VOX amPlug Shootout - Still valid in 2021?

Well, I sure think so. while eagerly anticipating the new Mustang Micro from Fender, I decided to look at what was already out there in the miniature headphone amp space.
So I decided to do a shootout between 4 models from the amPlug range from VOX.In this video I run 3 loops (clean, crunch and driven) through the Blues, Clean, Blackstar and Metal models from VOX.
Everything is recorded with my Am Performer Telecaster Hum, straight into a BOSS RC-30 Looper, and then into an Audience ID44 and recorded in Studio One.Thanks for checking this video out and don’t forget to like and subscribe.
What was your favorite amPlug model?
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[@JacksonAxe]

I got the VOX Lead model in the summer of 2019. Still works great, but I recently needed to give the knobs a shot of cleaner. I take mine to work in warm weather and run it through my car stereo AUX IN. Break times are better than ever.

[@noisesfromtheabyss]

Same as mine. I'm using a potentiometers spray cleaner . And same as You, sometimes I plug in my Umplug2 Metal to my car audio or home theater. The playing experience is amazing for such a tiny device (especially with FX - Reverb or Delay) .

[@stiansyltaguitar]

This is such a cool way to use it. Always be riffin! :)

[@gtechblues]

I bought the AC30 Blues before Xmas 2022 and was only looking for a way to practice with headphones but I am surprised by how it sounds plugged in my HRD amp… so still valid in 2023

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for chiming in with this. Still a great product indeed :)

[@MiseEnZheng]

Really useful video buddy. I recorded an EP at home on the Vox Metal Amplug. I now own the Blackstar fly 2 aswell. A very fun and versatile piece of kit with a surprising range of tone options. The effects not bad either for just noddling around - but again, it's the range and breadth of actual sounds I love most about it. With the Vox Metal, it felt like there was a "sweet spot" with the tone, rather than a spectrum of options.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

The Blackstar and Clean are perhaps my favorites after a while. Then again, I really love that fender tone so not a big surprise :)

[@Dominic-he3cs]

The blues loop is fire

[@LesleyLesPaul]

I got my 1st amPlug 'Clean' some weeks ago, the best of that series. I like it 👌 LES

[@warma731]

Classic Rock 2 is the most versatile of all Amplugs. Beautiful cleans and superb Marshall overdrive and higain

[@stiansyltaguitar]

I might have to do another one with even more models :)

[@marigner]

how about the noise ? my ac30 makes some noise when i put it louder

[@warma731]

@@marigner No noise at all. I had the first version of Ac30 and yes.. It was. noisy.

[@marigner]

@@warma731 thanks, i ll try them .

[@themaggot8]

This video sold me on getting one. I got the lead one, since I mostly play high gain stuff, but I use PAF pickups, so if I need to clean up, I just use my volume and man, I didn't expect this little shit to sound this good. It's perfect to practice and play without bothering my wife while she watches TV or to play during my night shifts. And the best of all, I got it for 25 bucks.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for commenting and congrats. The lead One is really versatile.

[@shannonhood3546]

Great for discreet practice and warmups.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

I absolutely agree. Fits in any pocket too :)

[@musicisjustwigglyair4208]

Awesome video Sr! Great work. Big love from Buenos Aires Argentina

[@alexmedia8094]

The Blues version does it for me. It's cheap and does the job well. If you know how to use volume and gain controls, you can access a wide range of tones.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

I agree with your sentiment. Of I were to keep just one, it would probably be the blues model. But I feel the Mustang Micro has more options.

[@utungduyu6742]

He starts playing from 3:03

[@eduardchavez953]

I love my tiny vox

[@stiansyltaguitar]

They are truly wonderful little creatures :)

[@PeterStrachanMusic]

This is really interesting..

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hi Peter. Thanks for watching and commenting. These units can be found dirt cheap now, so there’s no reason to not pick up one or more ;)

[@petewickey1828]

Very helpful! Thank you

[@scarecrow33]

And Fender said “That’s cute, check this out” 😂

[@stiansyltaguitar]

😆

[@walterg74]

And Nux said "that's cuter, now check this out..."

[@yudiutama3233]

A bit overpriced

[@13ghee]

i juts got a Vox Blues, but want a Clean too.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

They are all great 👍🏻

[@Acroanidd]

Thank you for this video mate. One question I dont think ive seen mentioned anywhere is what is the battery life like on these? I am either going to get one of these or the Mustang Micro for my son's 8th birthday. The Mustang Micro is a bit on the pricey side but the rechargeable battery is a big selling point. Thank you in advance, keep up the great work with the videos.

