Both sound good; ENGL has my preferred kind of voicing. Also, leaving the presence so far down is choking the upper mids and highs too much. It does not sound that muffled in real life, going through actual speakers.
This demo was the final “nail in the coffin” for me to finally pull the trigger on an MT15. Thank you TENFOLD for the BEST review of this amp hands down in this and other videos. Your videos are the closest thing to trying the amp in real life in various settings and genres. I don’t feel like there were any questions I had left in answered thanks to you. Keep it up man! For the record…. The final segment with the Stephen Carpenter 7 string is easily my Favorite Riff I have EVER heard. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened this video and went straight to the final segment.
Bro your amp comparison videos are easily some of the best on this site. You cover a wide array of styles/genres staying true and accurate to all of them whilst also covering many good tones and setups such as using different IR's same IR's etc. I love your easy to follow style and format, which is very uncommon to see in amp demo style videos these days. So easy to watch, you're really nailing it man thanks for the amazing work!
@SonicDriveStudio ok so no mics ... how about variation in position of the IR relative to the room then? An alternative position way back from the grill to highlight differences and add variety? Edit: sorry, not trying to insult your work. Maybe before YT compression, the contrast is more noticeable. But on the viewers end, it starts to all sound the same. Compare the IR method to something like this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sOpk9ujFGcc.htmlsi=emJQaZsHjhCtM3xX
Damn, closer than I thought it would be for me. I'm a huge fan of Engl, that's an understatement. To my ears the prs wins on cleans but everything else, man, I just love the sound of the Engl. For me they just can't be beat!
Great comparison! Overall I prefer the more 'organic' tone of the Engl (to my ears). There's something slightly artificial about the MT15. Neither amp impressed me for clean and crunch. I preferred the Engl for hard rock BUT interestingly when they were using the same IR I preferred the MT15.
@@FungusLabel I know what you mean, that's why I put 'organic' in quotes. I basically prefer the sound of the Engl here but in other comparison videos I find the Engl to be too tight for my tastes.
This is a great comparison, and I was thinking about going with the MT15, but went with the Engl Fireball 25 because I found it to be more versatile. Someone pointed out that in this shootout, the Engl presence was turned down really low as compared to the MT15. I keep the presence set at around 10 o'clock, which to me is the sweet spot. The Engl by no means sounds muffled if you turn up the presence a bit.
I currently have the PRS MT15 paired with a Marshall cabinet with twin Celestian 60 WT speakers and a Boss ME-80 pedal board, and have been very happy with the purchase and versatility of this simple combo. The MT 15 is great on its own, and the vast capabilities of the Boss ME-80 create endless possibilities thru the MT 15 clean channel as an affordable platform. I've owned Fender, Crate, Peavy, KMD, and other speaker amps over the years. I think you are spot on in mentioning that the PRS MT 15 is a solid performer at an affordable price. It was fun listening to your playing thru the PRS and the ENGL.
Firstly, I LOVE these comparisons! Secondly, to MY ears, I thought the PRS had a top end sparkle that was very pleasing when clean. As the examples got heavier, that became more and more fatiguing. I think the PRS sounds better overall, but I'll never buy it as it's made in China. The 1 watt power soak option in the ENGL is extremely valuable to me as well. 👊
Great comparison! They sound very close but like was said, accentuate different things. Both sound great but I think I prefer the PRS. I definitely prefer the PRS at the price each is selling for.
Presence stands in unequal positions. Of course the sound will be more clamped into Engl. If you put Presence in Engl as well as in Prs, we will hear a completely different sound that is likely to leave a victory for Engl.
