Thanks for taking my message. Long fan fan of the product and demos and finally looking to add another power amp to my collection.
Currently I’ve put a rack together around the Synergy preamps and I also have the Marshall JMP-1 and matching 50/50 monoblock and a Mesa Roadster head.
I recently tried the Synergy PowerAmp and did not like it at all. It felt very flat, muted and lifeless. Many of the preamps sounded dare I say the same running through there. I am used to my Mesa Roadster for a benchmark as well. I tried using the Synergy preamp in the effects loop of the Mesa and directly into the Marshall PowerAmp. Both sound better but I’m looking to complete my rack solution so I can gig with ease. The Mesa sounded the best, the Marshall sounded ok.
What Freyette solution would best suit my needs for a more dynamic power section? Is the LXii just better enough or do I need some bigger transformers like the 50/50 or 90/90 to get the tone I’m after?
Power amp sections of self contained amps tend to alter the tone of anything you plug into the FX return. That’s because that part of the amp circuit is the final “sauce” for the amp preamp stage. So, if you like the sound of anything plugged into that power amp, congrats. that means you like the frequencies emphasized by that power amp whether or not they may be complementary for everything.
Very few standalone power amps try to sound like the power amp stage of a self contained amp. Otherwise, everything you plug into it will sound more or less the same. If you’re looking for a power amp that will work with a variety of preamps, you need something that doesn’t impose too much of its own personality on everything.
As you have discovered, not all power amps are created equal. The one that you thought sounded lifeless and flat will actually be the most neutral for the widest range of different preamps, or modules that you will use with it. That you find it not as fulfilling for a specific application is not a great surprise.
Any of the Fryette power amps will provide more dynamic behavior and organic tonal response than other standalone power amps, even the Synergy one, which we designed. This is because a power amp with a more natural sound and feel like the LXII will always perform better than a power amp like the seemingly similar Syn 5050 which is trying to be too many things at once.
That said, the LXII, Two/Fifty/Two, and Two/Ninety/Two all share the central DNA that makes the sound and feel pleasing. Which one you would prefer will depend n your specific needs. Which tubes and how much power they deliver is more about how loud you play live and how much live headroom you need. Honestly, the LXII is more than enough power 90% of the time.
Most of our key artists, Steve Vai, Jerry Cantrell, Dean Deleo, Stephen Carpenter and others have used all of these models over the years and still do currently. Usually they will put a rig together based on the needs of the most current project. For most of those guys it’s a given that the sound and dynamic range is there and the latest rig is going to come together over logistics first (simplicity, reliability and freight cost).