Mesa Boogie Mark V: 25 vs. Blackstar HT Studio 20

Mesa

What would you suggest me to buy? Im looking for an amp head between 500-1000$ that will be close to the sound of Mesa,so im thinking to buy the blackstar mkII

Sell me the Mesa for the price of the Black Star now

One wasn't better than the other just different tone. Both awesome in their own right and personal preference but the Mesa will always do Mesa better than any other amp. I own a HT20 Combo with a V30 and JJ's and I sit it on top of my vertical 212 with V30 and G12h75 (3x12 effectively)and it's amazing and although I have the coin to get a Mesa I simply can't part with my Blackie, if it aint broke don't fix it

I say no here would be able to tell one from the other in a blind test. LOL.

How does the Blackstar respond to pedals (Boost/Drive/Fuzz etc)?

The Mesa is da bomb! You can hear it immediately, but the comparison to the HT 20 is almost spot on and the audience will never know - but your wallet will.

If all you do is chug than the BlackStar is fine. But like you said there's no definition.

LOL how can you compare a boogie with a blackturd? LOLLLL

So I'm the only one that thought the blackstar sounded better?

i like the blackstar better.

I'm late to the game but I just picked up this blackstar head for $300 and I'm excited

Great jammin!

If they are same price, I will choose boogie. But...

Blackstar... purer sound. like comparing ACDC vs White Lion or something.

Mesa Boogie is far superior.

The Mesa Boogie sounds noticeably better than the HT, has more mid range clarity with Defined bottom & Hi freq...
The HT can work in studio but live the Mesa will reign supreme

With the delay and chorus in there the blackstar sounds amazing. Every bit as good to a blind test. With nothing but dry signal, boogie by a lightyear.

What's the cab/micing?

Yes, both sound good but the Mesa has a responsiveness and GROWL that is missing with the Blackstar. I’ve had several BStars and find they don’t take boost pedals as well as amps with ‘more tubes’.

incredibly close the only difference is the growl on the Mesa is more pronounced and as the low end hits harder, I have the Mesa and really wanted it for more DI feature and the overall direction you want to take your sound with all of the Mesa features. Thank you for the video, was a good side by side!

I agree with you, the Blackstar sound very cool. But there is something what you can hear from the Mesa (especialy with headphones) that gives the snap. But yes tumps up for the Blackstar

I have a Blackstar HT 20 studio combo. One of the most versatile low wattage amps out there. Want it to sound like a Fender? Turn the ISF dial to the left. Want Marshall sounds? Turn that little dial to the right. Can't make up your mind? Set that son of a bitch right on center. It can keep up with the biggest ham fisted drummer, too.

I have a Blackstar and for the money it pretty good, but the ISF doesn't offer that much and seems perhaps too much of a compromise and is perhaps more for marketing purposes.

The beard is mesmerizing. The over-processing of the recorded signal is an evil trick on listeners. Why, oh why?

Equalisation looks funny without the Z lol

The Boogie has so much more everything,gorgeous tone but the Blackstar is sweet too if a lil bit fizzier. The definitive advantage of the Boogie is the blue light. Blue lights are awesome but always serious $$$ for any amp with a blue light.

I have a 100 watt marshal with el 34s and a small studio 1 6l6 blackstar, kentucky special 40 watt 6l6 blackstar and purchased the el34 40 watt blackstar combo to compare.

I find the 6l6 studio one is very nice for distortion that isn’t very high gain, but a nice open fat tone.

The kentucky sounds pretty scooped but at louder volumes fills out and is kinda enjoyable and tight . The blackstar stems to have a low end growl I do enjoy. But the thin nature of the 6l6 always makes me second guess it. Just feels hollow.

The blackstar el34 is much more full sounding than the 6l6 BUT it highlights all the silibant and peircing frequencies too much. At lower volumes it’s fine but you notice how shrill it is at louder volumes, and all the finger shuffling and ice picky frequencies come in basically louder than the music itself. You can scoop the amp but then it’s just super dark.

The Marshall I realized is just better for el 34 it I guess is ever so slightly scooped to take out those piercing frequencies . But sure the blackstar can get more low end but it is low end that really won’t translate well I think in many situations.

The 6l6s sound better because they don’t emphasize the shrillness like their el 34. The el84 sounds like it doesn’t have that shrillness but idk. I don’t know if I need another warm sounding amp that cuts, I feel the Marshall is kinda king of that.

I do think the blackstars will satisfy if you want a tighter sound, but I think mesas and Marshall still sound tight enough with extra musicality and naturalness in the tone.

