The Ugly Truth About Vox VXII Amps

When these amp were announced I was skeptical. Vox has a long history of digital modeling amps. While most of their offerings respectable, They are sometimes less than outstanding. It would be extremely noteworthy if an amp could faithfully replicate a dozen different amps. There would be no need to own all those other amps. Yet, the amp that can effortlessly change from one voice to another has not been invented. So when I spotted one of these amp at my local music store, it was exciting to get my hands on one. This amp has claims to do a lot. Does it live up to the hype? The truth is a little less than pretty.

It's Small

Yes, these are little combo amps. I own a Valvetronix 30 Combo and it dwarfs this little VX. Even when they bother have 30 watts.

It's Super Light (because it's made of plastic)

Yes, the combo is made of plastic. How does this make it sound? Well, I was surprised how well it did. The Plastic didn't hurt the sound, in fact I think the thin plastic frame may have allowed it to be bright and more transparent.

It Has Trouble With The Low End

Yes, this is a little amp and it has trouble with bass. I know that little amps are kind of notoriously bad with the low end, especially inexpensive small amps. Vox had this in mind so they ported the cab and put a special speaker designed to handle it. It may be punching above its $150 price tag, but to a discerning ear, the low end get "flabby" when pushed.

They are limited

The biggest surprise is that the effects are not editable. You ether have them or you don't. Reverb is ether on or off. The same is for all of the effect. This is a little underwhelming. Having 11 Amp models and 30 watts of power isn't bad and the effects aren't bad, but if you're going to do it, do it right.

In Conclusion

These amp are impressive. They are small and light and affordable. They do a lot, but they don't do everything. I'd love to see an extension speaker out so you can plug into a cab that can handle the lows, and a way to turn the effects up or down would be nice to. The super light weight design makes it portable, but I wouldn't take it to band practice. It is at home in the bedroom, where it is well suited.