Speaker with the warmest highs/Smooth

[Lullabies]

I'm looking at replacing my C90 Celestion in my Mesa 5:50 combo for something that is mellower and smoother in the highs and has no beam or spike.

Any suggestions sub 200 bucks ? I was looking at the sub 100 eminences and they seemed pretty good (cannabis rex,swamp thang etc)

 

[dysorexia]

C.Rex fits the bill perfectly. It has very smooth highs and great mids and bass. I really dig it.

 

[ugameus]

Used Weber Michigan alnico. Smoothest speaker I have used.

 

[trailrun100s]

Scumback...

 

[akukulich]

C.Rex fits the bill perfectly. It has very smooth highs and great mids and bass. I really dig it.

+1. I put one of these in my Working Dog Rottweiler and really dig it.

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

Wow, I find the C90/CL80 very warm and smooth. I have CL80 in my SFDR and had a Blues JR I got in a trade recently for a couple weeks with a C. Rex in it - also a very smooth speaker.

I tend to prefer ceramic because of its cost and punchiness, but the smoothest speaker I've tried was a slightly customized WGS Blackhawk.

 

[Lullabies]

Wow, I find the C90/CL80 very warm and smooth. I have CL80 in my SFDR and had a Blues JR I got in a trade recently for a couple weeks with a C. Rex in it - also a very smooth speaker.

I tend to prefer ceramic because of its cost and punchiness, but the smoothest speaker I've tried was a slightly customized WGS Blackhawk.

I know many folks online say the C90 is a clone of the CL80 but I have heard some reviews that the speakers are very different... the C90 being brighter and having flubbier bass which I can attest to

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

I know many folks online say the C90 is a clone of the CL80 but I have heard some reviews that the speakers are very different... the C90 being brighter and having flubbier bass which I can attest to

Interesting - I don't think I've done a side-by-side comparison, but I thought they sounded similar and I didn't notice a flubby bass. I was actually thinking of switching to a C90 for a bit more power handling... Is yours broken-in fully? That might account for some brightness.

The C90 isn't a clone per-se, its still made by Celestion, but spec'ed for Mesa. Its supposedly more similar to the old G12-80 the was eventually replaced by the CL80 by Celestion. The G12-80 remains a very popular and sought after speaker, especially with the 444 cone.

Same with the Mesa V30 - its spec'ed for Mesa and slightly different than the regular Celestion V30. I had one of each in a 212 for a while and the Mesa had more bottom end, but was ultimately very similar to the regular Celestion V30.

 

[Lullabies]

Interesting - I don't think I've done a side-by-side comparison, but I thought they sounded similar and I didn't notice a flubby bass. I was actually thinking of switching to a C90 for a bit more power handling... Is yours broken-in fully? That might account for some brightness.

The C90 isn't a clone per-se, its still made by Celestion, but spec'ed for Mesa. Its supposedly more similar to the old G12-80 the was eventually replaced by the CL80 by Celestion. The G12-80 remains a very popular and sought after speaker, especially with the 444 cone.

Same with the Mesa V30 - its spec'ed for Mesa and slightly different than the regular Celestion V30. I had one of each in a 212 for a while and the Mesa had more bottom end, but was ultimately very similar to the regular Celestion V30.

Ah I see... Yeah I have played this amp about 30 hours total maybe and still very bright/spiky. The bass is a little flubby for me though but that could easily be the pedals I'm using with the amp.

Do you know if the old Eminence VS-12 50 watt black shadow speaker is any different. I got a trade offer of one for my C90.

 

[SuperD]

WGS ET65. I had it in my Boogie MKIII combo for over a year then put it in its own 1x12 cab. In one of my old Boogie 2x12 half-back cabs, I pulled the C90+EV12L and put ET65 in top and Vet30 in bottom. In all instance, for classic rock/blues stuff, the WGS speakers excelled. Absolutely HIGHLY recommend them. FYI, my other 2x12 has only C90s in it and it's fantastic for more modern stuff.

Compared to the ET65, the C90 is WAY more brash and bright. With the same EQ settings, the ET65 tamed most of what I was targeting. The remainder was cured with a preamp tube change.

