NAD x2...Marshall Content

Shades of Blue · #1 02-17-2020, 01:41 PM

I've already posted a NGD thread on my Studio Vintage 20, but I recently sold my Origin 20 in favor of the DSL20HR. Honestly, after a weekend full of loud and senseless frivolity and "A" chords, I've given both amps a solid play through. Here are my assessments. If you want a chuckle, when the Sweetwater Rep asks you why you are interested in the DSL20HR, tell him/her that you want it for decoration. I bought it simply to put on the empty shelf to add some pizzaz to my guitar room. Sure, I will use it but it's still a great shelf piece!

Let's first get this out of the way. The Studio Vintage runs circles around the DSL and Origin for tone. Simple as that. But, the DSL is SUPER FUN. It is so much fun to gain it out and get that cutting Marshall lead tone. The normal channel on the Studio is where I'll spend my time. It is dark, but allows me to run the treble high rather than deal with the brightness of channel 1. The DSL is brighter and definitely more cutting.

The DSL is the better home amp. I'm laughing as I type, but I will never be able to use the SV20 at home volumes with the channels jumped, because it is just MASSIVELY loud. The DSL is better for taming at lower volumes, plus I am pretty sure you can use it with headphones.

Either way, I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to keep the SV20. Sure, it sounds awesome, but I literally spent hours this weekend in my guitar room with the door shut annoying the mess out of my wife and daughter with the volume. Big grin on my face, not so much theirs lol. With acoustic, my wife and daughter love to hear me play. I just don't know that the tone difference is worth the extra $700+ difference over the DSL for how little I'll be able to really crank it.

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Jaden · #2 02-17-2020, 01:55 PM

Thanks for this honest assessment of the strengths, merits and weaknesses of both - I’ve been interested in the DSL40 for a long time, not realizing there is a DSL20 - I’ve been interested in the new Origin line also, and am wondering what the tonal difference and performance is between the 20 watt Origin and DSL.

Marshall hits it out of the park for high gain and brightness - the competition not so much.

Shades of Blue · #3 02-17-2020, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaden

Thanks for this honest assessment of the strengths, merits and weaknesses of both - I’ve been interested in the DSL40 for a long time, not realizing there is a DSL20 - I’ve been interested in the new Origin line also, and am wondering what the tonal difference and performance is between the 20 watt Origin and DSL.

Marshall hits it out of the park for high gain and brightness - the competition not so much.

Think of Origin as a really clean version of the normal channel of a Plexi. It has a lot of clean headroom, and has a nice grit to the clean. Lots of mids, but not huge lush low end, more "thomp" and less thuuuuump. If that makes ANY sense. There is also a "blanket" over the sound I can't dial out, but yet it is still almost too bright at times.

Compared to the Origin, the DSL is thinner and brighter, but not in a bad way. Think modern vs vintage. The Origin would be like a tubescreamer and the DSL is more OCD/DS-1. I wish I could describe it better. The DSL has a broader EQ range and there is more low end and more highs, while the Origin's EQ sits really tightly around the mids. There is a inherent midrange in the Origin that is difficult to dial out. The clean just sort of sounds the same no matter what you do. The DSL has a lot more variety and the sound is bouncier.

I'd rather have the DSL to the Origin, but I'd rather have the SV20 to either of the latter. I think that the SV20 is the best sounding amp I've ever played, but again, this is only going off of the normal channel through the low input. Everything else in the SV20 is unusable to me without an attenuator.

Jaden · #4 02-17-2020, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Think of Origin as a really clean version of the normal channel of a Plexi. It has a lot of clean headroom, and has a nice grit to the clean. Lots of mids, but not huge lush low end, more "thomp" and less thuuuuump. If that makes ANY sense. There is also a "blanket" over the sound I can't dial out, but yet it is still almost too bright at times.

Compared to the Origin, the DSL is thinner and brighter, but not in a bad way. Think modern vs vintage. The Origin would be like a tubescreamer and the DSL is more OCD/DS-1. I wish I could describe it better. The DSL has a broader EQ range and there is more low end and more highs, while the Origin's EQ sits really tightly around the mids. There is a inherent midrange in the Origin that is difficult to dial out. The clean just sort of sounds the same no matter what you do. The DSL has a lot more variety and the sound is bouncier.

I'd rather have the DSL to the Origin, but I'd rather have the SV20 to either of the latter. I think that the SV20 is the best sounding amp I've ever played, but again, this is only going off of the normal channel through the low input. Everything else in the SV20 is unusable to me without an attenuator.

Very well explained - I can’t thank you enough. The SV reads awesome - it’s an incredible time nowadays for gear - just think how fun that SV would be in a band with a good drummer !

PS that’s the best discussion of the Origin I’ve read so far - I’ll go DSL if it comes to it.

Jaden · #5 02-17-2020, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Think of Origin as a really clean version of the normal channel of a Plexi. It has a lot of clean headroom, and has a nice grit to the clean. Lots of mids, but not huge lush low end, more "thomp" and less thuuuuump. If that makes ANY sense. There is also a "blanket" over the sound I can't dial out, but yet it is still almost too bright at times.

