The Vintage 30 English/Chinese debate (Pics added)

[killertone]

I have both and the Chinese ones are much brighter but they are also not broken in like my UK ones which have 11 years on them.

 

[Chris6870]

Just buy a WGS. You know its made in USA and it won't sound like nails on a chalkboard.
Fuck Celestion.

 

[srinivassa]

I heard if you play through the Chinese ones you are hungry an hour later

Okay, LOL on that one. Blindsided me.

Honestly, I have 2 2x12 cabs. One is a 2x12 Combo that I repurposed by putting a Classic Lead 80 and a Heritage G12 in. The other is an Egnater combo that came with a Chinese made V30 and a specially voiced Egnater CL80.

Basically the same cabs since the G12 sounds like a neodynium version of the V30. All I can say is that the cab I bought speakers for and assembled myself is much crisper and punchier.

I have no idea why. They should be British made Celestions, however they were bought in 2008, and I wasn't aware of them outsourcing their labor. They have taken some moderate playing, but would not be considered worn in at all. Their Chinese made (definitely) counterparts sound a lot warmer/mellower/smoother. This is an Egnater 2x12 combo that I bought in 2010.

I don't know about the difference between the two. Obviously, I was expecting exactly the opposite. I didn't buy the Egnater brand new. I bought it 'like new,' so it had been played some. It is possible that its first owner was the type to use those 25W wave generators to break in the speakers. I have no way of knowing. They sound great though, like I would expect a more worn in speaker to sound.

And of course, a V30 and a G12 are not the same speaker. Plus a CL80 and an Egnater 80 are not the same speaker either. It's just weird to me because I really expected the older, more played on, more Brit speakers to be the ones that were smoother and warmer, not the opposite. It could be that G12s and CL80s just run a bit colder and brittler.

It might be the way I mounted the Brit ones. It might be the break in. It might my wiring on my do-it-yourself cab. It might be that they are slightly different speakers. No way to know for sure. I guess my point is 'Don't be too afraid of the Chinese made speakers.' They mellow out well and may even be to your liking. Plus, hello cost? An Egnater solid birch cab 4x12 with V30s (Chinese made) for $600? You literally couldn't build that for less than $850 yourself, even if you already owned all the tools.

Anyway, I'm not trying to sell speakers or anything, so peace out.

 

[srinivassa]

There is another difference that I don't know how to explain because I don't know my speaker terminology. Hard to see, but maybe you can pick it out.

Umm... I'm going to say that one is hand wired (bulkier solders on the cone, electrical tape on the terminals). The other is factory soldered (flat and machine perfect) and it has wax potted solders on the terminals instead of tape.

I would guess that #2 is from China.

 

[steve_k]

 

[Ventura]

WTF?!?!?!

Just posted a schpeel about this and it's gonzo... Not worth typing out again, but key points were:
- I believe the Alnico's are still made in England
- Steve's point is valid, it's all about bottom line, and from a corporate point of view, who wouldn't??
- I've got both, English and Chinese, and honestly, they work just fine in their respective applications
- I've considered retro fitting all my 4x12 with Alnico Golds, but it's just too costly
- Anything that states "Celestion International" is in fact Chinese made
- It's gotta say made in England/Ipswich stamped/and so forth to be truly made in England

I wonder if this post will make it out there to RT land - hahahahahaha!!

V.

 

[steve_k]

WTF?!?!?!

- Anything that states "Celestion International" is in fact Chinese made
- It's gotta say made in England/Ipswich stamped/and so forth to be truly made in England

I wonder if this post will make it out there to RT land - hahahahahaha!!

V.

Those last two points made are the dead giveaways on V30's....

 

[droptrd]

but do they really sound that different?

 

[steve_k]

Probably not. It has to do more with the break in than anything. Guess we will see in the years to come if longevity is an issue. Inferior parts and assembly has to have an impact down the line.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

Check your white stickers on the magnet side. If it has a 50 on it, it's MIC, if not, MIE.

V30's have been made in China since 99, not 2001. The rest of the speakers moved there in 2003 with the UK machines, EXCEPT for:

Heritage Line
Alnico Blue & Gold
Any OEM lines made for Mesa, Marshall, etc.

