Cheap Amp, Expensive Speaker! - Is It Worth Upgrading?

Have you ever wondered if putting expensive parts in your cheap amp is worth the $$$? Let's find out!
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Soli Deo Gloria!

[@davidkastin4240]

They all sound good but I think I'd be happy with the stock speaker

[@DMSProduktions]

That speaker is garbage! It DOES sound ok on its own, but once you try it with a better speaker, (in my case Lorantzs & Sammis) there was NO contest!

[@DMSProduktions]

@Queenfinger GOOD for you!

[@jayceburns8246]

@@DMSProduktions They should call the Seventy80 a Celestion Lite. I put a Hellatone 25 in mine and it is now a Tone Beast!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@jayceburns8246 LOL yeah! The 70/80 is an entry level speaker, the amp IS built to a budget! WHO makes the Hellatone? Well regardless it HAS to be an improvement!

[@benlogan430]

I like to used speakers from old SS amps. You can find celestion speakers in old crates and the like on the cheap. But I wouldn’t spend money on a new expensive speaker for sure and the 70/80 isn’t bad any who.

[@ahobimo732]

Thumbs up for greed-shaming the amp manufacturers for jacking up the price.

[@supernoob6]

I’ve heard people saying the reason for the price increase was from tariffs on Chinese goods.

[@leonarddaneman810]

They couldn't keep them in stock . . . and, there were a lot of them damaged in shipping. Laws of supply and demand.

[@DMSProduktions]

@@leonarddaneman810 Tell ME about it, mine came BROKEN!

[@tripwire9049]

@Gar Goil take you meds you old coot

[@luisaucedo]

@@DMSProduktions F

[@PhilMoseleyMusic]

I actually think the stock speaker sounded considerably better in all examples. The amp is definitely voiced to compliment the 70/80! Cool!

[@donhancock1721]

Bought this 3-4 years ago right after the design change. The stock 70-80 speaker is a bit stiff when new but it keeps sounding better and better the older it gets. To speed up the break in you can always hook up a looper pedal too the guitar and Amp play you favorite metal riff before going to work or vacation. The neighborhood will love you 😜

[@anusrepairman]

The stock leads one sounds pretty good.

[@jarecl]

The stock speaker sounded best to me, but speakers also need to break in and they don't always sound as good as they can be right away.

[@DMSProduktions]

WAIT 'til you hear it with a Lorantz speaker. You will change your mind totally!

[@jimapperson6537]

I own this amp and have 23 amps and cabs to compare with. I like this speaker, but my fave 12 came in a old Yamaha combo. It’s got a stupid heavy magnet and frame with a white cement like coating. The speaker is 21 pounds on its own. I got this mono price because it’s super light and I’m super old,....it won’t handle my Mesa boogie nomad 100, but that ain’t why I got it. That strange 4 inch voice coil Yamaha 12 WILL take the nomad without a problem, and with a bass guitar....I use this lightweight amp and a 62 Vibro champ for small gigs. Old mxr dynacomp, split to monoprice, delay and chorus in effects loop. I am satisfied with the stock reverb tank on live gigs. I get super picky on studio apps, but I have a isolated amp booth at home.

[@ericbrewerguitar1499]

@@jimapperson6537 is that possibly a Yamaha rebranded Electro Voice 12L? (Or whatever the model is) If so I have one myself and you’re right that thing absolutely kicks

[@ramspencer5492]

The stock speaker was the nosiest...I can see not like the EQ at 12 o'clock on the others, but they both sounded more responsive and like the carried more information and carried it cleaner.

[@bennyanddaisyshow]

I bought this amp after watching your first video. I’ve been using it for a few months now and I’m still really impressed. I run a pedalboard through it , and it sounds amazing. Thanks for this comparison video. I’ve learned quite a bit about new gear, guitar repairs, and maintenance from your channel Darrell. Thanks for great content. Keep it up!

[@topavelka]

No point in investing in another speaker, it all sounds pretty much the same... it's a cheap guitar combo with not very good sound. And an expensive speaker won't help.

[@duxxxhm]

@@topavelka for what it is and for the price it costs it sounds fantastic.

