Well I did the test running the MV50 AC thru the Fryette Power Station (ie 2 x 6L6 tubes) using the same 2 x 12 cab and the result was a significant improvement in tone quality. More clarity, sparkle and punch and no loss of the AC chimeAgain I can't A/B this with a real AC15 but I'd be surprised if it didn't sound equally as good.I got no idea what the Vox watt ratings mean in reality but this set up.Pedal board MV50 AC Fryette PS 2 x 12 cab is a true tube 50 watts and sounds plenty good enough to gig imo with providing very good clean head room. After using this MV50 AC for 6 months with different guitars, cabs and pedals I have a few more observations.a) As is noted by some owners on thegearpage forum reviews it sounds much better after 20 minutes as the nutube warms up.b) Choice of cab is very important (as with all heads) and this sounds much better with british style Celestion speakers imo - best with a 2 x 12 or 1 x 12 on 4 ohm. Best with a 12 inch speaker with Celestion creambacks or V30s delivering a full tube 50 watts output with more than enough clean headroom for most gig situations.The 8 inch (8 ohm) cab Vox try to match it with does not do it justice and make it sound boxy imo.c) It pairs well with all pedals I've tried it with. No issues.Overdrive and distortion pedals all sound good through it.All pup types sound equally good ie single coils, filtertrons and standard humbuckers.d) I often run this MV50 AC thru my Fryette Power Station and a 2 x 12 closed cab at 8 ohms. This combo with the Power Stationss 6L6 vacumn tubes improves the MV50's sound quality.e) It could be improved with on board reverb and a good series loop.
I like and use loops for time based effects but my Power Station has a great loop I can use. And I have a Holy Grail plus reverb pedal so this is no deal breaker for me.Overall, provided you match it with the right 12 inch speaker cab on 4 or 8 ohms and let the nutube warm up for 20 mins this is a decent cheap, lightweight, versatile option for small venue gigs, jamming, recording and home use. The clean tones have the Vox AC chime with the right speaker (AC10 does not imo).It's on board overdrive is very usable with more gain on tap than an AC amp and you don't have to crank it loud on top boost to get good Vox overdrive.The Vox AC10 and AC15 amps are just way too heavy, under powered and expensive for me as backups to my Mesa Boogie amps. Set up right this MV50 AC delivers very comparable tones to the real ACs in a 2 pound $250 lunch box.here's a video about the nutube technology.It's in Japanese but you can switch on english subtitles in the settings section on bottom right. Vox obviously have big plans for nutube. After using this MV50 AC for 6 months with different guitars, cabs and pedals I have a few more observations.a) As is noted by some owners on thegearpage forum reviews it sounds much better after 20 minutes as the nutube warms up.b) Choice of cab is very important (as with all heads) and this sounds much better with british style Celestion speakers imo - best with a 2 x 12 or 1 x 12 on 4 ohm.
Best with a 12 inch speaker with Celestion creambacks or V30s delivering a full tube 50 watts output with more than enough clean headroom for most gig situations.The 8 inch (8 ohm) cab Vox try to match it with does not do it justice and make it sound boxy imo.c) It pairs well with all pedals I've tried it with. No issues.Overdrive and distortion pedals all sound good through it.All pup types sound equally good ie single coils, filtertrons and standard humbuckers.d) I often run this MV50 AC thru my Fryette Power Station and a 2 x 12 closed cab at 8 ohms.
This combo with the Power Stationss 6L6 vacumn tubes improves the MV50's sound quality.e) It could be improved with on board reverb and a good series loop. I like and use loops for time based effects but my Power Station has a great loop I can use. And I have a Holy Grail plus reverb pedal so this is no deal breaker for me.Overall, provided you match it with the right 12 inch speaker cab on 4 or 8 ohms and let the nutube warm up for 20 mins this is a decent cheap, lightweight, versatile option for small venue gigs, jamming, recording and home use.
The clean tones have the Vox AC chime with the right speaker (AC10 does not imo).It's on board overdrive is very usable with more gain on tap than an AC amp and you don't have to crank it loud on top boost to get good Vox overdrive.The Vox AC10 and AC15 amps are just way too heavy, under powered and expensive for me as backups to my Mesa Boogie amps. Set up right this MV50 AC delivers very comparable tones to the real ACs in a 2 pound $250 lunch box.here's a video about the nutube technology.It's in Japanese but you can switch on english subtitles in the settings section on bottom right. Vox obviously have big plans for nutube. Late to the party, but I'd certainly take my Mini Superbeetle (my understanding is they are essentially the same circuit design to the MV50 w/ a different voicing & trem & verb) over the AC15C1 I had. Every bit as dynamic, much clearer, better dimension/bloom & I like the NuToob bias trem & digi-spring better.
Vox Ac 15 Hw
I'm not touring, but I think I'd trust the Mini more than that AC15 & it's eminently more portable.I dunno about the MV50 having greater volume or headroom than that AC15 though unless they are significantly different from the Mini Superbeetles somehow. Output on my AC15C1 was pretty darn huge for a couple of EL84s and a chinese Greenback. Never A/Bd through the same speakers though so maybe I'd be surprised.The Mini Superbeetle's the only thing I've tried them in, but short of diming the gain (where things do get a bit squidgy), those NuToobs seem to do a great job providing glowing filament vaccuum tube type response in that amp, both in the pre & the trem. Late to the party, but I'd certainly take my Mini Superbeetle (my understanding is they are essentially the same circuit design to the MV50 w/ a different voicing & trem & verb) over the AC15C1 I had. Every bit as dynamic, much clearer, better dimension/bloom & I like the NuToob bias trem & digi-spring better. I'm not touring, but I think I'd trust the Mini more than that AC15 & it's eminently more portable.I dunno about the MV50 having greater volume or headroom than that AC15 though unless they are significantly different from the Mini Superbeetles somehow. Output on my AC15C1 was pretty darn huge for a couple of EL84s and a chinese Greenback.
Never A/Bd through the same speakers though so maybe I'd be surprised.The Mini Superbeetle's the only thing I've tried them in, but short of diming the gain (where things do get a bit squidgy), those NuToobs seem to do a great job providing glowing filament vaccuum tube type response in that amp, both in the pre & the trem. Click to expand.yeah Sid - it's a Vox rated 15 watts compared to 50 watts.I have not directly A/B'ed Vox AC 15 with MV50 AC for volume and headroom but a guy on this gearpage thread hasHe says.' I’ve had a bit more time with my MV50AC and in different playing scenarios. I loaned it and a 2x12 (Wizard/CRex) to a bandmate to “amp up” from his AC15 for a loud show we played. It had A LOT more power, projection, and volume than the AC15. So much so it kinda scared my bandmate!I’ve also had the chance to run it into my 10A125A loaded 2x10 and was shocked at how much this amp took on the Ac30- Celestion Blue vibe. I didn’t think those speakers would have that sort of “blizzard of nails” thing but it sure did, but with perhaps a little bit less of that harsh top end.'