Boss Katana 50 MkII vs Yamaha THR30-II - Which One Is Best For Home Use? 

I think Andertons has studied every RU-vid comment of a dad and husband at home that's played guitar since he was a kid. Finally they've put together an amp review that matters for us lol

The Yamaha can live on the kitchen bench after you tell your wife you bought a new Bluetooth speaker for the house that looks like a boutique toaster. And, you’re kinda not lying.

That lentil joke blindsided me. That was great lol

I bought a Yamaha THR for making music and a Katana for self-defense

Rob nailed it: “most people don’t gig”. That’s why I was super interested in this comparison. Also, I ended up buying both. 🤣

dont know about the Katana since ive never played one, but i owned the original THR10 and loved it to pieces...the way the amp responds to dynamic playing and guitar volume knob changes is absolutely amazing..

It is a spectacular pleasure to listen to you, mates. These times when laughter is much needed, I reckon watching your show is a must in my days...

this is by far my favorite guitar channel. the mood of the ppl and the honest reviews are just great

Rob nailed it. I don't think the majority of us gig.

I did something just for the hell of it, took my celestion black shadow speaker out of my gathering dust 1x12 mesa cab and put it into my mk2 Katana 1x12, the result was incredible! Absolutely killer sounding.

5:09 Ah that riff takes me back watching Rob and Lee back when I was buying my first guitar.

An important comment about the stand by modes of the wireless systems: They do not shut down when they stop moving, they do shut down, when no sound goes through it anymore. So as long as you play, it will stay on and if you stop and start again, it will take 2 seconds to restart. The Boss system shuts down after one hour, the Line6 (Yamaha) system after 5 Minutes. So one is more focused on long battery life, the other one therefore doesn't turn off by accident that fast. So basically you can use both systems with pedals and it won't be an issue at all, just for those out there wondering.

Honestly, I'm going with the THR because it will also look great on a shelf in my living room. It looks like a broken 1940s radio that a middle class couple would spend £500 on in an antique store just to stick it under an art-deco mirror on the mantlepiece.

I own the Katana and I think it’s great. So many options with the software that comes with it.

I think Lee suggested quite strange use of wireless system with Katana and effect pedal. I'd put transmitter into guitar, receiver in pedal input, and pedal connected to amp with cable. That would be more logical, would let you move around with guitar and no problem with auto switching off.

Live in an apartment. I have a Boss Katana Mini in the living room and a Yamaha THR10X in the study (For playing and recording). Love both of them for what I use them for. Haven't bought a Katana combo yet.

I bought the THR30II and bug, my only gripe is when the bug has run out of battery, but that’s my fault anyway. It’s a stellar amp and the added tonal functionality from the app is superb, it’s easy to plug and play and it gets loud when you want it to. Looks great sat on my shelf, great in my garden in the summer, my wife likes it, it’s just great all round and has a pretty small footprint. Not too sure how they could make it better, maybe a looper, I think an effects loop would be pointless, maybe the option to link to an extension cabinet would be cool. By far the best small practice amp I’ve ever bought. Edit: but yes, it’s expensive, certainly for what it is, you can get great tones for less, but this works for and fits me perfectly. Mainly because it’s quick, easy, out of the way on a shelf and sounds and looks great in my wife’s vision of a perfect home!

While from one perspective it may seem like these amps serve completely different use cases, where I think the comparison is most valuable is in comparing the tones for recording. I would have loved to have seen a comparison of the tones of both amps' clean sounds, crunch sounds, and brown sounds through the USB output directly into a recording/mixing setup, completely bypassing the differences in speaker size.

Gotta say the tone Rob got at the beginning on the Katana was unbelievable.

I just bought the THR10II wireless. The initial cost was high but man does it sound good. I had my pedal board plugged in just to hear it that way and soon realized I was digging the tone from the THR with just the onboard effects. I think it is a great purchase and am looking forward to more time with it.

The comparison should have been to the wireless Katana Air, though I'm sure it sounds similar to that Katana.

There’s a huge mistake at least for the Line 6/Yamaha transmitter: It’s not going to sleep if you don’t move it, nor is it activated by movement. It only depends if there’s noise going through it. Turn your volume knob on the guitar all the way down and it will go to sleep, roll it up, play and... there is the G10T on again. So you don’t have to kick it when using with pedals. Didn’t read all the comments... sorry, if that was pointed out already.

