The Marshall DSL20HR is part of the DSL Series of amplifiers, all-valve heads and combos that deliver classic Marshall tone and build quality. These amplifiers all boast a Classic and Ultra Gain Channel, giving musicians the option of pristine cleans to aggressive overdrives and anything in-between. Each channel also has a dedicated Master Volume control, perfect for those explosive set-piece solo moments. All the models in the range also provide an emulated output for recording purposes and a power reduction feature.
Visible on the front panel of the DSL20HR is a Reverb control to set the wet/dry distribution in the signal. The rear of the cabinet has three speaker outputs giving flexible options during recording scenarios. The output of the amplifier can also be switched between 20W and 10W, suiting different environments or supplying differing sonic textures.
The main features of the Marshall DSL20HR include:
This amp head looks absolutely fabulous when sitting on the top of Marshall MX212AR vertical cab.
If used at home, you will need an attenuator, preferably with a reactive load, to get the most out of it at low volumes.
Reverb sounds to me as small hall type and goes from none to very audible.
This head made in October 2019 works as intended.
The volume knobs work with Emulated OUT and the sound is surprisingly good.
To be honest I was not very impressed with the head running into 70/80 speakers but the cab upgrade to Celestion AType and VType really made me appreciate how good this amp is.
Pedals work well in the loop as well as at the front, but expect some pedals may be noisier than others.
I usually set the shared EQ for the ultra gain channel because the classic gain channel sounds good in any setting to my ears.
I hope this new DSL20HR made in October 2019 will be a reliable work horse.
The date of the DSL20HR on the barcode is important. Steer clear of those made early, I had 2 heads made in December 2017 and both suffered from volume knobs not working with Emulated Out, had windy popping noise (check marshallforum for the ills of the early batches) and one was repaired 2x with flashing/dark power switch, they were returned for a refund (purchased from a different vendor), but this head made in October 2019 works well, I can confirm that. Good service at DV247 . Highly recommended.