Final Ultimate Loadbox Comparison - Part 12

Summary for all tested categories as well as some additional test scenarios. This video covers an overall rating of all loadboxes - the OX Loadbox from Universal Audio, the Suhr Reactive Load, the Fryette Powerstation PS2, the BOSS TubeAmpExpander, the CaptorX and Torpedo Live from TwoNotes, the Ironman II from ToneKing and the X-Load from Fractal Audio. You can find all links to Part 1-11 of the series below.
#loadbox #guitar #recording
Episodes of 'The Ultimate Loadbox Comparison'
Part 1 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 2 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 3 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 4 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 5 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 6 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 7 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 8 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 9 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 10 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 11 - see • The Ultimate Loadbox C...
Part 12 - see • Final Ultimate Loadbox...
0:00 Intro
0:35 Specs
1:09 Tonal Neutrality without Cabinet
4:12 Tonal Neutrality with Cabinet
7:51 Dynamics
15:25 Line-Out Level Neutrality
18:28 Latency
19:28 Device Noise
24:19 Sounds
25:09 Clean
29:18 Mid-Gain
33:42 Hi-Gain
38:18 Overall Ranking
41:40 Final Thoughts

[@gffg387]

Thanks for that, love.X-Load for the win!

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

This is the best video for figuring out what reactive load you should get. The topic itself can make you go down a lot of dark roads that you can get lost on. Thanks for putting this together as i know it was a lot of work editing the video.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks a lot mate - yes, it was really a lot of work, but it was worth the work.

[@CorNigrum]

I'm pretty proud of myself of sitting through all of this. So I can't but respect how deep you went down the rabbit hole to do come up and do all the experiments and gather all this data. A worthy update to Henning's videos a while back. It's people like you that make KZbin worthwhile. Thanks!

[@jefonyx]

And here we are at the final conclusion ! Thanks for the huge amount of work. It's so useful ! You rock !

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks a lot 🙏 😎🎸

[@user-uc9my7uq7r]

Nice video. I have an amp with a built-in Two-notes topedo load box and I.R. simulator. Very convenient for home players.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Is it a REVV?

[@KANGNING-c9b]

@@RockGuitarVibesYes. REVV generator120 10th. I know two-notes is not the best, but I don't need to buy loadbox and cab simulator seperaterly. It is good enough for people who play guitar at home like me.

[@stephenchow5161]

thanks for all the hard work

[@jackflynn-oakley1937]

Excellent series

[@veers0r]

Thank you for the detailed comparison. :)

[@lynyx77]

Amazing test comparaison, thanks so much for all informations, so instructive !

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks a lot 🙏😎🎸

[@richardgarcia406]

What a thorough analysis. Thank you.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Glad if I could help a little...

[@jamarwright]

This video series has been extremely helpful. Thank you doing all this detailed work and sharing it on the internet. The results are illuminating.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Glad I could help!

[@edanzbox]

Unreal level of detail and time to research and present all this, thank you for the effort, series was much enjoyed

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks a lot 🙏 😎🎸

[@Pitti444]

I've watched all the videos of this awesome series. Thank you so much for doing all this work! A couple of years ago I switched from the Torpedo Live to the Suhr Reactive and did some comparison between those two. While the Torpedo wasn't bad, switching to the Suhr was a clear improvement in sound and "feel". I do also own the Iron Man II but only use it as an attenuator occasionally. I've never even tried it's line out. So I can't comment on that. And after watching your videos I'm glad I never bothered to try it. That would have been a waste of time. :D

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Glad that I'm not the only one with many loadboxes 😉 - thanks a lot for leaving a comment 🙏😎🎸

[@janncaviezel6320]

Thanks a lot for this series. I am grateful for all the work you put into this comparison and found it to be extremely helpful. I really appreciate the scientific approach. This unbiased review helped me a lot with my decision! Liebe Grüße!

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks a lot mate - glad I could help 🙏😎🎸

[@jammininthejammies4982]

Amazing job! I just love this! As scientific as you could possibly be. Thank you.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Glad I could help 😎🎸

[@sergeyzh8308]

I've tried suhr, fryette, red seven and captor X. Generally, I agree with your results on them. Thank you very much for such a great content! Big job!

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Tons of work but someone had do it finally - thanks a lot 🙏😎🎸

[@SaySomethingWorthHearing]

I have a power station and have found it to be very neutral and it has a couple pretty nice tone shaping features that come in handy depending on what kind of tones you're after.

[@BadEagle]

Impressive work… Thanks a lot for your dedication, time and neutrality!

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Thanks for your positive feedback 🙏 😎🎸

[@BadEagle]

@@RockGuitarVibes you’re welcome 🙏🤘🏻🎸🔥

[@WoolyFox]

Thank you for making this series, I've decided on the X-Load as it's far more affordable than the Powerstation and Ox Box here in Canada. Would be cool to see other devices like IR loaders tested for their accuracy.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Good choice for sure 😎🎸 we'll see what's coming next...

