Blackstar HT-20R MkII vs Laney Cub Super 10

The Blackstar HT-20R MkII and the Laney Cub Super 10 are both amplifiers sharing high headroom, compressed, full. The Blackstar HT-20R MkII leans transparent and mid-forward. The Laney Cub Super 10 leans harmonically rich and glassy.

Similarity
citedBlended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.

71% — moderately similar

Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • high headroom
  • compressed
  • full
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
17%
17%
Price
—

$383.22via Reverb

Description

The Blackstar HT-20R MkII is a 20-watt all-tube combo amplifier featuring switchable 20W and 1W power modes for home and stage use. EL34 output tubes give it a distinctly British midrange character. Two channels — Clean and Overdrive — each equipped with ISF tone shaping span a wide tonal range. The MkII revision refined the reverb circuit and added a USB recording output. Available as both a combo and a standalone head, it sits in the middle of Blackstar HT all-valve range and is widely regarded as one of the better-value EL34 amps in its price bracket.

The Laney Cub Super10 is a single-ended Class A, 6-watt all-tube combo powered by two ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes and one EL84 output tube, paired with a 10-inch HH custom speaker, larger than the Cub8's 8-inch driver. It replaced the earlier Cub 10 model, switching from that amp's 6V6 power tube to an EL84, giving a different harmonic character alongside a built-in boost function for pushing into overdrive. Positioned above the entry-level Cub8 in Laney's tube combo lineup, with more preamp gain stages and a larger speaker.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Classic Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Blues
  • Hard Rock
  • Rock
  • indie rock
  • blues
  • alternative
Tonal lean
  • transparent
  • mid-forward
  • saturated
  • aggressive
  • harmonically rich
  • glassy
Good for
citedOccasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.
  • Practice
  • Studio
  • Worship
  • Practice
  • Studio
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