers in it for 150$ I wonder what kind they are now lol

[@kuzWich]

Hi Taylor, really glad I ran into your channel - a smooth blend of entertainment and useful info. Either it’s the gear you review or smth else, but you nail my youtube content prefs spot on, keep it running man! Now to the subject. Considering the high gain stuff, the chinese HBv30 is my piece of cake for sure. I always tend to lean towards clarity/presence/mid-treble domination - at least you can deal with it dialing it out if needed, but you can’t add something that’s not there in the first place;). But again crunch and cleans might be a totally different story - I mostly find myself liking speakers for high gain not so with clean-crunch stuff and vice versa. One of the good all-rounders for my taste is a g12H creamback for example. How do you find sm58 compared to sm57 for high gain recording?

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks, tha means a lot! In all honesty I think the Chinese v30s kind of sound more similar to cream backs, maybe that's why you like them more! The classic UK v30 is just what I've been used to for the last 10 years, so I'm biased. I use an sm58 because it's a little more forgiving with placement, and it just takes less time to set up for shooting videos. Tonally, they are really close, but the 58 has a little more low end. I WILL be modding a 57 here soon (if you aren't familiar you can mod them to sound more like sm7b's). I also like using 2 57's with a Friedman clip sometimes.

[@Anshul1614]

Mesa 212 also sound really cool.

[@ernestschultz5065]

are both speakers roughly the same age? broken in speakers always sound better.

[@Smurf431]

I agree that the HB V30's sounds way more edgy, but like folks have said they need some hours put on them......maybe do this again in, say, 6 months?

[@TaylorDanley]

It's been quite a while since I did this video, and I haven't really noticed any difference to be honest. But yeah, probably time for an update!

[@asherplatts6253]

The Ohmage maybe have caused the change in the tone... a true test would be comparing 16ohm to 16ohm-- with the two 8ohm speakers in parallel, and a 4 ohm cab, you get more "sag" which gives it a less focused bottom end and less punch and crunch, but more of a smooth peanut buttery sound (that I frankly love about the V30s anyways). Glad you pointed out the Ohmage thing, I would hate it if somebody got overeager and then destroyed their amp. I have been thinking about buying a HB 2x12 cabinet myself, and then replacing the speakers in time as I save up the money. thanks for making this video.

[@amaurythewarrior]

i know what you're talking about, but I have to say, "ohmage" is not a word. the proper term is "impedance"

[@asherplatts6253]

@@amaurythewarrior AH! So it is.

[@whatismyname8483]

All speakers are broken in?

[@jcmcovers4487]

Great comparison. I just ordered the Chinese German cabinet. As much as there is a difference I sort of like the Chinese break up because I play grunge like Soundgarden type tone Black Sabbath. If I played metal like you I would probably make a big difference and I would have to have the English variety.

[@TaylorDanley]

TBH, yeah, they are different but I feel like it's not that one is "better" you can make each sound great. I went back to the stock speakers, and I'm pretty happy with them! I'm sure you'll enjoy them also.

[@R.Stridstrom]

@@TaylorDanley Thats true, its not about "better" or "worse", but *different*

[@thomasbruneau4504]

I did the same swap with the Mesa 2x12 vert.. I thought that slight eq diff. might have been the cab size difference but came to the conclusion that, like the gentlemen below note, it was the "break in", and maybe the impedance adding a pinch of "high". I do, however, posses a pair of old V30's, UK, that have been in several 4x12/2x12 cabs, that were obtained in the 90's. One of them is bright, and one of them is noticeably darker sounding. It sounds like the Mesa's. I think the Mesa V30's may have diff. edge dope too. Be that as it may, I don't use treble or presence on my Marshall heads, (maybe 1), and never have the tone knob past 7 on my bridge pup. I ordered another HB cab though.

[@thomasr.5443]

Hi Taylor, please feel free to call me a dork, but I like the Harleys better, especially in the mix. Might be personal taste, I don't know. Sound ist allways quite subjective. Nice video you did there. Stay safe and healthy. Greetings from Germany.

[@drewmcdowell1622]

At least the Chinese ones give some semblance of rhythm separation through all that gain, but 8ohm speakers are usually a little darker due to why they have a different rating anyway.

[@mhoff7722]

I like the UK's. Seems like the old adage you get what you pay for applies. There are also tonal variations (so I am told) between front mounted and rear mounted speakers. For $200 might be worth buying the Harley Benton and swapping out the chinese V30's for a pair of Green Backs I have laying around.

