cruisinon2

I've been using AKG 240S cans with the POD since I got it...think they're rated at 55 ohms. $99 pretty much everywhere. Nothing bursts into flames, no plagues of locusts, and I haven't noticed any more than the usual number of demons and gargoyles circling overhead. ;)

Just beware of the potential consequences of such an awsome undertaking. You may want to consider an earthquake retro-fit on the house, and some extra flood insurance first. I understand Allstate has a new unmbrella policy that covers being smited by the Almighty for "failure to seek out an authorized service center". :P

Amen... Lunch, then? For 1500 bucks, we should at least get a sandwich with it... :P

Buy him in-ear monitors for his birthday, keep telling him he sounds great, and then just turn him down in the mix when he's not looking...he'll never know the difference. :P

Fair enough...either way, something ain't right, lol.

It's obviously not the volume pot itself that's faulty, otherwise it likely wouldn't work with the models either. Problem is further up the chain somewhere. Re-flashing the firmware is worth a try...it certainly won't make it any worse, but I suspect it won't help much either. Likely a physical connection issue somewhere.

Imho, for your stated goals, this is not the unit for you. Plug-and-play it is NOT. There's a step learning curve, even for the tech-savvy. And having no FX loop will introduce another layer of problems, as all of your patches will be altered by the amp's tone stack. Then there's the problem with other people's downloaded patches. Don't expect them to sound anything like what they're supposed to, because 98% of them won't. There are simply to many variables involved to expect drag-and-drop tones to sound the same on two different rigs, with different guitars, etc. You might look something like the Amplifi...same price range, and designed a bit more for plug-and-play use...although you will still be stuck with the app/Bluetooth interface for editing.

Yes, a PA speaker will work, but not all of them are powered. As far as problems, anything can be...but generally speaking, a solid state powered speaker should give you greater consistency and certainly less routine maintenance in the long run than a tube power amp, or combo guitar amp. No tubes to replace/re-bias, etc...ymmv

They always are... Although I have to say, the tones in that video didn't do anything for me, and I would have no use for them...however, to conclude that the unit is worthless based on one guy's 3 minutes of noodling, is rather stupid. I've seen videos with some nasty tones coming from the POD that I wouldn't want to use either...didn't stop me from buying one.

1) There needs to be power somewhere...so "directly to speakers" only works those that have thier own on-board power. The various FRFR PA or monitor options out there fit into this category. Otherwise you need either a power amp/cab rig (or a head that you can slave with a cabinet), or a combo (preferably with an effects loop to bypass the amp's pre-amp section). 2) "Better" is entirely subjective. Good, usable tones are achievable either way. I've done both...currently prefer the L2T, not only for the flexibility with the POD and JTV, but for the convenience...my spine isn't 25 years old anymore. 3) Yes...no matter what rig you choose, every component will affect the sound. Tweaking to the rig and the room is unavoidable.

The ensuing furor that would arise probably isn't worth whatever money they'd save...the Mac-nati may be a small market share, but they are fanatically devoted, and they would not take well to the idea of having to go slumming with the Windows crowd. It would be like Kemper suddenly deciding to make nothing but spark plugs...can you imagine the outrage from their suddenly tone-deprived customers? :D

There are 1000 threads here where everybody goes into great, gory detail about what they do and don't like about the new models...you'll be reading for days.

Buying another modeling amp to power the modeler that you already have is kinda redundant. You need power and a speaker(s). My advice, go FRFR and don't look back. Just know that no matter what you run the POD through, it's gonna require some re-tweaking to get the same tones you're getting with your current set-up.

2.62 firmware is the most recent update...no idea if it will make any difference, but it's worth a shot.

Two things are going on... 1) Everything that you play through is gonna color the tone one way or the other. Doesn't matter if it's headphones, studio monitors, or an amp/cab set-up. You may have to tweak some patches through your studio monitors to get the sound you're looking for. ...but even if you do that 2) One the guitars are in the mix with other instruments, everything changes anyway. Sometimes you're gonna have to "fix it in the mix", as they say.

and no edibles... :P

Or, we could just keep him within 1 or 2 votes of "666" forever...then he could be known as the "Neighbor of The Beast" :P

Nope...try re-flashing the firmware.

Just because something still functions, doesn't mean that it isn't obsolete. I've still got an old tube TV in the basement...20+ years old and still works. It even survived my rather uncivilized college years. But the picture is horrendous by today's standards. By contrast, the last flat screen I replaced lasted 5 or 6 years tops. Just died one day. No point in trying to fix it, as it was already way behind the tech curve...even if parts are available, it's never gonna be cost effective to do. This is not an accident. It's a business plan. Next to the TV is an ancient Mac with the tiny black and white screen and a hard drive with all of 5 MB of space, lol. It still works too, but obviously is of no practical use anymore. Can't tell you how many laptops and desktop PCs I've plowed through in the intervening years. Some failed in spectacular fashion at inopportune moments, others ground to a slow halt, but none lasted more than 3 maybe 4 years...no matter how nice I was to them. Cars may have improved some, yes. But as far as I'm concerned, most consumer electronics are designed to $#!? the bed after a relatively short period of time, so they can sell you the next "big" thing. And any company that isn't pumping out new and better product on a regular basis will be quickly forgotten by a generation with a Playstation attention span. We're so conditioned to want the newest version of everything, that nothings needs to last very long. Most people will happily dispose of something that still works 6 months after they bought it because the "new" version was just released. Apple has made it an art form, and they're laughing all the way to the bank...people stand in line for days, make appointments...why? To buy a friggin' WATCH. It's comical.

LOL...every once in a while the squeaky wheel actually does get the grease. :P

Wish I could help you, but none of the strings on my Tele models sound like the acoustics...no other unpleasant "honks" or "thuds" either. I'm not a huge fan of the newer Strat model, as I find that it doesn't drive any of the amps in the POD as much as the 1.9 version did, so I've crafted some custom combinations to better approximate the older Strat model. That aside, no major complaints.

Our economy (and a company's reputation) used to be built on the quality and longevity of products...but that only worked while technology was little more than stagnant. Now planned obsolescence is the new normal...it sucks, but it is what it is, and it's not gonna change. I decided a long time ago that I could either go broke trying to keep up with the rest of the gadget fiends (most of whom seem to have the fanatical devotion of a meth addict...pitching a tent for 2 days on a sidewalk so you can buy a phone? How is that normal?), or live with being 1 or 2 generations behind the curve. My 500X isn't going anywhere anytime soon... Unless I win the lottery, in which case it's a pile of my dog's finest work on the boss's desk, a couple of months in Aruba, and all the gear I've ever wanted... :P

Gotta say, looks amazing. Price is steep compared to the 500X, but it certainly looks like a tremendous bang for the buck...I'd already be rading the piggy bank, but divorce would end up costing me a lost more than $1500, ;)...this time I'll be waiting until after the holidays. Learned my lesson last year with the L2T...

Unfortunately you really only have one option...put it curbside and get another one. It will almost certainly cost more to replace everything that was fried than to buy another one...it's a relatively inexpensive amp. Since you roasted it, warranty coverage is not an option either.

Tread cautiously...special agents from the Authorized Service Center Division are everywhere. :ph34r: