Archon 50W Head
High-Gain Hero
Greek for “ruler” or “lord,” the PRS Archon is a commanding 2-channel amp with versatile overdriven tones and sparkling cleans with plenty of headroom. Designed with five gain stages before the master volume, the Archon’s lead channel is voiced to cover everything from Classic Rock to Metal with full, lush distortion. The clean channel provides rich tones that retain clarity even at high volume, and there is ample headroom, creating an excellent platform for pedals. The Archon has remarkably responsive tone with incredible note separation, whether you’re playing on the clean channel or chugging on the lead.
Utilizing a ‘no flash or trash’ approach, the Archon’s control layout allows for detailed and intuitive tone shaping. Each channel features volume, treble, middle, bass, and master volume controls as well as a bright switch. The 3-band EQ lets players better dial-in their desired tone, while the volume and master controls work together to command the amp’s distortion and loudness. The bright switch acts almost as a treble boost, putting a shine on the amp’s high-end without going into icepick territory. The global presence and depth controls in the Archon’s power amp section both work to modify the feedback network of the amp to unleash the potential of the high- and low-end respectively. Turning up the Presence control releases more high- mid and treble frequencies, bringing the amp’s tone forward. Depending on the tone stack and volume settings, the Presence can change the gain/ texture and loudness of the high-end, making your tone wilder and more 3-dimensional (or more “present” sounding). In addition to adding low-end, Depth adds a resonance to those frequencies that more 3-dimensionally shapes the Archon’s tone.
Bottom Line: The Archon 50 delivers full, lush gain, a remarkable clean channel, and a versatile control layout that players of all genres will appreciate.
Specifications
| Electronics | |
| Wattage | 50 |
| Output Transformer | 19H01-OPT |
| Tubes | |
| Power Tubes | 2x 6CA7 |
| Preamp Tubes | 6x JJ ECC83S |
| Front Panel Controls | |
| Lead Channel | Master Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Bright Switch, Volume |
| Clean Channel | Master Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Bright Switch, Volume |
| Global Controls | Presence, Depth |
| Back Panel Features | |
| Inlet | Fused Power Inlet (IEC) |
| Effects Loop | Series - tube driven |
| Extension Speaker Jacks | 5, Parallel |
| Ohm Switching | (2) 4 ohm, (2) 8 ohm, (1) 16 ohm |
| Bias | Adjustable |
| Hardware | |
| Covering | Black Textured Vinyl |
| Piping | Black Embossed Welt |
| Panel | Brushed Black Aluminum |
| Handle | Stitched Black Faux Leather |
| Measurements | |
| Amp Width | 21.5” (54.61 cm) |
| Amp Depth | 10” (25.4 cm) |
| Amp Height | 10” (25.4 cm) |
| Amp Weight | 32.4 lbs (14.7 kg) |
| Included Accessories | |
| Included Accessories | 1-Button Footswitch, for Channel Switching |
| General | |
| Available Configurations | 1x12 Combo, Head |
| Channels | Lead & Clean |
Accolades
“With most amps, I have a “learning to love it” phase that can sometimes take weeks; but as soon as I tried the Archon 50, both channels felt right at home.”
- Ben Eller
“The new Archon 50 does that really musical saturation in every frequency band that you want. It takes any boost and still stays nice and composed without losing its original character. Then a there is a shockingly wide and full frequency clean channel. Slam dunk on all accounts with this amp.”
- Wes Hauch (Alluvial / Devin Townsend)
“I love the Archon series! Insane clarity, punch and tightness in all aspects, high gain, and clean tones alike! Very impressed and stoked on this amp!”
- Jason Richardson (All That Remains)
“The new Archon 50 watt brings the perfect amount of punch, low end and gain I need to get a great sounding metal tone!”
- Chris Cain (Bad Wolves)
“The Archon has been a mainstay in my rig since it first released years ago and still remains, and I’m stoked that it’s back! It’s a palatable 50w, with lush gain and a crystal clean channel that will appease style.”
- Seth Morrison (Skillet)
“If you’re thinking about getting another combo amp, think again. With a crunchy rhythm tone, crystalline cleans, and presence/depth knobs to help sculpt your perfect sound, the PRS Archon has it all. I’ve got one and I can’t say enough good things about it.”
- Ben Savage (Whitechapel)
“I am lucky to own and work with some of the finest amps in the world, and the Archon 50 hangs with the best. At $999 street, its price to performance ratio is unmatched at this point. Not only is this thing hanging with my boutique amps, but I’m choosing it over them pretty often. I love this thing, and I’m excited for the public to hear it. This isn’t hype, it’s real. Congrats to PRS for this amazing amp and thank you for your continued support.”
- Mark Lewis (Producer/Engineer/Mixer)
"This amp is killer, and I love the rich growl it gives! And to top it off the sleek black exterior is next level!"
- CJ English, GFM (Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh)