What's your favourite Mesa Subway Head?

[esoxhntr]

WD-800 has been acquired. While at the store I took the opportunity to give the D-350 a good spin. It's not for me.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Enjoy the WD. It's a fun amp to get to know!

 

[Bring The Bass]

Purchased the WD800 about a week ago and loving it. Have it going through some SWR gear right now and cannot wait to have some Subway cabs completing the setup

 

[Wild Rice Chris]

I started with a D-800, got a WD-800 when they were released, TT-800 when they were released, then sold the D-800, then got a D-350 when they were released.

I use the WD-800 the most, and voted for it in the poll. I really like the others also. The plan was not to own three, but it happened anyways.

Especially great with the Subway cabinets.

 

[esoxhntr]

The plan was not to own three, but it happened anyways.

Funny how that happens

 

[shadven]

Does anyone else find something a little special about the WD-800? Or any of the other models, for that matter? Which one is the one for you? Why? Is it band dependent? Music dependent? Feature Dependent?

Do tell.

I went out and bought a brand new WD-800 and Subway 2x15 cab. I tried to like it, I played maybe 10 gigs. But, I went back to my Ampeg tube Amps. The MESA was just to modern sounding. It didn't thump organically the way my Ampegs do. I did love the built in HP filter.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I went out and bought a brand new WD-800 and Subway 2x15 cab. I tried to like it, I played maybe 10 gigs. But, I went back to my Ampeg tube Amps. The MESA was just to modern sounding. It didn't thump organically the way my Ampegs do. I did love the built in HP filter.

How about the Mesa 2x15, did you find any use for it?

 

[landrybass]

I've really enjoyed my regular D800. The di out is excellent, and it's tiny and light weight. I keep the deep switch on, the voice knob off, and everything at noon. It sounds amazing! I would buy another as a backup if I could find a good deal on a used one. If I could change one thing it would be a front mounted power switch.

 

[agedhorse]

I went out and bought a brand new WD-800 and Subway 2x15 cab. I tried to like it, I played maybe 10 gigs. But, I went back to my Ampeg tube Amps. The MESA was just to modern sounding. It didn't thump organically the way my Ampegs do. I did love the built in HP filter.

Different voicings between the two amps, some folks prefer one over the other. Personal taste is important.

 

[MustangMan78]

I'm really loving my D-800+. For me, it's probably the best amp you can get sans tubes. It has all the features I could ever want and just sounds great, all for the middle of the road price of the Subway line. The fact that it's only 6.5 pounds doesn't hurt either! I'm thinking of picking up the DI+ for a lightweight rig when I can't take my cab and rack.

 

[slagheap]

Originally had the WD but after a couple months found there was a little too much tube saturation when mixed with other effects. Traded down to the D800+ and it was immediately better to my ears.

yeah, i sold my WA because to me there was a little too much bloom, if you feel me on that. makes me a bit leery of getting a WD.

 

[Al Kraft]

yeah, i sold my WA because to me there was a little too much bloom, if you feel me on that. makes me a bit leery of getting a WD.

The WD design specifically addresses that in a number of ways as it was a frequent criticism from even the most loyal WA fans (myself included). First, the WD includes a variable HPF that is quite useful in controlling deep, low end artifacts that might be objectionable. Second, it includes a variable power amp damping control that allows the user to select a "tighter amp/speaker coupling" (high damping) which is a very noticeable difference from the WA especially with low impedance loads and high output volume. And perhaps most importantly IMO is that the relationship between the preamp and power remains stable and consistent as the gain/output volume is increased.

If you want a little bit of the old WA bloom you can get it albeit in a more controlled way. If you want the sound to be a little tighter feeling with more of a typical SS amp kind of defined edge to the notes, you can dial in more of that then the WA could deliver.

 

[agedhorse]

The excessive bloom was one of the biggest complaints that we addressed with the WD.

 

[slagheap]

The WD design specifically addresses that in a number of ways as it was a frequent criticism from even the most loyal WA fans (myself included). First, the WD includes a variable HPF that is quite useful in controlling deep, low end artifacts that might be objectionable. Second, it includes a variable power amp damping control that allows the user to select a "tighter amp/speaker coupling" (high damping) which is a very noticeable difference from the WA especially with low impedance loads and high output volume. And perhaps most importantly IMO is that the relationship between the preamp and power remains stable and consistent as the gain/output volume is increased.

If you want a little bit of the old WA bloom you can get it albeit in a more controlled way. If you want the sound to be a little tighter feeling with more of a typical SS amp kind of defined edge to the notes, you can dial in more of that then the WA could deliver.

thank-you. i'm in the market for a companion to my great little D800. i was thinking along the lines of a D800+, but will mull things over. the 800 heads are a good match with my stable of AK cabs ( now i'm bragging. )

 

[Al Kraft]

thank-you. i'm in the market for a companion to my great little D800. i was thinking along the lines of a D800+, but will mull things over. the 800 heads are a good match with my stable of AK cabs ( now i'm bragging. )

FWIW, my AK Changeling 112T matches nicely with any of the 800 series SW heads. The cab sounds exceptionally good with the WD and TT. I especially like how it can get some of that "good old days" sealed cab and tube amp vibe going on.

 

[agedhorse]

thank-you. i'm in the market for a companion to my great little D800. i was thinking along the lines of a D800+, but will mull things over. the 800 heads are a good match with my stable of AK cabs ( now i'm bragging. )

Try the different models if you can, see which one(s) you might prefer based on your own taste.

 

[elkkid2]

Different voicings between the two amps, some folks prefer one over the other. Personal taste is important.

Would the TT model have more warmth, and, have that control of the Bloom?

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

Would the TT model have more warmth, and, have that control of the Bloom?

I don't have experience with the tt800 to compare but my wd800 has plenty of grit available if I need it I just boost the input gain I use just a hair on it for when I dig in.

 

[Kijuer]

I bet the Boogie Channel on the TT800 sounds glorious but so far I haven't been able to try one.

Anything else can't really compare with the balls of my Carbine M9 IMHO.

 

[Bring The Bass]

Looking to rack my recently acquired WD800 in a Calzone Case. Torn between the standard black or the blue that I was informed was an option. It would match the pretty blue lights for sure.