HT‑1R MKIII vs HT‑5R MKIII — Which suits my style and volume better?
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Hey everyone, I’d love some real‑world input from people who’ve owned or played these amps.
I’m choosing between the Blackstar HT‑1R MKIII combo and the HT‑5R MKIII combo, and my use case is a bit specific:
🎸 My playing situation
- Apartment volume: 80–82 dB max
- I play mostly hard rock, classic metal, 80s leads, and expressive stuff (Gary Moore, Slash, etc.)
- I want a small tube combo as a “toy” — something fun, alive, and inspiring
- I don’t need versatility, just tube feel
- I’ll sometimes push the amp with an OD pedal
- I also use delay and sometimes a looper, so an FX loop might matter
🎯 What I’m trying to figure out
At 80–82 dB, which amp gives me:
- More tube feel (sag, bloom, squish, alive under the fingers)
- More sustain when pushed with an OD
- Better pushed‑clean feel
- Better tight metal rhythm when needed
- More fun as a small “fling” amp
🥊 My dilemma
- I love the size and weight of the HT‑1R MKIII — it’s the perfect tiny tube toy.
- But the HT‑5R MKIII has the FX loop, more headroom, and a bigger power tube (12BH7).
- At my volume limit, the HT‑1R might actually compress more and feel more “tube‑alive,”
while the HT‑5R might stay tighter and cleaner.
❓ So I’m asking you all:
At 80–82 dB, which amp actually FEELS more like a tube amp?
And which one fits my style better?