Newbee has some HT-5 questions :-

[GaryM]

Hi folks,
I’ve had my HT-5 stack for over a week now and I love it to bits. I’d normally find a few things I’d like to change on an amp by now but I really can’t find anything negative at all. Thanks Blackstar for not only giving us more choice but for giving that choice with quality. The first thing that sold me on this amp was the look. The build quality is second to none.

My main question is, when I was trying this amp in the shop it was the only one they had in stock and I had driven 50 miles 2 days running to see this amp so if I wanted it I had to get that one. Aesthetically the amp was spotless but it was only when I got it home I realised that the sales guy in the shop had the cab output leads in the wrong sockets. I ran the amp for about 20 minutes in the shop like this while I was testing it and I did ask the guy about the cab ohms, he said they’re both 16 ohms so you just come straight out of the two 16 ohm sockets on the amp. Just remember 2 16 ohm cabs, 2 16 ohm sockets he said.

Now... I’m not new to tube amps and ohms and I understand the importance of getting it right but I took his word for it because I kinda expected him to know. When I got home I instantly spotted the obviously linked ‘8 ohm or 2 X 16 ohm’ sockets so that’s where the amp is at and all is well. I suppose my question is, could the amp have been damaged/weekend in any way or ... is the fact that the amp has been fine since a sign that I got lucky.

It took me a long time to find this amp and I think I’d struggle to prove what happened because the amp is working fine. I do have a 4 year warranty with the company I bought it from though so if something blows I believe I’m covered. Am I just worrying about nothing??

My second question is :- If I plug headphones into the socket on the front, does the amp still need the cabs plugged in for the load. I asked the sales guy this question as well and he shrugged his shoulders and said he’d never heard of an amp where the speakers HAVE to be plugged in when the amp is on. Mmmm.

I ask this question because I’ve invested in some decent expensive cab cables to be safe. If I plug my £40 headphones in with its 5mm core cable, is that cable then going to be taking the full load. It’s the first tube amp I’ve had with a headphone socket.

Just one more thing. My new HT-5 is a bedroom amp for me at them moment. My main amp is my Marshall JCM 900 4100. Now you can see why I need to get a bedroom amp. My question is, how would my JCM900 Compare to the Blackstar HT100 head. It really is just a thought at the moment and I am happy with my JCM but also tempted by the dark side going by the impressions I have with my first Blackstar. Not sure what tubes are in the HT100 but my JCM is the 6l6 version.

I think that’s about it.

Thanks again.

GaryM

[XloydtilldeathX666]

ok.. its a bit unclear how it was hooked up before you noticed. the jacks for speakers are for either 1 16 ohm speaker, or the two series jacks, are for using one of them with an 8 ohm speaker, or both, each with a 16 ohm speaker.

if two 16 ohm speakers were in use, and in each of the series jacks, then it was connected correctly. if you have changed from this then you are now running it incorrectly.

[GaryM]

ok.. its a bit unclear how it was hooked up before you noticed. the jacks for speakers are for either 1 16 ohm speaker, or the two series jacks, are for using one of them with an 8 ohm speaker, or both, each with a 16 ohm speaker.

if two 16 ohm speakers were in use, and in each of the series jacks, then it was connected correctly. if you have changed from this then you are now running it incorrectly.

You’ve got me scared now. Looking at the back of the HT-5 from left to right it reads : - “1 X 8 ohm or 2 x 16 ohm.” This writing goes across the first two speaker sockets and has a line joining these two sockets which, to me, would suggest that these two sockets are both 8 ohm and can be used for either 1 X 8 ohm speaker or 2 X 16 ohm speakers. These are where I have my two 16ohm speakers plugged in.

Moving to the right, the other socket has the words “1 X 16 ohm” This socket, to me, would be for using just one 16 ohm speaker. The guy in the shop had one of the speakers plugged in this far right socket and the other speaker in the socket to the left of it (middle one). So in essence, he had one speaker plugged into a 16ohm and one plugged into an 8ohm which would be a big no no.. right..

Am I right here?

CHeers

[XloydtilldeathX666]

You are doing it right. They did it wrong. If the amp works fine now you probably have no real problem. However if you could go back and explain it al and say you are worried that their incompetence may have weakened components inside the amp and you want to exchange it for another, I would. Otherwise I'd keep it and hope nothig went wrong unless still in the warranty period.

[GaryM]

Phew... Thanks for that. I've wangled a no quibble 4 year warranty out of them when I bought it so I'm covered and it sounds fine and I play it almost every day. I don't want to take it back because it's a 50 mile journy and they never have any in stock so I'd need to wait for another.

Thanks for your help though.

Regards

Gary

[bonscott]

My second question is :- If I plug headphones into the socket on the front, does the amp still need the cabs plugged in for the load.

Bumping this for any input on the OP's second question. I'm wondering about this, too. Thanks.

[XloydtilldeathX666]

there is a reiteration of blackstar customer service in the ht-5 forum. the headphone/lineout bypasses the power section, but if it became unplugged you risk damaging the amp.

you can use a dummy load instead of a speaker. here is a good artlicle on building one.
http://diy-fever.com/misc/dummy-load/