[@davidneily3532]

Love this amp. I was able to sell my stock speaker for $50 and pick up a Celestion G12 Vintage 30 UK made(16 ohm) for only $50. The amp roars like a sweet Marshall now. Hard to beat for $250 all in!

[@theshadowoftruth7561]

I swapped out the speaker in my Stage Right 15W Amp. I took out the Celestron and replaced it with a Yamaha JA-3101 Speaker I removed from a 1980s Harmon Organ. Sounds really good, better than I expected! They are vastly different speaker builds and material.

[@jefb3705]

I liked the Celestion best on the clean tones, and the Eminence for dirty. The expensive one was my least favorite overall.

[@ChristosNikolis]

Same here.

[@RC-so7rv]

Agreed.

[@Wism0r]

Agreed. Big BUT, can’t tell what works in a band context/mix, it’s like the Classic Situation: at home it sounds epic…

[@ibanezrg7421]

This video made me realize that speakers make things different. Not better. I think I actually really like the sound of the stock speaker.. thank you! Saved me some cash!

[@demonoising]

The more expensive one has great clean tones but overall I prefer the Celestion. It's more versatile and I like its overdriven sound.

[@1RobHunter1]

Stock or Eminence Cannabis Rex ..... The stocks were fine and not bad. You can upgrade the older 2 spring Reverb to a fuller 3 spring Reverb tank for $20 - "MOD 8Eb2c1b " tank fits and gives more fuller reverb at medium decay. Code = 8 - short tank, E -600ohm input impedance, b - 2250 Ohm output impedance, 2 - medium decay of 1.75 to 3 seconds, c - input insulated / output grounded, 1 - no lock, b - horizontal open side down.

[@BudgetRC_Channel]

The magnet type doesn't have much to do with high frequency extension. That's more a function of cone mass, cone material and voice coil design. The alnico will create a weaker magnetic field in the voice coil, which is going to result in weaker lows, which was evident in the sound comparison. There are plenty of affordable ceramic drivers that have clean highs with plenty of extension.

[@love4thetruth]

The stock speaker sounds better for all of them.

[@MrBossei]

Yes - the stock speaker is great.

[@hotjamsm07]

I thought overall the stock speaker sounded best. Maybe it's better paired....they all sounded good.

[@yurimodin7333]

most of the time stuff sounds reeeeaaaly different in the room vs the mic so we might not be ble to hear alot of difference but it might be a world of difference live.

[@timothytobin1481]

"Maybe it's better paired" I think you hit the nail right on the head there.

[@coryholte5305]

I think also the stock speaker is broken in, whereas the other speakers haven’t broken in yet

[@ramspencer5492]

I think it's just that they tuned it for that speaker. It didn't sound as expensive, quiet and detailed at the others. Your just need to EQ the others a bit to get it dialed in.

[@juffurey]

stock speaker sounds most like a blues junior

[@JeffWagen]

The hemp speaker would be good for reagge 🤣

[@74dartman13]

Lmao!😂

[@kiillabytez]

And Stoner Rock too.

[@ascgazz7347]

I wonder what it smells like when the coil fries 😂😂😂

[@newstuff1107]

I swapped my seventy 80 for a warehouse retro 30. Made all the difference to my ears. It is now very well balanced with nice clear high mids. A lot more articulate.

[@stanparsley9186]

Didn't notice enough difference to justify the cost of new speaker. Great video as usual. PS: Cool Tele Shirt

[@jonpardue]

From here, the Eminence speaker matched the EL84's best. Nice test!

[@paulvitolo9451]

Nice, I’m anxious to watch this one! I put a Celestion Gold in my Stage Right amp over the weekend and love it. I’m going to watch this right now. Thanks Darrell!

[@peterlatham2407]

Thanks for the videos for this amp. I have ordered one here in the UK . Keep up the good work you are my go to channel for sensible, trust worthy product teviews.

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

Time for some new tones in the Stage Right amp! Let me know which speaker you liked best, and if you think any would be worth upgrading to :)

[@theauthenticsteve]

That Eminence speaker was my favourite in every comparison. Thanks for this.

[@TheRapand]

The alnico was my favourite. But check my comment further up where I suggest using a baffle.