Hope that clears it up.

Jesus, I'm sending Rick Skillman (Celestion Rep) a frigging paypal money request for doing his job.

 

[steve_k]

I was wondering when the master would chime in and clear this all up!!!

Steve

 

[Capulin Overdrive]

there is a deference between 8ohm and 16ohm for my ears, and Eminence's charts are deferent for the same models but deferent ohms.

 

[troublehead]

but do they really sound that different?

To me.......YES. I've owned a pair of Mesa V30's that I bought second hand and now these "English" V30's in my Orange 212. I've also owned a handful of "Chinese" V30's as well as a pair of Hellatone 60's (not the 60/L). I truly can't tolerate the Chinese ones after awhile. Its not the extra brightness or the mid spike that bothers me, but its the "grittiness" through the same mids/highs. They just sound "ugly" for lack of a better word. Both my pair of Meas and the ones in my Orange are much smoother. Again, this is only MY opinion. But my opinion has caused me to quickly rid myself of all V30's in the past. I've caught myself reading the web about how the difference is only hearsay, so I end up buying some more hoping they will sound as good as my others. That never happens.

 

[troublehead]

there is a deference between 8ohm and 16ohm for my ears, and Eminence's charts are deferent for the same models but deferent ohms.

I agree with this and that may be part of what I'm hearing in this case. 8 ohms always seem to have less fizz and more focused high end to my ears.

 

[Jay Strange]

Just pummell and grind the scoogies outta those eggrolls

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

I think that some of the difference could be from ROHS materials (if Celestion has adopted ROHS). I personally have not been a big Celestion fan in the past few years. I have had some great tone from Jensen Neo 12-100, and the Earcandy speakers are OEMs from Jensen. Their quality seems great!! Also WGS, and Eminence are great with good prices. I think that Celestion has been kind of the default speaker for so many years that they are not really innovating anymore. Jensen has their Neo models, blackbird, and Jet models, Eminence has variable FDM (sensitivity). WGS has celestion like speakers made in USA at much better prices then Celesion made in China speakers. And the speakers I want to buy next Scumback, ultimate classic celestion sound, plus you can choose your wattage. What has celestion done recently?? Move manufacturing to China, that is all.

 

[Ventura]

Check your white stickers on the magnet side. If it has a 50 on it, it's MIC, if not, MIE.

V30's have been made in China since 99, not 2001. The rest of the speakers moved there in 2003 with the UK machines, EXCEPT for:

Heritage Line
Alnico Blue & Gold
Any OEM lines made for Mesa, Marshall, etc.

Hope that clears it up.

Jesus, I'm sending Rick Skillman (Celestion Rep) a frigging paypal money request for doing his job.

You know what?? Just because of this objective, straight up, and unsoliciting post - you just earned my business.

I mean it. Although I am a Alnico Gold fanboi, if you've got something that will match the tones I need in the cabs I describe, I will purchase them from you - expect a PM in the very near future.

Thanks man!! Honesty does pay off...

Mo

 

[Ventura]

there is a deference between 8ohm and 16ohm for my ears, and Eminence's charts are deferent for the same models but deferent ohms.

I find 8ohm drivers and 8ohm cabs less rich than 16ohm drivers and 16ohm cabs. I can't quite explain it, but when the volume gets up there, they (8ohm) start to sound sterile and 'blank'. I believe the term 'stiff' has been used before, and I'm avoiding that description as 'stiff' to me also translates to sensitive and quick with little woof and boom - a quality I actually like for the right application.

Whatever...hell, just play

V.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

I was wondering when the master would chime in and clear this all up!!!

Steve

Jeez, I'm not the master. I may have more experience than others, but there's so much that changes on this stuff (and I try not to keep track of what Celestion is doing these days unless asked/forced) it can be a job keeping up with their changes. Hence the phrase "Specificationss subject to change without notice." apparent in their literature/spec sheets, etc.

 

[ericsabbath]

mesa v30's are great but too nasal for me (had 5 of them)
I'm not sure if I've ever played the english non-mesa ones, except the marshall mode four version
the mode four v30's sounded very thin and shrill at first, but sounded great after a couple months