Not only that but there stuff holds up really well. My DX7 still works 36 years later . So do all my signal processors, instruments and everything else I bought by them . You really can't say that about a lot of other companies ..
They both sound comparable to me but the one very noticeable thing for me was that the noise floor on the Yamaha was much lower. I like the switchable tube option as well. Thanks for the vid, very helpful.
Excellent and super thorough comparison, man. Thanks for doing this. Also, great playing. You've got a super fluid lead style. Dang, time to go practice...
I have the Katana 50w combo and the Yamaha Dual with matching 2 X 12 cab. I've been playing tube amps for over 30 years. For me the Yamaha kills the Katana. The Katana sounds pretty good at very low volumes but much worse and solid-state sounding as you turn it up. The Yamaha gets better the louder it is. There are massive amounts of gain available in the Lead channel, the Modern channel has too much gain for my needs. I've gigged the Yamaha many times and it's amazing. I got the Katana for smaller gigs but it's really not good enough.
I thought I was the only one! I have. Katana 2x12 100w and it sounds great at low volumes yet, when you crank it up, it sounds horrible. I've EQ'd it every way possible and no luck at all. The katana is great for home use, but not for live.
I have both of these amps. 2 katana MK100's, and 1 Yamaha THR100HD. The Katana is good for recording, and takes pedals like a Champ. Same for the Yamaha THR100HD. But I feel the Yamaha is much more Tube sounding than the Katana MK100H. But if you put a Behringer Vintage Tube Monster V999 (12ax7 tube pedal) in front of it. It makes it sound more like a real tube amp. The Yamaha on the other hand, sounds fine. But I like to run an Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp in front of it. That's what I'm talking about sound. But it still sounds more like a tube amp, even without the tube preamp pedal That being said. I have a WET/DRY/WET rig with the Yamaha in stereo, and a Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 in MONO with 3 - 2X12 cab's. I run stereo FX through the Yamaha. The Wall of sound only requires 3 electrical plug-ins... AMAZING. Final thought. The YAMAHA THR100HD is a must have for a killer WET/DRY/WET Rocking Rig.
The Katana sounds good but the comparison here seems a bit unfair. The design of the THR offers so many options that simply are not used here. Just for starters, the EQ is really powerful and just small dial changes make a big difference very quickly. The price factor is obviously something that swings toward the Katana, but a THR with 1x12 speaker can be had for £599 in UK right now.
The Master on the Yamaha is the actual Master Volume of the modelled Amp, to get some more Oomph, Fat and Power Amp Distortion you need to crank it. The Volume Knob on the Right only makes the overall Sound louder or quiter but doesn't change the overall Character of it.
"This is 'greasy kid's stuff,' mix 12, ground zero, with the melody guitars Up .3, bass up .4, kick down .5, overheads up .4, less gate on the snare And 3db added at 10k on the pultecs to the rhythm guitars. we're rolling"
I have both of these, and run them as a Wet/Dry/Wet amp rig with the Yamaha in the stereo mode, and the Katana in mono. Talk about a wall of sound when turn the TC Electronic Mimic Pedal on through the Yamaha in stereo. Whooo! I run them through 3 - 2x12 cabs loaded with Neodymium speakers, and the sound is tight yet very full.
Dang crazy that people are preferring the Katana! The Yamaha sounds SO much more natural it's not even funny. The Katana sounds very very digital/modeled, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is very noticeable. The Yamaha sounds like an actual tube amp.
Honestly I think I prefer the Katana. I think people are saying it sounds bad because it's a learning curve to set up good tones for it, but when you do oh man you are in for a treat.
Yep...To bad Yamaha didnt marked it well..Probably beats anything from kemper, ax fx, Helix and a platora of other modellers..Im a tube guy and now I on a hunt for Professional Digital modeller only...The TH100 fits the bill...there is a reason wy its 300$ more then the Boss...
Yes it is. BUT there's a catch with going from one channel to the other XLR, according to the manual. I don't know why. Stereo OR two instruments work. I wanna pull the trigger on the Yamaha, but to answer your question, YES stereo.
Great job! I agree. And thanks for including some clean leads. Most demos dial up a weak clean tone and timidity strum a few chords! Excellent playing too! Mine doesn't sound as good; )
THis is more a case of “I bought a katana as it was cheap so I vote for katana” anyone not basing their choice on that dumb reason will clearly say Yamaha has the much more rounded sound, and he isn’t even dialling in the Yamaha to its best, yet it still sounds better.
Dude. You cant set those things to unity gain by just matching the the volume pot setting to an arbtrary position, even if its the same position on both amps. (The circuit design by different manufacturers will be different and hence the amplitude will not be equal) You have to use a decibel meter to match volumes and then do your comparison, otherwise you run into the psychoacoustic problem described in fletcher munson curves. The louder signal always sounds better, even if you had two katanas there with as little as a single db or so of difference, you will perceive the louder one as better sounding.
Kudos to making this informative side-by-side comparson clip. Look forward to see another upload when you get to demo the side-by-side with Yamaha THR100HD's Vol/Master directly matched to the Katana. Just thought an ABY switch (Morely/Fulltone) will save time with the switchings between heads (not sure if it will color the tones tho).
To me the Yamaha sounded more like an amp, it definitely needed an overdrive to send it into awesome sauce mode. The Boss sounded more produced, like you would hear on a recording just live through a cabinet.
