r/MarshallAmps

Hopefully I phrased that well enough LOL Pretty much the title. It's fairly common to hear that someone buys one of these amps and likes it but thinks that the stock speaker is too bright maybe or whatever and ends up getting a cream back instead.

Did breaking in the stock speaker more end up changing that for you?

I’m curious whether other Marshall users have noticed the same thing.

For me, the disappointment started with the Major V and continued with the Milton A.N.C. My reference point is the Major IV, which I personally find much more satisfying when it comes to rock music.

My problem isn’t simply bass quantity. It’s the impact, punch, and character of the sound.

The kick drum doesn’t hit as hard. The snare lacks that sharp, physical crack. The bass guitar has lost its density and presence. Instead of a tight, energetic, organic rock sound, I hear deeper but softer bass that feels more processed and digitally polished.

In short, the sound feels closer to modern pop than to the raw energy I expect from Marshall.

Deep bass is not the same as punchy bass. You can have plenty of low frequencies and still lose the impact that makes drums and bass guitar exciting.

I know that the Milton A.N.C. offers modern features, ANC, and impressive battery life. But I bought into the Marshall sound, not just the design, logo, or feature list.

And if I need to spend time tweaking EQ settings just to get closer to the sound I enjoyed on an older model, I have to ask whether the original tuning is moving in the wrong direction.

I’m not claiming that everyone hears it the same way. This is my personal experience, and I’d genuinely like to hear other opinions.

Questions for owners:

• If you own both the Major IV and Major V, which one has the better drum impact and bass-guitar definition?
• Milton A.N.C. owners: do you find the bass punchy and tight, or deep but soft?
• Has anyone noticed a meaningful change in sound after a firmware update?

I’m interested in honest comparisons, including opinions that disagree with mine.

Marshall built its reputation on rock. Is that rock sound still there, or has the brand moved towards a more mainstream, lifestyle-oriented sound?

Let’s discuss. 🎸

I’ve had issues with this amp for a while and when I posted about the fact it was making loud popping and screeching noises months and months back I was recommended new preamp tubes. Well I replaced them today (amp sat unused for a while, I’ve been busy) and everything sounded fine at first when I was trying out the clean channel on its low power mode but when I turned it up the popping returned and it lost all its power while on. Currently trying to find an amp technician but I don’t know of any in my local area. I’ve had such a bad experience with this amp apart from how it sounded immediately after I got it and it makes me want to just switch back to solid state 🫩 I also voided the warranty by swapping out its speaker to an eminence swamp thang

I bought my Marshall DSL100HR at the start of 2025 and for the most part, I’ve enjoyed it. I mainly play it as an imitation of a JCM 800 or when tracking as a compliment to a Rectifier. I like the tones but hate the fact that all 4 channels have to share the EQ dials, I can’t truly have them separate. The obvious answer would be to upgrade to a JVM but the TSL100 would be about the same cash wise if I traded my DSL for it. I am aware that any model pre-2004/2005 have bias drift issues and would be a PCB fix but any model after 2005 I should be golden. I’ve heard some sound samples of the TSL and they seem in line with the DSL, but there’s a reason the JVM has been the flagship since 2007. I’m trying to hear people out before I make a decision.

Marshall but I’m assuming you guys know the models