[@tpowers5686]

I added a Jensen C12N8 and was a little disappointed at first, but I decided to really break it in by running some heavy bass techno though it at high volume (but clean) for ~8 hours (sorry neighbors). Once broken in, it was great! Note that I also put in a Groove Tubes GT-12AY7 Select in V1 and a matched pair of JJ EL844 power tubes for more headroom and rich distortion at low volumes. It still gets very very loud, remains clear if I dial back the gain, I'm not a gigging musician so I can't say whether it would still keep up with a drummer on steroids.

[@bobbyphillips7594]

How would these speakers do in a Solid State amp?

[@riverman-mk8pn]

Like the Eminence speaker. It has it's own "character". Might be a beast after being broken in. With a new amp, or new speakers, I always crank the amp, and adjust the guitar volume to break up. Put the guitar in my case, and lay a cleaning cloth over the strings to prevent feedback. Have a beer or coffee, and let the speakers warm and seat. Half hour. After a couple times you're good. Watts is a measure of energy. Sound is decibels. Like lightbulbs, and toasters, resistance creates heat in the speaker coil. Which can warp a speaker. Cooked. Good job.

[@blkjakk]

Yesssssss!! A speaker upgrade w/ a WGS American Vintage 8 was definitely worth it in my Fender G-Dec Jr. love that amp.

[@bobbyfields7359]

To my ear the stock speaker sounded good! I don’t believe there’s an appreciable amount of difference to justify the extra cost!

[@jesuslopez6873]

Agree dude

[@aliengtr]

Yep

[@GuitarNewz]

I'd even go as far as saying the more expensive speakers had way too much bass to them(!) on the clean sounds, but then on the overdrive stuff the stock speaker had too less bottom. :) Funny

[@billamj]

Being more of a jazz/blues guy I have to say that the CR really spoke to me. I totally get where you were with the other two and if I were looking for something more along the rock or even country lines I would definitely head towards the Alnico. Another great video Darrell. Thanks again.

[@Steven_SK]

Always so informative! Thanks!

[@pgobart]

I bought this amp with excellent value for money. I just replaced the Chinese tubes with Sovteck and replaced the HP Celestion G12 seventy 80 100w with the Celestion G12 creamback 75w. Now that's a real wonder! The remaining original materials are only transformers, resistors, diode capacitors... Having little influence on the sound. I will never go back to the original configuration. Greetings from France.

[@whatarefriends4]

That little Monoprice amp is great out of the box. A steal

[@strumminronin]

Hey, thanks for the GAS! I have ordered a new Eminence for my amp... This is so exciting! Please keep the mod videos coming! Would love to see "best bang for buck" mods! Or the occasional "day in the life of" videos, say, when you do your guitar maintenance work. Thanks!

[@dlewtweentorla1210]

Darrell, another great Vid! Thanks!! Purchased this amp over a year ago when they were on sale for under $140.00 bucks. Noticed they've gone up in price more than a few times since. However if anyone is looking, wait for Big sale weekends such as President's Day, Labor Day or Black Friday etc. Monoprice usually has Internet "Coupon Code" Sales that can save you BIG! Had a few speakers and other parts laying around the house and did a very similar experiment, also tried some different tubes. Not sure I'd go out and spent the cash to do this, but the end result was surprising how much better tubes and speaker helped. Pleasantly surprised with the quality of this $200 dollar Tube amp in other ways. Had slightly more expensive name brand amps of lessor quality that swapping speakers was a disaster. Some use thin horrid bolts with the one thread combined washer/nut (glued to speaker) held in place with very cheap press-board, which will fall apart trying to swap speakers, at this price point thought it may be the same, pleased it wasn't. The clips to exchange speakers is another bonus, cheaper amps can be a thinner wire and soldered (clips are much easier). Not being fond of the speaker grill material, had a small remnant Fender Turquoise-Silver Grill cloth laying around (left over from an old project) I used to replace with the stock one. Once again, was delighted the grill was stapled into place instead of glued (the cheaper and quicker way used on inexpensive amps). These may be little things but show they didn't take cost saving shortcuts where they easily could have. Has become my little "Go-To" practice amp. For the cost/performance ratio it's Fab. Well over a year and no issues.

