NAD, finally. 5150III mini content-early review

  • Thread starter Thread starter nevusofota
  • Start date Start date
nevusofota

nevusofota

Well-known member
Not too exciting since this has been quite a popular topic the past few weeks. It is for me though since I ordered this thing 4 months ago!

Well, I could only play it at extremely low volume last night. My very premature first impression is I'm not liking the shared eq on Channel 1 and 2. Thought it wouldn't be an issue but it may be. Currently playing it through a Carvin vertical 2x12 w/ V30's. White 2x12 coming soon.

I like the cleans I get a bit better than my 100w.

I'm not digging channel 2 as much as on my 100w version. I'm hoping its just because I couldn't open her up.

Channel 3 sounds great.

Fit and finish is really nice. The only thing I found was a loose nut on the power switch.

I find it odd that it comes with a speaker cable but no cover, wtf?

IMG_2074.jpg


IMG_2073.jpg
 
I think I may try putting the same tubes that came with my 100watter. A mix of EH and Sovteks.

Anybody else try different tubes in this thing yet? I've never been a huge fan of JJ's, especially power tubes.

By the way, I don't think this amp should be put in the "lunchbox" catagory. It's big. Infact its more like a cube. Looks about as deep as it is long. Its probably at least twice the size (and weight) of a Mini Rectifier.
 
yeah you gotta open that thing up low vol is so so...opened up alot better
 
155":28gzceas said:
yeah you gotta open that thing up low vol is so so...opened up alot better
Click to expand...

I hope so. I won't be able to really open it up until tomorrow.

One thing is, and I don't understand why, is my 100w sounded pretty good on channel 2 at low volume :confused:
 
Ordered one today. Will be here Tuesday. Super psyched. Interested to see how it holds up against my PT.

Whats the problem with the shared EQ? It was never an issue for me with my SLO and I generally don't find it to be a big issue with well voiced amps.
 
im waiting for your in-depth review and comparison between the 100w and 50w on each ch.

i love the 100w and am considering selling it to get the smaller 50w but if the 100w sounds better i will scrap that idea and just stay with the 100w.
i wanted a lunchbox amp cause its easy to take places but i dont wanna compromise tone, silly me.
 
Definitely needs to be turned up some before it really starts sounding good, like pretty much any tube amp. Although, I just got done playing mine at whisper volume and it sounded pretty sweet. As far as the cleans go, if you have to have a "clean" tone the 100 watter is going to be better. I don't really need a clean so it doesn't bother me but I will say when it's at rehearsal volume level, there is not a big jump when going from channel 1 to 2.

I was messing around with channel one earlier and if you crank the master and use the gain as your volume control it does a pretty convincing fat fender bassman type of thing. Can't wait to do a blues gig with it like that :D
 
Very cool. Thanks for the update. I have one on order but, reading about the volume jumps and such, I'm already starting to get buyer's remorse. I'm hoping I get proved wrong when it arrives.

Edit: I think that the volume jump is most noticeable if you try to dial in a dead clean tone for channel one. The jump is much less noticeable if the clean channel has a bit of hair on it and overall volume isn't bedroom level.
 
Stramm8":270lsjpc said:
Definitely needs to be turned up some before it really starts sounding good, like pretty much any tube amp. Although, I just got done playing mine at whisper volume and it sounded pretty sweet. As far as the cleans go, if you have to have a "clean" tone the 100 watter is going to be better. I don't really need a clean so it doesn't bother me but I will say when it's at rehearsal volume level, there is not a big jump when going from channel 1 to 2.

I was messing around with channel one earlier and if you crank the master and use the gain as your volume control it does a pretty convincing fat fender bassman type of thing. Can't wait to do a blues gig with it like that :D
Click to expand...

I somewhat agree, although I like the clean channel better on the 50...

There is definitely some funkiness with getting channel 1 and 2 to play nice together, IMO.

For me, the amp is really a 2 channel amp, either a great clean/great lead 2 channel amp, or a great crunch/great lead 2 channel amp. For me, I haven't really gotten the green and blues to really complement each other, but I've definitely spent the least amount of time trying to do that.

I have so much fun running the gain almost full tap on the green channel and rolling back my volume knob to clean it up, and I like running the blue channel with the gain at about 9:00 and using my volume knob to clean it up. dimed gain/volume knob manipulation with the green channel gives me a chimey type clean/OD tone, doing it with the blue channel gives me a nice pushed clean/OD with a great mid roar. The biggest issue for me is deciding which one I like better, lol. They both sound great.

And then you still have the killer red channel sitting there waiting to be used.

I don't think many (if any) 3 channel amps where 2 channels share all the controls will ever be as versatile as the same amp with all 3 channels seperated, that's the nature of the beast. It's up to the player to decide if the shared control are too limiting for their setup.

