Vox DA5 Digital Amplifier

The Vox DA5 that I tried was made in 2007.
It has a digital preamp, solid state power amp, and 6.5" speaker.
There is only 1 channel, with 11 different amp models.
It also has 11 different effects options.

For a practice amp the features are okay. However, I wish it could store & recall at least 1 sound (in addition to the current knob settings). So you could switch between clean & dirty sounds when you jam along with your favorite tunes. Also, I think separate controls for Bass/Mid/Treble would make it much more versatile.

I borrowed this amp (red version) from a buddy for the weekend. I tried it with my stock '57 reissue Stratocaster, & MIJ Ibanez RG570 modified with Dimarzio Norton/VV_Blues/PAF pickups.

The clean sounds are useable, but it's impossible to dial in any sparkle without sounding thin & harsh.

The crunch sounds are okay, but have a similar problem as the clean sounds - you cannot dial in any bite without sounding too thin & harsh.

The high gain sounds are compressed, nasal, unmusical!

I'm not sure how anyone can justify high marks for sound quality here. Just because it's one of the better sounding cheap amps doesn't mean you can give the same score as you would for a hotrod Bogner or Boogie. That just causes confusion for us all.

I've been playing/gigging for over 18 years. I was hoping to buy this amp for my daughter, who is doing quite well on the acoustic guitar, and wants to try out an electric guitar. However, I'm going to spring for a real amp for her. She'll be far better off with something like a Fender Blues Junior & a decent distortion pedal.

Purchased in 2007. Paid/Stole it for $70. It is very versatile, covering clean (like a Fender) to Heavy-thick distortion (like a Marshall High Gain amp). I wish it had a true line out opposed to a lineout/headphone. When you plug in the line out the power from the unit itself stops. It would be great to just use the amp as a monitor and send the signal to a PA system. If it had a line out it would be a 10. also, I have been playing for about 15 years and have gigged quite a bit. Although this amp is probably not loud enough to gig with.

I use it to practice at home and it is plenty loud. My family hates it, sort of. My 14 year old son is having a change of taste. After first playing it in our 2 story, 4br house 1800 sqft. my wife went up stairs in tears with the her last words being "that thing is nerve racking". Makes me smile now just to think back on that moment. It is loud for 5 watts. I would prefer just a little louder, but that is apparently just my opinion. All the sounds on this amp are just flat out fun. I have Played through Fenders amps (Super Reverb), Peavey Delta Blues (good amp), Marshall to name a few and have found this one to be perhaps the most fun and certainly more versatile. I have owned and played through other modeling amps such as the Pod and V-amp and still prefer the built in combo of the Vox. Generally when playing with others I will use the clean settings at full gain and roll back on the volume of the guitar (generally a G&L strat) to get a clean bright sound and when leads are necessary I will open up the volume on the guitar to give me the tone I want with out breaking up. Nice, nice, nice.

No problems so far.

Have not needed to call.

I have been playing for 15 years and have giged alot over the years. I have played in alternative band, country bands, church song services and this amp would fit any style. If it were stolen, I would buy the higher watt version, but I would replace it with another Vox modeling combo. A line out that does not shut off the main speaker would be my only addition to the amp. It looks like a toy and probably is, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one and to use it in small settings or to mic it and use it in a larger venue.

I agree with all the "10" ratings for this amp - this category gets a "9" because I agree with Effect's review - the sound is considerably improved by replacing the Vox speaker with a Jensen Mod 6-15 (I didn't even use the transformer). It corrected that "hollow" soound in the clean settings, and improved its sound with my acoustic (nylon string) guitars a great deal.

I'm going to try replacing both speakers in my DA-10 now.....

2007 model with 11 amp styles and plenty of effects to play around with, single channel, CD input and headphone jack. Variable power makes this a great practice amp. 6.5" speaker is the only thing I'm not crazy about, but VOX has other models addressing this "issue". Could ask for another input but where would you put it? :)

I play a Jay Turser JT-133 (ES-335 clone)and was prepared to be disappointed, but this little amp lives up to the hype! There's a bit of hum but I stand pretty close to the amp and don't hear this as I move away. I love the Clean and Blues settings and am really finding it difficult to stay away from Crunch and HiGain! It will be hard to justify buying any effects pedals anytime soon.I was surprised at how loud it can get without speaker breakup and haven't been able to push it yet fearing a knock on my door; I live in a single-family house with a full home theater but this amp screams!