[@BladeDoomer86]

I bought a MP 15w, and it's soooo darn good...... All JJ tubes, 70/80 great once broken in... TIPS: Plug a Multi-Effect in the FX loop, and switch AMP sim... Your Monoprice can sound like a Fender, Marshall, Orange! So much fun

[@chemmii]

Eminence speaker to my ears and likening definitely

[@mrdeedles69]

I've watched a few of Darrell's vids on speakers mods. And I'd honestly say I prefer the ceramic speakers better. Especially on the clean tones.

[@barrychickini9074]

Some years ago I bought a Fender 25R. It was only 'ok'. I changed out the speaker to a Jensen priced at $70. It blew me away! If you think about it . If an amplifier that has the 'right' specs, if the speaker is cheap, the sound will be too.

[@zedxxx9]

What a great topic idea!! I've wondered about this.

[@worshipgeek]

Yeah, it's all the way up to $249. I'm sure it's at least in part because the demand instantly went up after you gave it some loving. It seems like it keeps going up, through. Monoprice has pretty good sales, so I'd suggest anyone who wants one of these to just wait for a sale. I got mine when the introductory price was $189, and I used a first-time buyer's coupon I had so I paid just under $150, with free shipping. They've now raised the price so it has to compete with other amps that are, at most, just a little more. I wonder how many people will pass and get something with a brand name and reputation (and resale value). Which begs the question: "Is Monoprice shooting themselves in the foot?"

[@Newnodrogbob]

Additionally, it’s not only gone up in price, it’s been mostly out of stock...

[@DMSProduktions]

@@Newnodrogbob TAKE a look at KONG amplfiers then! Been around a few years, a bit of a sleeper!

[@Newnodrogbob]

DMSProduktions I’ll take a look. Thanks!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@Newnodrogbob Cheers! European brand from Session. CN made! (Naturally for that price point, but I think is a better amp than the Stage Right.)

[@noiricha]

Can't find Kong 15W tube amp anywhere on the internet - all dead end leads.

[@blues62751]

It's now $250 for the amp. Its hard to decide which speaker I like. I've always swapped out the stock speakers with Jensens. But my Marshalls came with Celestions which I'm not swapping out. Great playing too by the way.

[@micheltremblay4774]

Interesting choice of speakers, although the stock one sounds nice, I would install a green back from Celestion. Thanks for the round up.

[@MrZonealarm]

I put Celestion Creamback G12H-75, bias new output tubes, put Mullard NOS in V1, Telefunken and another tube at my discretion, installed bias for V1 position and the amp got more treble, three-wire reverb, it now sounds like $1500.

[@davelewis4215]

I finally got the Harley Benton version of this excellent amp last week.I actually like the stock speaker sound but have used it with a VOX and a 2 x 12” Celestion vintage 30s Harley Benton Cabinet and a Orange 4x 12 cabinet.All sound terrific.👍 It works great as a combo and as a head amp.❤👍

[@dpatrick5164]

I'm one of the lucky ones who picked mine up last summer before all the youtube hype on sale for $150. I could hear the difference every time but in at least 2 instances i preferred the stock speaker. I definitely wouldn't be dropping the price of the whole amp just to replace what is actually a pretty nice sounding celestion. And it only gets better sounding after a good break in of 100 hours or so. Really glad you did the comparison.

[@kirkbolas4985]

I put an Eminence Alnico in my Mono Price amp and as you had described, it made eq’ing the amp more reasonable. I have a Cannabis Rex that’s unused at the moment. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the Demo.

[@ijamsum]

I think you will find it sounds lifeless compared with other speakers !

[@GazMoz78]

As soon as you upped the gain the WGS Alnico shone, far clearer and much sweeter all round.

[@greenrectanglerc2146]

Darrell , I have to say i'm so impressed with your channel. I just sit there imagining all the time it takes you to do all the swaps and setup and then the editing. Hope you make a million bucks doing this! Can't thank you enough for all the great informative reviews, Oh the speakers - Honestly I liked them all but id go with the REX if I had to shoose and I was paying the tab.

