Poweramp comparison - ISP Stealth vs. Peavey 6505

    Hey guys, I've been using the ISP Stealth for a little while now with my Kemper, and I've been super impressed with it. Previously I was running the KPA through the power section of my 6505 head, so I decided to A/B the two amps with identical settings, at identical volumes, and see what kind of a difference there was. There was quite a noticeable difference between the two, so I made some very simple front panel eq adjustments to try to bring the two sounding closer. I could have analyzed the two tracks and gotten them closer with some fancy parametric eq'ing, but in the interest of simplicity and universality, I wanted to restrict myself to the front panel knobs.


    Check it out and let me know what you think!


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    Cheers!

    Edited once, last by GOlson ().

    Like 1

    That is awesome! Thank you very much :)


    If you ever get the chance to get your hands on a Kemper Powerhead please redo this comparison. I think it would be interesting as the poweramp seems to have quite some influence ;)

    My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guitars for what I told her they cost.

    Intresting. You're using main out and guitar cab. I've bought the ISP stelth but I'm using monitor out and a 2x12 cab. ISP works just fine, so tiny and so powerful. Seems to colour the sound less then the guitar power amps that I've tried.

    Hi,


    interesting comparison and very well played / recorded. Thanks !
    The 6505s power amp is far from linear. PEAVEY designed it to be non linear.
    It is almost never the goal to have a linear tube power stage in a guitar amp.
    The 6505 power stage emphasizes high mids and treble a lot and can be dialed to even change the low frequency transfer curve.
    The damping factor is quite high too and this even changes with the settings made on the presence and resonance knobs and switches....and that is even frequency dependent.


    Comparing the two amps is interesting, but it is like comparing the sound of a trumped to that of a saxophone.
    It is totally a matter of taste.


    If you do not want to color the sound of your KPA, do not use a guitar tube amp even if you are just using the power stage of it.
    This is not to say that you should not use a tube amp.


    If YOU like the sound : Anything goes !


    Tilman

    Thanks for listening guys!


    Absolutely, the 6505's power section colors the KPA a lot! I know (and I see) several people who use a Kemper or other modeling preamp this way when playing live, and there always seems to be an ongoing "tube vs. solid state" debate. And it seems that people almost always claim to prefer the tube amp's sound in an A/B comparison. I just wanted to see how big of a difference there was, and if it can be minimized.
    But definitely, I agree. I wouldn't (and don't) actually go to any effort to make it sound "like a tube amp", I'd just dial up something that I think sounds good. I haven't played live with the KPA/ISP combo yet, but at band practice, with acoustic drums, it sounds great and there's plenty of volume on tap. I think the ISP, a 180W Class A/B amp in a package that weighs just over 1 pound and costs much less than any similarly powered tube amp, is a pretty legit product. 8)


    malleus, Yeah, I'd like to do this with a powered Kemper too!


    lobster56, I use the main outs to run the Stealth in stereo. I haven't tried the monitor out, it wouldn't sound any different though, I don't think?

    Quote from GOlson

    Hey guys, I've been using the ISP Stealth for a little while now with my Kemper, and I've been super impressed with it. Previously I was running the KPA through the power section of my 6505 head, so I decided to A/B the two amps with identical settings, at identical volumes, and see what kind of a difference there was. There was quite a noticeable difference between the two, so I made some very simple front panel eq adjustments to try to bring the two sounding closer. I could have analyzed the two tracks and gotten them closer with some fancy parametric eq'ing, but in the interest of simplicity and universality, I wanted to restrict myself to the front panel knobs.
    Check it out and let me know what you think!
    Cheers!


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    Good comparison Gord, thanks for sharing.
    The ISP Stealth delivers transparent tones, cost less and weigh less than the Peavey, so it's a no brainer for me.
    And as you show in the video, a few quick eq adjustments on the kemper and you can match the eq coloration of the Peavey through the Stealth as well.

    The tube power amp has a big effect on the sound. To really compare the two power amps you would need to do the following:


    Use a DI BOX which can handle speaker levels and create two DI profiles
    - One from the FX send of the amp (line level)
    - another one from the speaker out of the amp (speaker level)


    Now to compare the two power amps use the "speaker out" profile with the Solid State power amp and the "FX send" profile with the tube power amp.
    When played over the same cab, both profiles now should sound very close to each other.

    Good work!


    Another example of simple cheap solutions can easely do the job.


    Sounds good to me. But what is the difference in respons when you play both solutions live?

    Thanks!


    To be honest, I don't notice any appreciable difference in feel or response between the two. The Stealth is some kind of modified Class A/B design, so it feels and sounds great. Pretty much the perfect aftermarket amp for the Kemper, imo. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a power switch, but I run my rig through a power conditioner, and just use it as a global power switch.

    GOLson,


    great comparison, really appreciate it


    I just got an ISP and I was wondering, what are the straps you used to secure the ISP int he back of the Kemper?


    Also, did you put the power supply in there too?


    Thanks!!



    Thanks man! I do drafting and design at a steel fab shop, so I designed some brackets to hold the Stealth in there. They use the KPA's existing holes on either side, and use the existing screws too. Works really well! And yeah, there's just enough room in there to fit the power supply as well. Could hardly ask for a better fit!
    Let me know if you (or anyone else) would be interested in a pair of those brackets, I can look into getting some more cut. Would probably be a small cost for material and shipping.

    I totally dig my Stealth!


    I can hang with FRFR no problem, but the added colors from my guitar cabs is fun to be able to use. That and shaking the walls a little more with some speakerage!


    ISP did a great job with that little thing. I got mine used so that was even more awesomeamazexcellenterrificer.

    Quote from GOlson

    Thanks!


    To be honest, I don't notice any appreciable difference in feel or response between the two. The Stealth is some kind of modified Class A/B design, so it feels and sounds great. Pretty much the perfect aftermarket amp for the Kemper, imo. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a power switch, but I run my rig through a power conditioner, and just use it as a global power switch.


    The fact that it fits in the back of the kemper head is really good, including the power supply.
    Yes a plus would be if they had included a power switch in the design.