Syn 50-50 vs Syn 50

[saltydog3317]

I have been thinking of getting into the Synergy amp and module game for a while and have been doing a little research. I talked with a guy at a local music store about the synergy amps and here is what he said he experienced when trying out the products.
He said he tried the 50-50 and said he wasn't blown away and that it was just OK but when he tried the Syn 50 into the synergy 4x12 cab he was sold. I wish I had of talked more about this that day and asked him more questions. Has anyone else tried these amps head to head and came away feeling the same way? I would love to try the amps out for myself but the closest dealer is about 3 hours away.

 

[SpitfireMusic]

I work for a Synergy dealer and could definitely offer my take on them.

I guess my biggest place to start would be how you envision utilizing your rig. One thing to think about is going with a rack setup vs a head/cabinet or combo approach.

If you are thinking of going rackmount are you going to want more than two modules? The reason I ask this is because in my own setup I run a Syn-2 and a modded Egnater M4. I like having two power amps because I run my American style modules to an open back 4x10” cabinet loaded with Eminence Alessandro speakers. Usually my British style modules run to an Orange closed back 2x12 with Celestion Heritage G12H-55 and Alnico Ruby speakers.

Obviously another consideration from number of modules or potentially getting into dual amp, wet/dry, etc would potentially be headroom.

For some folks they may use a Syn5050 bridged or another power amp I tend to like the Fryette offerings (even though I don’t sell them) and the old Randall RT2/50 (when you can find them). I think both the 5050 and the heads/combos all sound excellent and it’s really a matter of preference and splitting hairs.

Probably the best advice I can give is simply to think through what you want your rig to be like. For some folks going simple and just getting a head and cabinet is appealing. For other folks they may want a bunch of modules for a studio setting where a big rack full of gear isn’t as intimidating and setup/tear down aren’t a concern.

 

[saltydog3317]

Thanks for your answers. I just want a few modules and the best sound I can get to play live and jam. The head and cab setup is appealing to me.
Wondered why a 2 x 12 cab has 2 vintage 30's and why the 4x12 has 2 vintage 30's and 2 G12M Greenbacks?
Why does the 2x12 cab not have 1 of each?
Really leaning towards a syn50 but have questions about the cabs now.

 

[SpitfireMusic]

Sorry for the delayed reply.

In reality anytime we have a multi speaker cabinet the cabinet is only going to handle as much power as the lowest rated speaker times total number of speakers.

So in this case for a 2x12 with a greenback (which handles 25 watts) as one speaker the cabinet is really only designed to handle 50 watts and with a tube amp and many players using pedals and higher gain settings the amp is actually outputting more than the rating indicates. Of course that was assuming the V30/Greenback example where the GB was the lowest rated speaker.

These days a lot of people are using 2x12s with at least 50 watt tube amps and many players use mid-high gain settings that really require at least a 20-30% power handling buffer from their cabinet.

In all honesty speaker selection should really be based on two things:
1. Power handling so you aren’t burning up voice coils
2. The amp/modules you are using and if they are a good sonic match to that circuit

Most OE cabinets these days don’t necessarily load with my first choice in speakers. Sadly a lot of it is driven by cost and just market ignorance. A lot of people recognize the name Celestion Vintage 30 or Greenback as examples but they may be a bad choice for the sounds you expect/seek.

But my guess is that since Synergy really only build 50 watt power amps they likely made the decision to build a 2x12 that handles 120 watts and a 4x12 that handles 100 watts as this would be safe for even the highest gain modules at top volume/output.

 

[btownninja]

Thanks for your answers. I just want a few modules and the best sound I can get to play live and jam. The head and cab setup is appealing to me.
Wondered why a 2 x 12 cab has 2 vintage 30's and why the 4x12 has 2 vintage 30's and 2 G12M Greenbacks?
Why does the 2x12 cab not have 1 of each?
Really leaning towards a syn50 but have questions about the cabs now.

I'm not an expert, but here is what I tested/theorize.

I have both the 4x12 and the 2x12. I tried putting a Greenback in the 2x12, but it didn't really sound all that different. I assume because the v30 is likely overpowering it. When I put 4x v30 in the 4x12 vs 2 of each, it does sound very different.

This makes me think it could be a balance issue. V30 are 'louder' than Greenbacks, but the Greenbacks are in the top/sloped portion of the 4x12. Since the v30 are straight and firing at your legs/feet, it wouldn't be perceived as loud. To back up this 'claim', I tried loading the v30 on the left and Greenbacks on the right. To my ears, this didn't sound as good (less mids/clear) as top/bottom combo.

All in all, both the 4x12 and 2x12 sounded their best in their factory configurations in my opinion. Two greenbacks in he 2x12 was very nice as well, but I preferred double v30.