All that said, if you are a fan of stompbox OD, then that can definitely open things up and level the channels. Using an MXR OD, I can really level out the green/blue channels, but in reviewing an amp I hate to throw in that tidbit since it is relying on an external force to do something players may wish the amp itself could do.
 
Not that exciting? Anything 5153 mini is exciting. This amp has induced so much collective GAS that it might be contributing to global warming.
 
acalaf":35076b7k said:
Not that exciting? Anything 5153 mini is exciting. This amp has induced so much collective GAS that it might be contributing to global warming.
Click to expand...
LOL!!!
 
Congrats Steve. Let me know how that vert 2x12 handles all the low-end beef of channel 3.
 
I had one of these on order and had a premonition that the shared EQ was going to be a major issue with me. I need my cleans clean with no hair and I just knew that sharing an EQ between 1 and 2 was going to result in a sacrifice of one of these two channels.

So, I went with the 100 Watter and am very happy I did. This amp pretty much ended my gas.

I'm willing to bet that there will be an eventual revision to the 50watter that will switch the EQ sharing to be between Ch 2 and 3. That would have made way more sense in the first place.
 
Hmmm, the 100w sounds fantastic at low volume. You would think the 50w would sound better again.
 
nwright":22mz56sj said:
Stramm8":22mz56sj said:
Definitely needs to be turned up some before it really starts sounding good, like pretty much any tube amp. Although, I just got done playing mine at whisper volume and it sounded pretty sweet. As far as the cleans go, if you have to have a "clean" tone the 100 watter is going to be better. I don't really need a clean so it doesn't bother me but I will say when it's at rehearsal volume level, there is not a big jump when going from channel 1 to 2.

I was messing around with channel one earlier and if you crank the master and use the gain as your volume control it does a pretty convincing fat fender bassman type of thing. Can't wait to do a blues gig with it like that :D
Click to expand...

I somewhat agree, although I like the clean channel better on the 50...

There is definitely some funkiness with getting channel 1 and 2 to play nice together, IMO.

For me, the amp is really a 2 channel amp, either a great clean/great lead 2 channel amp, or a great crunch/great lead 2 channel amp. For me, I haven't really gotten the green and blues to really complement each other, but I've definitely spent the least amount of time trying to do that.

I have so much fun running the gain almost full tap on the green channel and rolling back my volume knob to clean it up, and I like running the blue channel with the gain at about 9:00 and using my volume knob to clean it up. dimed gain/volume knob manipulation with the green channel gives me a chimey type clean/OD tone, doing it with the blue channel gives me a nice pushed clean/OD with a great mid roar. The biggest issue for me is deciding which one I like better, lol. They both sound great.

And then you still have the killer red channel sitting there waiting to be used.

I don't think many (if any) 3 channel amps where 2 channels share all the controls will ever be as versatile as the same amp with all 3 channels seperated, that's the nature of the beast. It's up to the player to decide if the shared control are too limiting for their setup.

All that said, if you are a fan of stompbox OD, then that can definitely open things up and level the channels. Using an MXR OD, I can really level out the green/blue channels, but in reviewing an amp I hate to throw in that tidbit since it is relying on an external force to do something players may wish the amp itself could do.
Click to expand...

I'm with ya. The green channel with the gain dimed pretty much nails old school ac/dc tone for me. Add a little boost and you're there...
 
Les Zombie":3eqhneen said:
im waiting for your in-depth review and comparison between the 100w and 50w on each ch.

i love the 100w and am considering selling it to get the smaller 50w but if the 100w sounds better i will scrap that idea and just stay with the 100w.
i wanted a lunchbox amp cause its easy to take places but i dont wanna compromise tone, silly me.
Click to expand...
Haven't had the thing cranked yet :doh: I've been working on an acoustic set of my bands songs for a gig next week. Have to change a lot of the arrangements and chord voicings and its taking up all my time.

I would love to try and do a head to head clip comparing the 50 and the 100watter. I was thinking about using my Octaswitch and send a signal from each heads speaker out to different loops and send the main out of the Octaswitch to a single cab.

Does anyone see an issue with sending the speaker out signal through the Octaswitch and then into a cab?
 
nevusofota":o1oekdpc said:
Not too exciting since this has been quite a popular topic the past few weeks. It is for me though since I ordered this thing 4 months ago!

Well, I could only play it at extremely low volume last night. My very premature first impression is I'm not liking the shared eq on Channel 1 and 2. Thought it wouldn't be an issue but it may be. Currently playing it through a Carvin vertical 2x12 w/ V30's. White 2x12 coming soon.

I like the cleans I get a bit better than my 100w.

I'm not digging channel 2 as much as on my 100w version. I'm hoping its just because I couldn't open her up.

Channel 3 sounds great.

Fit and finish is really nice. The only thing I found was a loose nut on the power switch.

I find it odd that it comes with a speaker cable but no cover, wtf?
Click to expand...
Do the dials just pop off with a bit of a pull? I want to change them too when I get my 50.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top