Feels very sturdy, solid and well balance. I cocked an eyebrow at the carry strap but after trying it don't give a second thought. Nothing that says cheap at all for $135

Not needed, a good thing

Played about 10 years before a 20 year break, just getting back into it. This is my first amp since my teen years. I had ordered the VOX Pathfinder 15R online since no one had it locally; despite showing Available I received an email the next day stating the last one sold before I ordered and it STILL showed as in stock after the email! Frustrated and not willing to wait I dragged my wife into Guitar Center with me to see what small practice amps they had in store. I saw the DA5 model as soon as we walked in but did not see where they were stocked. She pointed out Marshalls and Fenders Frontman 15 but my reading had me set for a VOX. I thought about the DA15 because I really wanted the 8 inch speaker vs 6.5, but had to be real since our rooms are on the small size and time to really crank it would be scare; they didn't have the DA15 anyway. That also ruled out the Peavey ValveKing Royal 8. We finally came across the stash of DA5's and I picked one up, prepared to take it back if I didn't like it; well, that's not happening. Perfect size for practice in any room plus the headphone option and it sounds great! I'd replace it if lost or stolen. Maybe in our next house I'll step up to the Peavey or Fender Super Champ XD, but the DA5 is staying.

Tons of great sounds, and if you want to dig into it you can tweak the available effects to your hearts content. I use it for great low volume practice tone. Take the small wood panel off the back for great open cabinet sound!!THEN.... I love to use the line out straight into the effects loop return of my Seymour Duncan 100 watt convertible amp to bring the perfect singing tones up to live drum volume band level. Unreal tone monster for the price of a decent pedal.

Using mostly with a Parker Fly. For the $$ it is amazing!! OK the clean I guess could be cleaner, and sure the little speaker isn't going to be shaking the walls . But screw that, for 135$ this thing is a 10+

this amp was made in 2007,this amp does a good job of covering everything from clean tones, to blues, to classic rock.I play mostly classic rock, motown,blues, and some jazz.this is a single channel amp, with no switching, but it does have a headphone out, and a aux in.I use this for recording, and sitting around practicing.It,s louder than I expected, and sounds great in the .5 watt mode.

I play a Parker Nitefly with Dimarzio pickups.this amp is super quite, and makes no noise,even on the high gain settings.This amp rocks,the clean is nice the blues sounds are very good, but the high gain models blow me away, the distortion is big, fat and smooth, it,s very responsive to your picking.

no opinion

no opinion

been playing 36 yrs. and own a ton of equipment.I would replace this in a heart beat, ilove this amp!I love it,s small size,low price, and great sounds. there is nothing i hate about it.There is something about this amps voicing that I really love, It,s my kind of sound. I have seven guitar amps, and none of them can match the lead sounds of my Vox!If i cuold get a 30 or 50 watt version of this, that sounds the same as the DA-5, It could become my #1 rig,it,s that good.The fact that this amp only cost me $125 still makes me smile when I play it.It,s very hard to get this good of a sound with a tube amp, and then you still need some FX the Vox has it all in side.

The variable output power is nice for recording and playing at night. The three knobs that allow you to tweak the effects are very nice. I have a Fostex MR16 HD CD recorder and I can run a cable from the headphone out to a channel in on the MR16 (no mic) and the recorded sound sounds like a a mic on an amp.

This is a great little amp.

FWIW...I have a 76 Silverface Champ, a newer Pro Junior, and Epi Valve Junior and a Hot Rod Deluxe. I love the old Champ. My nephew and I were playing jazz together with a Tele & Strat using the Chanp and the DA5. There were times when I forgot who was playing what amp (I couldn't remember if I was plugged into the Champ or DA5 - The DA5 was as warm as the point to point tube amp).

The DA5 has a reverb/trem setting that produces a great clean Fender trem sound using the Blackface model.

I'm nearly 44. I've played since I was 11. I don't use the high gain settings but the AC-15 and Blackface settings are amazing clean and clean/dirty tones. It's a clean and blues mini monster.

The Roland Micro cube produces no volume. The DA5 is as loud as a 70's Champ. The Roland Micro cube offers very liitle effect tweaking. The DA5 has three tweakable pots for each effect.

The speaker on the DA5 is 6"...the Microcube is 5"

Solid state wooden box with a metal grill....that's a 10.

I can't rate this. Do you repair an amp that costs less than a stomp box?

I'm sure that the local guitar shop would help if it broke in a reasonable amount of time.

I love low watt tube amps. I have three of them. I bought the DA5 as a toy and I can't stop playing it. My Champ is a childhood friend and it's sitting in the corner. I was playing jazz this evening with a Gibson SG using the AC-15 model with a slight gain edge and the trem/reverb setting.....it was delightful.

I'm thrilled with DA5...it's not a toy.

A little cubey-looking single-channel digital modelling amp, made in 2007. My one has the 'classic' Vox look, and that's why I bought it. It is quite versatile, and most of the 'amp models' got close to the sound of the originals. The headphone jack is okay, but the out-put is a bit weak (I use Fostex RP series headphones). the efects are spot-on and handy, especially when shredding. I mainly use this amp for home/studio practice. It is as loud as it can be for a 5-watter. I actually prefer it to my Ephiphone Jr. 5-watt tube jobey...Ah well. By the way it says, made in Vietnam. Hurray, it's not in CHI-WAN. Cool.

