Still owning an AMPLIFI 150 in 2020?

[Fantomania]

Was searching on youtube for video's about others using the Amplifi 150 and came upon a  Amplifi 150 review and demo video of a couple of years ago and could not resist not to comment on it when I read some one in the comments called it "sounding crap". 

What do you long term owners think about the Amplifi ?

So this was my response:

 

I own an Amplifi 150 and have a love and hate relation ship with it. I was not giving me the right bass punch needed (play 7 string metal ) and the high tones ranges could sound much better. So I did upgrade (see link for details) the stock speaker for a full range one and this amp transformed completely. For an amp being sold as a "Modeling amp" it should come equipped with a more high quality full range speaker from factory it will also upgrade the quality of the bluetooth and plugin audio futures . As guitar modeling amps have to simulate a lot of varieties of amps a higher quality full range speaker will reflex much more the full potentiality of guitar modeling. For me ( because this is my first "Modeling amp") successfully creating banks with various famous high gain amps has become a challenge and rewarding time spending on the Amplifi and once you get trough the technicality of it ,is when the liking of this amp occurs. See the Amplifi as an "all in one" basic forerunner of his big brother Helix. A future 2x12 cabin with the Helix build in would be a dream, keeping the bluetooth futures of course.

Speaker swap: https://line6.com/support/topic/52715-speaker-swap-line-6-amplifi-150-update/

[tommycs]

Hai
I've been driving the amplifi 150 for quite some time. I'm a room guitarist
My experience:
+ plus

 

-excellent sound (other than an average amplifier) (perfect for room use) (for a much better backing track)
-lots of variations
-nice looks

 

-minus
- Bluetooth is a BIG JOKE !!!! (5 dollars Chinese speaker 10m clean buy)
- Nothing has been developed on the applicator. (e.g. select sounds to watch at once, or select 5 stars or larger images)
-Power button is in the wrong place
-Updating is hard
-The recording and looper?
-microphone turn of etc.

 

Line 6 does not reply to any questions raised in this forum
I feel like line 6 forgets us !!

[dialtech]

Unfortunatly ALL owners of any Amplifi were deliberately screwed by Line 6. Tens of thousands have been ripped of succesfully by Line 6 because they sell a product THAT HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FROM THE START!  Since day one it has been clearly documented by MILLIONS that Amplifi 150 and all other Line 6 products have a MAJOR blue tooth conectivity problem with both the Android and IOS versions of the Amplifi app. Like me if you own any Line 6 product you have a usless paperweight. If you are thinking about purchasing an Amplifi YOU KNOW UP FRONT THAT IT WILL NEVER WORK! BEST ADVICE STAY AWAY FROM EVERYTHING LINE 6 AND DON'T LOOK BACK!

[AndresElBrujo]

I think stating that Line 6 deliberately screwed owners is going way too far. Unless of course you have evidence of communication between Line 6 employees in which they discuss doing exactly that. A lot of manufacturers make products that disappoint from time to time, but no manufacturer does that on purpose - what they all look to do is create something that becomes an icon. Okay, they failed, and deserve perhaps to be given some stick, but but we all need to think carefully before making allegations we could never prove. I own one and It serves me just fine.

[Doobster6]

February 2022. I’m 67 and 5 months ago got hearing aids to restore high frequency loss. These caused me to have to revisit all the tone settings on my amps, which I now could hear had the highs dialed up way too much to compensate. The main amps I play through (just home use; recording and amusement) are my EVH 5150 III LBX-II, Blackstar HT-Studio 20, and Boss Katana Artist MK II. So then I decided to blow the dust off my old Amplifi 150 and give it another listen now that I could hear better. I had long ago banished it to a dusty corner because its Bluetooth wouldn’t stay latched (and also because I couldn’t sell it!).