I know these aren’t the amps you compared obviously . But just a description for some people out there. If you play at louder volumes you sometimes feel harshness and wonder What it could be. I feel the mesas and Marshall can do the high gain thing and sound more pleasant. The blackstar can deliver a bit more ice picky sounds for sure at higher volumes, or smaller rooms at lower volumes . Also, certain pickups add to that. I just realized humbuckers sound flatter and way fizzier than these p90 Gibson’s I just got. I def have amps to do all the high gain I need and the p90s sound rounder and clearer with all the gain I want . Less fizzy and less harsh with all the distortion and slightly more character. Just in case anyone was interested!

how is the volume taper on the mark v 25--is there a spike when turning it up from zero--want to use it in my apartment-thx

If you put a Suhr Koko boost in front of the Blackstar, you will get that missing definition and oomph!!! I run one into my Blackstar HT 60 combo and it brings it to life. Love these amps.

I enjoyed both the track and your final conclusion. Very interesting comparison and I agree with you. Blackstar not disgraced by any means but shows what you get for a high end amp like the Mesa.

Mesa was more punchy - more ooooomph - Blackstar is cool - but now I want the Mesa hahaha

Totally agree 👍

the mesa sounds way different...warm,more mature,like old red wine...the blackstar is more "hifi"/agressive and cuts through the mix like a knife with a more open midrange like a Marshall

Just watched your video. Great job. However I think to be completely "fair" you should use every option that the particular amp gives to get the best sound out of it. Not does A sound like B. Ex. Use the graphic eq and the isp control which functions similarly to make each sound as good as it can.

i like mesa better, both good though. what’s the song?

i like mesa more, both good actually. whats the song?

I came here to hear blackstar for the first time and i must say i am disapointed. Not even close to mesa, not that i am a mesa fanboy, but it sounds so much thinner and with less clarity.

The Mesa sounds more organic but both amps are amazing!

blackstar actually sounded better

Yeah I think that there is something about the blackstar tube amps that are not quite tube, I think that is the difference here. Its like they sound more solid state.

In the end... Who's the one who knocks? Both. Thanks for the video man!

what cab/speaker did you use ?

Yup .... very close!

Actually I think that the blackstar sounds better. Put a marshall guvnor pedal in front of it and I think you will be amazed what it can do

Both sounded great. I like more the mid focused of the black star for playing with the band. I found a black star very cheap think I ll give it a chance

2 GREAT AMPS! However, in order for the comparison to be truly fair you must engage the Mesa's graphic EQ. Why you say? The Blackstar doesn't have a graphic EQ how can that be fair? Because the tone stack of the Blackstar functions in precisely the same way as the graphic on the Mesa.

Huh?

The channel EQ on the Mesa Mark Series amplifiers and other Mesa/Boogie amps that have graphic EQ's, is pre gain. Look at it as if there were a 3 band EQ on all your guitars. It is tone shaping before the signal is smashed by overdrive. Where this helps is on the low end side of things. In essence, in a high gain circuit, attenuating the lows gives an overdriven signal more punch and focus since you are balancing the frequency energy before it enters the gain stage. Low frequencies have more energy than mids and highs. If too much low frequency content is allowed to run free in an overdriven circuit, it swallows up the mids and highs, bumps its head on the ceiling and leaves sounding flabby, or more precisely: like shit. Which is why your ears told you to run that Mark V low eq at between 2 and 3 on the high gain side. To keep things fair you did this to the Blackstar as well which is actually unfair to the Blackstar, because you are taking away the low end on an already overdriven signal, making the tone thinner than its designers intended. The graphic on the Mesa is in the same spot in the circuit as the Blackstar tone stack. Post Gain. And why that ridiculous looking V shape that sounds like poo on every piece of audio gear known to man, except on a Boogie it is glory from the teat of the Metal Gods.

Another major design difference between the Mesa and the Blackstar is the use of a diode in the Blackstar's OD circuit. The diode is overdriven rather than a tube. Its basically an OD stompbox inside the amp...and how the Blackstar can achieve high gain while only using 2 preamp tubes. It is not true tube overdrive. The difference is really felt when you start backing off the volume knob of your guitar on the Blackstar. Instead of staying creamy and warm, the tone tends to stay brittle as it cleans up.

I've owned an HT-40 and a Mark IV version 1. And for the money the Blackstar is a huge heavy rock BANG. It represents a guitarists ability to affordably get tones that range from high gain Marshall-ish to high gain Boogie-ish. Compromises have been made to achieve this that are felt, not just at the ears, but at the fingers as well. The Mark V represents the latest achievements of tube guitar amplifiers at the art form's pinnacle. A true masterpiece.

In closing, because of these stark differences in design, its a comparison that wont ever be quote-unquote "fair". (yes, grammar authorities, i did just do that.) That being said the Blackstar performs admirably here. But in my opinion, the Mesa tone has more life and depth of character, even with one hand tied behind its Boogie back.