Steve L not in person. This is not how it sounds in my home. U can have two raging high gain Marshall sounding amps going at once with the Yamaha. Try it in a store if u fan. No pedals needed it sounds like his mic is off or whatever he’s using. Not a good guide to how it really sounds.
I have both, and the Yamaha is better sounding side by side. But if I use my Empress Heavy Distortion, Amptweaker Big Rock, Or Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe in front of either one of them, on the Clean Channel. Katie bar the door!
Both are great. Splitting hairs IMHO. I have the Katana but would love to own the Yamaha. A good deal is a feeling not a number. Great stuff from Boss and Yamaha.
If given as a gift, I'd take the Yamaha any day. Considering that I'd have to reach into my pocket, I might as well go for the Katana. Thank you for the video!
Don’t let this demo fool you. He doesn’t have the master volume up in the Yamaha. It should be dialed max and then overall volume adjusted down. This will give you a much more truer representation of the amps ability. The master is what gives the modeled amps much sought after “push past breakup” tone we all seek. The Yamaha is far superior.
They both have that cold solid state sound. Interesting, I used a History LP clone in a shop on the Yamaha for about 3 hours and loved it thinking it could become my backup amp. I played the same guitar on my students Katana 100 in my studio and didn't love it. There are a lot of variables there I know but you have to also consider you used the same guitar for your demo here and perhaps that guitar sounds best on the Katana where as my LP style did the opposite. My high end tube head prefers my PRS style guitar over my Tele and my LP. I think the BOSS has a better distortion but it's not a tube distortion as much as a boss pedal style distortion. The Yamaha to me has a more tube emulated sound for the gain. Overall though you should simply ask which sounds best to you. I might wait for the thr update.
I really like the Yamaha!!!! But I like the Katana better!!!! I bought the 2/12 Katana after I tried lots of other amps in the 500$ dollar price range! It is very well built and has great tone! Unlike a lot of other solid state amps that lose their warmth and tone when you crank them up! The Katana sounds awesome loud!!!!!
they both are modelling amps with solid state power amp, neither of them are solid state amps per se. the gain master volume issue were already covered, which explains the gain and volume difference in yamaha.
The way I understood, was that Katanas were designed to have master volume cranked, attenuation as appropriate, and then bring it up with the channel volume....
The THR has 3 different overdrive's built in that can only be accessed with the software editor. That's definitely NOT the hi-gain selection! Also good to point out, the Boss is 1 amp with 100 watt output, the Yamaha is 2 amps, putting out 50 watt EACH. Taking both these things into consideration makes a world of difference!
What would be awesome is if you get the Yamaha Cab designed to work the 100HD - the cab has two unmatched speakers to go with the two independent amp heads.
Shouldn’t the katana volume knob be set to the same as the master on the thr? I think the labels are reversed between the two. Master is instrument out on Katana and volume is instrument out on the thr.
I've always considered the "Volume" to be the guitar signal coming in and the "Master" to be the entire amplified sound level, going out to the speaker. I may be wrong. I will have to see what the Yamaha sounds like if I "role reverse" the volume and master knobs. Interesting... Thank you for the comment. If it changes the sound in a positive way, I will redo this video. Thanks for the suggestion!! :)
You are 100% correct!!! I tried using the master as the "channel volume" and the volume as the "master out" and it sounds so much better. I will have to redo this video, as well as my original review of the yamaha. It's very odd to me that they would label them that way... Oh well. Thank you so much for bringing this to light. :)
The katana may have been louder but it was noisy as hell! it has a certain digital quality ... The Yamaha sounds more like a tube amp .. I wish you would have turned on the booster section of the Yamaha that adds some serious tone and cream to the overall output! and the fact that the Yamaha can be placed in stereo and two separate amplifiers built-in not to mention selection of tubes and class amp switches well ... And it's phenomenal that it's an Impulse response unit that amp is ahead of its time .. the katana is badass as well! Forced to choose I would take the Yamaha ..great vid!
I have yet to hear a decent clean tone out any Katana product. Dull, two-dimensional, synthetic. This line has got to be the most hype-driven sales success in amp history. Without TH-cam, I wonder what the sales trajectory would have been...
Chris, maybe you probably know by now the Acoustic setting on the Katana has an acoustic preamp designed for the piezo pickups in an acoustic guitar the Clean setting is probably the last setting you want to use for an accurate comparison( I bought the Katana 100) The Katana has so much potential with the software and now there's a third upgrade for that which is awesome
Altho both are Excellent amp modellers but the Yamaha is a class on its own...The yamaha is focused on Building your own amp sounds with tube Type selection in the back and also the cabinet IR in the software via USB. where the Katana is mixed effects and what have you.. Your Description to the yamaha not having enough Gain is totaly inacurate. The Boost swith gives the yamaha an extra 40% gain, and you did not even use it. Plus you can choose the Gain setting via USB from white, green and red. For a more refind and professional Amp modeller only, the Yamaha THR100 is probably the best unit out there..To bad Yamaha didnt marketed properly..
Thank you for noticing that. Plus I agree with what you said about the Yamaha focusing on modelling amps while the Boss focuses mixing in effects. Btw, I have been playing Marshall and Fender tube amps for about 25 years now. I am thinking of buying the Yamaha just as a lightweight spare.
