Blackstar HT Series HT-1 – Single Watt Miracle Box

Controls:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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Blackstar has made some pretty large ripples on the market when they released their HT-5 tube combo some time ago. That model won a number of prizes as well as the hearts of many of its users. Blackstar took that winning formula and repackaged it to created the Blackstar HT-1. This is by far one of the most interesting and capable tube amps under $300 at the moment. As a matter of fact, it is one of the very few valve designs in this price range, period.

Controls

There is one reoccurring theme with smaller, affordable tube amps – very basic control cluster. In many ways, Blackstar HT-1 pushed the envelope on that regard, with their super clean layout. What you get is the following. There is one gain knob, one volume knob, and an ISF knob. That is all you get. That ISF knob is Blackstar's proprietary tech. It serves as an EQ of sorts. One end of the spectrum will give you more American like tone, while the other is where the British vibes are at. On top of what we've already mentioned, there is also a channel select button. The amp itself may not be full of controls, but your ability to dial in a whole range of rich tones is still there.

Features

Seeing how well accepted their HT-5 ended up being, it was only logical to scale that design and deliver something that is more affordable with the same flavor. Blackstar's HT-1 packs exactly 1 Watt of power being delivered by one ECC83 and ECC82 tubes in its preamp and power stage. The speaker is an 8 Inch unit that sounds custom tailored for this configuration. It is worth mentioning that Blackstar went with their push-pull tube configuration, giving the HT-1 a bit more flexibility. If you don't want to use the speaker, you can always plug in your headphones and use the emulated cab output for silent practice sessions. However, the absolute best feature of this tiny powerhouse is the built in speaker output.

Performance

Affordable tube amps really took off in the past several years. The idea was to deliver something that could bring back that vintage tone without breaking one's bank account. HT-1 is just another one of the models which achieve just that. Especially considering its ISF control. In terms of volume, this little guy can be quite loud. One Watt of power may not sound like much, but it is easily enough to push you to your threshold. Is it an amp that you'd want to use for gigging? Definitely not. Although, given that speaker output, you could probably make something work with a decent enough speaker cab. The tone generated by those two tubes is simply awesome. We are talking true, raw tube tone in an amp that is extremely reasonably priced. What else could we ask for?

Conclusion

Blackstar HT-1 is the type of amp those who appreciate a more vintage sound would definitely want to check out. It's not the loudest, nor is it the most feature-packed box out there. However, we are talking about a very affordable, true tube amp. In that context, Blackstar HT-1 is about as good as it gets.

For more info about the Blackstar HT Series HT-1, click here.
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