The presence on the ENGL is much more aggressive. You have to keep in mind that the tapers on these presence pots react very differently to one another
@@SonicDriveStudio But you could probably added a little to the Engl and/or taken away a little from the PRS, and I seriously doubt there'd be that much difference. Both sounded good, btw...
as owner of fireball 100 I think I can shed some light on presence knob setting. Guess it pretty same on fball 25. It shapes highs (and hi mids I think) very aggressively. WIth being set on noon it's not usable for rhythm guitar at all. 9 o'clock reasonable setting. 10-12 o'clock adds some glass to sound and brings noise. Higher position - more noise. might be good for some lead parties. I didn't found presence knob usable at setting higher than 12 o'clock and it seems like author feels the same. Fireball has darker sound by design. So, guess presence settings on those amps are kind of sweet spots for author
I liked the high end sparkle of the PRS on the cleans, but the warmer ENGL had a really nice tone as well. On the Crunch test, the ENGL was the hands down winner. Those pushed mids made it sound so much more full and satisfying. On the baritone metal(which is what I primarily play), those mids that made the ENGL sound so good in the crunch clips made it sound muddy here. The PRS was a lot more crisp and tight. I'd choose the ENGL and put a boost in front of it.
Nice demo. I am going to have to disagree with the decision to roll back the Engl presence to almost zero and crank the presence on the PRS to almost max: 13:00. For the sake of control, you just can't have that much deviation in a comparison.
It could be that he dialed in EQ settings which he thought sounded best on each amp for those particular sound clips. Not all amp's EQs sweep the same way. Balancing each frequency is a difficult task given each amp's circuit design. To my ears the ENGL has lots of presence/fizz but also has more mid "roar", as he put it, than the PRS MT15 which tends to darken the overall sound. He would have had to choose between boosting more presence or cutting mids to make it less dark but perhaps in doing so it changed the characteristics of the amp in an unpleasant way. Post EQ (in software or a multi-band EQ pedal in the loop) would give more options but then that takes away from the purpose of the comparison.
I don't think comparing 2 completely different amps requires them to be set to try to sound like each other...for me to test i would put all controls at 5 and go from there. After that is it was it is...which one sounds better?
Both sound great. You can tell you really have to dig in on the ENGL to get that high end. The MT-15 sounds like it plays super easy. The 3khz ish range on the MT-15 is money 🔥
Top notch comparison. The editing in terms of audio and video clip switching was spot on. The comparison was thorough also. I’m not much of a crunch sound type of guy so the PRS appeals to me more. I also prefer the price, the look, the clean channel and the high gain. Appreciate the quality and the guitars chosen🤘🏻
Great video. You can’t go wrong with either unit but for me …. PRS all the way. - Great sounds - Separate EQ controls/channel + treble boost - The color switching between channels is sooooo cool - External bias ports - ~ $500 less - Smaller footprint - American brand.
God, I love the prs with the elite, it’s just the perfect combo for me.I got both of them thanks to you and your awesome videos buddy. Thanks for doing this and keep on rocking Jon!
I need some 6L6's in my life, so different and unique sounding. Really loving this PRS MT15, I think this is the one for me for the $$$. I was forced to sell my Ironball(original one). I hope this PRS amp can at least keep up with it. I think it will! Great review and playing as always.
That PRS is amazing, but a touch glassy for my ear. I like how sonorous the ENGL can be- especially on the opens. Since cabinet choice is really whats going to voice things- I'd take that sonorous chug on the ENGL and match it up with a mesa oversized cab and maybe some Eminence speakers to really round it out.
Both are very good! Engl is bit darker here maybe with a higher level of presence and high the difference between the two amps aren't so evident. In this video i like more Prs MT15
They're surprisingly close, but I'll vote for the MT15 because it sounded all around livelier to me. Your riffs and demos are always awesome, thanks for doing this.
Great job on the video! I love both of these amps, but I find myself using the MT15 on more jobs than the Fireball. I am probably biased since I play the PRS Archon 50 quite often, as well.
Wow....that Fireball has a tighter gain structure. But, there's nothing about it that justifies it being almost twice the price. And, that MT15 clean channel is beautiful. You can always tighten up the MT15 with a pedal, at that price. WOW....GREAT demo!
