"Quieter Speakers" comparison

This one goes up to 1, well it's nine quieter isn't it..... OK that doesn't sound as cool but it is often how we play our amps. In this video we take a brief look at three Celestion speakers on the lower end of sensitivity ratings.
We talk through a few of the key points, have a play and talk around the subject.
www.zillacabs.com/
Gear List:
Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster
Paul Reed Smith Mira S2
Mesa/Boogie Stiletto Deuce
Strymon Riverside
BK Butler Tube Driver
Strymon Flint
Boss DD8
Morley Bad Horsie II
Tul G12

[@VintageRadius]

Love this series. You guys are putting out great content -I’m new here. Just subscribed. Please keep it up

[@ZillaCabs]

Excellent, thanks for that James, it's good to have you on the team! we really appreciate it. It is always nice hearing people say they like the videos.

[@georgefromgreece4119]

we all know greenbacks and regular creambacks, but can we please take a minute to appreciate at how GOOD & CLASSY this here neo creamback sounds? it is close to unbelievable- at least to me, and for a neodymium speaker.

[@TommyMartinezTube]

Great observation 🤘🤘

[@vedrankosoric4857]

Totally agreed.

[@spodey8484]

This is GREAT stuff - I'm learning so much about speakers from you guys - something I've never had any proper experience of this part of the guitar equation. Subscribed :) Oh yeah, and super playing BTW :) Thanks chaps, Ben.

[@ZillaCabs]

That's awesome Ben, it's always nice to hear things like that. It is one of the hardest parts of a guitar chain to get experience with, especially as you may well have played a speaker you like but in a cab you didn't like or vice versa.

[@e.r.559am7]

I'm running out to buy a butler tube driver immediately lol. I had a thing called a chandler tube driver about 30 years ago which I think was pretty similar but it's been lost to the ages. Y'all are making some clear, informative, balanced videos. A+++

[@MrBallynally2]

Apart from the difference in frequency curve and output the most important factor is how the speaker behaves on very low and high volume levels. A distortion pedal doesnt show that. There is a sweet spot on the amp where it reacts w the optimum of the speaker.

[@ZillaCabs]

But that depends on what cab it is in, what it is being used to do and more importantly the customers personal preference. A speaker will change how it sounds as you push it up from quiet to loud, so the most important thing is to figure out where you will be using it most... or if these changes force you in to using a more powerful or louder speaker that will usually compress less as you go from home through to practise and gigging levels.

[@Poly6Groove]

Man your playing is so beautiful!

[@ZillaCabs]

Joe's a great player. Thanks for watching.

[@1974zah]

That fuzz tone at 8:00 absolutely kills! I want one of whatever it is to run through my Stiletto.

[@ZillaCabs]

ooh yeah, the Stilettos are great amps!

[@alanst.4417]

Wow thanks for making this vid, couldn't have wished a better one for bedroom rockers ;-) All 3 speakers perform really great, but that classic rock sound at 10:28 made it it clear that the heritage wins it for me with its barky sound, rich in harmonic overtones that's really got some balls. That being said, the Neo really impressed me with how big and equal it sounds especially given its low weight.

[@ZillaCabs]

Thanks Alan, glad you liked it. I liked them all too. I think they were all quite similar in a lot of ways but also had a lot of their own character.... that sounds silly but that is how I fealt listening back to it all.

[@alanst.4417]

Zilla Cabs no not silly at all, that's quite like i feel it, too. Essentially they're all different incarnations of the greenback for me, everyone can pick his favourite flavour. Thanks for your answer.

[@timguntz3119]

I had an m greenback in a 1x12 and loved the way it sounded. I took it to a gig and nearly blew it up with my Victory V30, even in low power mode. I swapped it out for an m creamback. It’s definitely different but it does exactly what I was hoping it would. It shakes the house now. 🤘🏼

[@ZillaCabs]

I love the greenback too but you are right, the M cream is often a safer bet if you are turning things up a little. Thanks for watching.

[@padgreen]

All three sounded great. The Greenback was a bit more gnarly around the edges, compared to the slightly more refined M Creamback. I thought the Neo Creamback was a tad warmer than the M Creamback as well, but I would be happy with any of these three speakers. Liked the blue snake skin tolex on that cab too.

[@ZillaCabs]

I agree totally there with that Patrick. Three different types of good is how I'm describing it.