All we needed the THR100 to be was a stageworthy version of the the THR10X, or just add the brown modes to the regular THR10 and give it 100w to push a cab. Instead, Yamaha does this 180° turn and does something totally different. Not having effects and channel/presets on the Yamaha, or access to the brown modes from the X model just cripples the Yamaha. All that being said, I would love for Yamaha to come out with a type of THR100X-HD that has effects and channel presets as I think the Yamaha modeling sounds a little bit better than the Boss, but I don't see them doing that ever :( Great demo btw!
Same thoughts! I was choosing between THR10 and THR100HD ... and came up that I need FX and at least 5 presets (also we made footswich). So if Yamaha whould do THR100HD-FX that would be increadibly useful amp but today it's a very expensive amp which is like not finished enough and not comfortable for use at every gig.
The Katana sounds better using it with the volume maxed and using the master for overall volume level. In fact, when setting up presets, you can save the volume level in the preset, but not the Master. This tells me that I am using it properly. However, The Yamaha sounds better with the Master cranked and the volume used as overall volume. I am making a new video to show the difference. :)
I'm wondering why you chose to do an "apples to apples" comparison in the sense of having all knobs at the same position. Who cares what tapers Yamaha and Boss chose for their controls? The first thing my friends and I all do when testing a new amp, is adjust the gain, volume and tone settings until we get some sounds we like. This would have been more meaningful to me if you'd done some tone matching...
I think the point is that the amps sound quite different even on the same settings. The Yamaha had a very pronounced mid-range where the Katana was more balanced and fuller sounding. These A/B style tests where the amps are set as close to each other as possible is the fairest way to compare gear imho.
Chris Tompkins what would you say are the best settings for home use with the Yamaha? I’ve just got one and am demoing it at home so need family friendly volume levels 😁
Regard to price is no fair to compare 350$ head VS 800$ By the way I have Boss Katana 50 (is my new practice amp.) now after two months of playing the speaker is pretty "breaking in" I really love this amp. Excellent work of BOSS (Roland)
I played my Katana head for a friend who owns a Mesa Dual Rectifier and a Peavey 5150. He was absolutely blown away to the point he brought himself the Katana head. He sold his Peavey, kept his Mesa but it's pretty much gathering dust now. He HATED the fact that he liked the Katana way more than the 5150 haha
Yamaha THR100HD, actually stacked 2 amps (which you can A+B, A or B in separate settings or even plugged in 2 instruments, if im not wrong), while katana is a single amp without having capability to combine 2 different settings or tone. So, i think katana little bit "pricey" than yamaha. In my country price of Katana 100 head in a range $500, yamaha $650. Plus.. Yamaha have more feature to change "tube" type. No, i'm don't have any related to yamaha. Its just my $0.02
Good idea this vid , but i think that You've should have dialed in the tones , to get a more matched sound . on every amp you have to look for the sweet spot . but that's just my humble opinion . thnx anyway .
I like the Sound of the Katana better i have a Artist i love it but that buzzing drives me bannas some guy said that you can get on that tone studio a there is a setting that will help clean up that buzzing noise.
I think cliffyg3 has it right. At least it `s similar on THR10 I have - 'gain' and 'master' for amp, 'guitar' for guitar volume. By the way very good and informative video, thank you for that! I like heavy, lead and crunch sound of Boss better, clean an solid - THR. I wonder how it sounds if you match Boss volume and THR master.
I would have been very very impressed at how the Yamaha sounded if the Katana hadnt ruined its parade. The Yamaha sounded way better than any of its peers. It turned a corner in amplification IMO. But it couldn't out shine the Katana. The only way I can explain it is that the Yamaha as compared to Katana had a slightly boxy sound that Katana did not have. For what its worth, there's my 2 cents.
You could have used the THR100 for apples to apples. The Katana is $349 US...the THR100 is $599 US & Dual Channel (used in review) is $800 US. The Katana has a setting for Acoustic guitars too as well as 8 presets instead of 5 in the THR100. :)
The THR100 single, is exactly the same as the dual. Just...single. I did not utilize any of the "Dual" functionality. So, in essence, I would get an identical result from the THR100 single. The katana has 5 amp types which is the same as the THR100H (Dual and Single). the only difference is the labeling of the acoustic and brown settings on the katana, and the solid setting on the yamaha. My goal really, is to showcase the amazing sound quality of the Katana. I mean $349 for this amp is insanely good. However, the Yamaha is also very good too. So, take what you will from this video. Everything is subjective. :)
love them both. overall thr is better but the katana is great and that acoustic combined with an epiphone ultra III is killer. both are great katana is one amp and has built in pedals. everyone forgets yamaha 2 amps not two channels.
You didn't try the second channel much on the yamaha, and you didn't demonstrate the both channels at same time on yamaha. Great playing, terribly limited and bias demo.
There is a noise gate on the katana that is only accessed through the software hookup with a computer. When you use the Katana with the "Panel" engaged, there is no noise gate. I had these amps at a fair amount of volume and was standing directly in front of the speaker cabinet. It's not at all any kind of issue with the Katana.
If you put a noise gate on the Katana it would silence the noise ( A noise gate is an essential on a high gain Valve amp), The Katana sounds Like a Great Valve amp and the Yahmmy sounds Like an awesome Digital amp, Two totally different tones that each serve there purpose. Both these Amps sound fantastic, I don't think there is a winner or loser.