[@TaylorDanley]

They're totally worth it, the cabs are plywood and pretty well built. The chinese speakers really aren't bad at all... I'm actually considering swapping back and just using the MIC v30s

[@mhoff7722]

@@TaylorDanley Good to know the build quality is there. Will definitely have to check them out. Thanks!

[@TaylorDanley]

@@mhoff7722 no problem!

[@voxpathfinder15r]

Another thing that’s not mentioned here, in the HB cabinet, the speakers are front mounted and 4x12 the speakers are rear mounted. Front mounted speakers will be slightly scooped in the low mids. If you rear mounted the Chinese vintage 30s - it would thicken the tone. As well aging the speakers will get them identical

[@damndoor3570]

What year is your soloist?

[@retrocny5625]

I think one of the differences not enoguh people talk about is impedance. It makes a big difference in tone. 8ohms, like mesa uses, have that characteristic smoother sound. 16ohm v30s sound A LOT brighter in my experience. Every "harsh" sounding V30 I've ever heard, whether it was new or broken in, was a 16ohm speaker.

[@TavaresProject]

Very well done video.. basically if your in a budget then it's cool... But it doesn't replace a mesa like others will have you believe

[@tiptizlode4995]

You cant compare the 16 Ohm driver with the 8 Ohm version. They are different speakers with different sounds, they will perform differently on the same signal from the amp. Also, the amp powering the cabinet will perform totally differently powering an 8 ohm cab then a 4 ohm cab. Nice video though.

[@kuringmundo]

great vid, subscribed!

[@TaylorDanley]

🙌

[@richardroberts6480]

I can confirm that the UK manufactured 8ohm speakers are smoother sounding than the Chinese 16ohm speakers which have a nasty high frequency spike on axis. I have the exact same speakers and recently transferred the UK 8ohm speakers to my 2x12 cabs. Messa cabs still use the UK speaker so that is one of the reasons they will sound different/better than another manufacturer like Harley Benton.

[@TaylorDanley]

This is my experience also, but there are ALOT of opinions as to why that is. I suppose only time will tell!

[@kjellbergendahl666]

!6 ohm and 8 ohm speakers sound different, so the comparison is not really accurate. Most of the vintage 30´s you buy online is chinese. The brittish made that comes in mesa and other high end cabs are a lot more expensive. But even if you compare the brittish made there is a difference between 16 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. 8 ohm speakers are a lot darker sounding than 16 ohm speakers.

[@TaylorDanley]

This may be true, but saying my comparison isnt accurate is a little odd. I mean I compared speaker A to speaker B, pretty straight forward. I'm didn't make the video to debate impedance, you know what I mean? 🤷‍♂️

[@R.Stridstrom]

@@TaylorDanley What he says, *is* true

[@BobCorey]

I think this is due to the Ohm resistance difference and not the Enland vs China made...

[@joshwokojance3790]

Why does everyone make such a big deal about the price of the speakers? Most likely the answer is “wholesale pricing”. I’m sure Thomann is getting better prices than MSRP.

[@willcresson8776]

People dont realize how ripped off they're getting buying single units from sweetwater, or even speaker cabs in general. Those $130 Celestion V30s are about $40/per once you get into triple and quad digit quantity orders (and $30/per or less for 10k of them). Speaker cabinets are a HUGE grift, fuckers charging you $500-1000 for a $100 worth of wood, speakers, and mesh.

[@ponch242]

This was really useful! Thanks a lot, you just earned a loyal subscriber

[@TaylorDanley]

Glad you enjoyed it. I've been trying to tell people about this thing ever since I found out about it! 🙌

[@connyblomqvist3648]

Use a tone generaler for making the new v30s sounds like the ops one..Mutch varmer and smother.

[@Cougar139tweak]

In Essence Broken in vs New Shootout

[@prototype9904]

Wow, great comparison m8

[@runxzze123]

Celestions are notoriously bad without beaking in, i think that's the case here. But cool vid, i would love to hear if you try them again after you hit them hard for 48hrs

[@TaylorDanley]

I made a follow up video to this after I had played on them for a few months. Not much changed!

[@runxzze123]

Taylor Danley cool cool still has that high end u don’t like?

[@TaylorDanley]

Yeah. And like you can see in the thread, theres a billion opinions on 8 ohm vs 16 ohm, etc., etc. But for me, the proof is in the pudding. Thats just the way the mass produced chinese ones sound. BUT, now that I'm using an axefx3, dialing them in is cake, so they dont bother me at all anymore. I actually swapped the speakers back to the stock ones recently, and have 2 matching HB cabs now for live use!

