Line 6 AMPLIFi 150

After using approximately each and every amp range -especially those from Line6 but also different tube and solid-state heads, tube combos, modelization combos...-, I was eager to have an opportunity to test this new generation of products announced as the next revolution in guitar amps.

A revolution, well, perhaps not really. But real crazy sounds and a lot of guaranteed fun, well, YEAH!!!

First cons: where's the manual!? Frankly, this the the ONE amp for which they should have done something in the true Line6 spirit! Usually their user's manuals are a pleasure to read, filled with advices, stoopid anecdotes and, most important, precious informations.

Now, let's get straight to the Amplifi app. I use the Android version, on both smartphones and tablets it works wonder and allows awesome interactions.

Soundwise, the models are... INCREDIBLE. I never got such a great and soft sound, at both low and mid level. I had tried the 75W version and was a bit disappointed by it as its distorted sounds sounded harsh, especially on high-gain amp sims. Here, it all just sounds great. The number of models, effects, interactions (some effects can be placed at various places in the FX chain). The ability to send sounds from your own music library wireless through Bluetooth is huge. Not to mention the Tone Search functionality, which allows identifying and finding a sound close to that in your favorite song straight from the Amplifi's online users shared database.

I then tried it with the fbv mk2 pedalboard and the amp turned into a real stage performer. Plus, you can connect it straight to your computer through USB, turning it into a recording interface to record your songs in Cubase for instance.

I was seduced by the sound it produces, although at very high volume it seems to distort and be less accurate. In this price range, I think it is by far the amp that offers the best modeling and sound capacities. The fact that you can associate different cabs, amp heads and microphones allows to multiply the possibilities. Also, changes are very easy to hear and the results are convincing, which to me is a real sound quality proof.

I don't believe it to be up to par with the Pod hd500, but for that price it's hard to compare an all-in-one amp to a pedalboard (even such a high-level one) which implies other costs. I had also been convinced by the Digitech rp500 ans rp1000 series, which in my opinion offer amp modelings (especially the hi gain ones) at least as good as Line6's.

To me, this amp is full of quality, I'd recommend it with no hesitation. I also like very much the amplifi TT, a smaller version without a speaker.

A real revelation, oh happiness!