THE TRINITY! 5150 Amp Shootout! (2021) 

Great job Ryan! There have been a lot of changes over the year to the various 5150’s so making an amp that tries to cover them all is a big task. For instance, the Presence control on the Iconic uses a Reverse Audio taper (which comes up faster), like the popular EVH 50w 5150 III, while the Block and 100w 5150 III have a slower Audio taper that doesn’t really change till above 5….so as you found you’d have to reduce the Iconic presence to match those. We also made some choices on the Iconic to make it more flexible, and instead of Burn just being More Gain, we also reduced the gain a little on the non-Burn, so it’s more like an in-between Blue and Red 5153 channel tone, and then the Burn gets the thicker attack of the block letter, and even a bit more gain. So at non-Burn Gain setting of 4 the Iconic IS tighter and has a bit less gain/low mids and would match closer at about 5. Thanks for showing the comparison!!

All the people who talked crap on the Iconic would probably feel pretty stupid watching this video, hearing how close they really are when you compare them. There’s a little more high presence, but that doesn’t matter in the long run. I think the amp sounds great and has lots of great features packed in for under $1000. Good work EVH

The Iconic sounds the most mix-ready of the three. There you go. So many people bashing the fucking amp and in the end it sounds great. Different (which justifies its creation) but still great.

A lot of people are picking the Iconic, because it's got a more modern/bright sound kind of built in. But to me, if feels a lot more sterile than the Block or the III. Much more richness with those heads. I'd definitely pick either of them over the iconic for studio work, because I can EQ the signal going into the amp, EQ in the effects loop, and EQ the mics as needed. Shaping those into the more "modern bright" tone the Iconic gives out, will end up a richer/fuller yet still crisp product. The iconic sounds better than I expected though! Looks like a great amp for a modern metal band, especially for live. And especially for tighter budgets. A worthy edition to the lineup! But I definitely don't like it more than the other two.

I think the Iconic sounds great. A blind test with these amps would probably make a fool out of a lot of the tube snobs. Especially adding drums and bass tracks

To my ears, the block letter and the 5150III sound nearly identical but the Iconic sounds a little more scooped.

I know it wasn’t your purpose for making the shoot out, bit I think this video highlights how the Iconic has the “bang for your buck” factor. It sounds terrific, especially for the price.

My first thought when you switched to the Iconic: That one sounds the best. That brightness is welcome next to that typical medal tone for me. But it seriously sounds amazing!

call me crazy but I like the Iconic without the boost the most of them. The brightness, the more controlled lower mids. it's my jam.

Being a Marshall fan, I like the high end of the Iconic. I love my signature 5150.

I actually think I prefer the Iconic for this kind of music. Dare I say the hybrid circuit gives it a focus and clarity the other two don't have. Might get one now.

I just picked up an Iconic Combo new with free shipping for like $700 with full warranty, because it was blemished. Someone pried the speaker access off and left some marks. Big deal. Best purchase I've made. I've been eyeballing the 5150 iii since before they shot up a few hundred. And now you've proven me right in my choice! Thanks!

My favorite is the Iconic without the pedal. It has a very tight and modern tone while also being really close to how a guitar would sound in a final mix. The OG Peavey is my 2nd fav, while the III comes in 3rd. I do like all of them though. The only thing that I didn't care for was the III with the pedal turned on, that option didn't sound right to me. But overall each of the 3 are solid amps, can't go wrong with any. But factoring price, the Iconic has the advantage.

The iconic has a specific lack of 400-500hz that the other two do have. I think it sounds the most "finished" of the 3. The block letter and III sound super similar but there is something about the block letter, maybe psychologically, that feels instantly the most classic on the top end. The boosts made the III and block letter sound way better whereas the boost didn't help the Iconic that much.

All three are GOOD and i cannot understand how many say that the Iconic cannot do modern metal, i must be deaf, OG still wins thought

Well, I actually prefer the Iconic. It had more clarity and attack. I'd like to hear them all in a mix.

They all sound killer, I feel like you couldn’t go wrong with any of the three!

