Members Jkater Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 As promised to Wagdog, I compared my M3 with the THR10 this morning playing to backing tracks using an MP3 player. No computer involved. Mustang III:I could dial some good warm high gain tones from the MIII. Cleans are stellar. The sound of the MP3 player was decent. a 12" guitar speaker isn't the best for this but it works for the purpose. as far as tweaking, there is someting neat about a nice display with graphics (not overdone in the MIII) and it's made easy with the big push and rotate button. One thing to consider which differenciate it from the THR is that no matter how quiet you try to get the MIII to be it will be loud as soon as as it begins to sound decent at all. Yes, the master volume means it can be quiet but we are comparing the MIII with THR in this thread and when the MIII is as quiet as the THR can be, the 12" speaker is hardly moving at all and it sounds thin and undefined. Compared to the THR, the MIII sound is, as its lowest decent sounding volume, "percussive" (pushes an aweful lot of air) and it works best if you don't have your nose in front of it. It's an amp meant to be loud. The effects do their job and while not in the same class as the ones on the THR, they are easier to tweak on the unit itself because of the display and intuitive buttons. I can't believe the price of that thing. The MIII has more of just about everything: more sounds, way more presets, more volume, easier tweaking on the unit itself (both have a good computer editor to download). Enormous value for the buck. THR10: It shines at low volume, really low volume which makes it very pleasant to use. The Stereo sound is wider than the unit (!!!!). I don't understand it but it's true. The sound of the backing track which you play with is way better than on the MIII being stereo and with dedicated speakers for that task. Another thing that is hard to describe is that it is very fast in the attack. The least touch you make to your strings is right there in a split of a nanosecond. The MIII doesn't give me that feel for some reason. Of note is the quality of the effects (quality rather than quatity here) . They are outstanding and can be deeply adjusted from the editor (that's the case also with the MIII). The modeled amp sounds of the THR are fewer than on the MIII but they are very well chosen and cover just about everything. I prefer the sounds of the THR but that's me. I like the sounds of the MIII also and AB'ing the two is when I think about it at all. To me the THR is just a little more practical with the knobs doing the usual tasks like balancing the BT and guitar volume, eq'ing and with five presets buttons. Which one to get? Both! (joking) Superficially, the MIII would look like the better value of the two considering they are almost the same price. And if you look for a nice unit that offers a bunch, it may well be true. The THR has a specific purpose being easy to use, portable, quiet yet good sounding. and if that's what one looks for than it is the one to get. The THR sounds a little better to my ears and the overall sound with BT's and all make the THR a clear winner in my book. But "sounding better" is subjective, one has to make one's own opinion in that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Seems like apples to oranges to me. You can bring an M3 to a jam where the THR doesn't even know what a jam is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Seems like apples to oranges to me. You can bring an M3 to a jam where the THR doesn't even know what a jam is. Good point but being almost the same price and similar in some ways (act as an audio interface, have a editor software, modeling amp albeit of different power, etc.), it's not irrelevant to describe how "apples and oranges" they are while noting waht they have in common as far as utility and features.. Your point should be added to the differences between the two: the MIII is giggable, the THR is not. But there is more to these two units than this aspect of size and wattage. Much that can be directly compared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarman3001 Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Seems like apples to oranges to me. You can bring an M3 to a jam where the THR doesn't even know what a jam is. I wonder how the THR would sound if you ran its headphone out directly to a PA. If that worked, you could theoretically use it at a jam or even at a gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 21, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 I wonder how the THR would sound if you ran its headphone out directly to a PA. If that worked, you could theoretically use it at a jam or even at a gig. Worth trying if one already owns it but it's not its purpose so I'm guessing it works no better than other modelers with a headphone output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 lol - would love to get both. I'm staying w/the m2 for now. Really appreciate your write-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bro Blue Posted August 21, 2012 Members Share Posted August 21, 2012 Nice review of both. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 lol - would love to get both. I'm staying w/the m2 for now. Really appreciate your write-up. And you're doing quite well without an amp at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 And you're doing quite well without an amp at all. ha ha - yeah, i guess. can't do much in the way of modelling though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 And you're doing quite well without an amp at all. ha ha - yeah, i guess. can't do much in the way of modelling though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 ha ha - yeah, i guess. can't do much in the way of modelling though. Both you and I with our grey beard couldn't model with a guitar but she can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members burton4snow Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have the THR10 and MustangI and to my ears the MustangI sounds better and is more versatile. The THR10 has alot of background noise that kind of drives me nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have the THR10 and MustangI and to my ears the MustangI sounds better and is more versatile. The THR10 has alot of background noise that kind of drives me nuts. I wonder what