NAD: Marshall DSL100HR

mbenigni said:
I might be a little turned around here... I'm not comparing the channels to one another. (These sound quite different.) I'm comparing one mode to the other mode on each of the channels.

So, Red (Ultra Gain) Lead 1 vs. Red Lead 2: these sound almost identical unless the Gain is set very low. Otherwise, they both compress like mad and sound (great but) very similar. (Lots of overlap: meaning, easy to get most Lead 2 sounds by goosing the Gain in Lead 1.)

Green (Classic Gain) Clean vs. Green Crunch: these sound almost identical unless the Gain is set very high. At lower gains they're both clean, as you'd expect, with Clean being just a bit lower in volume than Crunch.

Is this the expected behavior?
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Yes, I only use Green Crunch and Lead 1 on the Red. Sorry for the confusion.
 
Baba said:
Care to share any of your settings?

You know, just in case one finds himself at one's local GC, trying out said amplifier, because one needs an amp . . .
Click to expand...

Here is how I have my settings going through a 412 with G12S type speakers.

DSL Settings 1sm.jpg

DSL Settings 2sm.jpg


BTW, @mbenigni did you get a 2 button FS with it? If not, I can send you info on where to get one. I bought a non-Marshall one for about half of what Marshall wanted.
 
Byrdman said:
Yes, I only use Green Crunch and Lead 1 on the Red. Sorry for the confusion.
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Ugh, I just plugged in the HR hoping it would sound basically the same as the H (apart from the transformer buzz), and honestly... they're just very different sounding amps. I was wrong when I said the H is smoother; if anything the HR is smoother, more compressed, more modern sounding. Not better or worse, but different. Now I want them both (as you do...)

The voicings on the different modes are really different between the two amps. Whether this is by design, or down to a mod, or a defect, I don't know. But the HR's "Crunch" mode on Green has enough Gain to play metal. You could easily park on Channel 1 and switch between Clean and Crunch and call it an entire amp. Conversely, on Red, Lead 1 with the Gain backed off works as a clean amp. On the 100H, the greens are literally Clean and Crunch (as in, blues), and the reds are both fire-breathers. Really surprised at how different these are. Or maybe the Master Volumeseses are just confusing my ears... SMH LOL.

I think I'm going to give MF one more shot (if they'll take it) at getting me a working HR, and then do one final shootout. I started to take the take out the screws on the HR's back panel to look at the transformer bolts, but the seal is tacky enough that I might wind up pulling off some tolex, and I'm not going to jeopardize my options for a refund here.


P.S. Going back and forth and going crazy because I love them both. Which is the right problem to have, I guess. :D
 
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Byrdman said:
Here is how I have my settings going through a 412 with G12S type speakers.

View attachment 42238
View attachment 42239

BTW, @mbenigni did you get a 2 button FS with it? If not, I can send you info on where to get one. I bought a non-Marshall one for about half of what Marshall wanted.
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Thanks, man! But yes, at the last minute Atomic did manage to scare up a footswitch for it.
 
JiveTurkey said:
Man; I'd send the HR packing. You got "versatility" in modeling. If you like the sound sounds on tap on the dead quiet DSLH; I'd 1000% stick with it.
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Screw it. I had to "pick a lane" and decided to take your advice. I arranged for a refund for the 100HR, and I'll just play this old 100H into the ground.

The best part of this whole adventure is having discovered how much I like these cheap, readily available amplifiers!
 
mbenigni said:
So now that I've got both these amps at my disposal, can you elaborate a little bit as to what you mean by "better built"? Trying to weigh the bird in hand (H) vs. the next who-knows-how-many birds in the bush (HR). The HR's got observable QC issues, but is there other corner-cutting you're aware of?
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The HR had switching issues. They may have been worked out. I’m thinking it had to do with the programming in the microcontroller. Sound gaps when switching channels and even inability to switch at all were reported. I’m thinking most of the issues are covered but it’s one of those things that soured me to the HR.

The 100H had none of the issues.
 
HomespunEffects said:
Sounds like my wife. “Just keep both”.
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The weird thing is it just makes me crazy with anxiety. “Too extravagant. One will wind up collecting dust, etc.” It would be easier if she just laid down the law lol.

The fact that I got the HR so cheap, and that prices on imports might go bonkers at any random moment, is really playing into this whole, “may as well buy everything” mindset. Which would typically be anathema to my default cheapskate minimalism.
 
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mbenigni said:
The weird thing is it just makes me crazy with anxiety. “Too extravagant. One will wind up collecting dust, etc.” It would be easier if she just laid down the law lol.

The fact that I got the HR so cheap, and that prices on imports might go bonkers at any random moment, is really playing into this whole, “may as well buy everything” mindset. Which would typically be anathema to my default cheapskate minimalism.
Click to expand...

Run them both in wet dry :beer
 
Well, I just spent a few minutes setting up MIDI control for the HR and fell in love with it all over again. I'm having MF send another one, and will probably keep both the HR and the H, for a while at least.

I've gone from being indifferent to Marshalls to outright greedy for Marshalls in the span of about two weeks LOL.
 
mbenigni said:
Well, I just spent a few minutes setting up MIDI control for the HR and fell in love with it all over again. I'm having MF send another one, and will probably keep both the HR and the H, for a while at least.

I've gone from being indifferent to Marshalls to outright greedy for Marshalls in the span of about two weeks LOL.
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This definitely appeals to my live performance sensibilities. Midi might be half or more of the reason I would buy one, lol.
 
Baba said:
This definitely appeals to my live performance sensibilities. Midi might be half or more of the reason I would buy one, lol.
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It basically becomes a 4-channel amp (albeit with shared tone, etc. controls) with switchable effects and a very effective clean (post) boost, per the 2x MV switching. And I can do this all over wireless MIDI. Hang a delay pedal off the back, and it’s an entire performance rig.

Whatever switching problems the HR used to have appear to be sorted. Everything is instant and silent on this one. Just need this transformer thing resolved…
 
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4CM with the QC is fantastic, whether looping in the Marshall's preamp or running a QC capture into its power amp. The HR is definitely easier to get along with for this kind of application, just by virtue of having master volumes.
 
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