« Better than the four channel. »

To me this amp is better than the four channel. The four channel is a bit of an overfill for me since there is a lot of replication in the channels. The two channels is the way to go with this series. Still though the amps sounds cold out of the box and you will be inclined to get a new set of tubes and biased for more warmth.


Marshall JVM205 50-watt 2 x 12" Tube Amplifier Combo Features:

All-tube design: 5 x12AX7, 2 x EL34 (50-watt) or 4 x EL34 (100-watt)
Two totally independent, footswitchable channels - clean/crunch and overdrive
Each channel has three footswitchable modes - Green, Orange, and Red
Each Mode has switch memory (reverb on/off, effects loop on/off, master volume 1 or 2)
Footswitchable, studio-quality digital reverb
Independent reverb controls for both channels
Two footswitchable master volumes
Two effects loops - one series, and one parallel/series
Parallel/series effects loop is footswitchable on/off
Speaker-emulated XLR line out
Programmable 4-way, 5-LED footswitch with memory capabilities
All switching can be done via MIDI
MIDI in and MIDI thru jacks on rear panel
Celestion speakers in combos
Made in England

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 50W
Speakers 1 x 12" Vintage, 1 x 12" Heritage
No Effects
Reverb
EQ Treble, Middle, Bass
No Amp Modeling
Preamp Tubes 4 x ECC83
Power Tubes 1 x ECC83, 4 x EL34
Inputs 1 x Instrument
Outputs 5 x Speaker, 1 x XLR (Emulated Line)
Footswitch I/O
Effects Loop
Height 20"
Width 27.7"
Depth 10.43"
Weight 65 lbs.

SOUNDS

The only problem with this amp is the cold stiff feeling right out of the box. This is typical with Marshall's in the new box. They need a bit of setup to them to get them to sound warm and more usable.

This amp takes off where the JCM2000 left off. I much more prefer the JCM2000 but this amp isn't too bad. It has more flexibility with midi and the effects loop controls. Plus the voicing in each channel is a nice touch to dial in exactly what you want. I like the red channel on the gain channel. It is pretty heavy and thick sounding. A bit noisy with this amp compared to the JCM2000 which had some noise but not nearly like this amp. It is due to the amount of gain on tap of this one compared to the 2000.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a fun amp to play. Not too much to get confused with and not too much to get overwhelming that would distract you from playing the amp. At new these amps come in at around $1700 which is a bit more than the Marshall JCM2000.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a good sounding Marshall amp but doesn't want to get a Plexi and a JCM 800 or JCM2000. You can get almost as close as you would get to those tones but in just one amp.