VOXVX50 GTV - 50W Guitar Combo Amplifier with Nutube Valve and Built in Effects

What a fantastic piece of equipment. As a mature person and practicing rock and blues guitar as a hobby, I am always wanting as much as I can get for as little as I can pay, being able to exploit technical innovations is also high on my list. I want pedals, a recording studio, amps and practice bands.Initially, I got what I wanted from iOS AmpliTube (plus some expensive in-app upgrades – worth it though IMO). But then I decided that I wanted the world to hear me and that it was time for me to buy a real amp. However, I don't just want a 10w solid state practice amp. I want a large wattage cabs and head units with built in effects that I can control with the power of thought – this is the third decade of the 21 century after all. Oh, and I want it all at the price of a good 10w practice amp. what I really mean is that, as a hobbyist, I don’t have the budget, skill and the ability to buy all the top gear…I just still want it all.Enter the VOX VX50GTV. This amp is fantastic as I can really crank up the power but, crucially, restrict the output to a very low level which allows me to rock out without the neighbours contributing to the backing vocals. This amp has given me that tube sound without the fragility, hum and restrictions of a traditional valve unit.Of course, there is so much more with this unit. Firstly, there are the effects, which sound as warm and beautiful as the YouTube official demo makes you think they sound. There’s also the aux in, which I use a Bluetooth receiver for, so I can play Ultimate Guitar Tabs in to for jamming along to band sessions but, best of all, there is the ‘Tone room’ software to allow you to control everything from your pc/ios/android device with the addition of being able to save as many configs as you want.For a little extra spends, there is more though. I also bought the VFS5 foot switch and now I can program banks of effects and simply switch between them all, LIVE.This amp performs excellently for a hobbyist as the sound is superb. The modelling amps and effects are fantastic, adding immense versatility at a really low price.Being able to use your PC, or in my case an iPad, really unlocks the full capabilities of the amp. Adding the VFX5 foot pedal rounds off all that is required to release the full potential of this excellent, light and powerful amp. Really, the sound quality and warmth are incredible.I’m so happy I bought this amp. There are a few points I feel I must mention in order that anyone reading this can make a more informed purchasing decision.Price:As at 10 Mar 2020, I found this amp on Amazon for £215.00. I then found it online for £160.00 brand new (I used google search - shopping filter).Footswitch (VFS5):An additional purchase at £40.00 From Amazon but really worth it IMO.Connection cables and IOS interface - USB to Lightning Camera adaptor:To use with PC, you need a USB A male to B male printer cable of at least 2 meters. These are between £4-12 on Amazon.To use with an IOS device, you also need a usb to lightning camera adaptor. Now, these can be had for as little as £5.00 but official Apple units are £35.00. I bought the latter as I do not trust cheap imports with apple products, based on experience.Note: whilst it is possible to run the iOS Tone Room app whilst simultaneously playing a backing sound on the same device, there are two points you should be aware of:1. You will no longer have iOS volume control over the backing track.2. You will lose control of the amp via the app if you jump to, say, Spotify and back to Tone Room. To rectify, close and re-open Tone Room to re-establish control.Alternatively, use two devices; I use the iPad for Tone Room and iPhone for backing tracks (ultimate guitar tabs pro usually).Bluetooth receiver – Not required but nice to have:I really don’t like cables and send my Ultimate guitar tabs via Bluetooth to a Bluetooth receiver plugged into the amp aux socket. These receivers cost about £5-10. I could have used a simple 3.5mm cable but I hate cables.Guitar WiFi setup - Not required but nice to have:The last cable to get rid of was the lead from guitar to amp. I bought Ammoon(sic) 5.8ghz units for £50.00.Headphones:I have a pair of old Sony headphones with a 3m cable. This is now the only lead tying me to the amp and the one I will not be getting rid of in a hurry. Wireless headphones with no perceivable latency are very expensive. As I only use headphones for practice, I can accept this as a compromise as it is the only lead I have in my setup between me and the amp.Lastly, my home setup is quite static and I found that the carry handle was in the way. As it is unlikely that I will use it, I removed it. Be aware that the handle screws go into freely attached nuts. Firstly, this means you must maintain tension when undoing the screws. Secondly, it means the nuts fall into the casing, only to be grabbed by the speaker magnet where they will now spend the rest of their lives. I think that not providing permanent screw housings was a cheap cost saving measure as they may well come loose at some point with use, leaving the musician with the challenge of tightening one or both before they fall off. I do not think it is worth a whole star for this issue as the amp is so very good but it may cause undue misery to someone at some point and it is the strange little quirks and experiences like this that can shape a person’s impression of a brand.I really hope that this is helpful to someone. I love this amp and the price I found it at meant I effectively got the VFS5 footswitch for free. I now have a great home rig with real quality tube warmth, excellent cab sounds and high quality performance.

Lots of noise (hiss and crackle) on all but the clean channel, lots of crackle changing between channels and on other switches.Movement of all the controls is imprecise and cheep feeling.The power reduction thats supposed to allow you to play more quietly is junk.You have to have gain up quite high to get any sound at all in the non-clean channels.Felt like a cheep non brand amp, not £200 from a recognised amp manufacturer.So bad, assumed this was faulty and returned.

As a portable modelling amp it is great. It is easy to carry around and has a decent sound.The amp modelling is good having 9 models to chose from. However I wasn't so sure about the effects modelling. They are OK but the use of two knobs to control 4 effects each is a bit restrictive.Would be good for a beginner as well.

Having dragged hefty amps around all my life I purchased this Vox as I’m getting on a bit. It’s unbelievably light and produces a lovely sound. Not cranked it up yet but sure it will be loud enough for my needs.

Loud for only 15w. Nice selection of sounds. Delay effects are a bit underwhelming. Bought to use with a lap steel guitar. Good entry level kit.