[@indrajithak47]

Will last a month with heavy use, very fragile though. The fender looks durable and sleek, haven't tried it though.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

The audio quality on the Fender Micro is way better in my opinion. The multiple amp models and bluetooth streaming input gives it so much more value, that I would definitely spend the extra 50$ and get the Mustang Micro.

[@Acroanidd]

@@stiansyltaguitar thank you for the input. The more I use the micro I got the more I feel like it is the only choice to get my son. The sound quality is really good and the rechargeable batter is awesome. My son has been using mine a lot when I don't have it with me. Cheers!

[@springbloom5940]

The Metal is savage, but yeah, no clean channel. I gave mine to a friend, to encourage him to play more and I keep borrowing it back.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hehe. Nice ;)

[@MS_Guitar44]

Great attempt. I think each amPlug has it's signature sound and it's weaknesses. I'm a fan of the Blackstar so I'd like to praise the Blackstar, LOL. However, I think the best thing in CRUNCH is Blues. And the best for DRIVE is the Blackstar. These two amPlug are also very good for CLEAN. Clean is a "clean sound" that is easy to combine with a pedal board. Metal is very "Metal", but other than that it sounds not good. The important thing is to pay for the right amPlug for the sound you want. Your video has made that clear.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for your comment. I agree with you, they have different qualities. Sorry for my late reply. Been recovering from an injury.

[@jeffmckinnon5842]

I was able to try the Vox, several years ago. I couldn't really stand the sound from them as I like a clean tone. The Blackstar sounded pretty good here. If you buy guitars from the used market, as much as I do, owning any of these are going to be great to test the electronics while standing on someone's porch. I own a Fender Mustang IV amp. It has a headphone jack and it only costs about the same as a couple of these little devices so I don't have much use for these at home

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for commenting. I used to have a mustang amp as well. Great little home practice amps.

[@StratsRUs]

Thank You !

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for watching:)

[@dagony7383]

Best two on the market are valeton rushed max or nux mighty plug 2

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for commenting. I have to try them both out :)

[@vexel5851]

thank u for the video 😎😎

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for leaving a comment :)

[@MichaelStoneham]

Blackstar make the Blackstar one in conjunction with Vox. There are also the 2 bass models, Vox Bass and Blackshear Bass.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for commenting. I don’t play too much bass, but maybe I can try those out as well :)

[@MichaelStoneham]

@@stiansyltaguitar yes also xvive have 2, a Guitar and an Acoustic headphone amps.

[@badtastethomas4515]

Hello, I have a question, what are you playing in the last example (drive). It sounds pretty familiar to me, but I can't think of it.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hey. It's just a riff I wrote when I was demoing the Ibanez AZ242. It's probably inspired by something else, but I can't for the life of me remember. Sorry. Thanks for watching though :)

[@RickFoxx777]

Nice review of these handheld amps These little devices are are great on the go (so portable) and perfect for watching tv and not making much of a sound. I use them every day. The main issues I have with these hand held amps is that they are very expensive (used to be $15.99-$19.99) for what you get, and in 3-6 months of daily use they break right at the jack...so best get the G.C. warranty or whatever Warranty the Co. you buy it from has. Unless you have doll hands and a microscope they can't be repaired, and I have tried. I have had 20-30 of the amplug2 classic rock or blues amp's over the last 10 years (still have a few working handheld amps i.e. 3 amplug2's, Fender Mustang Micro amp and this Back star fly device) and IMO they are all basically the same save for the Fender Mustang Micro mini. The most expensive unit in this category is indeed the new Fender Mustang Micro amp at $99.99. The best thing about this unit is the blue tooth function and the ability to recharge it via the internal rechargeable battery so I will keep it. The amp settings are o.k. but you have no control over the amount of Gain or effects, there is an EQ button and a modify button but they give you little to no control over the amp or effects. I believe with technology the way it is right now, we could easily come up with a better solution for the arm chair and the working musician than these overpriced, made overseas plastic amps. In conclusion, and IMO, I think you are better off with the Vox version of these amps (Vox Amplug2 $49.99). because of all of them the customer service is the best. Until then I guess we will all just have to bite the bullet and buy them, and I never usually say this because I believe most warranties are a rip off...but, whatever you do... do not forget the warranty on these...you won't regret it. Thanks for reading this little rant and forgive me for prattling on. PEACE.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks so much for your comment and insights. Since trying these amplugs, I’ve bought the Mustang Micro and I really enjoy it 🙂

[@theelodgeovkeku]

Good to know they don't last long. That def rules it out for me.