[@shorerocks]

Jo jo so geht's aber nicht. Ich hatte ganz andere Pläne heute, jetzt muss ich erstmal das Video schauen. Man man. Es ist aber auch immer was! Ernsthaft: Danke für das alles, bin super gespannt. Thx for doing this series.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

So it's richtig - man muss schließlich Prioritäten setzen 😉

[@Beatedelic_Records]

Super, danke! Bin mit der Fryette Power Station sehr zufrieden 👍

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Freut mich zu hören, vielen Dank für den Kommentar 🙏😎🎸

[@GuvnaOnSpotify]

I've watched all the videos, great job! I've owned the Ironman II... It's a really good attenuator (well, for the top few least attenuated settings), but like you found, it's incredibly shite as a recording device. I sold mine in less than one month. I did extensive research, and got the Boss TAE. In the end, there are features on it that none of the others have perhaps except the Fryette. The ability to have an effects loop is fantastic for an old loopless head, and even if you have a loop on your amp, it's better to have the reverb and delays after the amp anyway. Also, the onboard delays, reverb and compression is insanely good. For recording it's brilliant, and live it's crazy good. The problem with the Freyette - at least in the UK - is that they are really hard to find, much like the Fractal products.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Yes, in the end you have to set priorities and decide which features meets your needs best. The TAE is a pretty good device - if it had not failed category B, it would have moved up one place in the rankings.

[@ME-ss6pn]

Man, you are a hero! You could relesease an IR for each load box with the difference between the real cabinet and the load box impedance curve, so we could "correct" our imperfect devices.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Hm, interesting idea... however, each cabinet has it's own impedance curve and each amp interacts different to that curve, so IMHO it's almost impossible.

[@ME-ss6pn]

@@RockGuitarVibes, that average curve you obtained with your EVH cabinet would be good for most of us. I have Boss TAE and, no matter the IR I use, the results are far inferior to a real cab+mic. I suspect the impedance curve induced by the TAE is the culprit.

[@Procyon58]

Thank you for this amazing series! I have personally tried the Power Station, X Captor and Ironman for both silent recording and playing through a cab. Power Station did a significantly better job in both areas. I can also confirm that the line out from Ironman sounded very dull. It's so bad that it's actually unusable. Somewhere on the internet I've read that it was due to a design decision that affected the sound of line out.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Many thanks for confirming the Ironman II line out issue and your comment 🙏😎🎸

[@rzk2755]

I own the LB-2, Suhr RL and Power Station. You've just proven my ears are great because I've preferred the LB-2 even to the Suhr RL which most people call the most accurate reactive load.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Well, the Suhr is a pretty good device too - I would say it has it's own character...thanks for your comment 🙏😎🎸

[@wurzlgaming]

wow what a great video comparison .. but now i have a big problem ...where can i buy the x-load from fractal audio in germany / austria ?? seems like i must buy the fryette...its just so much more expensive ..May i ask why you not consider to take the "Fryette Power Load IR" into comparison ?

[@RockGuitarVibes]

I got mine from g66.eu - however, they are not always in stock, I would recommend to contact them and ask when the X-Load will be available.

[@cechichan]

Hello! insane information in these videos. I have a silver jubilee using it with a 1960av ( so i need attenuation for home and maybe gonna use it to record with IRs on pc ) I think the ps-2a is my first option, would the fractal thingy work mainly the same way? would be great to pay half the price of the freytte. but im not sure i understand everything about the fractal product yet. I would love the simplest option even if its pricier

[@RockGuitarVibes]

The Fractal is not an attenuator - however, it can be used for silent recording, means without a cabinet.

[@tlindaas]

What exactly are we listening to in the sound examples section? Is it the unprocessed line out signals, or the line out signals going through a cabinet impulse response (which one?)?

[@RockGuitarVibes]

It's the line-out through an IR. Clean: Suhr Green Back 4x12 Mid-Gain: AXE 1960TV 4x12 Hi-Gain: don't know, currently I'm rebuilding my studio, so unfortuately I can't check - sorry...

[@VillesTube]

Thank you so much for making this series, it has been very helpful! I have an Ironman II mini attenuator (two of them actually) and the line out is indeed very muffled sounding. I'm interested in seeing what your solution might be. I also have a Suhr Reactive Load, which sounds much better. I use Suhr RL mainly with Fender amps, but I read Suhr RL was designed to model 4x12 Celestion Greenback response. This makes me wonder does it make my Fender Deluxe Reverb react differently than when it is using a 1x12 speaker (for example, Jensen C12K). Which loadboxes were designed to mimic 1x12 speaker response?

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Glad I could help 🙏😎🎸. Regarding the response curve the only device I know with 1x12 support, is the BOSS TAE - however, the differences are not that big so I'm not quite sure if the selectable impedance curves are realistic. IMO it's more or less marketing...

[@VillesTube]

(Apologies if this appears twice, I think youtube deleted my previous response as it included a link). I read from Fractal Audio Wiki that the X-Load LB-2 US Voicing "Lowers the resonance frequency to replicate the experience of playing through a classic American guitar speaker: Fender combo with a 12" Jensen speaker." That would seem ideal for a Fender Deluxe Reverb.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

@@VillesTube Thanks a lot for the information - wonder why this isn't mentioned in the manual...