SIIIIIIIIICK!!!!!! I am really liking this Iconic... thing sounds massive for the price. In fact, in order... 5153, Iconic & Bloc. Once again, killer tone and demo! Might actually get the Iconic to replace the Stealth I sold like an idiot!!

The iconic sounds more scooped and therefore modern, but I like mids because they cut thru in a mix.

Gotta say, I'm surprised that I like the Iconic best. It's brighter, tighter, and more articulate with its distortion. Definitely a more modern amp. The only detraction for me is it might be a little too 'clean.' I can imagine it might not sound 'rude' enough at times. Still prefer it to the others, though.

The Iconic sounds more scooped than the other two. I think with an EQ in the loop you can get them all to sound pretty much identical.

Killer shootout. I actually like the EVH 6L6 best. The Iconic sounds great with nice top end but the 6L6 seems right in the middle of the 5150 OG “dark” vibe and Iconic “bright” qualities

I now hear why the Block letter is the Holy Grail of metal amps..the III is really close, and the Iconic is definitely in 3rd place...IMHO!

To be 100% honest, the iconic sounded by far the best, but in fairness, and likewise honesty, I can't ignore that I know that the other two can sound better than that. It kinda sounded like only the iconic was optimised, and then the others were not really made to sound like what I'm pretty sure they can. And then they were compared to each other's non-optimized sounds. Not sure what to think, except that the iconic does indeed sound good. I'll probably be buying one.

Peavey - muffled. 5153 - barks. Iconic - tears your face off.

As an owner of a 5153 6L6, I never realized how close to the OG amp it sounded (and don’t have access to one to compare). Cool!

It's amazing just how close they sound. They all definitely share the same DNA. Thanks Fluff!

With headphones on, I preferred the Iconic. Even though the other two amps delivered, my ears gravitate towards the brightness and clarity of the Iconic. Great comparison and thanks as always for sharing.

The Iconic rolls off the boxiness and mud that you were going to EQ out of the other two anyway.

Block letter 5150 sounds the most "open" and the iconic seemed to come to life with the boost and when the EQ went to 12 o clock...Gain structure is there though!!! 🤘🤘

I've had an original 5150 since the mid-90s I think is when I bought it brand spanking new way more amp than I ever need but I love it!

Wow. How lucky are we to have such tonal choices! I like the original Peavey 5150, followed by the 5150 Iconic, and in third place.... The EVH/Fender 5150.... I love my 5150II i bought brand new!

Resonance on the 5150iii is on the back :)

What I learned from this is that the EVH 5150 III sounds almost exactly like the Peavey 5150. The Iconic almost sounds more like a boosted Marshall DSL in the way that it is much brighter than a normal 5150/6505 (I am referencing comparison videos I have previously seen for the marshall comparison).

This may be your best video to date. REALLY good stuff here. I can't believe this but I like the Iconic the most!!

Not going to lie im seriously impressed how well the iconic hangs! Damn it sounds good

I love the high mid range of the block letter and that’s what I like better about it in comparison

It’s funny, but i have 2 eq’s, gain and od pedals on my block 5150 to get it sound like the iconic.

I have the 5150 50W EL34 and it's fantastic.

I love my EVH 5150 III 50 watt head! Everyone who hears/plays it says it's the Best Amp they've ever heard! I'm running a ISP Deci-Mate into the front of the amp, into two 8ohm V30 Randall 112 cabs. Every guitar I plug into it sounds delicious 🤤 My favorite thing about the tone is that it lacks any uncomfortable/cringe frequencies no matter how loud or distorted you go. Great Video as Always

For under $1000, the Iconic sounds like a beast. For the money, defiantly worth it. Of course the Block Letter and the 5150 III sound great but we are talking about the little brother here. The Iconic has more of a scooped sound but to be honest, I like that sound. It's a Win-win-win in my opinion.

I have no doubt Fluff will print James Browns comment on poster board. Then hang it on his wall. Maybe he'll even read it at bedtime every night. This has to be a point in life when a guy would have to take pause. Reflect a bit. You've come a long way Ryan. Hard work and dedication definitely showed its face.

I’d go for the iconic. Nice demo.

The resonance knob is on the back of the EVH 5150iii, and the blue channel boosted is magic on the 5150iii.

