When it comes to the Mesa 212 cabs, the horizontal and Vertical versions basically sound identical. The vertical does have a slight edge on the range of the top end frequencies since one speaker is raised up and angled so the perception of the sound differences is based on the speaker arrangement. I have 3 vertical 212 and one horizontal. The horizontal seems to be more bottom end focused and the vertical sounds more balanced. Lay the vertical down on the floor on its side and they sound the same. My OCD keeps me from using a different cab seeing an unmatched logo would drive me nuts on the visual as if my mind is saying the amp is incomplete. What it really boils down to what satisfies you and if you don't mind a different cab, go for it. I heard the Fryette fatbottom 212 with the Fane F70G speakers is a good competitor to the Mesa horizontal 212 cab. Makes me want to get some Fane speakers to try out, very tempting. I have tried the TC-50 and the TC-100 through my EV loaded OS Recto 412. Not bad but since the EV has a flat response curve I feel there is some midrange missing. I also have some OTR speakers (just like the EV but with midrange boost) so a blend of the EV and OTR improves the tone considerably. I also have another 412 loaded with the Celestion G12H75 creambacks. I like the creamback tone but for some reason the speakers seem to have a reduced sound level compared to the V30 speaker. There may be other combinations that work great with the TC series, but for me, I will stick with the Mesa Vertical 212 cab as I really love the tone I am getting with it. Awesome speaker cab and works well with other amps like the JP-2C and Mark V.