Both sound great. I prefered the PRS on the cleans surprisingly, wasn't especting that On the high gain in can't decide, the Engl has the NG and the loadbox that I didn't new it had, so the extra 300€ maybe is worth a shoot. You should do a comparison between these two and the EVH LBX Stealth, I've been searching the web for a long time and there are no such thing. Great channel btw
PRS - clean, bright and well defined. The bass response is outstanding. Also has 2 seperate eq controls, making an all round fantastic amp. Engl - Grainy and earthy clean tone, not as bright as MT, however has a thunderous low end - but less tight and responsive off the pick. Also uses same eq settings for clean and dirty. In a mix, they do however appear to compliment eachother. But the MT15 gets my nod, outstanding little amp. Great review!
Great video as always. I like the Engl best, there seems to be a high frequency thing with the PRS I dont like and its mids feel like there is hole there.
It’s the PRS for me, but considering I just bought an MT-15 last month I’m probably biased... can’t go wrong with either! I’d love to see these two vs. a Victory Kraken
I am the new owner of an MT15. 2 of my friends have them and mine luckily came with the better factory tubes than the cheap Chinese ones. I did however get an MXR 10 band EQ running through the fx loop and an ISP decimator running in the front to help with the noise, which is the worst part about it. I've played 6 shows with it so far and get compliments on my guitar tone so that's a plus! Love the vid! \m/
Awesome review the comparison was flawless showed me everything I needed. I will choose the MT 15 because it sounds more open and clear, but that may just be EQ but the biggest reason is the dual separate channels for clean to dirty live applications.
Great comparison!! In this video the PRS is the winner, it sounded fuller and clearer, still mean. However, when I had the chance of trying the PRS, did not impressed me as much as ENGL did. I ended up buying an ENGL.
5 days later and the MT15 is on the way! Thanks for your amazing videos. Overall, I wanted the Fireball, but $500-600 more for the ENGL was just too much to go for after just getting the Ironball SE
Awesome video, you always go so in depth and keep it interesting. I liked the Engl and would be happy w that but certainly preferred the PRS overall. The tones from that Stephen Carpenter 7 you got is amazing
Mt15 sounds more articulate, highs/presence could be rolled down for smoother and fuller sound if required but by itself or in the mix, it fits better and is more defined. Again, either way, lowering presence on mt15 or levelling up on the Engl would make them sound similar. They both seem to have a similar gain structure
Great comparison. Both sound excellent, and as others have stated, I'm sure the tone would be more similar with the presence higher on the ENGL or turned down on the MT15. I could live with either, although the silent recording option on the ENGL is a nice feature missing from the PRS.
Great vid man I was waiting for this one. I have a Mt15 myself and I use almost the same settings. Ill buy a Fireball 25 forsure when the gigs are on again. The only this that bothered me a little is that you didnt touch the presence on both amps. The MT15 could be a little less aggresive on the pushed clean tones with less pressence and the Fireball was a little dark on the high gain tones with the pressence so low.
On measured watts, what's on the front means not a lot. Old Marshall 100-watt amps test out at around 144. This ENGL has a noise gate and power soak. The PRS doesn't. But in the U.S. the PRS costs $750, while the ENGL costs $1,350. I bought a returned F 100 for $1,675. Love it. Just bought a used ENGL 2x12 for $450, $550 less than new. Plan on getting another and spread them out a bit in my space. ENGL cabs rock too. Very heavy though.
PRS MT15 might sound a little more cutting in the mix, but I won't lie, but the MT15 being $500 cheaper (half the ENGL) makes the MT15 the clear winner, despite the fact that I think the ENGL is slightly more towards the sound I typically go for.
Much to my surprise I slightly prefer the Engl for the hi gain parts and the MT15 for the classic rock section. The PRS sounds a bit clearer, which is a plus on lower gain but can get a bit harsh on full blast.
I pretty much play metal exclusively. Based on what I've seen you can't go wrong with either. I think the PRS sounds a bit brighter on the lead channel, but it sounds like the Engl would be best if you were using something in a really low tuning that required a 7 or 8 string. The low end and mids are extremely clear.
Can't really go wrong with either. If you need a two amp rig for stereo or wet/dry on a budget buy two MT15. One of each would even be better in many cases. I've chosen this Engle to pair with my PRS HDRX-20 with 5881's similar to the 6L6's. Each with small 2x12" vertical slant cabs. Versatile. If I only need one, I can choose for application. Or take 1 amp two cabs. Or two amps wet/dry. Or stereo. All modular for the job. A HDRX-20 PRS combined with an MT-15 would be an awesome budget two amp setup. They all sound good is the bottom line and you must decide in the end.
Yeah I don’t understand his a/b comparisons neither, nothing helps to give us a good idea of the amps (stereo, IR, not the same settings). Very weird, I don’t think the point of testing an amp is to have a beautiful sound, but to be as close as possible to reality
Again, a great comparison. I have the MT15 and like it alot. Keen on trying the Fireball though, the more agressive mids might suit my needs. The prs has alot of highend...air if you will, wich annoys me sometimes.
Another great vid, nice job. Firstly...I like the versatility factor of the ENGL being able to use the clean channel with some dirt, the PRS didnt have that option. Secondly I though the ENGL sounded a bit dark, probably fixable with raising up that Presents control a bit.
I'd be interested in in hearing the Engl with the presence up, seeing the prs has its presence turned mostly all the way up and the Engl has its presence all the way down. This was reflected aurally, in the same IR back2back comparisons.
@@drdoscacciato6555 agreed. I used hyperbole to describe it was most of the way down (an angle 8:30 or approximately 10-15% in some isolated examples compared to the prs which was at an angle of 14:30 or approximately 80%) as figure of speech not to be taken literarly. I think my meaning of ALMOST all the way up for the prs against the Engl which was ALMOST all the way down was conveyed. That at these dial settings, the Engl having significantly less presence with an almost completely turned down knob compared to the prs most of the way up having much more. I'd like to hear them either at similar knob settings or set to match by sound to see how much more or less can be added/taken away - different approaches to a like for like (knob position or sound match)
This video changed my decision from the ENGL to the MT15. They are similar, but MT15 sounds clearer or balanced in the high ranges more noticeable when the amp cleans up.
Why is the presence down on the ENGL? Makes the fireball sound darker, which it is, but it's quite a powerful tone control to brighten up things, maybe more into the MT15 range...
I had an MT-15 and I thought I would treat myself to a new amp so I got a Dover DA-20.The Dover killed the MT-15.I then sold the MT-15 and today I just got ENGL Fireball 25 and I know it’s personal preference but for me the Fireball 25 is much better than the MT-15.The MT-15 can’t be beat for value but as far as the sound goes the Fireball 25 wins easy.
Cleans and crunch go to Engl, smoother cleans and punchier/less fizzy crunch. I thought the MT-15 sounded better for rock n metal isolated, but preferred the Engl in the band mixes, probably has to do with how the midrange sits in the mix for Engl. Great video man, ty.
Both are cool. I would go with... well any of the two could do the job actually. The presence its okay for me in the Engl, in a mix you could boost it with post eq IF IT IS NECESARY. On live well, the cymbals dominate the freq, you could turn the knob up but you will have fizz. The PRS is a good option too, and you could dial the presence down hahaha. Great amps
Presence is up on the PRS and down on the Engl. Would've liked to see them more balanced because that's one of the areas where I thought they were more different.
They both have their own character. However I think the the MT15 wins for me. More midrange crunch and more open sounding. The Fireball sounds like it would be great for a certain style/sound. I listen to marty friedman and it has his heavy rhythm sounds and probably a modern metal sound but the MT15 is more marshall like to me and I prefer that sound. The fact it is about 300e cheaper is just a juicy bonus lol
MT15 for me, thank you ... oh, look, it is in my living room! Both are good, but I prefer the presence and a bit more tightness (with a bit less middle) in the sound of the MT15, as well as the price. Although you get a bit more features on Engl if you need them.