[@VillesTube]

The Fractal Audio Wiki seems to be a collection of quotes from their forum. The 1x12 Jensen comment is from their admin. Perhaps they cannot mention Marshall, Fender, Celestion or Jensen in the manual for copyright reasons? Anyway, I’ve placed an order for the LB-2 so the marketing worked. 😂

[@semiforte]

Thanks a lot for this serious load of work! Is there any way we can find out if the load section of the Power Station is the same as in the Power Load? Because for the Load Box purpose this would be sufficiant and way cheaper!

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Well, I could bet that the load sction is identical - somebody could also ask Freytte to get a confirmation 😉

[@semiforte]

@@RockGuitarVibes Of course I could do so. I just don't know how honest manufacturer are with such information - but since I just recently read an interview with Steven Fryette, I believe this company takes that stuff serious!

[@semiforte]

Ah - no need to do so: the official Fryette webpage clarifies that its the same circuit. quote: "• Award Winning Power Station® Reactive Load with Selectable High and Low Frequency Response."

[@thanos4480]

Will you buy the new Palmer supreme soaker? Bigt hanks for the review!

[@Tonneback]

I was interested until I saw that you can only connect one cab to it.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Not quite sure - we'll see... Thanks for your comment 🙏😎🎸

[@tylerott4170]

Awesome videos! Have you checked out the Driftwood Reactive Load? Driftwood is a German company

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Currently not, but what I heard so far is that it should not be as good as the AmpCentral from Redseven...

[@MrLawliet1992]

How do you feel the Palmer Sepreme Soaker would fit in?

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Not quite sure - all tests I've seen so far did not convice me and to me the mic feature makes no sense. Isn't the main aspect of these boxes to avoid all the problems I'll get by the use of microphones? What about phase correction when blending in the DI signal? BTW: Never heard any analog cab sim that sounds as good as an IR - even tone guru and analog fetishist Thomas Blug uses digital cab simulation, because he knows what's best.

[@RyanAmplification]

I wish the x load was an ir loader. I’d buy that in an instant. But I’d half to buy a separate loader for live use and the attenuation isn’t as much or as tunable as some of the others.

[@ElmerSchwartz-js2ws]

Would love to see how the St. Rock ReactIR stacks up against the rest of these.

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Me too - but I wasn't able to get one 😉

[@Anton-ji4td]

I think it would be a good idea to mention the cost of each unit. It's like comparing 7 cars and listing them only to discover that number 1 is a Ferrari costing 259k and number 7 being a Ford costing 30k. Also overall functionality compared to budget?

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Well, indeed it always depends on what you need. Specs and prices can be easily found on th web - I've tested things that are not so obvious. But your are right, for better comparison I also should have given a complete specs table.

[@Tonneback]

Great series but I miss one thing. Wich ones can be used as attenuator and how good are thy as such. I'm using my Ironman II only as an attenuator and it does a great job. So I would have liked a comparison to the Fryette that many say is even better. Otherwise I've seen all the episodes and really enjoy them

[@GuvnaOnSpotify]

I've owned both the Ironman II and a Boss TAE so I can give you anecdotal seat-of-your-pants thoughts. I thought the Ironman was an excellent attenuator for the first half of its dial, and lets face it, as an attenuator thats pretty much all you really need. It sounded fantatsic. Attenuating more however, especially if you want to go silent and use it to record... its by far the worst device I've ever used. So its limited. The Boss TAE, as an attenuator, sounds just as good as the Ironman. Now - I did not A/B them, but lets say that it is more than acceptable. I did however A/B with my amps - at similar volume levels, and the differences are almost imperceptible. So as an attenuator, its as good. Do note though that the TAE doesnt attenuate - it reamps. Your signal is always silent, and the internal power amp is what hits your speaker cab not your amps output transformer. That only makes a difference to a cork sniffer - there is no actual difference in perceptable sound. The other thing I love about the TAE is that you have an effects loop. This is fantastic, as you can run an effects loop-less amp into it and get tones. I actually use this for all my amps now, as having a delay, reverb, an EQ and a studio grade LA compressor *after* the power stage is brilliant. Its the only device you need for everything. Also, the ability to change the response from lo, l-mid, h-mid and hi for resonance and presence is excellent. Of this bunch our friend here has reviewed, only the Freyette is its competition, and it is lacking some features of the TAE. In the end, the TAE pretty much destroys all other options in my opinion once all things are considered.

[@Tonneback]

@@GuvnaOnSpotify a big thank you for responding :)

[@RockGuitarVibes]

Well, that's why the series is called Loadbox Comparison - however, I may do a comparison of all devices with a build in attenuator, we'll see... Anyway, thanks for your comment 🙏😎🎸

[@Tonneback]

@@RockGuitarVibes I get that. Just a section about them as attenuators would have made this series totally perfect. Now it's just extremely good :)

[@guvnafied]

@@Tonneback Guv here just on my video posting channel account. If you're ever curious on the TAE, I have a video up where I recorded a JCM800 and Mesa Boogie Mark IVb and got the best recorded tone I've ever been fortunate enough to create kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGrYfpasqciEkNksi=W6mb7J4JBCcG49Kv