thread is old but I‘ll contribute my findings so far as well.
I got the mf10 stereo bundle last tuesday. Inspired by the positive reviews and the present need of a new amp I just had to check them out. I‘m a AXE FX II owner since the beginning of its release, playing it over the Atomic CLR. My genres cover almost everything (Jazz, Funk, up to Metal) so I‘m referring to clean and distortion sounds as well.
But first some thoughts about the contender,
the Atomic CLR.
I freaking love them, unbelievable clarity, punch, headroom for volume and well thought design.
The modes for tilt, pole and backline are making a difference in certain situations.
Having an addional IN with adjustable volume came in handy on many occasions.
No matter what I throw at it (Axe FX, Voicelive Extreme Looper, Mixer), it’s producing a great and reliable sound from low to high volumes.
The cons, well especially being in germany are quite sad though. Lately it started to produce „hissy“ sounds and volume breaks away after 3 minutes of use. Supposedly it’s an issue with the power supply from what I gathered.
Ok, things break, and can be repaired…usually.
But dealing with the Atomic Support is a PITA.
If they reply at all, it takes months…
Unfortunately it seems like there is no way to consult a local technician. (btw if someone has an idea how to fix it, advice is appreciated)
Sending the power unit to the US + no idea how long they need to replace it seems like a painstaking journey.
Support is a very important criteria.
Now the MF10
I was surprised by the cool and handy design.
Having had 2 back surgeries the small weight and size became an important factor over the years.
After setup at home I got disappointed. At low volumes they don’t sound anything special, for those purposes I better use my studio monitors (Genelec 1030)
Also I think that the stereo is gimmicky as I use my AXE mono anyway mostly. Yes, knew that before and should have taken the single cab.
So I went to a rehearsal the day after and that’s where it began to be different.
There it started to give me that amp in a room feel everybody was talking about. I‘ll have to adjust the presets of my AXE though as most sounds (Austin Buddy mainly) got a bit boomy. They sounded great with the CLR right away.
They deliver plenty of volume but even in a non-Metal Blues Rock BandI would feel a bit safer with some more headroom as I had to crank them up to 80/90% (axe at 12 o clock)
So I‘m not sure if the comments around here regarding the volume are reliable. Some Metalheads very likely gonna be dissapointed as they may lack headroom for certain use cases.
They don’t simply replace my CLR, using it with my looper + vocals was rather „meh“
Honestly I‘d prefer to have a working CLR again (covers all situations) in terms of versatility and volume. but considering the circumstances I need something to predominately drive my AXE FX so the MF 10 my be the next best thing. (It does that job very well, and maybe even a tad more fun than the CLR) On the other hand I hate to think about to buy an additional solution for my looper setup.
I‘m torn….
Maybe, if somebody uses it ONLY for a electric guitar modeler amp for rehearsals and gigs (NOT at home) the MF10 is good choice.
I‘m afraid that the elis may turn out the other way round, being great at home and way too quiet for gigs with more than a trio, but that’s only speculation as I have not tested them.