NAD - HXDA 30 1x12 Combo in Paisley

[shinksma]

I snagged this after seeing it in the online used section of a certain guitar retailer. I've wanted an HXDA for a while (mostly thanks to Les, @LSchefman !), but figured it would be a year or so before I'd pick one up - after Experience 2018, perhaps, depending on cash reserves. I also figured I'd get a head version, so I could use my 2x12 cab that I got with the Archon until I decided on a 1x12 or something else. But this was listed at a seemingly stupid low price, so I gave into temptation!

I played it a bit after unboxing here at work, using my RL Vela direct in. I did not get a chance to crank it - the Master Volume stayed at about 8 o'clock, but that was plenty loud for the shipping/receiving folks!

I need to play with the HX vs DA settings when I get it home - at the lower volume I could tell there was a difference, but not enough air being pushed to give a really fair judgement.

It looks brand new, manufactured in Feb 2015, still has the PRS tag on the handle.

I so look forward to doing a back-to-back comparison with my Archon 100!

 

[andy474x]

Sweet score!!!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Very nice!

 

[dmatthews]

Gorgeous! Same covering as my C50 combo.
Something tells me you picked a winner!

 

[Boogie]

Win! Yeah, I’d take that, too.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Love it! Congrats.

 

[shinksma]

Thanks! It looks really quite nice in the sunshine - hope it enjoyed it while it lasted, it now goes into my super-shaded music room!

So even before it arrived, I wondered whether pairing it with an extension cab, perhaps a 1x12, would be something worth considering. Has anyone here paired up a 1x12 combo with a cab to get a mini-stack?

I did that with my Fender HRDX on a lark because the ext cab was cheap (tightened up the sound a bit, because the HRDX is open backed, whereas the ext cab is closed back).

But there is a large gulf between an HRDX and the HXDA, despite there being three common letters...

I suppose I could experiment with the Fender ext cab to start with, it is 1x12, which the specs say is a Celestion G12P80, 8 ohm Speaker.

 

[dmatthews]

Thanks! It looks really quite nice in the sunshine - hope it enjoyed it while it lasted, it now goes into my super-shaded music room!

So even before it arrived, I wondered whether pairing it with an extension cab, perhaps a 1x12, would be something worth considering. Has anyone here paired up a 1x12 combo with a cab to get a mini-stack?

I did that with my Fender HRDX on a lark because the ext cab was cheap (tightened up the sound a bit, because the HRDX is open backed, whereas the ext cab is closed back).

But there is a large gulf between an HRDX and the HXDA, despite there being three common letters...

I suppose I could experiment with the Fender ext cab to start with, it is 1x12, which the specs say is a Celestion G12P80, 8 ohm Speaker.

My Custom 50 combo has an Avatar 2x12 attached for a heavenly 3x12 experience. I cracked the 2x12 open and wired it for 16ohm. That plus the internal 16ohm speaker makes for an 8ohm selection on the amp.
Lovely!

 

[bodia]

Nice find! I love good deals too!

 

[veinbuster]

Excellent catch.

 

[László]

That looks great (sorry about the GAS!)!

Let me know if you need tips to dial it in. Basically, the amp sounds best with the master volume above noon, and only then dial in the two gains (they can be run alone, or blended) and the tone controls.

 

[toothace]

Most excellent score!

 

[Elliot]

Awesome score!

 

[Tucson Thump]

I snagged this after seeing it in the online used section of a certain guitar retailer. I've wanted an HXDA for a while (mostly thanks to Les, @LSchefman !), but figured it would be a year or so before I'd pick one up - after Experience 2018, perhaps, depending on cash reserves. I also figured I'd get a head version, so I could use my 2x12 cab that I got with the Archon until I decided on a 1x12 or something else. But this was listed at a seemingly stupid low price, so I gave into temptation!

I played it a bit after unboxing here at work, using my RL Vela direct in. I did not get a chance to crank it - the Master Volume stayed at about 8 o'clock, but that was plenty loud for the shipping/receiving folks!

I need to play with the HX vs DA settings when I get it home - at the lower volume I could tell there was a difference, but not enough air being pushed to give a really fair judgement.

It looks brand new, manufactured in Feb 2015, still has the PRS tag on the handle.