[@rickmilam413]

No offense guys but you were right the first time. Sensitivity is correct. Efficiency is often erroneously used as a synonym. Efficiency is the percentage of electrical power turned into acoustic output and it's tiny, like 1%. Another way to think of sensitivity is that with the 6db of difference you described, the 102db sensitive speaker with a 15W amp would be as loud as the 96db speaker with a 60W amp. 3 db more or less output is equivalent to doubling or halving power. Nice for getting tube saturation without a nasty attenuator. (Yeah, Im a geek. Sell and design hi-fi speakers). Love your videos.

[@ZillaCabs]

Thanks Rick, glad you liked it. I'm going to try and tap into your knowledge here. With sensitivity you've been way more concise than me, so I'm going to steal your words for next time ;)....... Efficiency isn't something we talk about too much with guitar speaker (I often think of it as a word that would have been used at the start of loudspeakers when making something louder was an achievement) but can I ask, as you seem to be really concise with this stuff, how efficiency would differ from sensitivity? I mean if a speaker is more efficient it will provide a greater acoustic output for the same signal input. How would this differ from a speaker with a higher sensitivity rating receiving the same input and giving the same higher output as the first speaker?

[@artysanmobile]

Also very relevant is what portion of the frequency spectrum that efficiency is measured at. Speakers, particularly guitar speakers, have quite erratic response so one ‘98 ‘will not always sound equally efficient to another. And not even nearly in some cases.

[@adamwatson6916]

The creamback M is such a great speaker. The M heritage was nice as well but the M65 sounds more refined and balanced. The heritage M does have that woody vintage greenback tone . They did do a good job of recreating the vintage greenback character in a higher power setting with the M65. You can only get so close when you up the power handing from 20/25 watts to 65 watts. The creamback M is smoother and darker then a vintage greenback but it's about as close as you can get at that wattage .

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

Idk about most inefficient, but my old 1965 twin reverb has vintage EV Coffee Cans in it that are 103.2dB@1w/1m which made for such overkill that I had to unhook one and pull 2 power tubes lol Pairs wonderfully now with the Studio Vintage mini plexi Marshall with G12M creams in it.

[@snflip]

I have messed with a few 1-12 speakers and a DSL1hr. Interesting how the 25 watt Greenback is most satisfying BUT considerably louder (kinda too loud). g12T-75 is much "quieter" thus allowing the classic channel to break up on it's own at a lower volume (pretty damn satisfying). An old Electro-Voice EVm12-L 100w I think, (really good). The same with a Gold Series celestion 100w (a little less satisfying). An EHX 12ts16 35 watt which is very very "quiet" (sounds ok to mehh). Half or whole Marshall Lead mini stack (1 or 2 ten inch) had less impact but wasn't satisfying till the volume was turned up a lot. But then you go back and try the stuff again and it's like everything has something else to offer. Do you have a take on what gave you a "loud sound" Satisfying healthy crunch rock at low volume? (your opinion) And do you think wattage plays into it. Thanks for doing this.

[@danieln2967]

Loving your Jesse Pinkman look, Paul! Great informative video as usual. Thanks!

[@ZillaCabs]

hahaha gone are the days when people said I looked like David Beckman, now people say I look like a crack head hahaha...... honestly though when I watched the video I thought straight away thats how I look now haha

[@danieln2967]

@@ZillaCabs lol! Take it like a compliment. There's a Beckham vibe on you, too. Good call. Keep the good work coming. Your cabs are on another level. Love your channel btw!. Cheers from 🇦🇷🙌

[@RodrigoEMacedo]

Great!

[@ZillaCabs]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it Rodrigo

[@JimijaymesProductions]

What's the chance of a cream vs green series together? I don't think there is even a comparison of h green to cream. Would love to hear them all back to back especially seeming so many swear by the g12h creamback. Always a tough one if you want that greenbacks style sound on which one of the I think 7 options to go (between m and h and cream, green and heritage).

[@ZillaCabs]

Good call, I have been planning one today. Creambacks vs the greenback equivalent.

[@voxpathfinder15r]

Everyone talks about how the greenbacks have more of that top end breakup than the creambacks. But I wonder if that’s because of the creambacks better linearity due to bigger magnets? It doesn’t take much to push a 20-25 watt speaker into nonlinearity. I don’t think I have seen a review to date that has pushed a creamback to a true 65 watts of power, perhaps if someone did - it would resemble the top end breakup of a greenback

[@ZillaCabs]

We've had the creambacks cooking before. The M creamback has the same magnet as the standard greenback, it should be the cone that is the difference between the two, or at least the main difference. At 20 watts it is easier to get the speaker breaking up a bit more but in this video we were more going for the lower volume stuff. I think you've made a great suggestion though, take a bunch of speakers to their limits and see how they hold up.