I like your coment i have a Katana Artist they are exelent for blues if you back off the volume on your guitar it helps clean up that buzzing alittle are you can get on the computer and mess with the noise supressor.
In person the hd100 is great. I’m not going to go by this video. Sorry. It’s one of the best modelers out there and I have a kemper. And great amps. It’s great.
You sound like steve vai lol. Problem with those amps is that the yamaha is...reverse solid state in that when you actually double its impedance it becomes louder whereas the katana needs the smaller load to sound ballsier. AND 12 o'clock position on the deals...ah man. That means nothing. Nothing at all. The best thing I'd like to see from you would actually be, set each amp the best you can, according to your taste. Which comes on top? Still they sound good though!
wow, it really is true, he does sound like steve vai,....now what was this video about? ..oh yeah....Katana to even compete with the much more expensive yamaha is impressive....
Matching the knob position isn't the same as matching the gain , the gain settings , and not the same gains .Yamaha at its high gain setting was quiet ! Boss at its higher setting equaled bad noise , not a pro gear unit for higher gain if thats your thing.he says beefier , bassier ? should have dialed both for best sound and compared , equal knob settings is for dumb asses that can't hear, dial tones , he could have dialed for best or closest sounding settings , then the noise can be compared , very important and relevant grading point, should have demoed , mid swept, heavy mids and bassy tones , would have been much more informative, his conclusion is biased , noisy isn't better , could have been ?
Nice review...I'm thinking to boss head. Hope to see also Artist 100 head version. I think yamaha sound quite ok and is also dual. So you can do interesting things with. Just the price I think is not fair from yamaha side. Boss will do important steps. A friend o'mine reviewed yamaha 100 hd and seems is ok also for metal. Amp was used also live and is very ok!!! Who want another opinion about yamaha, can watch this video th-cam.com/video/gLKAln8VH54/w-d-xo.html or check for band shows 2016/2017
Even if the Yamaha sounded a bit better the Katana still wins because it is so much cheaper. But too my ears the Katana was a tad clearer. Not much difference really. Both are very good amps though.
I believe Yamaha is a very underappreciated brand.
Not only that but there stuff holds up really well. My DX7 still works 36 years later . So do all my signal processors, instruments and everything else I bought by them . You really can't say that about a lot of other companies ..
@@brucew.5177 indeed, dude
Yamaha owns line 6…boss…katana….
@@pbosche I believe Boss/Katana is owned by Roland.
@@tonyrapa-tonyrapa correct. Yamaha owns ALL of it:)
They both sound comparable to me but the one very noticeable thing for me was that the noise floor on the Yamaha was much lower. I like the switchable tube option as well. Thanks for the vid, very helpful.
Both sounded good . For me its the yamaha it sounded more like a tube amp boss sounded digital
True, the Yamaha is a more refined professional amp modeller..There is a reason wy its 300$ more then the Boss...
Excellent and super thorough comparison, man. Thanks for doing this. Also, great playing. You've got a super fluid lead style. Dang, time to go practice...
The Boss sounds like a modeling amp in an old way. The Yamaha sounds more like good clones of classic amp sounds as you would hear them in a room.
I have the Katana 50w combo and the Yamaha Dual with matching 2 X 12 cab. I've been playing tube amps for over 30 years. For me the Yamaha kills the Katana. The Katana sounds pretty good at very low volumes but much worse and solid-state sounding as you turn it up. The Yamaha gets better the louder it is. There are massive amounts of gain available in the Lead channel, the Modern channel has too much gain for my needs. I've gigged the Yamaha many times and it's amazing. I got the Katana for smaller gigs but it's really not good enough.
MegaCrasherMusic jesus man every fucking video I watch you comments are there. Clearly you don't know how to dial in a amp.
Richard Parker thank you you said it right. I love the 2 high gains going at once. Tweak it a bit. Or maybe that’s not your thing like you said.
I thought I was the only one! I have. Katana 2x12 100w and it sounds great at low volumes yet, when you crank it up, it sounds horrible. I've EQ'd it every way possible and no luck at all. The katana is great for home use, but not for live.
I have both of these amps. 2 katana MK100's, and 1 Yamaha THR100HD. The Katana is good for recording, and takes pedals like a Champ. Same for the Yamaha THR100HD. But I feel the Yamaha is much more Tube sounding than the Katana MK100H. But if you put a Behringer Vintage Tube Monster V999 (12ax7 tube pedal) in front of it. It makes it sound more like a real tube amp. The Yamaha on the other hand, sounds fine. But I like to run an Electro Harmonix LPB 2ube Stereo Tube Preamp in front of it. That's what I'm talking about sound. But it still sounds more like a tube amp, even without the tube preamp pedal That being said. I have a WET/DRY/WET rig with the Yamaha in stereo, and a Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 in MONO with 3 - 2X12 cab's. I run stereo FX through the Yamaha. The Wall of sound only requires 3 electrical plug-ins... AMAZING. Final thought. The YAMAHA THR100HD is a must have for a killer WET/DRY/WET Rocking Rig.
The Katana sounds good but the comparison here seems a bit unfair. The design of the THR offers so many options that simply are not used here. Just for starters, the EQ is really powerful and just small dial changes make a big difference very quickly.