kind of background noises you experience. Do you have the earlier power supply that many said had humming noise issues? If so, you can get the new power supply that resolved the issue (for free by contacting the seller or Yamaha). There has been report that the Mustang developped overtime a buzzing noise with the clean settings but strangely only on the higher models III, IV and V. So you're good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cbh5150 Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have the MIII, and was seriously considering the THRs, but the THR clean sounds IMO left something to be desired, and I like playing clean most of the time. While I did like the crunchier settings, they just weren't enough to convince me that the THR would be better overall. YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have the MIII, and was seriously considering the THRs, but the THR clean sounds IMO left something to be desired, and I like playing clean most of the time. While I did like the crunchier settings, they just weren't enough to convince me that the THR would be better overall. YMMV My guess is that for most people's need, the Mustang would be more desirable. The mustang is an incredible amp for the money. The THR is a very specific thing and, while I love it, it doesn't blow the Mustang out of the water soundwise. Many will even find that the mustang's clearly bigger sound is better in itself. I'm glad I have both (MIII and THR10). I think the THR is a great tool for recording combined with the editor and I needed a very small portable amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grantus Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have a Mustang I and a THR5, and the THR gets played a lot more than the Mustang. I think the Mustang sounds a bit sterile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 Interesting Grantus - do appreciate your perspective. While I don't own a THR* to compare with, I have to say that the models on the mustang sound and feel anything but sterile to me. I've found the mustang to be almost, not QUITE, but almost tube like in their feel/warmth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grantus Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 It could be that the Mustang control settings also annoy me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 Grantus has the M1. I wonder if the Mustang models differ in how their cabinet/speaker bring out the goods of their inner engine. My M3 has a pretty good 12" speaker and is certainly not lacking warmth and fullness. As to the THR5, it sounds as good as the 10 with the same settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members burton4snow Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I wonder what kind of background noises you experience.Do you have the earlier power supply that many said had humming noise issues? If so, you can get the new power supply that resolved the issue (for free by contacting the seller or Yamaha).There has been report that the Mustang developped overtime a buzzing noise with the clean settings but strangely only on the higher models III, IV and V. So you're good. I have the new power supply. I dont know how to explain it. Kind of like when you have a noise gate on and you cant hear anything until you play. Its like a low static fuzzy haze. That is the best way to explain it. My tube amps don't even do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I have the new power supply. I dont know how to explain it. Kind of like when you have a noise gate on and you cant hear anything until you play. Its like a low static fuzzy haze. That is the best way to explain it. My tube amps don't even do this. If I didn't see from the nice amp collection in your sig that you are not new to amps and such I would have asked you how close or at what angle you sit to the THR. Does it do that with every amp model? My Mustang is the noisier of the two but with that big speaker, I'm neither surprised nor bothered by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members burton4snow Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 It does it mostly with the high gain. All this talk about I am actually going to break it out again and try and fall in love with it. I definately dug a bunch of sounds from it but I kept going back to the Mustang as my practice amp. The THR is a back up for my Podxt because you can use it as a playback device from your computer which I need for learning songs from a slow down program through headphones. So thats why I hung on to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members burton4snow Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I guess the only one I hear it on is the Brit Hi. turn the gain and the master all the way up and do a dead strum and you will hear what I am talking about. Its not too bad actually. I mived from were I originally had it maybe that was the problem. I am actually digging it more and more. Of course I do this with all my gear. I have about 25 amps and sometimes I wont dig one right off bat and then play it later and totally love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jkater Posted August 22, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 I guess the only one I hear it on is the Brit Hi. turn the gain and the master all the way up and do a dead strum and you will hear what I am talking about. Its not too bad actually. I mived from were I originally had it maybe that was the problem. I am actually digging it more and more. Of course I do this with all my gear. I have about 25 amps and sometimes I wont dig one right off bat and then play it later and totally love it! I can relate to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BeanoBoy Posted August 22, 2012 Members Share Posted August 22, 2012 It does it mostly with the high gain. All this talk about I am actually going to break it out again and try and fall in love with it. I definately dug a bunch of sounds from it but I kept going back to the Mustang as my practice amp. The THR is a back up for my Podxt because you can use it as a playback device from your computer which I need for learning songs from a slow down program through headphones. So thats why I hung on to it. Whoa! You have a LOT of cool amps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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