I bought this amp in July as a replacement for a Peavey 210TX enclosure with a Megabass head in it, used in conjunction with a 115BX cabinet. I've pretty much owned Peaveys exclusively, but I wanted something compact and powerful, and Peavey offered no such animal at the time. I simply didn't want to lug 2 cabinets to shows anymore.

I did as much research as possible, and what I kept hearing was how Carvin's power ratings were inflated. I too thought the ratings were hype when I received the amp, but I must point out, if you follow the manual closely, you WILL get impressive volume. In fact, that's one of the first things the manual will tell you. I didn't study the manual close enough, and I had the amp shut down on me in the middle of a gig. It's a safety feature so it doesn't overwork your speakers. Still, the shutdown was ill-timed. The next day, I started from scratch, and followed the manual to the letter. I have great volume now, my tone is shaped perfectly, and it's a really impressive amp. Also, this amp is QUIET (no hum or buzz). The Cyclops covers the entire frequency flawlessly, and is punchy as hell. Using the compression correctly will do wonders for your volume, and the tube preamp is a great feature. You can get a plethora of tones out of this thing. I use a 5-string Les Paul (active), and I couldn't be happier. Incidentally, I have recorded using the XLR direct out of the back (and you can choose line or direct), and it sounded stupendous. I recommend this amp highly.

Construction	95%
Loudness	95%
Clarity	100%
Tone	100%
Size/Bulkiness	95%
Value	95%
Overall	95%
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