[@groovymoon]

The 1st one was labeled clean.. but it was the blues one right?

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Yes. I was playing the blues one, but on the clean setting. They all have a clean/crunch/drive setting :)

[@slowtaknow]

Vox blues, wish you had the ac30 to compare with

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hey. You mean the actual amp? That would be a cool idea, but the real amp would smoke the Amplug ;)

[@slowtaknow]

@@stiansyltaguitar no, I meant the amplug

[@stiansyltaguitar]

@@slowtaknow Ah, of course. I totally forgot about the AC30 model :p I might try it out in another test against the NUX and Mustang Micro.

[@slowtaknow]

@@stiansyltaguitar that would be nice, ty for the videos

[@stiansyltaguitar]

@@slowtaknow Thank you for watching and commenting. It means the world to me.

[@anjupakanju3950]

Hey quick question, mine keeps on blinking and then turning off? What could cause that? I have the Vox amPlug 2 Clean

[@noisesfromtheabyss]

Battery is dead. Im using 2 eneloop AAA rechargeable batteries and don't have any problems with constant spending on buying new batteries. Btw. Amplug2 allows you to record the entire simple demo recording (no DAW and sound interface ;) ) Take a look on my ( wery simply ) demo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2G8oKt6asqrrNE

[@stiansyltaguitar]

The Abyss is right. Change the batteries :)

[@stiansyltaguitar]

I checked out the demo. Really cool stuff. All with just the Amplug. Nice.

[@noisesfromtheabyss]

@@stiansyltaguitar Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. It was my first video of my life playing guitar haha ( I'm 47 ;) - never too late )...

[@anjupakanju3950]

@@noisesfromtheabyss thank you! :))

[@hannessilfversward4675]

Can you do a review on harley bentons rockplugs?

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Trying to Reach out to them, But I guess my channel is too small 😕

[@WindRider1]

Are any of these able to go wireless instead of wire hookup?

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hei Keith. Sorry, no wireless. Then you need to look at the Boss Waza Air.

[@warma731]

The problem with Vox Amplug is..reliability. I have had 2 Amplug Classic Rock broken..I will never buy another one. Nux Mighty Plug welcome!

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Sorry to hear that. Mine has been working fine, but after getting the Mustang Micro it is not seing the same action as before.

[@adeebnaveen5694]

fender has a better version but expensive while nux is greater for cheap

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Thanks for commenting Adeeb. I have a review out for the Fender Mustang Micro too :) Haven’t tried the NUX yet.

[@robertyglesias3692]

Ac30 ?

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Didn’t get my hands on it for this review. Perhaps next time 😉

[@user-wl7ok6pb9s]

More like AC-130 ABOVE!!! Also 69 comments. Nice.

[@bekacynthia]

It costs between $600-800 here in Brazil 😛😭😭

[@stiansyltaguitar]

What? US $??

[@CC-fi3pp]

Imagine not having the AC30...

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Way back when in 2021 I couldn´t get my hands on the AC. My video reviews are not sponsored so I have to borrow or buy all the gear. That´s why no AC30. Perhaps next time. Thanks for commenting.

[@buck7477]

Can I plug this into my guitar and then a speaker of some sort instead of headphones?

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Yes. You can absolutely do this and it is a pretty nice feature if you want to jam with a powered speaker and want something more than just clean guitar sounds.

[@dj-datavirus627mike9]

du kan prova ha rat pro pedla :)

[@bjrnmgranvang1107]

Where you from, dude? Can't quite place the accent.

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Nye Alver kommune, like nord vest for Vestlandets flotte hovedstad :)

[@yeoss]

ok is it still valid in 2023

[@stiansyltaguitar]

Hey. Yes it is still a good product. If you want something better than the Amplug, you need to shell out 100$ or more for a Fender Micro or the next generation NUX Mighty. Those are great, but the Amplug get´s you great tones for less than half. (It´s under 40$ here in Norway.)