The price factor is obviously something that swings toward the Katana, but a THR with 1x12 speaker can be had for £599 in UK right now.
The Master on the Yamaha is the actual Master Volume of the modelled Amp, to get some more Oomph, Fat and Power Amp Distortion you need to crank it.
The Volume Knob on the Right only makes the overall Sound louder or quiter but doesn't change the overall Character of it.
Your voice sounds like Steve vai...lol
I came here to say this same comment. Thanks for validating my sanity!
yes
Exactly! 1st thing I thought of & then I saw this comment.
MuvoTX you're right! He could do call in interviews and fool people into thinking he is Vai! Ha
"This is 'greasy kid's stuff,' mix 12, ground zero, with the melody guitars
Up .3, bass up .4, kick down .5, overheads up .4, less gate on the snare
And 3db added at 10k on the pultecs to the rhythm guitars. we're rolling"
I have both of these, and run them as a Wet/Dry/Wet amp rig with the Yamaha in the stereo mode, and the Katana in mono. Talk about a wall of sound when turn the TC Electronic Mimic Pedal on through the Yamaha in stereo. Whooo! I run them through 3 - 2x12 cabs loaded with Neodymium speakers, and the sound is tight yet very full.
Dang crazy that people are preferring the Katana! The Yamaha sounds SO much more natural it's not even funny. The Katana sounds very very digital/modeled, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is very noticeable. The Yamaha sounds like an actual tube amp.
You should try the Katana Artist i just bought one and it sounds just like a tube amp but you do have to tweek it a bit.
Honestly I think I prefer the Katana. I think people are saying it sounds bad because it's a learning curve to set up good tones for it, but when you do oh man you are in for a treat.
yamaha is the clear winner for me, think itvwould suit a player who plays a wider range of music than just metal
Yamaha 100hd is the easiest, best sounding modeler out there right now.
Yep...To bad Yamaha didnt marked it well..Probably beats anything from kemper, ax fx, Helix and a platora of other modellers..Im a tube guy and now I on a hunt for Professional Digital modeller only...The TH100 fits the bill...there is a reason wy its 300$ more then the Boss...
How about today 2 years later ? LoL
@@mattstrat1 It's a harder sell today. It got officially discontinued some time ago, but you can snag them fairly cheap used if you search.
Is the Yamaha a stereo amp ? If so, this could make a huge difference in sound level and imaging.
Yes it is. BUT there's a catch with going from one channel to the other XLR, according to the manual. I don't know why. Stereo OR two instruments work. I wanna pull the trigger on the Yamaha, but to answer your question, YES stereo.
Great job! I agree. And thanks for including some clean leads. Most demos dial up a weak clean tone and timidity strum a few chords! Excellent playing too! Mine doesn't sound as good; )
THis is more a case of “I bought a katana as it was cheap so I vote for katana” anyone not basing their choice on that dumb reason will clearly say Yamaha has the much more rounded sound, and he isn’t even dialling in the Yamaha to its best, yet it still sounds better.
Dude. You cant set those things to unity gain by just matching the the volume pot setting to an arbtrary position, even if its the same position on both amps. (The circuit design by different manufacturers will be different and hence the amplitude will not be equal)
You have to use a decibel meter to match volumes and then do your comparison, otherwise you run into the psychoacoustic problem described in fletcher munson curves.
The louder signal always sounds better, even if you had two katanas there with as little as a single db or so of difference, you will perceive the louder one as better sounding.
Kudos to making this informative side-by-side comparson clip. Look forward to see another upload when you get to demo the side-by-side with Yamaha THR100HD's Vol/Master directly matched to the Katana. Just thought an ABY switch (Morely/Fulltone) will save time with the switchings between heads (not sure if it will color the tones tho).
To me the Yamaha sounded more like an amp, it definitely needed an overdrive to send it into awesome sauce mode. The Boss sounded more produced, like you would hear on a recording just live through a cabinet.
Steve L not in person. This is not how it sounds in my home. U can have two raging high gain Marshall sounding amps going at once with the Yamaha. Try it in a store if u fan. No pedals needed it sounds like his mic is off or whatever he’s using. Not a good guide to how it really sounds.
Really?? you think so ??? lol
@@jjjohnson1512 You can not judge by this video. The room mic sounds like shit. Any person with a brain would play through them before buying them
I have both, and the Yamaha is better sounding side by side. But if I use my Empress Heavy Distortion, Amptweaker Big Rock, Or Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe in front of either one of them, on the Clean Channel. Katie bar the door!
Both are great. Splitting hairs IMHO. I have the Katana but would love to own the Yamaha. A good deal is a feeling not a number. Great stuff from Boss and Yamaha.
If given as a gift, I'd take the Yamaha any day.
Considering that I'd have to reach into my pocket, I might as well go for the Katana.
Thank you for the video!
As a gift you would end up selling the yamaha and buying the Katana dude...the yamaha is crap! lol
Don’t let this demo fool you. He doesn’t have the master volume up in the Yamaha. It should be dialed max and then overall volume adjusted down. This will give you a much more truer representation of the amps ability. The master is what gives the modeled amps much sought after “push past breakup” tone we all seek. The Yamaha is far superior.
