As a guitarist, you're in for a treat with the Vox amPlug3 High Gain headphone amp. This device, among a sea of other gadgets, offers a unique blend of convenience and tonal power. It allows you to practice anytime, anywhere, without disturbing others while also giving you the freedom to experiment and take control of your practice routine.
Easily one of the best headphone amps on the market, Vox's amPlug has just gone through a makeover for the brand-new third generation. Available in seven different flavors, from classic recreations of Vox icons to heavy-metal monsters, these all-analog practice devices pride themselves on being easy to use, affordable, and, dare we say, collectible.
Today, we're going to explore the High Gain option, a versatile tool with a wide range of sound possibilities. With both a clean and overdrive channel, built-in chorus, delay, and reverb effects, and an integrated drum machine loaded with a variety of rhythm patterns, this amp is a treasure trove for your musical creativity and practice sessions.
Design and build quality
In terms of design, the new iteration of amPlug definitely stands out. The main device feels sleeker and more modern – a noticeable improvement from the previously named Metal version. Where the Metal variation chose to use a diamond plate design – much like one of James Hetfield's ESP EX guitars – the new option has gone for a more subtle look with a simple silver Vox logo and faux black grill cloth. We must admit, we really appreciate this aesthetic change – it's certainly classier and more in keeping with the iconic branding found on other legendary Vox amps.
We are also happy to see the unit comes with the necessary AAA batteries needed to power the device – meaning you only need to provide the electric guitar and headphones to get jamming.
Overall, the device feels sturdy and well-made. The jack is reassuringly stiff, meaning you can angle the amp in any orientation to suit the style of your guitar. We tested the amPlug with a myriad of instruments to see how it coped with the various different output jacks and we're happy to report that there wasn't a model that the Vox didn't work with.
From our Explorer to our ES-335, Strat to our Tele, we were able to maneuver the device to get to all the controls, and it never got in the way of our playing. If we were to have one complaint, it's that the controls are a little small and can be tricky to read at times, but this is a minor issue compared to the overall quality of the product.
Sound and functionality
When it comes to sound quality, the amPlug 3 is a winner. It delivers a smooth, thick, high-octane overdrive that perfectly captures modern rock and metal, with a full and bright clean tone to match.
Channel one is your designated clean tone and we must say, we were rather impressed with how good this channel sounded. As this is a high-gain amp, we weren't expecting to receive crystal-clear cleans that would excite the most diehard Fender amp fanatic, but that's what we got. Perfect for recreating the iconic fingerpicking pattern of Nothing Else Matters, there's a lot to like about this well-rounded clean channel.
Moving on to channel two, and this is where things really start cooking. With the gain about a quarter of the way up, the tone is reminiscent of a pushed Marshall, with a spikey attack and a decent amount of sustain. Increasing the gain to just over halfway, and you get into more modern territory with fewer mids, a brighter top end, and, of course, more distortion. This setting is ideal for chunky rhythms and is probably our favorite. When we crank the gain to maximum, we get a searing lead sound that could cut your head off if you're not careful.
With the gain cranked up to 11, it's a little too much. The distortion becomes a little fizzy and is a little too bright. Naturally, you can adjust the tone control to take the edge of the high frequencies, but we found that when we did this, we lost too much definition. We much preferred to roll back the gain a touch, and this stopped the amPlug from becoming too harsh.
Turning our attention to the in-built drum machine, and we have to acknowledge that it works as intended. Accessed using the same control as the effects – simply hold down the control – you have a choice of an array of rhythm patterns to play along with. Now, while the drum machine will certainly be useful to a few players, the sound isn't the greatest, and we can't imagine that players will choose to jam with this over a highly polished backing track on YouTube.
Speaking of which, the amPlug 3 does have an aux input, which can be used to practice along with your favorite songs. Now, this is a must-have feature for us when it comes to headphone amps, but we do think Vox has dropped the ball by making it a wired input and not Bluetooth. Many of Vox's rivals have already integrated Bluetooth audio streaming into their own headphone amps, such as the NUX Mighty Plug 3 and the hugely popular Fender Mustang Micro, leaving a standard aux-in to feel a little outdated on a brand-new product that was launched in 2024.
Final verdict
Tonally, there's a lot to like about the new generation of Vox amPlug. From gut-punching riffs to searing leads, this high-gain headphone amp is ideal for recreating the tones found on modern metal records.
If we were to nit-pick, we would prefer to see a few more modern features added to the device, such as USB charging and Bluetooth audio, but at an incredibly affordable $49.99, it can't be denied that Vox is offering outstanding value for money.
Specifications
- Connections: Phones jack (3.5mm), AUX jack (3.5mm)
- Power: AAA batteries x 2
- Battery Life: Up to 16 hours
- Channels: Clean/Overdrive
- Effects: Chorus, Delay and Reverb
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 87 x 33 x 39 mm
- Weight: 40g
- Contact: Vox
