Help selecting Mesa Subway head

[agedhorse]

One reason we put so much effort into protection circuits on amps is because we don’t have control over the loads the amp might encounter.

 

[WRM]

Cool! Back to topic, I absolutely fell in love with my TT-800 the first time I heard it - fully cured my Amp GAS. I've never tried a WD-800, but don't think you could go wrong with either....

 

[DJ Bebop]

 

[instrumentlevel]

You might poke your head in over at the Official Mesa Boogie Subway Series Club. It is pretty ridiculous when you first dive in--something like 43K posts. But lots of folks with lots of experience with the amps you are looking at. A bit of searching and you can probably find things like this comparison from post #39470:

My Subway head preferences in order are D-800+ > WD-800 > TT-800. Everyone here has their preferences, this is just mine. I found the TT's Boogie channel to be the least powerful and punchy sounding of the three, but that all depends on your tonal preferences. I think the Forte HP and 800+ hit equally as hard, but there are just differences in texture and transparency between the two. The WD-800 was fairly close for me, but the saturation of that preamp tube made it "give" a little and made some notes feel more tubey/grindy but less powerful. The Boogie channel on the TT was too pillowy for my tastes. So, if that's what you like, it may be perfect. Still, I think the 800+ and Forte HP sound/feel significantly more powerful, and they slam harder for sure.

Lots of people with lots of thoughts. Deep thoughts ('cause it's bass)...

Semi-off topic: I have a D-800 and love it, especially with my two Subway 15 cabs.

 

[QweziRider]

At risk of hijacking my own thread, perhaps I should now be asking input from others using a similar combo of Electric/Electric Upright (and still possible Stick use) whether they have discovered a particular version of a Mesa that serves them best.

I do that (electric and electric upright), a 4 ohm and 8 ohm cab (4x10 and 1x15), use the TT-800 (one channel for electric, the other for EUB) and I'm pretty happy.

 

[SJan3]

I have a 4ohm and 8ohm pair of cabs I need to run in parallel = 2.67 ohms load sum presented to the amp.
No problem, looks like the Subway models can handle this.
WD800 is what I'm leaning towards, but for a relatively minor upcharge, why not go with the big dog TT-800?
An older thread here included a chart from speaker/impedance section of the TT manual, which indicated exactly how the TT-800 treats my scenario of unmatched cabs: It will allocate ~66% to the 4ohm load, remaining ~33% to my 8 ohm, when switch is set as directed for this load configuration at 2ohm operation.

While the WD800 does not contain this same chart, am I correct in assuming power delivery will be the same as the TT800, as it's not the amp that's dictating this, but the load presented to it by the 8ohm driver that naturally causes this to be the case?

Or, due to the unique internal architecture of the TT-800, it is indeed different, and recommendation for my situation would be to select the WD800 to experience a more balanced delivery of power to the cabs?

Likely overanalyzing, and first hunch is correct, but given the investment involved, I want to be 100% clear.

Chomping at the bit for a new Mesa,
jeff

Easy does it, fella. These are all fine amps. There's no "best", only personal preference.
And you can buy from a big box store and return if unhappy. So, no real risk if you follow Return Policy.

 

[g-dude]

I love my TT-800, it is my favorite amp of all time.

Number two is my Mesa Mark V:35.


I'd rank the Rosette as #3, but I don't feel that it's fair to rank it since I've never owned an acoustic guitar (and upright bass) amp before.

 

[DJ Bebop]

You have the "D" series, 350, 800, 800+.
Those are soild state with quick attack and tone.

Then there are the WD and TT with their tube front ends, attack and tone.

The WD is in homage to the Mess Walkabout amp, with refinements, power amp damping, HPF. Keeping with a tube front end.

The TT offering two different tube pre amp sections. One is in homages to the Mesa 400+. The other is like the Subway D pre-amp with the addition of a tube front end. Power amp damping feature, overdrive symmetry control and other two pre-amp features round it out.

 

[Marko 1]

Since we're on the subject, forgive me I need a clarification...

Which MESA amp is ALL Solid State (zero tubes anywhere),

800 watts and can do 2-ohms?

 

[DJ Bebop]

Since we're on the subject, forgive me I need a clarification...

Which MESA amp is ALL Solid State (zero tubes anywhere),

800 watts and can do 2-ohms?

The "D" series, D 800, D 800+. All soild state, 800 watts down to 2 ohms.

The D 350 is only 350 watts at 4 ohms but is soild state as well.

Goes for the WD, TT as well, as far as wattage, see Help selecting Mesa Subway head

 

[Marko 1]

The "D" series, D 800, D 800+. All soild state, 800 watts down to 2 ohms.

The D 350 is only 350 watts at 4 ohms but is soild state as well.

Goes for the WD, TT as well, as far as wattage, see Help selecting Mesa Subway head

Thanks DJ.

 

[DeepHz]

I have recently purchased the TT 800 and I am amazed at the sound and versatility of this amp. Amazing quality!

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I have a 4ohm and 8ohm pair of cabs I need to run in parallel = 2.67 ohms load sum presented to the amp.
No problem, looks like the Subway models can handle this.
WD800 is what I'm leaning towards, but for a relatively minor upcharge, why not go with the big dog TT-800?
An older thread here included a chart from speaker/impedance section of the TT manual, which indicated exactly how the TT-800 treats my scenario of unmatched cabs: It will allocate ~66% to the 4ohm load, remaining ~33% to my 8 ohm, when switch is set as directed for this load configuration at 2ohm operation.

While the WD800 does not contain this same chart, am I correct in assuming power delivery will be the same as the TT800, as it's not the amp that's dictating this, but the load presented to it by the 8ohm driver that naturally causes this to be the case?

Or, due to the unique internal architecture of the TT-800, it is indeed different, and recommendation for my situation would be to select the WD800 to experience a more balanced delivery of power to the cabs?

Likely overanalyzing, and first hunch is correct, but given the investment involved, I want to be 100% clear.

Chomping at the bit for a new Mesa,
jeff

TT

 

[MCF]

I have recently purchased the TT 800 and I am amazed at the sound and versatility of this amp. Amazing quality!

Once I start playing, it’s hard to stop. More than once, I’ve missed the “dinner is ready” call from downstairs.

 

[BaltBass5]

I've owned the 800, 800+, WD 800 and the TT. They are very different animals. I found that I love the 800+ the most. The 800 is a close second. As much as I also loved the WD I didn't need the extended EQ due to using active Spector Euros so I sold it. The TT was a great amp but I never connected with it and it was my least favorite of the group.

My point here is that they are all amazing heads but they are all very different (Some more than others) so take that into account when selecting.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

I currently own the Epifani UL 901 Gen 2, Bergantino Forte' and a Mesa Boogie TT-800 and have gone through a few other brands. All three of these are deservedly very fine amps in their own right but one over-looked thing that differentiates the TT-800 from the rest is their user manual. Ok, who cares about a user manual? Who makes an amp buying decision because they liked the manual?

The manuals for the Epi 901 and the Berg Forte' are about 10 pages with plenty of white space, while the TT-800 manual is 23 pages of rich content and detail. Of course the TT-800 has many more features than the other two so, of course, there are more topics to cover. For example, the TT-800 manual covers the science of pairing multiple cabs down to a level that even a bass player can understand and the a cab mixing ohm chart is useful for any player mixing cabs. How often does the multi-cabinet OHM question come up on TB? A block diagram/schematic and extensive trouble shooting guide is also included if you need service outside of Mesa or just want a clue about what's under the hood. If you have a question you're likely to find the answer in their user manual.

Again, all three are excellent amps, but Mesa is the only one of three to put so much effort into a manual for the benefit of the user. Yeah, it's just a manual but the quality of it reflects their level of commitment to customer support.

 

[g-dude]

Once I start playing, it’s hard to stop. More than once, I’ve missed the “dinner is ready” call from downstairs.

WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER MY TT-800!

 

[Taustin Powers]

The D-800 sounds the best and is the easiest to use.

...in my humble opinion.

 

[g-dude]

I currently own the Epifani UL 901 Gen 2, Bergantino Forte' and a Mesa Boogie TT-800 and have gone through a few other brands. All three of these are deservedly very fine amps in their own right but one over-looked thing that differentiates the TT-800 from the rest is their user manual. Ok, who cares about a user manual? Who makes an amp buying decision because they liked the manual?

The manuals for the Epi 901 and the Berg Forte' are about 10 pages with plenty of white space, while the TT-800 manual is 23 pages of rich content and detail. Of course the TT-800 has many more features than the other two so there are more items to cover. The TT-800 manual covers the science of pairing multiple cabs down to a level that even a bass player can understand and includes a cab mixing ohm chart. How often does the multi-cabinet OHM question come up on TB? A block diagram/schematic and extensive trouble shooting guide is also included if you need service outside of Mesa or just want a clue about what's under the hood. If you have a question you're likely to find the answer in their user manual.

Again, all three are excellent amps, but Mesa is the only one of three to put so much effort into a manual for the benefit of the user. Yeah, it's just a manual but the quality of it reflects their level of commitment to customer support.

There’s one thing you forgot to mention about the manual — the quick start settings are actually really usable, and quite good.

This may seem like a silly thing, but I literally used them for playing at a bandshell with a concert band where I had absolutely no idea what I “should” do in terms of adjusting for outdoors, a bandshell, dozens of brass and woodwinds, and no PA support.

It turned out wonderfully - I was able to cut through and be heard, adding a nice layer of bass, but without dominating the musical conversation. Exactly what was needed.

 

[agedhorse]

I currently own the Epifani UL 901 Gen 2, Bergantino Forte' and a Mesa Boogie TT-800 and have gone through a few other brands. All three of these are deservedly very fine amps in their own right but one over-looked thing that differentiates the TT-800 from the rest is their user manual. Ok, who cares about a user manual? Who makes an amp buying decision because they liked the manual?

The manuals for the Epi 901 and the Berg Forte' are about 10 pages with plenty of white space, while the TT-800 manual is 23 pages of rich content and detail. Of course the TT-800 has many more features than the other two so, of course, there are more topics to cover. For example, the TT-800 manual covers the science of pairing multiple cabs down to a level that even a bass player can understand and the a cab mixing ohm chart is useful for any player mixing cabs. How often does the multi-cabinet OHM question come up on TB? A block diagram/schematic and extensive trouble shooting guide is also included if you need service outside of Mesa or just want a clue about what's under the hood. If you have a question you're likely to find the answer in their user manual.

Again, all three are excellent amps, but Mesa is the only one of three to put so much effort into a manual for the benefit of the user. Yeah, it's just a manual but the quality of it reflects their level of commitment to customer support.

Many of the topics covered in the owner’s manual are a direct reflection of questions and discussions here on TB.