They both have that cold solid state sound. Interesting, I used a History LP clone in a shop on the Yamaha for about 3 hours and loved it thinking it could become my backup amp. I played the same guitar on my students Katana 100 in my studio and didn't love it. There are a lot of variables there I know but you have to also consider you used the same guitar for your demo here and perhaps that guitar sounds best on the Katana where as my LP style did the opposite. My high end tube head prefers my PRS style guitar over my Tele and my LP. I think the BOSS has a better distortion but it's not a tube distortion as much as a boss pedal style distortion. The Yamaha to me has a more tube emulated sound for the gain.
Overall though you should simply ask which sounds best to you. I might wait for the thr update.
Looks like THR will never be updated anymore. Never.
I really like the Yamaha!!!! But I like the Katana better!!!! I bought the 2/12 Katana after I tried lots of other amps in the 500$ dollar price range! It is very well built and has great tone! Unlike a lot of other solid state amps that lose their warmth and tone when you crank them up! The Katana sounds awesome loud!!!!!
Yamaha any day of the week. Over a kemper even Helix.
they both are modelling amps with solid state power amp, neither of them are solid state amps per se.
the gain master volume issue were already covered, which explains the gain and volume difference in yamaha.
Informative video, thanks. The Boss Katana sounds better to me, which is why I bought one.
The way I understood, was that Katanas were designed to have master volume cranked, attenuation as appropriate, and then bring it up with the channel volume....
Trouble with that is that if you use the 4 channel presets, you can only adjust the volume with the "master". Everything else is set.
The THR has 3 different overdrive's built in that can only be accessed with the software editor. That's definitely NOT the hi-gain selection! Also good to point out, the Boss is 1 amp with 100 watt output, the Yamaha is 2 amps, putting out 50 watt EACH. Taking both these things into consideration makes a world of difference!
They both sounded good to my ears, but i guess the katana wins IMO, planning to by this christmas or maybe for my birthday!
Yamaha owns Line 6 so there is so much shared dna in those circuits.
I think the Yamaha has just that little bit more refinement. But for the price katana is great value.
refinement??? really??? lol
Katana all the way! Half the price of the Yamaha as well!
What would be awesome is if you get the Yamaha Cab designed to work the 100HD - the cab has two unmatched speakers to go with the two independent amp heads.
I own a Katana, but to me the Yamaha was superior. Softer and more gentle tone.
Thats because you dont own a Yamaha...then you could properly figure out that you were right buying a Katana
The baddest and bitchenest riffs, brother!
Shouldn’t the katana volume knob be set to the same as the master on the thr? I think the labels are reversed between the two. Master is instrument out on Katana and volume is instrument out on the thr.
I've always considered the "Volume" to be the guitar signal coming in and the "Master" to be the entire amplified sound level, going out to the speaker. I may be wrong. I will have to see what the Yamaha sounds like if I "role reverse" the volume and master knobs. Interesting... Thank you for the comment. If it changes the sound in a positive way, I will redo this video. Thanks for the suggestion!! :)
You are 100% correct!!! I tried using the master as the "channel volume" and the volume as the "master out" and it sounds so much better. I will have to redo this video, as well as my original review of the yamaha. It's very odd to me that they would label them that way... Oh well. Thank you so much for bringing this to light. :)
Great! Glad I could help. They’re both great. Wish manufacturers would come up with some standard.
Chris Tompkins new video?
I preferred the Yamaha... Interesting review. Thanks,
The katana may have been louder but it was noisy as hell! it has a certain digital quality ... The Yamaha sounds more like a tube amp .. I wish you would have turned on the booster section of the Yamaha that adds some serious tone and cream to the overall output! and the fact that the Yamaha can be placed in stereo and two separate amplifiers built-in not to mention selection of tubes and class amp switches well ... And it's phenomenal that it's an Impulse response unit that amp is ahead of its time .. the katana is badass as well! Forced to choose I would take the Yamaha ..great vid!
The Yamaha would cut through in a live situation better.Katana is noisy not in a good way.
I have yet to hear a decent clean tone out any Katana product. Dull, two-dimensional, synthetic. This line has got to be the most hype-driven sales success in amp history. Without TH-cam, I wonder what the sales trajectory would have been...
I gig a katana and I think it's fantastic, but you're right about the cleans
Chris, maybe you probably know by now the Acoustic setting on the Katana has an acoustic preamp designed for the piezo pickups in an acoustic guitar the Clean setting is probably the last setting you want to use for an accurate comparison( I bought the Katana 100)
The Katana has so much potential with the software and now there's a third upgrade for that which is awesome
Altho both are Excellent amp modellers but the Yamaha is a class on its own...The yamaha is focused on Building your own amp sounds with tube Type selection in the back and also the cabinet IR in the software via USB. where the Katana is mixed effects and what have you.. Your Description to the yamaha not having enough Gain is totaly inacurate. The Boost swith gives the yamaha an extra 40% gain, and you did not even use it. Plus you can choose the Gain setting via USB from white, green and red.
For a more refind and professional Amp modeller only, the Yamaha THR100 is probably the best unit out there..To bad Yamaha didnt marketed properly..
Thank you for noticing that. Plus I agree with what you said about the Yamaha focusing on modelling amps while the Boss focuses mixing in effects. Btw, I have been playing Marshall and Fender tube amps for about 25 years now. I am thinking of buying the Yamaha just as a lightweight spare.