[@gresnid3453]

Do you guys think you could at some time do a speaker comparison like this, but for metal? I love my 2x12 fatboy with greenbacks, but I'd love to see how other speakers compare with respect to high gain tones.

[@ZillaCabs]

hey, we're bringing in some heavier videos, thats something we're working on mate.

[@travisclemens6071]

Is the g12 Greenback M 20w heritage discontinued? I can't find it anywhere

[@nicholastotoro7721]

The M Creamback might not sound as close to the Greenback as the H Creamback does (ironically enough), but it’s a great option of you need the power-handling and still want a slightly less-efficient speaker for lower volumes.

[@ZillaCabs]

yeah, sometimes you just need that extra bit of power handling. Thanks for watching.

[@bossesg1]

Can you help me pick a Zilla speaker that would work best with the universal audio amp modeling pedals? I love warm creamy sounds, vintage sounds, I use a lot of fuzz. I don't like harshness or brittleness but I need to cut through on leads and have nice full body for rhythm and chords. I play funk, jazz, rock, R & B, etc.

[@ZillaCabs]

HI, for a more detailed answer it might be best to email us direct but I think the M cremaback could be a good place to start, possibly the redback if you want a more clean platform. when it comes to cabs are you looking for a 1x12 or 2x12?

[@scottdavidson6066]

The Eminence Wizards are 103 dB. Holy loudness, Batman!!

[@ZillaCabs]

haha yeah that's pretty high. Thanks for watching.

[@paulcowart3174]

So back to the drawing board What would compliment a 2 6v6 amp ?

[@ZillaCabs]

Is it a head or combo? With a pair of 6v6 am I right in that the amp is rated somewhere up to 20 Watts? If that is the case then any of these three should be a really good place to start... What kind of music are you playing?

[@paulcowart3174]

@@ZillaCabs It's an old 60s Silvertone 1482 combo No hi gain stuff just rock and blues stylings

[@paulcowart3174]

And actually the Heritage sounded a bit better for me so as long as I get a refund it's cool but I think they well knew what they were doing Twenty dollar masks for a 65 dollar payment Contact info was an American name for a Chinese company after I did a little bit of sleuthing Should have known the price was too good to be true unfortunately Cheers fellow's and stay safe

[@ChristopherTarento]

Hi, what is this cab, 112 ported ?

[@ZillaCabs]

Hi Christopher, it is the ported 1x12... normally I wouldn't particularly recommend using a ported cab with a speaker that it wasn't designed for but these two speakers work really well in there.

[@dominikpohli2381]

do you also use eminence speakes

[@ZillaCabs]

We use them as they come in from customers. I am actually talking to them now about trying to sort some samples for videos... I'm conscious though that although we only really use Celestion's that this channel shouldn't be just about our cabs or Celestion speakers so it is something that we are working on.

[@tgchan]

jensen 12-50 16ohm is 93.5 db @1w. Couldn't find anything quiter with fixed* volume (there are some speakers with an in-built attenuator: didn't want one of those )> I don't there's anything quieter/ All Celestions are louder./

[@ZillaCabs]

Yeah a lot of those Jensens have really quite low sensitivity ratings. 93.5 is really quite low, I'm not sure I know of anything lower than that.

[@NUNUA]

+3 dbSPL difference is twice loud

[@Psychopunkrider]

Wow

[@ZillaCabs]

Thanks, glad you like the video.

[@MatthewTomich]

10:30 is all you need in life.

[@faridzayish]

M creamback with strat 🤤🤤

[@ZillaCabs]

It's a good combinatio

[@christianboddum8783]

That M heritage Uhm Uhm... ;-)

[@ZillaCabs]

haha yeah it is a nice speaker

[@hugomejia593]

Most people have an Gibson and Strat guitars in the world so ain't should to play these one's to be aware and decide which go for? Every video started on the same green guitar. Disappointed.

[@ZillaCabs]

Joe starts this video playing a strat. He will normally use a single coil guitar and a set nceck humbucker guitar... sometimes a Les Paul (I think we have about half a dozen of them here) but there will nearly always be there will be two guitars in there. I don;t think any player has the right to tell another player what guitar he should use, especially when Joe's choice is really quite standard... a strat and a twin humbucker, set neck guitar made from mahogany, that's really not too far off what you are asking for.

[@hugomejia593]

@@ZillaCabs appreciate your comments thanks a lot cheers