 

[midnightlaundry]

Keep the C90.

 

[Heady Jam Fan]

Ah I see... Yeah I have played this amp about 30 hours total maybe and still very bright/spiky. The bass is a little flubby for me though but that could easily be the pedals I'm using with the amp.

Do you know if the old Eminence VS-12 50 watt black shadow speaker is any different. I got a trade offer of one for my C90.

30 hours would be just enough if you were playing pretty loud.

I've never tried the VS12.

 

[cardinal]

Reading only the title, I was going to suggest the G12-65 or G12-80/C90, but since this is relative to the C90 already... I don't really know. I agree with the posters above who thing this is a pretty warm/smooth speaker.

Maybe the obvious question: has it been broken in at high volumes? Also, my experience with the small Mesa combo cabs is that there maybe isn't much hope. Try a larger cab with the same speaker (or two or four of them); it may really smooth it out.

 

[DaveKS]

Weber Amsterdam ceramic hemp cone. Hemp cone to tame top end harsh.

https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/am12f.htm

CRex is pushing limits in 50w amp. Fine if you don't max out volume knob.

 

[henryjurstin13]

Hemp cones are very smooth. My Cannabis Rex speakers have always been smooth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Al Rose]

WGS ET65. I had it in my Boogie MKIII combo for over a year then put it in its own 1x12 cab. In one of my old Boogie 2x12 half-back cabs, I pulled the C90+EV12L and put ET65 in top and Vet30 in bottom. In all instance, for classic rock/blues stuff, the WGS speakers excelled. Absolutely HIGHLY recommend them. FYI, my other 2x12 has only C90s in it and it's fantastic for more modern stuff.

Compared to the ET65, the C90 is WAY more brash and bright. With the same EQ settings, the ET65 tamed most of what I was targeting. The remainder was cured with a preamp tube change.

I agree, the WGS ET65 is not as bright as the MC90. I have both, and like both, but use the ET65 in my DC2, and the MC90 with my Express 5:25+. Works for me...

Al

 

[EastCoastRocker]

Used Weber Michigan alnico. Smoothest speaker I have used.

Can you elaborate? Does it have the EV12L vibe tonally, but with all of the Alnico
Compression, or is it unlike the EV?

Is it a really muted, dullish high end, or just not piercing?
Thanks.

 

[ugameus]

Can you elaborate? Does it have the EV12L vibe tonally, but with all of the Alnico
Compression, or is it unlike the EV?

Is it a really muted, dullish high end, or just not piercing?
Thanks.

It is not muted or dull. Like the EV, what you put in is what you get out.

I consider the EV 12L an aggressive speaker. The Michigan is like the EV in that it has the full even response. It is just not as "in your face" as the EV can be, it is less aggressive. It still has a huge bottom end, just not that super fast attack of the EV. I love it with OD, huge and smooth.

I have a pair of alnico Tone Tubby's. They are warm and have that softer attack due to the hemp cone, as well as the alnico. They still have that "chime" that the british style speakers have. The Michigan does not have that. The high end is present and pleasing, just not british.

I have never used the ceramic Michigan, so I can't compare there.

 

[EastCoastRocker]

It is not muted or dull. Like the EV, what you put in is what you get out.

I consider the EV 12L an aggressive speaker. The Michigan is like the EV in that it has the full even response. It is just not as "in your face" as the EV can be, it is less aggressive. It still has a huge bottom end, just not that super fast attack of the EV. I love it with OD, huge and smooth.

I have a pair of alnico Tone Tubby's. They are warm and have that softer attack due to the hemp cone, as well as the alnico. They still have that "chime" that the british style speakers have. The Michigan does not have that. The high end is present and pleasing, just not british.

I have never used the ceramic Michigan, so I can't compare there.

Thank you for the reply. High end that is pleasant and pleasing Sounds like a winner to me. I like EV12l's and the earlier SRO Alnico's. Maybe the tone tubby's are better for the OP though.

 

[rvf263]

When I told WGS I was looking for creamy, sustaining Blues tones, tight Lows/Mids, smooth highs:

Reply: ET90