The DA-5 tries to cover the gamut from 'clean to shred' and it does a fair job. All the amp 'models' sound close enough. Depending on your 'model' selection, it goes from clean to overdrive and distortion. My toss-around guitar, a Godin Exit-22 with maple neck, set up with SSH, and GHS 10-42 cover all the guitar-sound range.

It' only 2 months old. I won't gig with it, but I've mic'd it for cutting some demo tracks. It has a nice friendly puppy dog 'bark' to it, and it sits well in the mix

I've owned lots of Vox tube amps over the years when I lived in the UK. Their Class A's had some issues with premature tube death, heat and noise. That was then, and this is now. This is a baby digital amp with some teeth. Never had to deal with Vox, and may not have to, seeing the solid construction of the amp.

Been bending the strings for a few decades, in Studios, and on stage. If it were lost or stolen, I would get another one. What is amazing about this amp is the size (perfectly formed), the battery option, and the variety of tones you can get from it. IMHO, it kick the butts of most other amps in the same price range and category, and that includes the Roland Microcube, which I also own. This a great amp for the dough, especially considering all the nice 'Korg REIMS' EFFECTS and the 'models'. I'd say it's a multi-stomp box device, with 'AMP & SPEAKER' attached...Hey, Vox, how about naming it the Vox AS-5?

the features have all been covered in other reviews,but it is a 5watt s,s, amp with switchable power levels (.5 watts, 1.5watts amd 5watts)and built in effects.also has headphone/lineout jack, and aux. in with it's owm volume pot.for the price it's loaded with features

the amp models are all good, but the high gain sounds blew me away!I can't believe the sounds and volume that come out of this little amp!the clean sounds are good and the FX are OK.But overall the amp models just rock.the crunch and blues model sound great, with a wide variety of gain settings.the tap tempo button is also a nice feature I can't help but smile when i play this amp, for $125 try and top it

don't know yet, had amp for about 1 month, can't stop playing it

no dealings with vox so far.

been playing 32 yrs own a parker nitefly, kramer pacer deluxe and a lot of amps fender line 6, roliand cube30 and carvin to name some of them.I heard this amp at a friend's, and was so impressed with the sound, and volume, that I went straight to the music store and bought it!The switchable power settings are great, and I prefer the .5 watt setting with the amp all the way up, it screams with smooth, fat, creamy distortion and sustain for days.still can't get over how loud this amp is, even on the .5 watt setting!

The features have been covered very well by other reviewers so I'll just put in my 2 cents. I wanted a coffee-table practice amp and originally went with the Roland Microcube: I loved that amp but the speaker could not handle a lot of the jazz chords I play, i.e. it mushed out. The Microcube's effects are superior IMHO and the effects were also dialed in with a much more user-friendly format.

Originally I thought the DA5 was rather bright and toothy, which is good in some situations...with tweaking I got a wide range of sounds that I really do like...plus the heavier speaker (than the Microcube) can handle a fair amount of volume.

I don't really like the effects setups and combos, or the fact that you get a preset for each amp that you must tweak. No big deal though as I don't use much effects other than reverb and a little delay sometimes. Overall, great features and tones.

My favorite tones on this amp (and there are a lot of good ones) are the Blues 1 and Crunch 1 settings with just reverb set at the 0.5 watt level with the gain and tone set at about 1:00-2:00 o'clock positions. It really nails some great tones at true livingroom volumes: sounds like a pushed amp on the edge of break-up; just adjust your guitar's volume and tone pots and you can get it smooth to dirty. That's my personal style and what I consider to be a hallmark of a good amp. I recently played it at a small jam session on the 5-watt setting and it was plenty loud with everyone else also on small practice amps. I believe the Roland Microcube's clean tones and effects setup are superior, but the speaker ruins it. However, the DA5 gives a wider range of really good tones and the effects are good. Exactly what I wanted out of a practice amp; I may even record with it given that it sounds so good.

This amp has been knocked off the coffee table several times and still works fine. The build seems quite sturdy. I have no idea about servicing as this is a current problem in the retail music industry: retailers sell it but won't service it. I'd probably just buy another one as it costs what a decent effects pedal costs.

No idea, but I have little faith in "Customer Support" these days.

I've been playing 23+ yrs and have tried to remain open to newer technologies as they have come along and it has paid off: I had one of the very first POD's which I blew up and now have a PODXT in addition to the DA5 and a Marshall Vintage Modern 50-Watt half-stack. The DA5 replaced a 1960 Gibson GA5 Skylark that I loved but it just kept breaking down (it's now "not for sale" at a friend's used guitar shop). I would definitely by another one if the DA5 broke, was lost, or stolen. I compared this amp to the Roland Microcube, and various Marshall, Crate, and Fender practice amps; the Fender G-DEC loops drove me crazy and I think the sounds on the DA5 are far superior. Great value for the money; I think you will not be disappointed once you get it home and tweak it to taste. Definitely try the different wattage level settings are this is a key tonal feature. Best of luck.