I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews and people don’t enjoy reading them. I always try to find positives, even when a piece of gear is “not for me”. Such is the case with the amPlug3. In my mind I can’t help but compare it to the Mooer PE100 headphone amp which was recently reviewed here on High on Technology.
amPlug3 AC30 - THE GOOD STUFF
The amPlug3 is a self contained headphone amplifier (headphones not included). It is capable of driving Sony MDR-7506 studio headphones with adequate volume. It has some drum beats you can turn on and off to practice with. There are also some distortion effects available. It is powered by two internal AAA size batteries (which came with the unit). The 1/4” instrument input is a plug that rotates around one direction, 360-degrees with positive locking positions for use. This little amp is very compact, it would easily fit in the pick compartment of a Les Paul hardshell case.
THE BAD
The on-off power button has a timer function integrated into it (which I hate), you must press and hold the power button to turn this amplifier ON or OFF.
I don’t have an AC30 amplifier to directly compare the amPlug3 to but I’m pretty sure it does not sound like this little plugin amplifier. I was hoping for some modeling but no, it’s sort of a cheesy analog distortion and it does not sound very good to my old guitar playing ears. The included effects are very basic and not really interesting.
The amPlug3 came with quite a bit of printed material in multiple languages but on closer examination it was all battery warnings for batteries that it does not come with (according to the printed instructions), but wait, it did come with batteries - confusing isn't it. Be careful, this amp uses two AAA batteries, who knew they were so dangerous and needed all these warnings?
You’ll need to read the instructions to uncover all the hidden features on the amPlug3. I spent the first half hour with the amPlug3 hacking, just trying different things without reading anything. Finally I tried reading the included Quick Start guide — the English version occupies a tiny corner of one side of a large printed sheet — the rest of the sheet is the same QS guide in multiple languages. Plan on getting on the internet, going to the Vox web site, rummage around and locate the full instructions for use. All this printed paper and barely any instructions included. To unlock all the hidden features in the amPlug3 download the real instructions.
LIKES
- Low priced at $59.99
- Compact sized guitar headphone amp - all in one
- Runs on two AAA batteries
- Aux input
- Builtin drum rhythms
DISLIKES
- Weak sounding distortion
- Poor printed instructions - you need to download the real instructions
- Pricey for what you get
- Does not sound like an AC30 amp
EPILOGUE
I really wanted to like this little practice amp (I'm still trying to talk myself into it). The ultra compact size and no guitar cord are unique features I thought would be very handy, especially for someone working on the road who wants to practice guitar. In the end I came to the conclusion that the amPlug3 AC30 is just not intended for me. It’s for someone who likes puzzles (like trying to discover how something works).
IMO, for the same or less money there are better sounding and more versatile headphone-amplifier gadgets out there, but they don’t sport the Vox logo or branding. It depends on what you want.
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©October 2025 by Mark King, it is NOT ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author.
Have you created anything beautiful today? Need some inspiration? Check out some original ideas on Mark King Radio. Here’s “Restless Waters” from 1986. It’s a demo I made to show off the Fostex recording equipment I sold in my store. I recorded this with a B16 which put 16 tracks on 1/2” tape at 15ips using Dolby C noise reduction. Amy Rotan wrote the song, sang the lead vocal and played the acoustic guitar. Over a dozen customers from the store contributed tracks. Playing this recording for prospective customers SOLD many Fostex 8 and 16 track recording systems.
