Blackstar HT-5RH Guitar Amplifier Head (5 Watts)

Get huge tone at low volumes with the 5-watt Blackstar HT5RH amp head. It's ideal for studio recording or bedroom practice.

Overall User Ratings (based on 10 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(10) (see rating details)
Submitted March 21, 2013 by Brandon Hance in Dundalk, MD

"WOW 5 watts of pure rock!!!!!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
MAn I have to say i was a bit skeptical going from an EVH 5150 down to this amp but i am absolutly blown away. The tone is amazing. The best thing about this amp is the qualities of the guitar really show through in the tone. Too often with these smaller amps every guitar sounds the same but not here. The dynamics are out of this world. I can dial in anything from screaming blues, bright clean jazz, to the rauchiest metal around. The isf feature is stunning as well. I wouldnt advise turning the dial all the way in either direction but from 9 oclock to 3 oclock covers alot and does it well.

Musical Background:

25 years of playing

Musical Style:

you name it i have played it
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Submitted September 26, 2014 by Randall Z in Hohenwald, TN

"Perfect gigging amp!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I purchased the HT-5RH from zZounds and I must say what great services I was provided. I play every weekend and wanted to get a lower wattage tube amp, and something easier to carry. The HT-5RH is perfect for me. I piggy backed this with a closed 112 cab with a Eminence speaker and its perfect. I had my doubts about gigging with 5w, but trusted the opinions I read and heard online. This amp keeps up just fine. I have only had to run the clean channel at about half volume with overdrive at a matched level. No problem with power using a pa system and using the amp for on stage monitoring. I had people in my ear about getting the 20w version.. it is not needed with a pa system, trust me. I wanted a amp I could crank up and get the tubes hot without being blowed off stage.. this amp works perfect.
Sound
Sound is great. Overdrive channel has plenty of gain to use. Notes articulate well. All the sustain needed with easy to obtain overtones. Clean channel has a very nice breakup with humbucking pickups. Very warm sound. Add a transparent boost on the clean side and can get some nice breakup old rock tones. Reverb has a nice sound.
Features
All the features you need for a two channel amp. I would like to see a boost feature for the overdrive at some point, but if you go old school and volume rolls, you are just fine. Effects loop boost is a nice feature. Emulated speaker output is nice. I currently just mic using a SM-57.
Ease of Use
Amp is very easy to use. Has all the basics with no clutter or options that you would not use. Straight forward setup.
Quality
Amp is well made. No cheap potentiometers. Chassis is solid. Very nice.
Value
Very good price, really happy with my purchase.
Manufacturer Support
Have not needed this to date.
The Wow Factor
This little amp blows me away. I can really get the sound I was looking for on both channels without any difficulty. I think Blackstar nailed it with this amp. I am a gigging guitarist and this is my new go to amp, it does everything I want.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar for 25+ years. Play in a band gigging every weekend.

Musical Style:

Rock, Classic Rock, Modern Country
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Submitted January 6, 2014 by Ted T in Holtville, CA

"Blown Away!!!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This is one of those rare instances when my expectations were exceeded. I have owned many high dollar amps, Marshall, Mesa and even a handwired point to point Plexi . I am a certified tone freak. If my tone isn't what I want, I don't play up to my full potential. I have this amp plugged into my Marshall 4x12 loaded with 25 watt Greenbacks. It sounds so killer! I play 80s hard rock and this thing just absolutely nails that stuff. I have the ISF turned to full American. Bass-8,Mid-10, Treb-8. However I roll back the mids to half if I have the volume up past 1 oclock. This thing has the meanest plexi snarl. Very Musical and lots of definition( you can still hear all the notes when you hit a big open chord or power chord). Very full in the mids. It is loud as hell through my 4x12. I always hated having an amp that needed a pedal to put me in that "comfort zone" for solos. This amp needs nothing!! I can shred easily on this thing and it has gobs of sustain. If you love that modded plexi tone, you will love this amp. It can do THE BROWN SOUND with ease. Roll back the volume on the guitar and you got AC/DC. The effects loop is awesome too. No tone suck that I could hear and the effects sit nicely in the mix and don't drown out the tone. The built in Reverb is nice too. I was worried that this amp wouldn't have enough gain for me but it has plenty. This amp is gig worthy through a 4x12. Turn this thing up and get all those harmonic overtones and creamy rich gain that is not compressed! Sounds good at low volume too although it really comes alive when you get your speakers moving. Clean channel is great for a 5 watt amp. I also noted that the tone gets even better after the amp is warmed up.

Musical Background:

Been playing since I was 7. Im 47 now-40 years

Musical Style:

70s and 80s rock
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Submitted February 20, 2013 by Steven G in Rochester, NY

"BEST AMP for the money ANYWHERE!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Don't let the haters who write crappy reviews on a product fool you! This is the best amp I have ever owned and it is a tone MONSTER for 5 watts.....It doesn't compare to a 200 watt amp but it's not suppose to. Amazing cleans and incredible distortion. I sold my Blues JR because it can't compare in sound quality or reliability to the Blackstar. It is the best made amp available today!!bar none!!!

