shorerider
Member
I normally do not post in forums, but my recent experience I believe warrants it. I am writing this post for anyone who is chasing the "tubes in the room" tone and feels slightly underwhelmed by the sonic experience of playing through cheap or small studio monitors, or headphones, thinking it may be instead the due to the sound quality of the Axe. Well, I have just learned it is most definitely NOT!
I have been an Axe FX 3 user since last fall, previously coming from a Line 6 Helix. For the past 10 years I have used modellers exclusively due to living constraints and have always used a pair of M-Audio BX5 5-inch studio monitors for sound. I've always thought them to be more than serviceable monitors. Well, lately I've been hanging out at music stores playing through tube amps again, and even though I found the AXE to be great as a modeller, playing through a 2x12 tube amp was producing a lot of agony and want. I figured the only way to cure the grief was to sell the AXE and go back to playing an amp again. I settled on a Mesa Lonestar Special, but during my last trip to the music store I decided to take a look at studio monitors. The salesman sold me on trying a pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors, and if it didn't work out for me I could easily return them. I figured it's worth a shot before I plunk $2500 on a new amp and have to sell the Axe.
When I got home and A/B 'd the HS8s and BX5s at a very low volume I thought, OK, there is a somewhat noticeable difference in sonic quality. But when I turned up the volume a bit, I was slapped dizzy. I had no idea how incredible this unit could sound. The low end thump and highs that were previously missing from the BX5s. Wow. I felt like I was in a trance for about 3 hours. I can safely say I have no interest in buying a tube amp! If you are on the fence about the sound coming out of your unit and are wanting the "amp in the room" sound, do yourself a favour and spend the extra money on a nice pair of larger monitors. I can only say that hearing is believing.
It must be a combination of the larger drivers capturing both low and high end frequencies that were missing from the BX5s. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I've been playing for 30 years and I can't remember having such a sonic revelatory experience as last evening. I even burned dinner leaving it in the oven! My family was not impressed.
I have been an Axe FX 3 user since last fall, previously coming from a Line 6 Helix. For the past 10 years I have used modellers exclusively due to living constraints and have always used a pair of M-Audio BX5 5-inch studio monitors for sound. I've always thought them to be more than serviceable monitors. Well, lately I've been hanging out at music stores playing through tube amps again, and even though I found the AXE to be great as a modeller, playing through a 2x12 tube amp was producing a lot of agony and want. I figured the only way to cure the grief was to sell the AXE and go back to playing an amp again. I settled on a Mesa Lonestar Special, but during my last trip to the music store I decided to take a look at studio monitors. The salesman sold me on trying a pair of Yamaha HS8 monitors, and if it didn't work out for me I could easily return them. I figured it's worth a shot before I plunk $2500 on a new amp and have to sell the Axe.
When I got home and A/B 'd the HS8s and BX5s at a very low volume I thought, OK, there is a somewhat noticeable difference in sonic quality. But when I turned up the volume a bit, I was slapped dizzy. I had no idea how incredible this unit could sound. The low end thump and highs that were previously missing from the BX5s. Wow. I felt like I was in a trance for about 3 hours. I can safely say I have no interest in buying a tube amp! If you are on the fence about the sound coming out of your unit and are wanting the "amp in the room" sound, do yourself a favour and spend the extra money on a nice pair of larger monitors. I can only say that hearing is believing.
It must be a combination of the larger drivers capturing both low and high end frequencies that were missing from the BX5s. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I've been playing for 30 years and I can't remember having such a sonic revelatory experience as last evening. I even burned dinner leaving it in the oven! My family was not impressed.
Last edited: