SVT4 Pro vs. SVT7 Pro

**cheezewiz** · #1 07-24-2011, 09:30 PM

I'll be making this comparison myself later this week. I've bought both, used, and both will be here this week. I plan on keeping one, and selling the "loser" (although I hardly think either will be "bad").

Anyone else make the direct comparison? Obviously the 7 pro has a huge weight advantage, and the 4 pro has a lot more ways to go "in" and "out" of the head, but I'll just be running it bridged mono anyway.

The amp will be as a backup and/or change of pace amp from my Orange AD200. It'll be used with an Ampeg SVT610HLF.

(I posted on a thread a while ago, that I used to own an SVT 7. It was a ****** moment. I used to own an SVT 6...which I found to be competent, but not awesome)

JimmyM · #2 07-24-2011, 10:03 PM

Not directly compared, but I used a 4 Pro on a gig last week with a 410HE and it rocked hard. But I like the sound of micros better because they have that somewhat tubey feel I like that I never got out of heads like the 3 and 4 Pro. I would love to do a head to head, but I have a feeling the 7 Pro would win out for me. YMMV.

dereksilloway · #3 07-24-2011, 10:07 PM

If the 4 loses I want it! Seriously!

More on topic, Ive played both extensively, and prefer the 4, BUT they both sound great and I would gladly have either in a second.

If weight was an issue for me, then I would totally take the 7 and be VERY HAPPY. But its not, so as I said the 4 is what my ear likes.

Fair Warning · #4 07-24-2011, 11:30 PM

The 4 Pro could not be a weight problem for any male, and most females. My 4-Pro is my practice/backup workhorse, which I play bridged through a 410HE or 2. Always get great sound and plenty of volume when set up right.

I would always choose the heavier one.....there is just built-in quality there that no micro or D-Class can compare to in the long run.

**cheezewiz** · #5 07-24-2011, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

The 4 Pro could not be a weight problem for any male, and most females.

Get back two me after two herniated discs, arthritic SI joints and arthritic knees. Besides, I didn't say it was a problem, I said the 7pro has a clear advantage. If weight were no problem, we wouldn't be having this discussion because I'd just use an SVT VR.

JimmyM · #6 07-25-2011, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

The 4 Pro could not be a weight problem for any male, and most females. My 4-Pro is my practice/backup workhorse, which I play bridged through a 410HE or 2. Always get great sound and plenty of volume when set up right.

I would always choose the heavier one.....there is just built-in quality there that no micro or D-Class can compare to in the long run.

I would disagree with that, although you're certainly not the first to say it. But I see a lot of Walter Woods heads with over 20 years on them and still working. I also see a lot of current and not so current micro heads that are still working fine after 5-10 years. I've got one my own self, a Crate Power Block from the early 2000's. I've also seen a lot of poorly built lead sleds that suck wind. Quality is NEVER inherent in an amp...it is built in by the people who make it, or not built in by the people who make it.

Mark Reccord · #7 07-25-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Not directly compared, but I used a 4 Pro on a gig last week with a 410HE and it rocked hard. But I like the sound of micros better because they have that somewhat tubey feel I like that I never got out of heads like the 3 and 4 Pro. I would love to do a head to head, but I have a feeling the 7 Pro would win out for me. YMMV.

I had the same kit supplied for a gig saturday night. I was quite impressed with it. First time I ever used a 4-Pro. Didn't quite have the thwack of my old SVT but it was pretty nice. Gobs of power.

I haven't tried a 7-Pro but I would like to try one.

Mark Reccord · #8 07-25-2011, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

I would always choose the heavier one.....there is just built-in quality there that no micro or D-Class can compare to in the long run.

What are you basing this on?

Groover · #9 07-25-2011, 07:47 AM

Subscribing. Looking forward to the review.

lokikallas · #10 07-25-2011, 11:34 AM

I own. 3 pro and have played with backline supplied 4 pros. The 4 has a lot of options, but if you are just going to run mono bridge you are really only gaining a graphic eq and about 30 pounds over the 7. I just went and picked up a 7 this weekend. After hearing so much hype about it I wanted to hear it myself. I went in to test drive it but ended up driving it off the lot. I don't know how they did it but they managed to make the one tube sound better than the 5 of the older series. I found it way easier to dial in, as it has really just what i need on the front panel. If i was a mad scientist with a stereo setup and or biamping, the 4 does have more options. But for ease of use and sound quality, I vote for the 7. As far as reliability, I have never had to service any class d amp I have used for pa, but I have had plenty of caps and power supplies go out on traditional amps.

**cheezewiz** · #11 07-25-2011, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lokikallas

I own. 3 pro and have played with backline supplied 4 pros. The 4 has a lot of options, but if you are just going to run mono bridge you are really only gaining a graphic eq and about 30 pounds over the 7. I just went and picked up a 7 this weekend. After hearing so much hype about it I wanted to hear it myself. I went in to test drive it but ended up driving it off the lot. I don't know how they did it but they managed to make the one tube sound better than the 5 of the older series. I found it way easier to dial in, as it has really just what i need on the front panel. If i was a mad scientist with a stereo setup and or biamping, the 4 does have more options. But for ease of use and sound quality, I vote for the 7. As far as reliability, I have never had to service any class d amp I have used for pa, but I have had plenty of caps and power supplies go out on traditional amps.

I'm thinking my thoughts are going to run the same as your experiences. The 4 arrived today, and I played it just a bit through an 8ohm Orange 410. Plenty loud, sounds good, lots of great features, most of which I will not use. If all things will be equal though, I'll be keeping the 7

**cheezewiz** · #12 07-29-2011, 12:16 PM

Alrighty then. Both amps are here. I've spent the last hour or so A/B'ing them at home. Both were run through the Orange OBC410, because my Ampeg 610 hlf is in the band trailer.

