Tell me what's bad about a Yamaha THR10 v2

William Williamson

I'm considering one for playing quietly/late and/or as part of a stereo rig with my main amp - I can really find nothing wrong written about the THR.

I'd be connecting it either to headphones , or to a pretty nice Onkyo amplifier with CA speakers (i.e. just not shit-tier hi-fi) and would mainly be using it for sounds my main amp doesn't give (i.e. high gain 'classic' metal, American-style distortion, etc.), as well as an occasional 2nd amp for a stereo sound.

William Williamson

As an aside, would a Helix (LT?) be a better substitute if I had the cash?

Chuffola

There will now follow a series of contradictory opinions - as with everything. The THR10 is pretty marmite - I loved mine (the 10c especially) but others find them too "hifi" or like an iPod dock.


I think they are great for a living room solution, but others find the Blackstar ID Core range better (I didn't).

Not sure what it would be like as part of a stereo rig - think you'd be better off with a small "normal" amp for that.

simonk

I think they're great for home use - love my 10c. Positioned appropriately they sound excellent IMO, although there are a few here who haven't got on with them.

Different beast entirely to a Helix though as I'm sure you're aware.

Chuffola

Oh. And, definitely, the Helix will be better in every conceivable way, if you have the cash!

William Williamson

@Chuffola  - the sale of my Scarlett 2i4 and Rode NT1a could mostly fund a 10c (well, as much as it matters) - so Hi-Fi into a DAW is perfectly fine.  What are the main criticisms? Just the complete lack or trouser soiling girth?

@simonk - reading the Helix thread it seems to break down into an issue of how people expect a 'huge amp sound' to sound, and being played at a quiet volume is unpalatable to some?

Sassafras

Too expensive for what they are compared to 'real' amps.

William Williamson

Sassafras said:

Too expensive for what they are compared to 'real' amps.

As a general criticism, or specifically in my scenario of wanting a jack-of-all-trades that can also act as a stereo partner? I don't think I could stretch to an AC15 and a Powerball for the same cash as a THR10

John_P

For home use and late night playing the thr is awesome.  I have quite a few amps and the thr gets used almost every day.   Very quick to get a good sound and crack on with playing.    It sounds way better than a box that size should.  

If if you want to use one as part of a larger set up then I suspect there are other amps that would work better.      
For its design aim as an all in one, quick to use home practise amp they are brill, but they aren't intended to compete with bigger amps.  

revsorg

The issue might be that the THR10 sounds right when you are close to it. If you try and combine it with another amp that uses a speaker enclosure designed to project sound into a larger space you will hear a very different sound depending where you or your audience are in relation to the whole setup. You would be well advised to try it in your proposed setup before buying. 

monquixote

The THR is very expensive for what it is. The main advantage is that it's quite attractive to have in a living room.

I think the Katana and id amps sound better and are cheaper.

Cabicular

William Williamson said:

@Chuffola  - the sale of my Scarlett 2i4 and Rode NT1a could mostly fund a 10c (well, as much as it matters) - so Hi-Fi into a DAW is perfectly fine.  What are the main criticisms? Just the complete lack or trouser soiling girth?

@simonk - reading the Helix thread it seems to break down into an issue of how people expect a 'huge amp sound' to sound, and being played at a quiet volume is unpalatable to some?

Or an amplifi or fire hawk 

uncledick

William Williamson said:

As an aside, would a Helix (LT?) be a better substitute if I had the cash?

Vox Tonelab?  Less money than the THR and better for your intended use.  Imho obviously but I have owned both - and still have the Vox.  

Collings

I used to use a Boss micro br with headphones for practice. Worked well fitted in the guitar case and had the added benefit of a drum machine and the ability to import mp3  backing tracks. Dirt cheap on ebay.

Jez6345789

I have a 10 and a 10c 

bought both before the Katana came out but love the Yamaha its totally fine, will take the odd pedal I have recorded from it and with a bit of tweaking it sounds good recorded.

use it to practice along to backing tracks on phone. Editor is a bit basic but that's. Less the point it's big thing is plug in, get good, sound play.

i have a Kemper as well upstairs but in general the Thr gets way more use in the lounge.

all that said Katana seems to be something I missed and gets a lot of love these days

darthed1981

monquixote said:

The THR is very expensive for what it is. The main advantage is that it's quite attractive to have in a living room.

I think the Katana and id amps sound better and are cheaper.

Yeah this.  I'd love to not care about how much things cost, but I do and that automatically ruled out the THR for me.

For late night practise, just from my research, you have dozens of options for small praccy amps or home amps.  I personally have two Blackstar ID Cores. A Blackstar Fly and a Boss Katana 50, and I honestly won't need another unless I start seriously gigging.

I also looked at, in terms of amps that rival the THR but are vastly cheaper: -

The Vox VX 1 and 2
Roland Micro Cube
Vox VTx range
Blackstar Core Beam (also expensive for what it is but looks great).
Fender Mustang 1 v2

There are others, those are the ones that interested me.

My local store recommended I try a couple of cheaper valve amps, so I auditioned the Vox AC4 and the Blackstar HT1R, neither sound good at the volumes I usually play at, or, frankly, at the volumes I felt comfortable playing at in the store!

Also worth bearing in mind is that little amps like the THR, the Core Beam and the ID Core with stereo full range speakers can also act as a speaker for spotify on your phone etc.

ThePrettyDamned

Having heard a katana at a rehearsal, I'd go for that unless you need it to be tiny. Really decent sounding amp, goes to half a watt. 

William Williamson

OK, I think then that while the THR10 is certainly a good option, there are others to consider in the same price range. Thank you!

exocet

I have a 10c. Bought it 4 years ago and it's the only amp that I play in the house. I agree that they are quite expensive bought new,  but 2nd hand they are  reasonable.  In a bizarre way, when compared to the Line 6 Helix, it was good value for me.