@@MrJimmy-qf5wz I have lots of tube heads from Jcm 800 to carvin Legacy, Laney and in between....I found myself using the Yamaha the most..
All we needed the THR100 to be was a stageworthy version of the the THR10X, or just add the brown modes to the regular THR10 and give it 100w to push a cab. Instead, Yamaha does this 180° turn and does something totally different. Not having effects and channel/presets on the Yamaha, or access to the brown modes from the X model just cripples the Yamaha. All that being said, I would love for Yamaha to come out with a type of THR100X-HD that has effects and channel presets as I think the Yamaha modeling sounds a little bit better than the Boss, but I don't see them doing that ever :( Great demo btw!
Same thoughts! I was choosing between THR10 and THR100HD ... and came up that I need FX and at least 5 presets (also we made footswich). So if Yamaha whould do THR100HD-FX that would be increadibly useful amp but today it's a very expensive amp which is like not finished enough and not comfortable for use at every gig.
Great video , Try the master maxed on the katana & use the volume to control to adjust the levels .
The Katana sounds better using it with the volume maxed and using the master for overall volume level. In fact, when setting up presets, you can save the volume level in the preset, but not the Master. This tells me that I am using it properly. However, The Yamaha sounds better with the Master cranked and the volume used as overall volume. I am making a new video to show the difference. :)
I'm wondering why you chose to do an "apples to apples" comparison in the sense of having all knobs at the same position. Who cares what tapers Yamaha and Boss chose for their controls? The first thing my friends and I all do when testing a new amp, is adjust the gain, volume and tone settings until we get some sounds we like. This would have been more meaningful to me if you'd done some tone matching...
Excellent feedback! I will absolutely keep this in mind, if I ever do another comparison video. Thanks!
Chris Tompkins, you’re welcome. Excellent format and video/audio quality, BTW. Concise and easy to follow.
I think the point is that the amps sound quite different even on the same settings. The Yamaha had a very pronounced mid-range where the Katana was more balanced and fuller sounding. These A/B style tests where the amps are set as close to each other as possible is the fairest way to compare gear imho.
That Katana has been collecting dust as if it's been in storage for a decade. It didn't even exist for that long...
Can you achieve bedroom amp levels with the Yamaha THR100?
Yes, you can.
Chris Tompkins what would you say are the best settings for home use with the Yamaha? I’ve just got one and am demoing it at home so need family friendly volume levels 😁
You need a decibel meter to match volumes
This guy talks exactly like Steve Vai
The Yamaha always sounds like it's being recorded in a tile room. The Kat is my favorite, it's just a well balanced tone.
Regard to price is no fair to compare 350$ head VS 800$
By the way I have Boss Katana 50 (is my new practice amp.) now after two months of playing the speaker is pretty "breaking in"
I really love this amp. Excellent work of BOSS (Roland)
I'd put my Katana head up against any other amp. It might not always win, but it'll give any amp a run. Best $350 a guitarist can spend IMO. ;)
I played my Katana head for a friend who owns a Mesa Dual Rectifier and a Peavey 5150. He was absolutely blown away to the point he brought himself the Katana head. He sold his Peavey, kept his Mesa but it's pretty much gathering dust now. He HATED the fact that he liked the Katana way more than the 5150 haha
Yamaha THR100HD, actually stacked 2 amps (which you can A+B, A or B in separate settings or even plugged in 2 instruments, if im not wrong), while katana is a single amp without having capability to combine 2 different settings or tone.
So, i think katana little bit "pricey" than yamaha.
In my country price of Katana 100 head in a range $500, yamaha $650.
Plus.. Yamaha have more feature to change "tube" type.
No, i'm don't have any related to yamaha.
Its just my $0.02
Good idea this vid , but i think that You've should have dialed in the tones , to get a more matched sound . on every amp you have to look for the sweet spot . but that's just my humble opinion . thnx anyway .
Katana FTW! there was no real time needed for me to choose between the two here.
The Katana sounded much more Marshall like and just fuller/punchier.
The Yamaha of course sounds better but a bad comparison as the thr cab is a big part of the sound with mismatched speakers!!
I like the Sound of the Katana better i have a Artist i love it but that buzzing drives me bannas some guy said that you can get on that tone studio a there is a setting that will help clean up that buzzing noise.
Do you have your master maxed out? Cause that added a hiss for me, max out the channel volume and use master to adjust volume
I think cliffyg3 has it right. At least it `s similar on THR10 I have - 'gain' and 'master' for amp, 'guitar' for guitar volume.
By the way very good and informative video, thank you for that! I like heavy, lead and crunch sound of Boss better, clean an solid - THR. I wonder how it sounds if you match Boss volume and THR master.
Yep. cliffyg3 nailed it. I tried it last night and the Yamaha sounds pretty freakin good. Gonna have to do this video over again... :/
The Katana has a warmer more tubey feel to me in this video...The Yamaha sounds cold and somewhat sterile...sorry guys the Katana wins clearly !
I will get the Yamaha!!
The Yamaha sounds boxy to me. The Katana sounds more open. I prefer the Katana.
The noise level on the Katana is marked compared to the Yamaha but I love my KTN100.
I would have been very very impressed at how the Yamaha sounded if the Katana hadnt ruined its parade.
The Yamaha sounded way better than any of its peers. It turned a corner in amplification IMO.
