Vox

november 2017 ToTal GuiTar
103
a
ll four of these desktop amps are
capable of inspiring players at all
levels, from beginner to pro. For
stay-at-home use that takes up the
minimum space, the ID:Core BEAM
wins, with excellent audio playback quality
that can compete with sound-bars costing
twice the price. Yamaha’s THR10 may not
have the wireless functionality of the other
three, but its sounds are superb and
Yamaha’s distinctive styling hasn’t dated at
all. Hardly surprising, then, that the THR
range continues to be a best seller. Vox’s Adio
Air GT boasts phenomenal sound quality and
like the THR10 it can run on batteries, with up
to eight hours run-time from eight AA cells.
Packing a respectable 50 watts of power, we
think the very portable Adio will be massively
popular for al fresco performances. Fender’s
Mustang GT40 will provide hours of fun for
serious home recording, with a vast library of
tone available in a fl ash from its built-in
Wi-Fi, and those bigger speakers give it the
punch to work live when needed. It’s a
serious tool but still great fun to use; the
built-in 60 second looper inspires
spontaneous creativity, while the Mustang’s
setlist support and eff ects spillover (letting
delays and reverbs tail off naturally when
changing patches) are proper pro features.
While the other three desktop combos are
more about being home-friendly, the
Mustang is a real player’s amp at a price
that’s diffi cult to ignore. Whichever one you
choose, there’s no excuse for not getting
down to some seriously fun music-making.
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Best For
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FINaL VeRdICT
Which desktop amp is the right one for you?
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VoX aDio
air GT
FENDEr MuSTaNG GT40 BlaCKSTar iD: CorE BEaM
YaMaHa
THr10 V2.0
FeAtures
sounD QuAlity
vAlue For money
BuilD QuAlity
usABility
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
FeAtures
sounD QuAlity
vAlue For money
BuilD QuAlity
usABility
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
FeAtures
sounD QuAlity
vAlue For money
BuilD QuAlity
usABility
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
FeAtures
sounD QuAlity
vAlue For money
BuilD QuAlity
usABility
overAll rAting
SuMMarY
FeAtures
FENDEr MuSTaNG GT40
BlaCKSTar iD: CorE BEaM
FeAtures
FeAtures
Best Buy
AWArD
Best Buy
AWArD
Best For
Busking
Best
vAlue
Best For
smAll
Desktops
TGR299.gear_test.indd 103 10/10/17 4:31 PM