Yamaha THR30II Wireless Combo
YAMAHA’S DESKTOP AMP RANGE GOES CABLE-FREE AND PACKS IN MORE FEATURES THAN A SWISS ARMY KNIFE. BUT CAN YOU REALLY USE IT FOR HOME, STUDIO AND STAGE?
Traditionally, many guitarists tended to use two amplifiers: a bigger amp for the stage and a smaller one for the studio. Back in 2011, this status quo shifted when Yamaha spotted a niche for something else. Its concept was built around a third type of guitar amp, not another black vinyl-covered box sat on the floor but a design that could fit comfortably on a bookshelf or desktop with a homefriendly feature set. Thus was born the popular and highly successful THR series, which is still going strong today thanks to new models and firmware upgrades. Despite a growing number of imitators, the desktop amp is something Yamaha has always owned and to underline that the company has made what could be the most significant addition yet in the shape of the new THR Mark II series, which includes wireless and non-wireless 20-watt combos, and the new range-topping 30-watt THR30II Wireless we have here.
With a slightly larger footprint to accommodate its beefed-up loudspeakers, the THR30II Wireless is still roughly the same size as a four-slice toaster, featuring an injection-moulded black plastic case topped with a one-piece steel control panel and speaker grille.
The steelwork is finished in a lounge-friendly cream colour, with a thin aluminium trim and a pair of sunset orange LEDs adding a valve-like warm illumination behind the grille, which protects two full-range 3.5inch loudspeakers in a ported enclosure designed to enhance bass and stereo spread.
The controls look broadly similar to the original THR, with a few significant additions. There are five memory save/recall buttons and a Bluetooth pairing button. The amp selections have been expanded, with three distinct modes for each of the THR’s eight voices (which include options for bass, acoustic guitar and a flat response for music playback).
The colour of the indicator LEDs helpfully changes depending on the mode: red for classic, blue for boutique, green for modern. The amp controls are reassuringly familiar, with programmable knobs for gain, master volume, bass, mid and treble.
Effects are taken care of by two knobs that vary the mix level and effects type. Themodulation effects include chorus, flanging, phasing and tremolo, while the echo/reverb knob gives you a choice of echo, echo mixed with reverb, and hall or spring reverb programs. Two more nonprogrammable knobs govern guitar and audio output, while a small round LED display shows you the patch number. Next to this display there’s a tap tempo button that also toggles the THR’s chromatic tuner and extended stereo field functions.
Around the back there’s a stereo pair of line outs, which connect to balanced or unbalanced jack plug leads, together with a USB socket and a power socket for the THR’s laptop-style power supply. When Yamaha says ‘wireless’, it means it; the THR30II Wireless is fully compatible with the Line 6 Relay G10T transmitter, while mains power is augmented with a rechargeable battery pack giving up to five hours of unplugged play time. The THR30II’s Bluetooth connects to the THR Remote app to enable real-time editing of all the amp controls. The app also accesses extra parameters including a compressor and noise gate, 16 different cabinet emulations and two extra reverb models. There’s also provision for adding a third-party Bluetooth foot controller, and you can stream audio to the THR30II Wireless from any Bluetooth-enabled mobile device.
With no alternating current inside its case, the THR30II is remarkably free of background noise. There’s just a little hiss at extreme gain and volume settings, but at more sensible levels the noise floor is practically non-existent.
The 15 guitar amp models are extraordinary. Yamaha doesn’t use brand names as references, so there are no direct comparisons to be made, but the instruction manual descriptions give you a pretty good idea. There’s an uncanny ‘real’ dynamic response – the clean models produce snappy treble and surprisingly full bass, while low- to mediumgain models have a hyper-realistic touch sensitivity that feels just like you’re plugging into a classic valve amp. At the higher gain end of the spectrum, you can pile on practically infinite distortion so careful EQ is needed to stop things getting out of control. Fortunately, the THR’s bass, mid and treble controls are very precise and smooth.
Bass mode offers three voices specially tailored for the lower octaves, with a choice of condenser, dynamic and valve microphone models in acoustic guitar mode, while the flat/music playback mode gives three different EQ settings. The effects are equally impressive. In super wide mode with a hint of tremolo and spring reverb, the illusion of playing through something much bigger and heavier is very convincing.
The THR Remote app lets you customise the
THR without getting bogged down in endless parameters. We like the clean, crisply rendered 2D graphics and intuitive layout, which made editing a breeze. The THR30II’s 15W+15W output power is just about enough to handle small gigs, although you’ll get the best results using the line outs into a PA – take note that without the power supply plugged in, the THR throttles back to half power to extend battery life.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Valve amps are great but often limiting in terms of flexibility. They’re also heavy things to cart around and, especially where vintage gear is concerned, it’s hard to keep them operating in peak condition. Just as digital cameras eventually converted most photographers from film, guitar amp modelling technology is now so good that on most occasions you can have your cake and eat it. It’s hard to find anything less than brilliant in Yamaha’s THR30II; everything you might want from a home/desktop guitar amp is right here. Being able to plug in and play without the need for leads and mains cables is so convenient, with streaming audio making it a perfect partner for practice, busking and recording.
Today, Yamaha doesn’t have this niche to itself any more and there’s some strong competition. However, with something to offer all kinds of players, we think the new THR30II Wireless is still there at the top.