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Great Sounding Flexible Attenuator
By: Dave
Submitted: 9/15/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Rating
Product Review
I bought this attenuator as it has been one of the highest rated units in the industry. Well, it didn't disappoint.
The unit preserves the feel and overall sound of the amp. The presence controls a great shaping tool, especially at higher attenuation levels to cut down on the higher end fizz that can be attributed to higher attenuation levels.
The impedance matching feature is great. However, be advised it only works when using attenuation. If you are bypassing the attenuation, there is no impedance matching. I don't need it as all my amps and cabs can be matched on their own.
The solo feature is nice to switch between to attenuation levels. You can use this as a solo boost, or just 2 different levels as a simple volume selector.
Does it sound identical to a cranked amp, no, that's impossible due to the speaker Fletcher Munson curve. But it is very close and good enough.
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Great Tone / Bedroom Useful Volume
By: Rob
Submitted: 8/9/2023
Product Review
The Ironman II is incredibly useful. Yes, it can attenuate volume, making very loud amps useful at the bedroom level and beyond. However, due to separate impedance matching for amp and cabinet, you can mix and match heads and cabinets you couldn’t otherwise use together.
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This thing is awesome. No more too loud.
By: Barry "No more rattling eyes" Broman
Submitted: 8/4/2023
Product Review
My wife and neighbors do not like loud like I do. However, this not so little guy makes all of the tone and character of my very loud Traynor Custom Reverb come out without rattling my eyes in their sockets. And while I personally love that sensation, I also like not having the glare/stare of others who loathe the loud.
I had a Boss/Waza Tube Amp Expander at one point and I could not get into it. Something about the re-amping aspect of it just never sounded right to me. It very well could have been me doing something incorrectly, full disclosure. But the same amp. same tubes. Same cab. Plugged this in between the amp and cab and holy moly. The tone and the ease of use was exactly what I needed. so dang good. Immediately blown away by it.
Long story short, I got impatient waiting for Fryette and pulled the trigger on this and I have no regrets at all. AMS is awesome as usual. Start to finish, I am so happy.
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Absolutely Brilliant
By: Matt B.
Submitted: 3/28/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I have a Mesa Boogie F-50 (50-watt) that I haven't been able to use because it's too loud for bedroom playing. The Iron Man II wrangles the volume perfectly without impacting the tone. I should've bought this years ago. If you're on the fence - just go for it. You won't regret it.
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Excellent Attenuator
By: B. Jackson
Submitted: 1/6/2023
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
I've owned quite a few different styles of attenuators from quite a few different manufacturers. Currently, the Ironman II is my favorite pure attenuator. I also like the Fryette (and own one), but audibly, I could not tell you which one sounds the best, which is a good thing, because that means both sound great.
With the Tone King being a little less, the price could sway you, but you're not losing anything function-wise unless you need an additional amplifier.
This attenuator is quiet, built very solid, has plenty of features in the back for running direct, to amp, etc.
Until this unit (and Fryette) the guy in Vancouver, Canada who made the Ultimate Attenuator for that company was one of the best I had used. For passive attenuators, I like Webers as long as the rheostat wasn't maxed, but this latest generation attenuator is highly recommended.
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NO TONE LOSS
By: Joanie Craine
Submitted: 3/1/2021
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
This beast attenuator came highly reccomended by several professional musicians and the staff at American Musical Supply. I shopped three different ones. Even though this one is not designed for recording within itself, using an interface with it is a breeze. That being said I am so glad I chose this sole purpose attenuator, as the loss of tone is ZERO for what I am doing which is using it to just bump down two clicks of decibels. Although cranking it to full attenuation is amazing, as well. I can crank a 100 watt Marshall and an AC30 VOX with zero problems whatsoever. The ability two run two speaker cabs with it is just plaing the most awesome. I can mix ohms and have zero worries. The footswitch is perfect for bumping up a set of decibels for different rhythm sections that need a boost. I am not a lead guitarist, but believe it would be great for a lead situation, as well. I am so happy with how solid this machine is. It is built to last a lifetime. The customer support is amazing. I have called several times to make sure I am not goofing up on what to do with different ohm cabinets to make sure to not hurt my equipment and I have always hung up with total confidence in what I am doing with the attenuator. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THE MONEY TO GET THIS> ROCK ON!
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The best attenuator on the market
By: Alex
Submitted: 1/6/2020
4 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I was a bit skeptical when purchasing Iron Man II, though I saw very positive reviews. Before, I tried almost all attenuators on the market and they were all huge tone suckers.
When I finally got Iron Man II and tried it, I was speechless. It maintained great tone even on the lowest settings. The tone I've got was sparkling, focused, with a great bass response. Not even a trace of that under the blanket sound I've got from other attenuators.
Presence switch helps with an amps that tend to give fizzy tone when pushed hard.
Another great feature is solo, with a tap of a foot, you can make it louder and make your solo standout.
Line Out gives an option to record it directly to your DAW or make a dry/wet setup.
Overall great product.
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Happy soundman
By: GLP
Submitted: 10/6/2019
13 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I got a 100w amp and this helps to tame it for smaller rooms Slight tone change but not noticeable
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This is the one
By: Adam
Submitted: 9/5/2019
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
You have to hear it. Nothing sounds better than your tube amp wide open. This brings the volume down to a manageable level but lets the character of the amplifier come through. The amplifier/ speaker impedance matching is a very nice feature.
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Finally!
By: MHH
Submitted: 9/4/2019
5 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
A attenuater that is usable! Sounds great through all db ranges. Wow! just really happy with this purchase. Thanks Tone King and AMS! Used with a Marshall JVM and Marshall Origin.