I was kind of interested in a THR but no built in looper or effects loop to use a looper makes it a no go for me. A looper has become absolutely essential for me and the way I like to practise. I'm a little disappointed they didn't add either feature with the second gen update. I personally don't mind using headphones. I just make sure I have a bit of reverb to make it sound more natural. I'm still using the Zoom G5 and it's served me well for years. Having a built in looper just makes it so convenient for the way I practise. I bought an Amplifire 12 due to all the hype, but I've barely used it. While I'm pretty sure I could insert a looper in the effects loop, it's just more cumbersome and less convenient than the G5 and I don't want to have to worry about potential noise issues due to connecting up multiple pieces of equipment. If I really feel the need to get away from using headphones, I also have the Blackstar Fly and the extension cab. I can run out of the G5 in stereo to the auxiliary input of the Fly and spread the speakers out as wide as the connecting cable allows. Unfortunately the loops are mono only. I'll be getting a Waza Tube Amp Expander soon. The prospect of using a real amp might just be sufficient incentive to trump the convenience of the G5. If I miss the convenience of the G5 I can always revert to using that for everyday practise and use the TAE when I want to get serious, or I could even upgrade from the G5 to a different modeller with a stereo looper for everyday practice and integrate it with the TAE whenever I use it.

You left out the stereo advantages of Yamaha and that the delays, reverbs, and chorus effects wil sound better. That's one of the main points of the Yamaha

I have the THR 10 on my desk top and it is so damn convenient. As far as tone goes , with the THR the eq knobs are very interactive, you do have to adjust for each amp style and guitar being used. But for me thats great cause I can get the sounds I am looking for. Cant jam with a live drummer though

The winner, of course, is the Gibson reissue 59

Finally I waited all week for this thank you!

I have the 1st gen Yamaha THR10 and I swear it is the best investment on gear I've made in my life. it has all sorts of effects that you would otherwise only get from pedals, you can save up to 5 different effect configurations in case you want to get your favorite tones by only pushing a button, and you can play with headphones. Best way to get perfect sounding effects and play to your heart's content without bothering your neighbors and family

So all we need now is for BOSS to bring out a similar sized, wireless and cheaper Katana.. that would be AIRmazing!

I need to see the THR 30 vs Boss Katana Head MK II using only it's internal 5 inch speaker comparison!

They both have USB connectivity. One deciding factor would be, which one uses this feature best for recording. Also, they both have app-based editors; which one provides the best results? The Yamaha's tuner is quite handy also. If the wireless times out after two minutes, it will do that plugged into the Katana.

I have the 100w Boss katana mk1 with fx loop - perfect result for me at home. low volume, works with looper ( i have a digitech jamsolo), record out, usb record out.

I tried both amps, and I prefer the Yamaha THR. If I did gigs, maybe I'd get the Katana. But I just play at home and the THR is so much more convenient, smaller, lighter, and sounds great at low volumes. It takes up less space in my living room, too.

I always get excited every time somebody takes a sip of coffee HAHAHAHA

Lee is spot on with his explanation of his use of the THR30. Liked mine too BUT sold it when my Positive Grid Spark arrived. NICE !

I love the features of the Yamaha thr10x but still at 299.00 5 years later I still love the sound and feel of the Katana...my preference is the Katana 100...perfect for home and gigs..effects loop .that doesnt come on the 50 watt version...for 349.00 the Katana 100..is still 150.00 less than the price of the THR 30...shoot you can get the 2x12 Katana 100 at 449.00 and still 50.00 less than the thr30

Did you review the new Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit? I would like to know what you think of this new product.

Why didnt you compare the THR with the Katana Air? That would make much more sense.

The Katana head is great at home with it's little speaker, I also take it a to my mates house and we do rehearsals in his shed with v drums and little practice amps with no PA required for vocals I gig it with a Marshall 1936 cab it's a brilliant alrounder, I bought the ammoon wireless bugs for £26 Work great, but a pain when the charge runs out,( buy two!!) as you can't change batteries, also the head has a switchable loop and midi the best piece of gear I've bought for years

Missing the vids with rob! I love vids with both pete and rob on separate occasions

I think the Katana air would have been a better comparison. I know people asked for this one, but I agree it's like comparing Apples and Oranges.

I solved the volume problem by buying my own house.

Just for reference Lee got it wrong when he wanted to use the pedal with the Katana, the receiver would go into the pedal and the pedal would use a cable into the amp and the transmitter would go in the guitar. That's the whole point of the wireless, to make the instrument wireless

Wow, was this video made just for me? I have a Fender Mustang LT25 and like it okay, but it's missing ability to have foot pedals. I may give it to my brother for Christmas. Now I'm in the market for either this Yamaha or Boss. I like the idea of the Yamaha to have it be wife-approved, could also use it as a general purpose speaker on our shelves, but also the ability to take it out camping or on vacation. Downside there is lack of footswitch support. The Katana looks to have great footswitch support but have to go 100W to get the fx loop. Maybe Katana MK3 will have a portable version or maybe Yamaha THR-3 will have pedal support.

