VOX AP2MT amPlug 2 Metal Guitar/Bass Headphone

The vox metal amplug sounds better than the friggin $800 HX stomp I got later on. For headphone users or lazy folks like myself that don’t want to twist knobs and tweak settings endlessly the vox amplug is PERFECT. I recently got an orange micro dark and struggled with getting a tight/articulate tone out of it even with a precision drive and EQ pedal, the micro dark doesn’t have an audio input either so I just went back to the vox amplug. The amplug chugs with minimal effort and is legit all you need if you’re in an apartment or not playing in a band. Don’t chase gear the amplug is all you need to SLAM. 11/10 product. I regret spending over $1k on other amps because the amplug just works better for a casual player.

If you're complaining about this unit - you're not using it right! (IMHO)There's quite a lot of functionality, here. 6 (six), different effects: various, delays, reverb, echo, gain (truly, *awesome*).This, little, "virtual, 'M#rshall half-stack'" - sounds better than most full-sized amps I've used. I'd like to be able to get the electronics from this unit into my, present, practice amp (Line 6 Spider30w). However, I play directly through the clean channel on that amp, and, it even makes that sound fabulous!Interestingly, enough - I discovered that you can achieve various effects through more than just the "FX" button. The manual states that the FX button is simply an effects, "ON/OFF" switch. But, you acquire an additional three, settings, holding down the "POWER ON/OFF" switch, as well (at least, in my unit (AP2-MT), and, cycling through the effects, again, using the EFFECTS switch.As far as portability and construction go, it is built on the light, side, for sure, but it's not going to fall apart from a couple of drops to the floor, either. (Yes, I've tried it!). I also use a 1/4" female-male, elbow adapter, to employ, another, axis of freedom, should, it accidentally meet with a stronger force! - like - a wall!I did, accidentally, apply too much torque to the unit while it was plugged into my guitar, by stepping on a cable plugged into the headphone socket, and the plastic cover, around, the plug, separated. I Super-glued it, and wrapped a small strip of duct tape around it to prevent that from happening again.You might also consider, wrapping a couple of rubber bands around the unit (latitudinally, and, longitudinally), to ensure, some degree of shock absorption and rebound, after a drop. The construction is quite, poor, however. I opened the unit, to apply some friction on the wheels so that they turned more smoothly, by adding a couple of layers of masking tape on the side of the casing that comes up against the front of the wheels. The plug is connected to the circuit board by two, fragile, hook-up wires, which, were the thinnest possible wires they could have used (probably, 24-26 gauge). With just a little tension on those two wires -- they disconnected from the circuit board - like - they were just, dying, to be disconnected - and just, couldn't get to that state, fast, enough! Luckily, I have some (wanting), soldering skills, so I was able to solder them back into place, covering the solder points with a thermal glue (hot glue).THE INSTRUCTIONS: YES, they ARE there; they're packed inside (in-between) the folded, cardboard packaging! TAKE THEM OUT AND READ THEM. The instructions are clear, and, obviously not a Chinese interpretation (that, in itself, is a welcomed thing!), with clearly illustrated diagrams.If I had good enough reason - I'd buy another one! Or, maybe, I would buy the 'Classic Rock' version...UPDATE: I DID buy another one! This thing sounds so good I wanted to make sure I had a backup. Now, I do. I also bought the High Gain Amplug3. In comparison, the Amplug2 Metal - blows it away. It's too bad, that unit has a nice sound, as well, just not the same spirit.Now, back to this unit. You won't believe it - until you hear it for yourself. I mean that. It's got that, something, that just swells into your gut, and chest. Again, it's the best guitar amplifier I've ever heard. I have not heard a full-size Vox amp, or, full stack, so I can't compare it to that.I will be using this unit - plugged, through, the CLEAN channel - of any other amp that I use, from now on.... It's that good. HONESTLY.

I love this, wish they had this in the 80's

If you are looking for an easy way to plug in and jam by yourself, these little plugs are fantastic. Run off of 2 AAA batteries and last quite a while ( I haven't timed it but it seems as if I get quite a few hours). Sound quality is great - no buzzing, just the faintest humming when plugged in. Plenty of volume - easily too loud for most people using headphones. You can also plug these into regular speakers. If my neighbors aren't home I play these through my Cerwin Vega XD4's - you could even jam with a friend using a small practice amp. As far as the distortion goes there is plenty. I usually roll the distortion down on mine to keep it from being too muddy. Tone I keep all the way up and just roll my guitar tone to where I want it. You can cycle through three distortion settings each one has a slightly different mid level setting allowing you a thrashy sound or a more modern sound. There is a light letting you know what distortion you are using. The effects leave me a little disappointed. You cannot tell what you are using until you pluck a string and there is no way to control the amount or the mix other than a couple pre-determined settings most of which I find to be excessive. I personally don't use the line-in so I won't comment on it. This is made out of plastic but it doesn't feel cheap. You can plug it into any style of guitar - the plug doesn't come out of the side of the box, it comes off of the side of the box at a 90 degree angle meaning it will fit into a stratocaster style body no problem. The box swivels on the plug as well - as I use this on a Gibson style body I find this feature more annoying than useful. It swivels quite easily - I find myself accidentally moving it when I reach down to adjust one of the settings.So all in all I am pleased with this device. I would have loved this if they gave a roller adjustment to manually adjust the level of the effect and I wish they would remove the swivel feature. Is it worth $40 to upgrade if you have the original metal vox plug? It is if you like to have the minimal amount of equipment to plug in and play.