 

OMG!!!…IT SOUNDS AWESOME!!! I am enjoying the sounds WAY MORE than I am from my other amps. We all know that you will want to play longer and with more enjoyment when your amp sounds right and inspires you, and I’m loving it! I’ve only just begun exploring it again, doing my usual thing which is to craft the EVH tone from his first album. The first thing I discovered is that, unlike the Boss Katana’s attempt, the phase 90 model actually sounds just like the actual pedal (which I also own and use with my non-modeling amps). The high gain models all have that delicious compression of a pushed amp ‘built in’ which I try to achieve with my tube amps using attenuators, and compressors with the KATANA. I am having so much fun experimenting with the Amplifi’s amp models and all the parameters for speaker cabs, mics, and pedals. For home practice use and recording at least, it’s amazing.

 

AND…….I think I figured out why it would blow out the Bluetooth connection so persistently before. I used to have the amp over there, but my iPad over here, and my current experience is that it only works properly when I leave the iPad sitting on the amp itself. I guess the amp’s own bluetooth hardware has a very limited distance range ( like one foot!) but in the old days I was always trying to use it from several feet away, which it should have been able to accommodate. Whatever; if this new practice provides me with a reliable amp that sounds great, I can live with it.

 

But it’s still a computer at heart though, and one that’s around 8-10 years old, which means it sometimes acts finicky. I find that if I shut the iPad down when I shut the amp off, and then restart them more or less together, that it works fine. That said, I will NOT be updating the amp’s firmware, nor the FBV floorboard’s, nor even the iPad’s operating system. This is an old iPad which I’m now dedicating to use with this amp and everything is going to stay put as it is! I’ve learned that you simply cannot trust apps to work properly with firmware or operating systems update and, as we all know, Line 6 seems to have abandoned supporting this unit altogether. I probably would never gig with it either……if I should once again so desire. I don’t think I can ever trust it for that, but for my ‘hobby’ use right now, it seems A-OK and is sounding great!! Up until I turned this amp back on and discovered ‘the secret’ to operating it, I thought the Boss Katana Artist MKII was the ‘it’ amp of solid-state modeling-types, but now I realize how far ahead of the game Line 6 was back then with this amp. If I can do some research and convince myself that a Yamaha-owned Line 6 company can properly support its products and customers, I ight start looking at their new stuff again.

[G-W-A]

I have owned my Amplifi 150 for at least 6-7 years. Yes the Bluetooth can be a pain, but you only connect once in a while. Start the app, turn off Bluetooth, turn it straight back on and it works. Literally seconds... I mainly use the 4 tones that are in the bank on the amp, I rarely need to connect to the app, just use the amp as is.

The only down side was I could not figure out how to get a clean channel. I have only just found on here how to do it.

P.S. The power switch has stopped clicking ON, so once I got it in the ON position I just turn it on/off at the wall. Easy fix, but I can't be bothered.

I don't think I would ever sell it. You won't find better for the money.

[michaelbucy]

I purchased an Amplifi 150 used in 2023 and i'm extremely pleased with the purchase.  i operate a small Brick and Morter guitar shop and I demo all of my equipment on the Amplifi as well as use it for my in store sound system.  I have found a wonderful selection of very authentic sound settings for all of my guitars in the line 6 cloud.  I downloaded Lenny and it sounds like SRV's strat,  i downloaded some great Jerry Garcia Tones, and some great Robin Trower Sounds.  When my students come in for lessons i can hook them up with a sound that the matches the song they are trying to learn.  I even use the fender bassman amp simulation to demo Basses.  The Blue tooth connection is a little funky but can be fixed by a quick reconnect. 

I really like the extra tweeter to fill out background music.  Once you get used to the amplify app you can modify and build new tones all day long. I would use it in any small room performance situation.  It interfaces with a number of line 6 pedals and i like the wah.  It is actually to loud for my store sometimes and i have to turn it down so i dont upset my neighbors.

The main forte of this amp is the ability to play along with music from your library or backing tracks.  It is a fantastic learning tool.