[@robertdrozdzewski3615]

Here! Here! I agree with what this fella says about your show. Keep up the good work 👏

[@alphanumeric1529]

I appreciate the all knobs at noon approach. I'd also appreciate the knobs set at their best sounding position for each speaker, for each sound. A lot of work I know, but this would be the only ACCURATE representation of the speaker, and the amp, in the real world. No one just noons their knobs, and keeps them that way. Each guitar, each amp, each speaker, each mic, each mic pre, each converter, etc... they all sound better in different applications. We always optimize each device to the best of its abilities in each application. In this case, we'd optimize the amp's settings for each speaker, and that is the real world way these speakers would be used, and should be an aspect of your "scientific" (my air quotes) test. Thanks as always!

[@manoel123123]

Nice vídeo!!! You definitely do an amazing job!! I don’t like the buzz tones as well, so the last eminence speaker would be my goal to. Thanks again !!

[@stevenmgyori3826]

Thanks brother! Well done and thanks for sharing D!

[@timsealey6540]

Thinking about buying the Stage Right 15… I picked up the 5watt model at a local pawn shop and upgraded the speaker to a G8A… It made a big difference in the tone… Might upgrade the tubes as well… Enjoy your gear videos thanks for sharing!

[@beautifuldaymusic]

They all had their unique tone, I preferred the stock Celestion

[@jim.mcintosh]

Great demonstration. I really liked the drive tone on the WGS American Vintage. So I just bought one for my 68 Custom Princeton Reverb. I'm going to keep the Celestion speaker, but I'd like to have more options with drive tones.

[@mikecarreca7864]

Hi Darrell, although the stock speaker was find, but you cannot beat the sound of the Alnico. That is what most of my amps have. The Alnico had the most full , warm ,and clean sound. Great video

[@ASCII_68]

Thank you for showing this simple method of changing the amp tone. I own a Bugera V22 infinium and swapped the tubes for a set of TAD because of ringing EL84s and noisy input stages. The ringing is gone and tone is more stable even at higher volumes. I also swaped the factory 12"Turbosound speaker although is wasn't doing too bad. Went for a Jensen Falcon50 and i am very happy with the overall performance and tone from this amp now. This came with a price tag of additional 240Eur so the total value of my V22 is now at 600. And it's worth it. Would do again.

[@AllenPinchloaf]

The sparkle and articulation of the alnico speaker cannot be denied! It also seemed slightly louder.I would take that one.but the cannibus is more realistic in a budget amp.Or my go to a Celestion 70th Anniversary is a fine choice.

[@Guitarman007]

It would be really cool to see how this thing (the amp and speaker) would sound in a different slightly larger more robust cabinet like just an unfinished $100 wood cabinet that would fit it.

[@markpell8979]

Chris, re: Stage Right 15w tube amp... I'd also like to hear this amp in a better cab, how about with a 2x10 or 2x12?

[@the_tford]

I upgraded the tubes and swapped the speaker to a Celestion G12H30. With sale price on the amp, the tubes, and craigslist for the speaker I'm at 260 all in. I LOVE this amp.

[@Tryggvasson]

i liked the stock speaker the best. but it's a good example to show that most of your tone comes from the speaker, before anything else, and then the amp, in itself, then the pickups. the rest you can probably more or less ignore - as long as you've got electronics good enough, and good sustain - bridge, nut. the cable and the pickup height are both more important than these latter things, tone wise, i can't repeat it enough.

[@user-ml3sz3mm5y]

I've threw an used Greenback in mine. Love this thing now.

[@fransvenrooy4760]

Yeah, I agree with you about the Cannabis Rex hemp made speaker! They are affordable too! You clearly hear the difference between all these speakers.

[@themanalligator4813]

I'm about to put in a wgs et65 8ohm. Great video as always.👍👍👍

[@AleksanderLydkunst]

Threw a 12” Celestion gold into mine.. completely in love with it

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

Nice! 👍

[@endtimeguitarist]

I think a lot of people are basing their decision on a guitarist mind set. The difference would really be heard in a mix. Normally I don’t think I’d like a v60 but hearing it in a mix it is a metal dominator. The v30 sounds fantastic and is widely used that most other speakers get ignored and even to me most sound terrible to it but it’s those unusual and not well known speakers that can make legendary sounds. Ride the lightning guitars were made with an less known speaker. Very cool video.

[@tonigenerali]

Great Job man!

[@craigjacob3704]

Thanks so much Darrel

[@greevar]

This video demonstrates very well that you can get a huge tone shift simply by swapping the speaker. They're also quite easy to swap too. Speakers are where I would spend most of my tone budget.

[@Fektthis]

what we learned. turn your monoprice amp into a head and use it on various cabinets to make it shine.

[@alkoenig85]

As a manufacturer of cannabis products, I had to opt for the Cannabis Rex. Surprisingly for the tone and the the EQ as you said, I am wondering how it would sound on my Fender. Much research to do. Thanks for a wonderfully thorough job.

[@ek2thehands]

Thanks Darrell for the speaker review and the one you did with the tubes on this amp. I am glad that I won't have to spend any money chasing a rabbit down a rabbit hole. You just showed me the amp is good enough for me as is "stock". The other speakers were fine but just not enough to spend the extra money for me. I'd just buy a better amp, thanks. Go StageRight!

[@craiger2399]

They sounded so different to me that it was almost like you had different effects on each. The stock had more mud and fuzz. The Alnico was clearer but still allowed some of the fuzz through. The CR sounded most like a mic'd guitar to me, cleaned up the mud/fuzz. Thanks for doing this experiment. I never would have known the speaker made such as huge difference in the sound. I'm guessing the compression the video goes through to be posted to KZbin reduced the variation, and that had we all heard this live it would have been even bigger a difference.

[@francoreia8147]

I live in Canada I just got one 301 delivered. Than,s for your reviews. I have a g12t75 I will put in as I already have it and it looks to be an upgrade after watching spea,er reviews.

[@rayschoch5882]

Well done test / comparison, Darrell. The tone difference between the stock speaker and the others is apparent, but to my ear, there's not a lot to choose between the WGS and the Eminence. Even the stock speaker sounds good, but both the WGS and the Eminence seem more crisp in tone when played "clean" than the stock Celestion. Given relatively modest differences in tone and hefty price hike, I'd likely keep the stock speaker

[@johnhestich458]

Just bought this amp. Love it. Have a spare 25w greenback to swap in for kicks. Cheers!

[@awittypilot8961]

I put a green back in mine and love it! $100 on ebay and it's a great big difference. Thanks!

[@jimmy5634]

This amp is also available as the “Harley Benton” amp. The Alnico speaker has much more definition, especially on the bridge pickup, clean or dirty. The Cannibas Rex was more compressed but a good compromise.

[@MrZootalores]

I bought a nice 15" Celestion to replace a cheap Bugera bass speaker...i've put the Bugera back in(sue me) I enjoy your videos and your playing too!

[@jayceburns8246]

The amp is sweet stock. But I agree with Darrell that overall it has a pretty scooped sound and with the gain turned up tends to get a bit fizzy. i found his original video about the amp after I had already bought mine. He changed the tubes in his before me and I agreed that it didn't sound like much of a difference on that video, but still went on to try for myself with some Tungsol pres and Groove Tube power tubes. It made a pretty big difference - taking away any hint of fizziness and made the sound fuller. I then realized that it still had a bit of the scooped sound and decided to try another speaker. I ordered a Hellatone 25 ceramic and of course one day prior to receiving it I see this video posted. Again the difference doesn't come across as being that great here, but when I put the Hellatone in I got a helluva tone coming out! It is now super fat sounding and no scooped sound and absolutely no shrill treble. I will test it out at my gig on Friday! Looking forward to cranking this bad boy up some! With about a total of $450 (amp + tubes + speaker) this is now a SICK AZZ amp!

[@guitarkis4969]

Darrell, I'm a big fan and REALLY appreciate you doing all the vids you do to entertain and inform us. For this however, I think the stock speaker is just fine. The difference is so small, unless someone is super picky about their tone and doesn't know how to fiddle and set an EQ, it's not worth it for a $199 amp. Still love your vids though!!!

[@mikem3929]

stock speaker actually sounds pretty good, but the Eminence won out in my ears.between all 3 and the money involved i'd probably stay with stock and do something in the Eminence range!