Musical Background:

Been playing for over 35 years

Musical Style:

classic rock, fushion, jazz, blues
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Submitted January 4, 2015 by Chris M

"Blackstar HT-5RH Guitar Amplifier Head"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Both the amp and zZounds exceeded my expectations. I've never received items faster than those I've purchased from zZounds, and the Pay As You Play option makes it far less painful on the pocketbook. The amp is perfect for at home practice and recording, and you can easily gig with this amp as well using the emulated speaker direct out to a PA or if you mic your speaker. Fantastic tube tone at eardrum friendly volume. Can't beat it.
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Submitted February 16, 2012 by Lawrence B

"Don't fall for the hype"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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If you are thinking of buying this without hearing it first, don't. It is almost impossible to find one in stock somewhere to check them out but, they get such great reviews that I figured, what the heck, I'll take the risk. Now, I wished I would have saved some money and bought the jet city head or spent more on a Krank. It's not terrible but I sure can't hear where the almost cult like following comes from. The ISF feature is ok but I have owened several Marshalls over the years, tube and solid state, and the "British" side does not sound like one to me and I even have it running through a Marshall cab. The only position I can stand the ISF knob in, is all the way to the "American" side. The treble and bass eq controls respond pretty well but, the mid control is down right annoying. If you are into 80s-90s metal and like to get that guilty pleasure that is the scooped mid, you will not find it. Likewise if you try to go the other way and hump the mids, it turns to total mud. I am hoping a EQ pedal or two will fix this but I have not had a chance to try yet. On the plus side, the 5 watt power rating seems like complete fiction, this thing is every bit as loud or louder than my 40 watt Peavey TripleXXX tube combo and keeps up with my little 200watt PA. This amp also seems to really like pedals and responds VERY differently to different guitars/pickups. The build quality is some of the best I have ever seen, on par with Peaveys American made stuff, do not let the fact that it comes from Asia fool you. I was disapointed with this amp but, not enough to send it back. My advice, don't buy it till you have played it.

Musical Background:

20+ years

Musical Style:

Metal, SouthernRock.....ect...
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Submitted July 12, 2012 by Patrick G in Bountiful, UT

"Dynamite in a small package"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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First let me say this about Zzounds.com; this is my third purchase (twice using price match guarantee - they discounted further) and I would definitely purchase from them again. I haven't needed service so I can't speak to that but the pricing guarantees and payment plan work very well for me. Now the amp - this little thing is fantastic. Now it isn't as pure as say my Marshall Class5 or JCM2000 but for a little 5-watt head priced

Musical Background:

Amatuer/developing player jamming at home

Musical Style:

Blues, blues rock, metal, 80's rock.
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Submitted April 6, 2014 by Dave N in Ruther Glen, VA

"Blackstar HT-5RH"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I originally wanted an Orange OR15. But, the HT-5RH was a bit cheaper, has received some stellar reviews, had a few more features (mainly a headphone jack for practicing without waking the wife and kid), and it sounded pretty good in some of the video reviews on youtube, so I ordered it. It arrived quickly, and I hooked it up to my mid-80's Marshall 2x12. I played this amp for an hour and a half, and it went right back into the box. All I can say is this amp doesn't produce anything close to "the sound in my head". It's definitely a well constructed amp, but I couldn't get a sound I liked out of it. The biggest "wow factor" for this amp is how disappointed I was with how it sounded. The clean channel is actually pretty spanky, with a lot of headroom. The gain channel however is just awful in my opinion. Of course, the guys at zZounds.com made returning it an easy and painless process, and I ordered the Orange OR15... review to come shortly.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar for 30+ years.

Musical Style:

Rock, metal, jazz, blues
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Submitted January 11, 2012 by a customer from comcast.net

"Very happy with this purchase!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It's not perfect, no amp is. It's a hybrid, not true tube. The clean channel isn't spectacular. At 5 watts you're not going to play gigs with full bands. But for home use, practice, recording, jamming with a buddy or two. I'd say nothing beats it.
Sound
Rated a 9 because the cleans aren't so great. Not terrible but with only one tone knob on the clean channel and not a lot of headroom, well you get the picture. But the reverb (which is awesome by the way) helps a lot with that. The overdrive is where this thing shines! The ISF knob makes it like you have two differently voiced amps in one. I use this thing for home recording and it is just perfect for it. Turn the ISF to the american side and turn down the mids to have a modern metal kinda sound. Crank the ISF over to the british side and turn the mids back up to get that classic woody marshall tone. I blend the two together for recordings and it really makes a huge full tone! I run this head through a marshall 1960bv and it sounds amazing.
Features
I was concerned about the effects loop sucking the tone cause on other cheap amps I've owned that tends to happen. Not with this amp. All the features are great. Well, the emulated out isn't so hot but to be fair I've never owned any amp that sounds good that way.
Ease of Use
Sounds great with all the knobs at noon. Can't get it to sound bad.
Quality
Made very well and hasn't given me any problems so far.
Value
At under 400 dollars it's a no brainer.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't dealt with them at all.

Musical Background:

Guitar player of over 20 years

Musical Style:

Metal, rock, blues, classical
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