Iconic sounds good here, like a more trim and tight 5150, maybe a more "modern take" on what a 5150 would be like if it were released for the first time in 2021

I honestly like all 3. I miss my old Peavey 5150, but currently own a Evh 5150 III and love it.

In my humble opinion, the OG is still the best. The OG is the OG, the real thing.

The Iconic is very thin in the mids and fizzy in the top end. Both EVH and the OG Peavey have a more pleasant midrange.

i liked the iconic best and honestly i had no idea there was so much hate being thrown at this

This is what ive been waiting for. Edit: To me the Iconic almost sounds like if you were to take a 5150 and pair it with a diesel. i bet for some people that would be perfect, but for me I just want to get some good Prog/djent tones. It does sound like it would be the perfect amp for some killswitch engage tones. The III and Peavey sound a lot better to me, but it all comes down to personal preference.

Great work Ryan. Very professional very thorough video. 👍🏻

I really like the modern tightness of the iconic. 🤘

Block Letter has the mid "roar" that I love. Still my fav

As for just listening to you play, I feel like the 5150 iconic sounds best in almost every situation. This leads me to believe that it unfortunately wouldn't cut through the mix as well as the others. One thing I have noticed in my long, uneventful rock and roll career is that, if it sounds great in the bedroom, it's not going to cut worth a s#!+ I just purchased the iconic after my Bugera T50 infinium crapped the bed at practice last week. Haven't used it at practice yet. I know the Bugera gets a ton of hate for its dirty channel, but it actually is amazing (AND LOUD!) in a live setting. Hopefully the iconic can do it for me. Thank you for the awesome video

Man, these were all so similar. And so good. Amazing crazy gaine tones. I know you can change the voice in the Iconic with the Burn switch. But yeah, they all sound on the same ballpark. Close enough to just be different shades of awesome. Honestly can't tell which I like more. Or even if i like any one of them more... and not just... they're all good. Crushing, honestly.

For me: 1. PEAVEY 5150 2. EVH 5150 III (I have it) 3. 5150 ICONIC But, anyone of them are a real beast!!!!

Awesome comparison! Hopefully people will consider the Iconic as a viable option now. Had the other 2, moved on to the Kartakou Colossus preamp for that grind and for recording, and the Engl Savage for live- kills them all with no boost and more tones.

I like how all of the evh amps do a fantastic job of capturing all the tones Eddie himself would of used. They all sound like each other but with a minor twist. That twist could be recovered/achieved with a 6/10 band EQ. I don't gig anymore. Just play for my own entertainment and I can make my lbx stealth sound like all of these with my ten band mxr. Of course not as loud. What I can't do is make it sound like a marshall/mesa amp. EVH amps share a component that captures the essence of all the tones that Eddie would of used.

Hi. Thanks for making this review, excellent format. And to have James Brown chime in on the comments thread and actually reply to people is amazing, in this industry where most technical people seem to hide from the public. Says a lot of great things about the man behind great musical instruments (amps)!. Regards.

The iconic is brighter yet more mid scooped than the others which is something we often do for metal with 5150s

Great demo! 5150 Iconic is definitely brighter, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just a slightly different 5150 flavor! I dig all 3 amps!

Really love the iconic sound. It's got a brighter more open sound that would pair really well with a precision drive pedal.

I'd be interested to see the same done again but with the other channels. One of my favourite things of the evh is how versatile it is.

Thanks for doing this shoot out . This was the most comparative example of the iconic versus the others that have seen so far picked up a lot from it thanks

Great shootout. I like how you clicked around so we could really hear them up against each other. I had a Peavey 6505+ 120 watt head. "They say" it's identical to the 5150 III? All I know is it was a weapon of mass destruction coming out of a Marshall 1960 4/12. I downgraded to an ENGL Ironball with a single V30. Sometimes I actually play on the 1 watt setting. I like the white one (Iconic) the best. Thanks again, great channel.

On its own, I think the Iconic sounds best, but there's something about a boosted block-letter that just sounds so evil and menacing that I can't help but love it. It must be a result of the amp's woofiness battling with the pedal's bite.

