So, I've had this for about 5 weeks. I'm into metal, Slayer, Kreator, Savage Messiah, Cradle Of Filth, Pessimist...... Etc. I must preface this by saying I'm not great on guitar..... That said, I know what metal sounds like and what a good amp and good SQ is. (I have Klipsch speakers and also Hertz hi energy in the car). This amp is voiced towards treble. Out of the box, it has a very crunchy sound, geared towards those bands I mentioned above. I would prefer it if it was more neutral, as with the treble and presence turned up, I would never listen to guitar (Or play) set this way. I play with treble at about 9 to ten o'clock, the miss at about noon and bass at 3 o'clock. The surprise is the clean channel, which sounds very articulate and really compliments the high gain well. The spring reverb is a nice touch. Wish it was switchable. The other thing I'll say is at low volumes, the bass is lacking, but you get a good payable sound for practice. At medium to high volumes, the bass comes out, and is very tight, not bony at all like other apps I've heard. Swapping preamp tubes is a bit of a pain the first time, 4 screws and a bracket holds them. I tried some 7025 tubes ad the stock Ruby tubes are considered coarse by some. I will probably run with one 7025 avg the rubys. Haven't tried a different 12" woofer yet, but I may for giggles..... I tried a tube screamer, and have been underwhelmed with it so far, the amp is better sounding stock. Overall, this amp does great metal… read more out of the box. Some enhancements (by user or preferably the manufacturer) would make it near the top of its price point. I would recommend this if you are a metal oriented player, looking for that sound. This doesn't sound fizzy like the RG series.....

Sound
SQ is great, with treble turned down.

Features
Awesome metal sounds, boost switch is nice. Too trebly.....

Ease of Use
Yes, learn that the treble has to be set low.

Quality
Yes, built like a tank and weighs a ton.

Value
At 650, it's on point. Find out for less and it's a great deal.

Manufacturer Support
No

The Wow Factor
It looks mean. The metal grille is a great touch.

Musical Background:
bass and guitar. intermediate.

Musical Style:
Thrash, Black, Power Metal. read less