My CAD HXDA with installed effects loop. Violin Amber

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arose59

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I just played mine for a few hours today, and I'll put it out there: the HXDA is the greatest amp in the history of the universe -- for me.

Every PRS fan owes it to him/herself to at least try out one of these. Because if they ever stop making them, folks who agree with me regarding how great it is will kick themselves for not snatching one up while they're still available.

And for the quality, the hand-wiring (and yes I am certain that hand wiring vs circuit boards sound a bit different), and the overall gorgeousness of tone, the amp is a real bargain.

I love my DG30, and I will probably acquire other PRS amps over time just because I think Doug is an amp genius, but this one is a true masterpiece. Seriously, play one for a few hours, work the guitar volume and tone, play around with the controls, and I think you'll agree.
 
Dirty Bob said:
Great post Les....I have owned great tube amps from "the biggest and the best".....while I have played amazing amps by other manufacturers...for me....Doug's amps are magical....his EL34 based amps with the Cinemag transformer....doesn't get any better....getting Doug on board was one of Paul's best moves ever.... I also will most likely pick up others over time....I still would love to have a Super Dallas, a DG30 or 50, and an original 25th....a Dallas with DT mods would be great too......I also want to try the Original Sewell, MDT, and. Blistertone...AMP GAS can sometimes be way worse than guitar GAS!!!

again congrats to the original poster!!!
Click to expand...

You're right...that whole lineage of EL34 amps is killer.

Amp GAS is worse (better) for me than guitar GAS. I tend to focus on a few solid body guitar types, but I appreciate a wider range of tones in amps. Plus...what's more fun than walking into a studio and seeing some fun amp choices?
 
I keep waiting and watching for that perfect opportunity to snatch up a primo HXDA. It will happen but probably not quickly. It took a while to find my Super Dallas, I don't expect any less with this beast. All in due time. :cool:

Maybe be I should put up a sign...WILL WORK FOR AMPS. :p
 
Boogie said:
I keep waiting and watching for that perfect opportunity to snatch up a primo HXDA. It will happen but probably not quickly. It took a while to find my Super Dallas, I don't expect any less with this beast. All in due time. :cool:

Maybe be I should put up a sign...WILL WORK FOR AMPS. :p
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Hired!!!
 
Boogie said:
I keep waiting and watching for that perfect opportunity to snatch up a primo HXDA.
Click to expand...

Well fortunately, your Super Dallas is a great amp so you're not suffering in the meantime.

But I gotta say, once you play one of these HXDA thingies, you will wish you'd gotten one sooner and eaten whatever extra cost is involved. They're that good. I get so much enjoyment playing mine!

I know, I know, STFU. But I just can't!
 
mmmm....Kool-Aid. Hand-wiring only sounds different because you want it to. PTP is easier to modify or repair. That's it. The guys at Marshall for example admit there is no difference between their 1959 reissue head and the 1959 HW in terms of tone but they offer both because there is a demand from customers wanting a more vintage accurate amp- and those customers are willing to pay the upcharge to get it.
 
FennRx said:
mmmm....Kool-Aid. Hand-wiring only sounds different because you want it to. PTP is easier to modify or repair. That's it. The guys at Marshall for example admit there is no difference between their 1959 reissue head and the 1959 HW in terms of tone but they offer both because there is a demand from customers wanting a more vintage accurate amp- and those customers are willing to pay the upcharge to get it.
Click to expand...

You're obviously referring to my post.

Actually, hand wired amps sound different because hand wiring really sounds different. Or should I say, hand wiring, done very well by folks who know what they're doing, sounds different.

Play a Two-Rock, a hand wired amp, and then play a Mesa, that also has a cascading gain design. The two amps can be dialed in to sound similar, but their fundamental tones are very different. I happen to like both. I'll keep the PRS amps out of this for now.

I've had many amps of both kinds, beginning in 1965. I spent nearly 15 years playing and recording before there was such a thing as a circuit board amp. I know very well what to listen for.

For a quarter of a century I've made my living in the studio as a producer/composer of soundtrack music, and as a guitar, bass and keyboard player and engineer. I've done thousands of sessions over that very long stretch of time. My work has won a few awards. I think I know what I'm doing when it comes to audio!

I wouldn't waste my money on a hand wired amp if they didn't sound a bit different. If you need a famous maven of circuit board amps to tell you what you hear, and that circuit board amps sound different from hand-wired, how's Randall Smith from Mesa as an authority? In a recent interview he acknowledged that hand wired amps sound a little different, but said he thinks that makes for inconsistency in the product. He says circuit board amps can be designed to sound more consistent, and that's why he uses circuit boards.

I'd agree, to an extent. There is a bit of variation in a hand wired amp. Not that that's a bad thing, they each have a bit of a personality.

I like circuit board amps too. There's nothing wrong with the way they sound. Different isn't worse. So some Marshall guy can say what he will, and Randall Smith can say what he wants, and I can only say what my ears tell me as an experienced studio guy and player. I've played through the hand wired Marshalls, and I have no idea what they're thinking. They're not what they once were. I rented a couple for sessions in France a while back, and wasn't thrilled.

So maybe for them hand wiring is just a cosmetic BS thing after all. The glut of really crappy amps and other audio gear on the market certainly demonstrates that some folks who can design a circuit aren't very good at listening to what they've created! One has to think for one's self. Having played plenty of then-new Marshall amps in the 60s and 70s, I can firmly say that what is coming out of Marshall today is far different in terms of the basic clarity and tone of the amp.

I'm not surprised you don't hear a difference. Lots of folks don't. I think most don't know what to listen for, but there is a lot of variation in human hearing acuity, and the fact is that some people are simply tone deaf.

I know and trust what my ears tell me. I don't need an amp "expert" telling me what I'm really hearing - or what I'm only imagining.

I listened to the clip you posted the other day, and I can see that you haven't put in the hours and years that I have as a musician, and session player. You don't sound very experienced.Nothing wrong with that. But I'm certain that I pick up things a lot of people don't by virtue of my years of creating music, playing a bunch of instruments, and recording, mixing and mastering for TV, etc.

In any case, please don't try my patience with amateur pronouncements on the types of equipment I have spent a lot more time working with professionally than you ever will, with this "Kool-Aid" business. Constant analysis of audio in a professional setting trains ears. Playing music well trains ears. I trust mine. I don't trust yours.
 
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