I so look forward to doing a back-to-back comparison with my Archon 100!

It WAS a stupid low price. Congrats for pulling the trigger.

 

[shinksma]

That looks great (sorry about the GAS!)!

Let me know if you need tips to dial it in. Basically, the amp sounds best with the master volume above noon, and only then dial in the two gains (they can be run alone, or blended) and the tone controls.

Cool! Thanks for the tips, Les!

I did play it last night for about 30 min, at varying levels of Gain and Volume.

I have encountered an "issue" which will probably be easily solved, and rarely encountered anyway:

With the Master Volume at max or close to max, and the Gains up really high too - i.e. when I've got it cranked - the amp would "cut out" for a bit, like it was encountering an over-current and there was a protection circuit cutting in. My thoughts are that it is probably a dirty contact somewhere in the tubes, and i was going to pull the tubes, apply some contact cleaner, and see if it recurred.

I will probably not play that loud very often, this was more of a "how loud does it go" experiment, but I'd like to address it if possible.

Do I just remove the six screws on the back to pull off the back cover? Or is there some other trick that needs to be done?

 

[shinksma]

It WAS a stupid low price. Congrats for pulling the trigger.

I guess I snagged it pretty quick - it wasn't even in the "system" when I called it in.

I definitely could tell the differences in the HX vs DA mini-switch settings. But in whatever setting, I got a great classic rock tone. Certainly very different from my Archon. Which was the whole point, right?

 

[bodia]

Cool! Thanks for the tips, Les!

I did play it last night for about 30 min, at varying levels of Gain and Volume.

I have encountered an "issue" which will probably be easily solved, and rarely encountered anyway:

With the Master Volume at max or close to max, and the Gains up really high too - i.e. when I've got it cranked - the amp would "cut out" for a bit, like it was encountering an over-current and there was a protection circuit cutting in. My thoughts are that it is probably a dirty contact somewhere in the tubes, and i was going to pull the tubes, apply some contact cleaner, and see if it recurred.

I will probably not play that loud very often, this was more of a "how loud does it go" experiment, but I'd like to address it if possible.

Do I just remove the six screws on the back to pull off the back cover? Or is there some other trick that needs to be done?

Just the screws. No other tricks.

 

[shinksma]

Thanks bodia! I'll possibly take a look at it tonight - though as mentioned, not a real concern if it only happens at super high gain+volume.

 

[shinksma]

My Custom 50 combo has an Avatar 2x12 attached for a heavenly 3x12 experience. I cracked the 2x12 open and wired it for 16ohm. That plus the internal 16ohm speaker makes for an 8ohm selection on the amp.
Lovely!

So how does the 3x12 configuration sound? I'm used to what a 1x12 sounds like, and have a 2x12 for my Archon. Does the 3x12 have weird or at least different phasing, or does that third speaker sort of even out the phasing you can get from a 2x12 and make it more like a "broad" 1x12?

Also, do you find the amp sounds louder with the added speaker, or does the amp simply distribute the available watts across more speakers? (My Fender HRDX does this [distribute same power to more speakers] - you plug in the ext cab and it drops the power going to the main speaker by half, so it doesn't get any louder.)

 

[dmatthews]

So how does the 3x12 configuration sound? I'm used to what a 1x12 sounds like, and have a 2x12 for my Archon. Does the 3x12 have weird or at least different phasing, or does that third speaker sort of even out the phasing you can get from a 2x12 and make it more like a "broad" 1x12?

Also, do you find the amp sounds louder with the added speaker, or does the amp simply distribute the available watts across more speakers? (My Fender HRDX does this [distribute same power to more speakers] - you plug in the ext cab and it drops the power going to the main speaker by half, so it doesn't get any louder.)

The phasing question is a good one, and the only answer I can give you is that I never noticed anything and therefore never thought about it.
I have the Avatar 2x12 pointed straight out to the audience, and the Custom 50 is on top of it but angled slightly stage left (audience right) in order to fill the space a bit better and give the drummer and bass player a little more of my guitar.
The sound/volume distribution doesn't seem to be an issue either. Rather pleasant really. I have a Rivera Rockcrusher Recording I could have thrown between one of the speakers and amp if it were a problem, but no need.
Here's what it looks like...