"I think it sounds better louder." Spoken like a true rock guitarist

Will you be doing a comparison between the Yamaha THR 30-II vs Positive Grid Spark practice amp?

Great comparison. Thanks guys. I'd rather have the THR for home use and the Katana for small open mic nights. I have a line 6 Helix and I'm running it with two 4.5 inch studio monitors at home. Is there a low wattage monitor, similar to the line 6 power cab, for home use? I've seen the Headrush FRFR and, it and the line6 power cab are just massive overkill for anything I'll ever need.

Purchased a Katana MKII a few days ago and oh man is it great

I bought the Katana 100 2 years ago and really enjoyed it until I tried a small Bugera G5 tube head with a V30 cab and it blew the Katana out of the water. I recently found a steal on the Yamaha THR 10 II locally and it's absolutely blown my mind. In terms of sound quality and effects in a practice setting, it's MUCH better than a Katana, but that retail price is still hard to get past for an amp with 3-inch speakers. Just understand that if you're considering one of these, Yamaha makes up for the small speakers with absolute top-level high-fidelity technology in those speakers. Playing through one of these is like listening to all your favorite songs through the best-sounding bluetooth speaker you've ever heard. It has to be experienced to be believed.

I don't think this was pointless at all. When it came down to my choices for a low volume home amp, these are the 2 I looked at. I liked the size of the THR, but at the end of the day went with Katana. I can still get really quiet sounds, but there is way more versatility for less money.

Great info , but also , you two are jut fun to watch !

That was hysterical..... how about a video with best guitar, amp, mixing and recording board , ..a whole home studio set up.

Loving the return of the beach balls. Have seen a lot of videos that missed a lot of opportunities for that. =]

As a guy who's office is next to his 3yo's bedroom, I can totally relate with Lee's struggle. You're either plugged into headphones or you have an amp with tiny speakers that can be somewhat passable at low volumes. Neither of which is ideal. The other alternative is to have tons of gear in a living room, which'll get you wife aggro, also not ideal.

Useful for sure. I’ve got a gigging amp, but like the idea of a smaller one for home practicing so these and the Blackstar are being considered for that purpose

My 2x12 MkII Katana is coming in today. I so excited to try out all of its fancy features!

Why can't you plug the pedal into the Kantana with a cable and then use the wireless going from the guitar to the pedal?

What happened to the Fender Champion 50XL? Love mine

Thanks for putting out this video. It was very helpful.

Love the ramble fade out edit..👍🇦🇺🐨

People don’t realise/know that with a Katana on 0.5W mode, the Katana can be really loud, but with slightly less head room and pushes less air. So at 0.5W, with a bit of boost and increasing gain, volume and master, it still sounds amazing and you can play right in front of it. Move to 25W, then you have to step back 2 meters, 50W just stand 3-4 meters away, perfect.

The Boss katana head price point sits between these two offerings, plus it has a built in speaker so it can do THR flex, plus when you are ready to jam out plug it into a speaker cab. Best of both worlds.

The editing is spot on xD

Very entertaining and interesting! Thanks. Makes me even happier with my Katana.

Greeting to Andertons From Germany Hey Lee & Rob, why don‘t you compare the THR with the Katana Air? That is perhaps an more equal Comparison . Can you do that?

I'd have THR as my practice amp. Katana to small rehearsal or gigs.

Love to see a Katana-100 Mk 2 v Fender Champion XL 100. Pete and Rabea raved about the tone in the 50 watt version. MAKE IT HAPPEN!

I’m curious which sounds better direct out to my computer. Do they both go out with usb?

Chappers and Lee is all I need!

I only play at home and I love the THR (10X) and I prefer it to the Katana (I also have a Boss Katana).

Great video and “knowledge” as always! Have my THR on back order. Thanks Cap and Chap’ 🎸👍🎸

I own a THR10C (that I will sold to a friend and buy a THR10 IIW) + Helix. Lee what you need to try is monitor speakers with the helix, the result is amazing. Of course it's not as mobile and living room friendly than the THR. That's why I like both :)

These were great videos, love all three of these options, personally I use an old Blackstar ID Core to jam at home, and a Fender Excelsior for every gig (1 or 2 a week) with a few pedals. That easily handles the 100 person rooms we play, but man, the Katana is just... fun! But its like a scooter (or a large lady)... fun to ride til your friends see you doing it.

I still think the Katana 50 is the best home amp ever. It sounds great under any condition, its really affordable (in comparison to other amps) and you dont need to buy extra pedals (cause many of them are already build in). So if you are living in an apartment und you are looking for a new practice amp.. go for the Katana. The 50 is more than enough for that AND if it needs to be its surprisingly loud. So gigging in a small bar f.e. with your band is absolutly possible.