[@OrangeMicMusic]

Lots of people here are thinking that "V30's are not made in China". Yes, some of them are. Celestion are manufacturing speakers in China for at least 10-15 years. Depending on what cab/combo they are installed, you need to open the back an look at the sticker on the side of the speaker if you wanna check. Mesa Boogie has different voiced V30 speakers "Celestion Vintage 30 (custom made for MESA in Ipswich, England) - used in our closed back Rectifier® cabinets" - that's from Mesa website. So, that's why here they are sounding different. I know these facts for years...but maybe it's just me :))))

[@AndrewStonerock]

It's weird, according to celestion all v30s have been Chinese since 06.

[@DMSProduktions]

You know what? I thought the STANDARD HB 2X12 with stock HB speakers actually sounded better than the V30 loaded ones!

[@TaylorDanley]

HB made their own speakers?

[@DMSProduktions]

@@TaylorDanley Seems so, the standard HB speaker cabinets, which are a bit cheaper have generics in them, and they sound good! Less harsh than the V30s!

[@m.giffin5133]

I went with some Marshall Vintage I found online and they sound much better then the Vintage from China for sure.

[@TaylorDanley]

In all fairness I thought the MIC v30s sounded pretty decent. When you factor in the cost though, its nuts you can get a speaker of that quality for that price

[@m.giffin5133]

@@TaylorDanley So true the reason I picked up the Marshall Vintage was that they were 8 ohm and 70 watts and only $100 a piece. I had them in an old cab I sold a few years ago and really liked them.In another cab I rebuilt I'm using Eminence GB128's I really like the way they sound with my Laney AOR.

[@Burkhimself]

To me the obvious difference is the HB is front mount.....the Mesa rear mount. The “young me” would’ve gone for the rear mount.....usually a deeper bottom end (my ears). But me now usually prefers the front mount. For me, the front mount typically sounds a little tighter and crisper (some say “it sounds clearer). I agree the upper mid “breakup or noise” was noticeable. I’m not a fan of v30 live (because I usually play loudly). My experience was w/a 50w head....v30 was ok live, but I prefer my GK-85’s live due to the fact they stay tight when pushed hard. Reminds me of an EV, but warmer. Now a-days I either use an AX8, or a tighter front mount 2x12 with my Soldano rack.....just let the PA do the bottom end work. Good vid regardless.

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks! That makes sense. I assumed the UK v30s sounded brighter/tighter just because it's a smaller cab, but I didnt consider front vs rear mount. Good point!

[@jannikachtermann3380]

Another great video of yours, thank you for that. How have you had / played the british V30 in the past? Probably the chinese ones need to be broken in. Cheers

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks! I have them in my mesa 4x12s. Could be they need to be broken in, no idea. I've gone back and forth on how I feel about the chinese ones lol. I definitely prefer the v30s from my mesa, but could be break in, only time will tell

[@lorencing]

Great video, nice to know this, so there is quite a difference between Chinese and English Celestions ... but how much of that is due to different impedances?

[@qua7771]

V 30 need time to break in or they sound bright.

[@binhck]

Has the Chinese one broken in already?

[@TaylorDanley]

I dont know if there is a way to determine for sure... but it had LOTS of play hours at decent volumes before this test so I would assume so.

[@binhck]

Taylor Danley Thanks. I just placed the order of this Harley Benton G212

[@TaylorDanley]

@@binhck 🙌 enjoy!

[@cirith100]

There not the same vintage 30’s , Mesa has there’s specifically voiced for them , the Marshall vintage 30’s are different again that the standard vintage 30’s and as of 2003 all celestion speakers are made in China except a few heritage models like the alnico blue and heritage greenbacks , celestion speakers get better sounding the older they get so a ten year old speaker will sound warmer and fuller that a brand new speaker that isn’t broken in

[@TaylorDanley]

That's an insanely insightful comment, thank you. I knew making this video was going to cause some debate based off of threads I had read on forums. At the end of the day, I'm swapping the speakers out for myself and making a video that will hopefully be enjoyed by other people, you know? 🤷‍♂️

[@cirith100]

Taylor Danley sorry wasn’t criticizing just throwing some info out there , I learned most of this the hard expensive way , there’s also vintage 30’s with other labels on them if you know where to look , some are Marshall gold ( the original vintage 30 from the 70’s ) and Mesa used to label them as black shadow on some custom orders , the Harley Benton cab will get better sounding after awhile , few years ,

[@CrownedWarriorBand]

Mesa V30 are proprietary. I have that right from Celestion. They will even not release the specs. I was interested in the difference between those two as well as the Marshall ones. Both the Mesa and Marshall are custom made for them by Celestion and are different than any V30 you can buy.