But it couldn't out shine the Katana.
The only way I can explain it is that the Yamaha as compared to Katana had a slightly boxy sound that Katana did not have.
For what its worth, there's my 2 cents.
Both are missing something....the tube in the preamp I guess. I'm on the fence.JC 40 for now is my first choice,,Katana second.
You could have used the THR100 for apples to apples. The Katana is $349 US...the THR100 is $599 US & Dual Channel (used in review) is $800 US. The Katana has a setting for Acoustic guitars too as well as 8 presets instead of 5 in the THR100. :)
The THR100 single, is exactly the same as the dual. Just...single. I did not utilize any of the "Dual" functionality. So, in essence, I would get an identical result from the THR100 single. The katana has 5 amp types which is the same as the THR100H (Dual and Single). the only difference is the labeling of the acoustic and brown settings on the katana, and the solid setting on the yamaha. My goal really, is to showcase the amazing sound quality of the Katana. I mean $349 for this amp is insanely good. However, the Yamaha is also very good too. So, take what you will from this video. Everything is subjective. :)
love them both. overall thr is better but the katana is great and that acoustic combined with an epiphone ultra III is killer. both are great katana is one amp and has built in pedals. everyone forgets yamaha 2 amps not two channels.
You didn't try the second channel much on the yamaha, and you didn't demonstrate the both channels at same time on yamaha. Great playing, terribly limited and bias demo.
Katana all the way!! And, like some have said, you really DO sound just like steve vai!! Which is a good thing!!LOL
They both sound nice, but the katana sure was noisy at the beginning. Is that an issue with the katana?
There is a noise gate on the katana that is only accessed through the software hookup with a computer. When you use the Katana with the "Panel" engaged, there is no noise gate. I had these amps at a fair amount of volume and was standing directly in front of the speaker cabinet. It's not at all any kind of issue with the Katana.
If you put a noise gate on the Katana it would silence the noise ( A noise gate is an essential on a high gain Valve amp), The Katana sounds Like a Great Valve amp and the Yahmmy sounds Like an awesome Digital amp, Two totally different tones that each serve there purpose. Both these Amps sound fantastic, I don't think there is a winner or loser.
your voice is very similar with Steve Vai's voice
Katana hands down to me,,,
What's the riff around 17:40?
Fade to black by Metallica.
what signal path? guitar > amp head > direct?
Yeah, straight into the amp. :)
The Yamaha kicked the Katanas ass in every way. The Katana sounds like it it’s in a tiny box whereas the Yamaha sounds natural and open.
The Katana is way too noisy
Agree. Alot of floor noise. I think the yamaha is way nicer sounding.
I like your coment i have a Katana Artist they are exelent for blues if you back off the volume on your guitar it helps clean up that buzzing alittle are you can get on the computer and mess with the noise supressor.
Seems so. It has an in-built gate, though, that you can play with on the PC software.
These modelling amps only seem to be good for metal or other high gain tones
Yamaha
Just found this video because I'm thinking of buying the Yamaha. Frankly, I would be embarrassed to be seen with the Katana. It is really a toy.
Katana kicks ass
I feel as if i’m the only one who finds the Yamaha to be too muffled and not clear enough. not a fan personally
In person the hd100 is great. I’m not going to go by this video. Sorry. It’s one of the best modelers out there and I have a kemper. And great amps. It’s great.
It was kinda clunky to follow what amp and which model was being used
Voice like Mr Steve Vai was talking
The boss
You sound like steve vai lol.
Problem with those amps is that the yamaha is...reverse solid state in that when you actually double its impedance it becomes louder whereas the katana needs the smaller load to sound ballsier.
AND 12 o'clock position on the deals...ah man. That means nothing. Nothing at all.
The best thing I'd like to see from you would actually be, set each amp the best you can, according to your taste. Which comes on top?
Still they sound good though!
The Boss is THE BOSS! Katana wins...again.
wow, it really is true, he does sound like steve vai,....now what was this video about? ..oh yeah....Katana to even compete with the much more expensive yamaha is impressive....
Matching the knob position isn't the same as matching the gain , the gain settings , and not the same gains .Yamaha at its high gain setting was quiet ! Boss at its higher setting equaled bad noise , not a pro gear unit for higher gain if thats your thing.he says beefier , bassier ? should have dialed both for best sound and compared , equal knob settings is for dumb asses that can't hear, dial tones , he could have dialed for best or closest sounding settings , then the noise can be compared , very important and relevant grading point, should have demoed , mid swept, heavy mids and bassy tones , would have been much more informative, his conclusion is biased , noisy isn't better , could have been ?
Nice review...I'm thinking to boss head. Hope to see also Artist 100 head version. I think yamaha sound quite ok and is also dual. So you can do interesting things with. Just the price I think is not fair from yamaha side. Boss will do important steps. A friend o'mine reviewed yamaha 100 hd and seems is ok also for metal. Amp was used also live and is very ok!!! Who want another opinion about yamaha, can watch this video th-cam.com/video/gLKAln8VH54/w-d-xo.html or check for band shows 2016/2017
日本語でごめん。
どっちも好きだわ。
Even if the Yamaha sounded a bit better the Katana still wins because it is so much cheaper. But too my ears the Katana was a tad clearer. Not much difference really. Both are very good amps though.
Katana easy,