Great demo. Kind of surprised at how close the Peavey 5150 and EVH 5150 III sound to each other and helps reinforce my purchase decision. The Iconic is noticeably brighter, which is a bit more pleasing to my ears. For me, it would be difficult to choose between the 5150/6505 and the Iconic. At the price of the 5150 III, I would go with an Invective 120, which I did.

Great job on the reviews bro. My wife gets so Pissed at me for buying these heads but I love the EVH tones.

For the most part to my ear they sound similar enough that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference once the tone had been seasoned to preference - granted the iconic seems to naturally have a little more fizz baked in

It’s a real testament to the bones of this design how versatile its in all its forms. I have both a block letter and a III, and I use them a ton in my studio. The fact that we have another version that once again delivers pro level all tube tone for an entry level price - $900, are you kidding?? - continues a tradition that all metalheads should celebrate.

The Iconic has more clarity than the others. It sounds better in a recording scenario to me.

Didn't expect this, the Iconic sounds best. Much more pleasing mids that will cut through the mix better. Also tighter low end. Amazing.

This is a great comparison. I’m hearing a little more on the upper mids with the iconic while the other amps have a little more thicker resonance.

Been shopping and likely going to get the el34 5150iii and the matching 2x12. But for this, to me the Peavy was boxy and the Iconic was fizzy. Also literally FB dm’ing with Elroy about some AIRSTEP content I’m doing when coincidentally watching this vid at the same time. Will have to learn this wiring setup. Great video and great timing! 🤘🏻🎸

Man great work….. The iconic was sounding more bright and thinner than the other 2 but when you brought the Presence up on the 5150 Iconic 11:25 that made it sound identical…. Wow

Old one sounds the best!

I can't decide my favourite between the 5150iii and the block letter, but the Iconic still holds up well, given the price!

Comparison is pretty close …with the right boost and eq what one lacks the other can pick up in tone pretty great comparison fluff as always nice work

The iconic sounds great! All these do of course but I was surprised. I'd love a comparison with the invective too. That is in a way another successor to the block letter.

That iconic will be a bargain used when these eventually flood the market.

Surprise!! They all sound awesome I’d be happy with any of these Eddie put his stamp on them all

The Iconic definitely has that "Scooped Recto" kind of tone compared to the upper midrange of the other two. I thought they all sounded great!

One of the most useful videos on youtube.

The 5150 III and Iconic sounded the most similar to me; the block letter sounded more middy than the others. They all sounded great and I think you could dial them in to sound pretty much identical.

I love the brightness of the iconic.

The 5150 EVH block Letters is way better then the rest.

The 5050III is clearly my fav. Its a perfect blend of the good sides of both of the other amps

Thank you for doin the Lord's work thru amplifiers!!!

I think the 5150 III and the block letter sound the best to my ears but that’s just my opinion.

Awesome job per usual. I would have to say that with the iconic being $899 and the 6505 being $999 (and essentially the same thing as that block letter 5150) I would pay the extra $100 and go with the 6505. The iconic definitely has the 5150 voicing, but it sounds more compressed and fizzy. Almost more like an amp modeler version of the 5150 lol. Just my opinion though

The iconic is taking the pedal better and it sounds mix ready .. I kinda like it

I liked the iconic the best honestly, sounds the most clear but still super gnarly

Gotta say I’ve owned each (5150, 5150 iii, 6505, 6505+, peavy 5150 block, and now icon. I’ve since sold all the others. I really like the icon and chose that to be my last one.

Iconic sounds the best to me tbh; brighter and chunkier 👌🏼

The mid range growl on the 5150/6505 is still unmatched.

I had a 92 block letter 5150 in '92 and it's one of my regrets. I regret selling it. I have a combo Iconic coming as soon as they ship.

The Iconic sounds tighter me. I like that. I just order the Iconic this video has made me feel better about my purchase.

umm, this shoot out impressed me. The iconic sound a little clearer imo. I'm very glad i purchased my the iconic and luckily been playing it since yesterday.

Awesome job sir I will save this for amp settings!!!!!!!

I’m sold, buying the Iconic as my first Amp Head.