I replaced the preamp tubes with JJ ECC83's in both heads. I KNOW it doesn't need done. It's just a little quirk I have.
The 4 had a GT in V1 and Sovteks in V2 and V3. The 7 comes with a JJ.

This is only preliminary, at home testing.

The 4 seems to be a bit more powerful, and seems to have more headroom and power in reserve. It's got a tighter, punchier bottom end for sure. The mids and top end seem very similar in both amps. When pushing the preamp gain high, the distortion seems kind of "artificial" for lack of a better term. This is probably because I'm used to the sweet tube distortion with my Orange AD200.

The 7's bottom end was "tubbier" than the 4. It's a bit looser sounding. It's more "tubey" than the 4. The bottom end is big and wide like a CL, but I really would like the bottom a bit tighter...like a CL. The weight and size are fantastic. Although not as powerful as the 4, it's still PLENTY powerful. I'll certainly never need more than it has. When pushed into preamp overdrive, I find it sounds much nicer than the 4 does. It seems to react more like a tube amp.

So....here is where I'm sitting with pros and cons now.

The 4's pros are:

More powerful
tighter bottom end
that "lead sled" feel that comes with high powered SS amps.

the 7's pros are

lighter and smaller (although the 4 isn't really too bad weight wise.....but not near as light as the 7)
better overdrive
simpler front panel, that has stuff I need, and nothing I don't

Well...I'm pretty much back where I began! I can't make a decision yet. I really like both heads, and if I had only one of them, it'd be NO PROBLEM at all.

Tonight and tomorrow night I play gigs with each of my bands at the local County Fair. Tonight is the 60's/70's 5 piece, and tomorrow is the 4 piece female fronted rock and country band. I'm going to set both amps up, and switch heads between sets each night.

I'm hoping by the end of Saturday night, I'll have a clear favorite.

I also have one question for those in the know about the 7. The "revision" is A00. Is this the early model that had the problems with thermal shutdown?

BagelBruin · #13 07-29-2011, 12:34 PM

I am very much interested to see what you have to say. I am a fan of the SVT 4 Pro, but with more and more gigs farther and farther away, I wonder what life would be like if I had a smaller amp....

JimmyM · #14 07-29-2011, 02:13 PM

Not sure about the revision number, but not all 7 Pros out of that first batch were problematic, and I'd expect by now that most of them that didn't work were either returned or repaired. I wouldn't lose too much sleep about that.

Sounds like I would definitely prefer the 7 Pro in a direct AB. Your complaint about lack of reserve power seems to bear out what a lot of Bass Gear Mag's tests of micros says. It's like once you get past the clean wattage, there's not much else in the tank, whereas lead sleds and tubers have at least twice that much available in peak power. With a 1000w head, this would hardly be an issue for me, but I can dig where some would prefer the lead sleds because of it. But micros always sound more tubey to me, so that's something I could overlook.

**Freddels** · #15 07-29-2011, 03:56 PM

The early ones wouldn't even start up. I had traveled to 4 different GC's in the area to try one and at each location the amp would just shut down. Never got a note out of it. So, if you've already fired it up and it worked, then you probably won't have a problem.

**cheezewiz** · #16 07-31-2011, 11:22 AM

I did two fairly high volume gigs, outdoors, with the amplifiers this weekend, and I have settled on a clear favorite. For my tastes, the SVT 4 Pro wins hands down. I was getting a tone I absolutely loved by switching the mid select to position 2 and boosting the mids. I could not replicate this tone with the 7, even with the same settings.

Also, I did hit the limiter a few times with the 7, and during a gig, a three or so second loss of sound is just not acceptable. It wouldn't have been a problem during a smaller gig, because obviously, it wouldn't be as loud. I do a ton of outdoor gigs in the summer though, so it's not something I want to deal with.

I have one person that has PM'd me for the 7, so he has first dibs, but if he passes, I will put it up on the classifieds here.

BagelBruin · #17 07-31-2011, 12:15 PM

Thanks for the review! I am glad some one finally had the guts to buy both at the same time!

Buster Brown · #18 07-31-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheezewiz

I did two fairly high volume gigs, outdoors, with the amplifiers this weekend, and I have settled on a clear favorite. For my tastes, the SVT 4 Pro wins hands down. I was getting a tone I absolutely loved by switching the mid select to position 2 and boosting the mids. I could not replicate this tone with the 7, even with the same settings.

Also, I did hit the limiter a few times with the 7, and during a gig, a three or so second loss of sound is just not acceptable. It wouldn't have been a problem during a smaller gig, because obviously, it wouldn't be as loud. I do a ton of outdoor gigs in the summer though, so it's not something I want to deal with.

I have one person that has PM'd me for the 7, so he has first dibs, but if he passes, I will put it up on the classifieds here.

I agree with your findings as well......

I own the 4pro and have had the pleasure of playing through a 7Pro (great amp BTW) but for me it has to be the 4Pro. This time of year I tend to do a lot of outdoor shows and for me, the 4Pro just nails it.

Thanks for the testing!!

Cheers!!

dereksilloway · #19 07-31-2011, 03:29 PM

As much as it bemoans me to say so, I think you certainly made the right decision!

lokikallas · #20 07-31-2011, 03:36 PM

Wow! You need that much stage volume that you hit the limiter? I can't turn up past 3 or 4 into a 410hlf without getting funny looks from the band. I just stared gigging with my new 7 this week, and I am not missing the 20 extra pounds. But tone is everything I guess.