Compared to the Origin, the DSL is thinner and brighter, but not in a bad way. Think modern vs vintage. The Origin would be like a tubescreamer and the DSL is more OCD/DS-1. I wish I could describe it better. The DSL has a broader EQ range and there is more low end and more highs, while the Origin's EQ sits really tightly around the mids. There is a inherent midrange in the Origin that is difficult to dial out. The clean just sort of sounds the same no matter what you do. The DSL has a lot more variety and the sound is bouncier.

I'd rather have the DSL to the Origin, but I'd rather have the SV20 to either of the latter. I think that the SV20 is the best sounding amp I've ever played, but again, this is only going off of the normal channel through the low input. Everything else in the SV20 is unusable to me without an attenuator.

An added thought or two: your description of the DSL matches closely everything I’ve read about it - the Origin, on the other hand, which you describe as midrange strong yet seems to have a blanket over it and “almost too bright at times” sounds/ reads like a new, unbroken-in speaker, with yet undeveloped bass flexibility.

FWIW

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Dru Edwards · #6 02-17-2020, 06:03 PM

I love it! What a fantastic double head stack. The DSL20HR is on my potential buy list ... I just need to play one first. And it looks like a great way to spice up an empty shelf

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Guessing that playing 80s Iron Maiden and Metallica that the DSL20HR would suit me better at home (lower volumes) than the SV20.

Shades of Blue · #7 02-18-2020, 07:28 AM

I had a bit of a revelation with the SV20 last night. Up until now, I've been using the low input of the normal channel. This leaves me pretty much diming the treble and cranking the presence pretty high. This sound is darn near perfect for me, but it leaves no additional room to really get much brighter. I was using pedal tone/treble to add brightest after the fact. Even bleeding in the bright channel wasn't really enough. Overall, I would be happy with this tone in a bedroom context, but have no idea how well it would work live.

So, last night I tried jumping again, but this time I jumped channel 1 low into channel 2 high, and then plugged into channel 2 low. Bingo. I am barely bringing in the treble channel, and turning the normal channel up to my volume needs. This allows me to keep the volume manageable and turn the presence to about 11 oclock and the treble at noon or lower. This seems more reasonable, and there is more bite and that familiar Plexi chime/bite.

Having said all of that, I'm going to try incorporating the volume box in the loop again. Not to create a preamp style gain, but rather to just run the volume a little higher than I'd like and then back down the volume for the room. I think this amp is going to work out great for me once I figure it out. Even though I enjoyed the DSL20 in my first run through, it is MUCH fizzier and brighter. I don't see myself using it much after the tones I was getting with the SV20 last night.

Shades of Blue · #8 03-09-2020, 02:23 PM

I haven't had this much fun playing electric in years. The SV20 is the real deal. Time to live off of PB&J sandwhiches and buy pedals.

Dru Edwards · #9 03-09-2020, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I haven't had this much fun playing electric in years. The SV20 is the real deal. Time to live off of PB&J sandwhiches and buy pedals.

Great to hear. Boiled eggs are also inexpensive and healthy too

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What pedals are you considering? Have you tried an OD in front of the amp?

Shades of Blue · #10 03-19-2020, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Great to hear. Boiled eggs are also inexpensive and healthy too

.

What pedals are you considering? Have you tried an OD in front of the amp?

I'm using a Timmy V3 and a Walrus Warhorn. Love both.

KevWind · #11 03-19-2020, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I haven't had this much fun playing electric in years. The SV20 is the real deal. Time to live off of PB&J sandwhiches and buy pedals.

Quote:

I think that the SV20 is the best sounding amp I've ever played,

Try as we all might to not have to fork over the extra dough . There is a certain universal truth to "ya get what yas pays fer"

That said "beens and rice, beans and rice" I just stumbled on this unique drive/boost Dumble style amp inspired dual pre. (current Euro to US dollar would be about $375 ouch.
They list two US dealers.https://www.cornerstonegear.it/products/gladio

Excerpt from page info:
This is the reason why GLADIO is not just an overdrive; it’s a realistic tube-compression preamp able to take the sound into saturation still always retaining a rich touch-sensitive response and realistic compression.

Revy · #12 03-20-2020, 01:44 PM

The SV-20 gets serious praise on the Marshall Amp Forum. Loud as ever and dripping with Marshall goodness!

I've been bitten hard by the Marshall Virus to the point of no return. Doing good on toilet paper but the foam ear plug supply is getting low!

First bought a used 2013 JVM-205H and have grown acclimated to 50 watts. Then purchased a 2009 JCM 2000 DSL 100 and a 2006 1960A cab. Instant eargasm! There's "nothing" like a 100 watt Marshall head. I had to tone it down and found a very reasonable Marshall Power Brake. I absolutely love them both. Little to no tone loss through the Power Brake and can go from letting the baby take a nap to watching wall paint bubble! I've have other heavy rock amps but the Marshall is different. The note to note definition is awesome! They just have a certain compression and a bloom to the note you have to hear to believe. Yes, I'm hooked!