[@iberiksoderblom]

Canabis had a great smooth sound. So much the best of those three.

[@matiaszavala]

Wooohoo! I'm so proud of my Cannabis Rex now! It was awesome! 💪🏾

[@Slugg-O]

IMO, the WGS delivered the best cleans and widest range of tones. Wasn't super impressed with any at high gain but I prefer a heavier bottom which in something small amps are not known for. Still a great test. Thanks!

[@dons8992]

I've got the Monoprice amp in front of me looking at it I have the hemp speaker in my right hand they are going to become one and I already know I'm going to love it by the way I use the speaker out on the back into a 4 10 inch PV Bass TNT and it sounds incredible Powers it just fine

[@TheThinker39]

Thanks for this interesting demo! I had wondered about this. I did not expect to hear much difference. I was surprised that I consistently preferred the sound of the alnico speaker. It was subtle, and I doubt it would be noticeable when playing with a band. Because the differences are subtle, I would stick with the stock Celestion and use the tone controls to adjust the sound.

[@samuraijaydee]

Brilliant video. Thank you!

[@mikefranks417]

Another great video, Darrell. The WGS isn't cheap, but considering you end up about $350 US for the package (tube amp w/WGS) I don't know of a better sounding combo for the money. Also, I just noticed your signature line, Soli Deo Gloria! Amen, my brother. Mike

[@acidbath3226]

its absolutely worth it, the more you upgrade the stock parts including the speaker, the connecting wires, the instrument cable, etc it all makes a difference, and those subtle difference might not make a huge difference right away but when itis mic'd on and recorded you can and WILL hear the difference in everything from the dynamics to the most subtle sounds.

[@owwillis]

Just changed my 70/80 for a Vintage 30 in my Marshall DSL20 combo. Way better!

[@j.jester7821]

The biggest effect I have noticed tone wise is between open back vs. closed back cabinets. Some speakers sound great in open back others are too bright too jangly. You have to be happy with what you have to be happy with.

[@addictedtogear]

You have to break in the new speaker first in order to get a good idea of what the new amp with sound like. I would recommend doing that before swapping out speakers.

[@jenniferradley-davies]

Strength of the Celestion is that it's free! It comes with the amp! Spending more than the cost of the original combo on another speaker just shows how good the standard combo is!

[@suncoaster8578]

OMG. The tones. 😳 On the new speaker. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Alnico

[@dimitrisloufakis916]

I have a pretty high end audio system at home and an HTPC (home theater PC). I bought an amp emulator for 80 bucks and I have a whole selection of amp models at my disposal. Since my audio setup is very good to begin with, I get amazing tones and sounds out of the system!

[@pclindholm]

Great concept!

[@note4note858]

thank you for showing us how. big help.

[@ianmiller4195]

The alnico speaker could be put into a speaker cabinent, that way it can be used with any amp

[@shoggoth8808]

yeah, the expensive one has a nice, noticeable clarity. this demonstration makes a good argument for going with head + cab instead of a combo amp.

[@TheChef470]

I swapped out the Celestion,(which to me sounded harsh) replaced it with the Eminence Cannabis Rex,(an $80 upgrade) which is reasonable. Very happy with the result, much warmer/fuller sound. The real test is when I A/B'd it with my wife's ears.......she picked the Rex : ) I also swapped out the preamp tubes with Tung Sol tubes. Overall not a bad little bedroom/small room amp........check back in 6 months : )

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

My Stage Right 15 arrived last week with a defective speaker. Monoprice immediately sent a return shipping label, and the replacement amp should arrive today. Fingers crossed on this one, but excellent customer service (although they're US $250 now).

[@kenlee5015]

For the price, I wish you would have compared with a HB cabinet that comes with the upgraded Celestion. Cheaper cabs than speakers, it seems. TY, again. Best reviewer on YT.

[@johngarrett7050]

Stock good all around sound, alnico was an ice pick in the ear, I though the CR sounded awesome! Thanks for these vids I’ve been looking at this amp for awhile and I have heard one mic’ed up live that sounded great.

[@seandevine3695]

They all sound great to me. I like the CR for clean and dirty, and the Alnico for lead. Somebody needs to build me a cab with a footswitch speaker cone selector.