[@cryptopsy13]

Are the Harley Benton Stock Speakers already burnt in? These makes a difference! Also it would be interesting if you could EQ the highmid breakup out with a EQ between Amp (-Modeller) and Speaker! Thanks for the Video!

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks for the suggestion! Yes, they definitely had adequate time to be broken in, I've been playing this cabinet at various volumes for a couple months before I made the video. I'll have to try to EQ it out, I actually haven't attempted that yet! I have a 2nd one coming soon.

[@OinTaylor]

@@TaylorDanley yeah I was thinking the exact same thing. Pretty sure the ampero or the mooer would have some sort of equalizer pedal you could apply in the chain? Or an actual physical EQ pedal?

[@TaylorDanley]

@@OinTaylor yes! They definitely both have eq pedals built in. My power amp also has an eq.. i think if I'm going to do this demo though, I'm going to use a modeler with a bit more horsepower..

[@OinTaylor]

@@TaylorDanley yes a 7-band or 10 band would probably work super duper.

[@vince8081]

Test in clean/sweet overdrive sound would be nice.

[@connyblomqvist3648]

If you you gym med element for 72 houers then the going to sounds the same..When sneakers are med paper is very hard and that make them sounds brigther and a bit harder.. i have fine this and compar them to my ops V30 from 1963 and they Kalmar sounds the same now.

[@luvsic35]

The Marshall code 2x12 is under 150

[@TaylorDanley]

Where did you find it for that price? It's interesting, but I'm skeptical of the marshall made speakers 🤔

[@luvsic35]

@@TaylorDanley www.andertons.co.uk/marshall-code-2x12-guitar-cabinet the marshalls rated for uk voltage are dirt cheap, but american ones will run you some cash although the harley bentons are usually seen as best value, for the V30's

[@spyware1100]

All v30 are made in china btw, at least in the last decade or so.

[@adamcaveproject8299]

store.mesaboogie.com/products/speaker-12-celestion-vintage-30-uk-made.html

[@spyware1100]

@@adamcaveproject8299 Those are custom built speakers specially for mesa :)

[@adamcaveproject8299]

@@spyware1100 Yes, I know this as I'm the person that linked it. The idea was to show you that not all V30's by celestion are made in China. In fact, there are many version of the V30 from UK with custom voicings. The point I was hoping you would get is that not all V30's come from China. Your statement was/is false.

[@willcresson8776]

@@adamcaveproject8299 Assembled in the UK with the exact same parts, produced in China, as the Chinese made ones. This is common practice and well known. The only difference is the tuning for MBs cabinets.

[@adamcaveproject8299]

@@willcresson8776 This was something I found but it's quite old (2009). A celestion rep presented this at TGP. So, based on that, my V30's from my recto's should be made in England. Unless that's no longer valid in 2020. I'm not trying to stir the pot, but according to that statement "some" speakers are still made in UK, and the V30's I have should be made in the same place. If you buy a Mesa speaker today (OEM), I'm guessing it's still made there, but you can research more if you like. Also, I don't think you're supposed to say "Made in England" if it was only assembled there. It's against the law in the US to say "Made in USA" when other parts originate from another country. It's rare to find something "Made in USA" rather than assembled here as a result. I did get a response on my own in the last 6 mos asking about swapping speakers in a cab I have and finding out that for OEM's Celestion makes many custom voicings of the same speaker type like the V30, so regardless of where it's manufactured, different OEM's using a celestion V30 can and do have custom voicings. Then of course the speakers themselves break in differently and will sound different speaker to speaker. This is directly from the celestion guy I had contact with. Heritage G12-65 - England Heritage G12M - England Heritage G12H - England Celestion Blue - England Gold - England 10" Gold - England Century - England Plus the speakers we build for certain OEM customers (it's for them to tell you) The balance - our parent company's facility 2hrs outside of Hong Kong in Southern China Hopefully I got everything. For anything else, feel free to call me.

[@MegaChagus]

Not a huge difference at all. Im looking forward to trying my new new HB G212. I just put together my first guitar rig and I AM STOKED!

[@audiopropaganda5992]

Yo! You live in portland?! Would love to talk amps as I’m just getting into more heavier metal stuff

[@richardroberts6480]

You have NOT compared like with like because the 8ohm and 16ohm speakers do not sound the same. The 2 16ohm speakers in the HB cab were wired in parallel to give a total impedance presented to the amp of 8ohms. The Messa speakers are 8ohm, so 2 of them in parallel give 4ohm, or did you wire them in series to get 16ohm?

[@wrelectronicsresearchdevel7204]

I can't believed it. Made in China is better for this time for me. More aggressive. More highs, suitable for modern metal.

[@sasanghafarian2719]

Hi love the channel