Worth the price of admission to see Rob take a Zak Wylde stance and play one handed!

About Lee's remark about the motion sensor problem: I would naturally put the receiver in the first pedal and use a cable between pedals and amp. Or doesn't that work for some reason?

11:57 & the beach ball = excellent editing! Lol

THR VS POSITIVE GRID SPARK ....those are pretty similar How bout pitting those against each other.

So could the THR amps be sent to a stereo amp into some monitors to get it as loud as the katana?

What are your thought on the boss mkII vs the fender gtx particularly the 50w versions? I would love to see comparisons on that and how they compare. Thx

I own a katana and I find myself primarily using the headphone feature. I like the privacy of not always having the members of my household listening while I practice, it discouraged me from practicing. I like that when I get a hankering to riff at 12 am, I can do it

I tried both the THR10II and the Katana 50.....then immediately ordered the THR30II to get the wireless and line outs. For me the tone at a low volume and the ability to quickly dial in a great sound without the app sells the Yamaha over the Boss. I tried on the Boss Katana with just the amp interface to dial in a few sounds and found that same process on the Yamaha so much easier and ultimately satisfying. The THR30II taken to a P.A. via the stereo outs is awesome if you need to have more volume. The stereo effects are stellar both stand alone and to the P.A. I have other amps and effects, so the Katana was more of the same....but the THR is an entirely different tool.

You would have to make the comparison then between the Katana Air and the Yamaha, as it has similar wireless/mobile capabilities.

You’re spot on with where my holiday dollars are planned, but add Waza-Air to the medley now, since most of my playing is for my ears only, and wife can still watch tv.

Except you can also unplug the Yamaha and take it with you to play anywhere on the battery. That was the major selling key for me.

I've got the original THR10 and it's great. I do wish the eq was more responsive through as it can get a little to much low end.

I think that the video was super useful. If you are a hobby guitar player, and you want an affordable modelling amp you would seriously consider either the THR102 or the Katana 2.

Hey guys, how about a 3/4 electric review for those of us with youngsters that want to learn but can't quite manage a full size guitar yet?

Can't believe yamaha have stopped making the thr10x twaits. can't find 1 anywhere 😟

Could you review the new Positive Grid Spark?

I use the Xvive wireless and that system doesn't require movement so works great with a pedal on the floor.

hahaha... here you really see the sound difference! I just wonder how you have recorded the initial THR II presentation video... there that thing sounded like a beast...

Managed to find a THR10 iiw in the store today and try it out compared to my katana. One thing that I noted is how different the sound stage is. Basically the THR sounds amazing when at chest level just in front of it. Take a few steps sideways or away and the sound quickly fades away .The katana is the opposite it sounds better as it gets further away (and thus louder to compensate). In someways the biggest way I can explain the volume difference between those two amps is that the THR is like a torch lamp : very bright in one direction (combined speakers are 14 sq inch). Whereas the Katana is a ceiling light bulb that you can dim. It can be dimmed by quite a lot but the lamp torch is the one that will disturb the least other "listeners" when not pointed at them . The katana comes at 113sq inch (8x more than the htr !) and on top of it is opened back so you can almost double that sound radiant surface area.

I was smiling through the entire video. I'm also just in my underwear.

I think you missed the main difference that the Yamaha THR30 II can do that the Katana can't. You can charge the Yamaha amp and transmitter and go play anywhere for several hours without any other power source for either. The Katana requires a full time power source.

Seems like THR vs katana mini/air/head would be a better comparison for small form factor. I have the head, and the 3" speaker is fine for noodling at home, and then you can take it to a jam space with cabs and you got your 100W to overpower a drummer.

I would love to see Rob do a Marshall DSL vs Fender Bassbreaker.

The yamaha sounds mint i think, I'm rating it highly

Update in 2023: I got both of these amps. And a THR5. They are all great, in their ways. I even got the wireless for the THR30. And I ended up selling both THRs and keeping the Katana. The THRs were cool, and all, but Katana was more for me. Could be bigger cabinet, could more options. The wireless was ok but I didn’t use it much. So, with some of the money from selling the Yamahas, I got a Radial Big Shot and connected my old Katana 50 MkI and my new Katana 50 MkII for ABY wet/dry glory. Home playing bliss.

Questions for any one. 1: How easy is it to set up Bias FX with the Yamaha? 2: Can two people use Bluetooth transmitters bug in the Yamaha? 3. What headphones (equally light and none sweaty) work best with The Yamaha? Thanks in advance?