Ok, I am the guy who just got his HT-20H.
Was going to wait till I had more time with it to give a review but here are my first impressions.
Clean channel - It's clean. Volume control & single tone control. Don't use this channel very often, but it sounds good, and that 1 tone knob can really change the tone for that channel.
Overdrive channel - This, IMO, is what you would buy this amp for. It has, IMO, lots of gain. I mean its no Triple Rectifier but it has more than enough gain for my tastes. I only turn gain up 3/4 of the way. For 20 watts this amp is loud! 2-EL34 power tubes w/ 2 12ax7 pre-amp tubes. This is were the debate comes into play. How are there only 2 pre amp tubes if this is an all tube amp with as much gain as it has? If 1 pre tube is for clean channel, and 1 for gain channel, where is the phase inverter tube? And how can so much gain be generated by 1 12ax7 tube? So, I believe there is some sort of diode clipping going on in the circuit somewhere. There has to be. I don't think it's a bad thing as I really like the tone either way.
The voice of this amp is very dark. Not nearly as bright as my Bugera is. Then again it still has its stock tubes in it. I bet once I swap the preamp tubes with JJ's it will have even more gain, and prob be a little brighter. I really like the ISF knob on the amp. Some say it is basically a presence control. I disagree. It really changes the tone from a British voice to an American voice. It changes the whole eq curve of the amp, so once you change the ISF, you can re-eq the amp as the whole tone curve has changed.
Some other cool features I noticed it has. The f/x loop in the back has a button you can push in for using pedals(-6db I believe) or leave it out for rack equipment(+10db I believe), also there is a simulated out, so you can record right to your computer with it. Ohm selection for different cabs.
The only odd thing I noticed about this amp is that it doesn't have a standby switch. Not really a big deal, but I am just used to there being one on tube amps. I guess it was one way they cut costs.
So far I am very happy with the amp. Been playing the shit out of it since Friday when I got it. I run my 10 band eq in the loop which really seemed to open this amp up. I also use my TS9 in front as a boost. Just helps to tighten everything up, plus I like how it adds to the tone.
Like I said, I wouldn't normally do a review this soon, but so far I am glad I ordered it. Plus it just looks sexy sitting on my 4x12 in my room.
