Long time since I started this thread! Since then I’ve been gigging the DT25 about 75 times and have built up a pedal board over the years with poly tuner, XP comp, hoof, D&M drive, Black Country Custom TI boost, mini TS in front with chorus, delay, reverb and clean boost in the loop. All true bypass. I have 3x20 ft cable and the guitar cable. After feeling that the amp sounded increasingly like it had a blanket over it, and thinking a Hot Rod Deluxe might be the answer to my problems, I have been reading up about buffers.
So far I have switched my reverb (hall of fame) to buffered bypass and added an Emerson Concord buffer as the first box after the guitar. The difference is astonishing! I’m still playing around with the position of the Emerson and may move it to after the hoof, but in terms of attack, dynamics, clarity and tone it’s a revelation. The British Crunch is finally crunchy! I have been able to turn the treble and presence down and lose the ice pick that could dominate my sound making it harsh. The mids are layered with harmonics and the bass tighter and better defined.
I did loads of a, b testing and compared with plugging straight into the amp, and I’m convinced it’s better than straight in. (Which is v odd). I think, but have no evidence for this, the the digital preamp in the DT25 needs a ‘full’ signal (100mv?) to work at its best, and even straight in with a 10 ft cable from single coils and a variety of humbuckers the amp wasn’t getting the best signal to do its stuff.
Most boss pedals are buffered, their tuners certainly are, so if you are running boss (or Ibanez) you shouldn’t have a problem. But If like me you’ve gone down the true bypass route and you’re suffering from thin muffled tone, try a buffer. It might save you buying a new amp!