IK Multimedia throws its hat in the ring for Plugin Headphone Amps, with its TONEX PLUG

I personally find it sightly infuriating when demoers announce something as gamechanging which is anything but. In this sense TONEX is largely playing catch-up with the industry’s current leaders in that space - Boss, Fender and Nux.

Each of their solutions has compelling reasons for acquisition - but in truth it’s mostly about what core platform you’re mainly subcribed to. If you largely play though Boss Katana Amps like I do - then the Katana : GO is the natural extension for that Ecosystem. If you favour Fender Mustang and Tone Master Pro platforms - then the Fender Mustang Micro Plus Headphone Guitar Amp is your ideal companion for that. And if you favour Nux’s TSAC platform - then the Nux Mighty Plug Pro is the appropriate choice.

It is exactly the same case for the TONEX PLUG - for those who are already subscribed to and have several of their own TONEX Tone Profiles - they can now carry with them to practice rooms and green rooms around the world.

When I last did this exercise - the Boss Katana : GO had the best Sounds - while the Fender one had the best interface. Obviously Fender’s interface was much inspired by both Tonex and Positive Grid - and so the App interface for the new TONEX PLUG is going to be right up there.

While it’s never a case of mix and match with those platforms - you stick to the one that you mostly operate on. All these Plugin Headphone amps operate somewhat similarly.

While the Boss and Fender ones are more stand-alone - as they have screens onboard those devices - while for the other 2 you definitely need the App. This brings me onto the nature and complexity of those ecosystems. I’m obviously mostly Boss these days - but have worked with Fender and IK Multimedia too. In fact I own both the limited Joe Satriani and EVH Brown Sound editions of the TONEX One. And for the new EVH one - I found the process somewhat infuriating - as I needed to update 3 different Apps - to Register and Access the expanded settings of my TONEX One pedal.

I think it’s fine if you’re wedded to one of hose formats - and I guess if you operate TONEX permanently via your laptop - keeping all that in check will be somewhat routine. While if you just dip in now and again - the process is clunky and infuriating. And I really don’t like that aspect - it’s all quite clicky and clunky really. Far easier for me to occasionally dip into the Katana : GO - even though I don’t have any shared profiles that I’m sharing - but that always remains a possibility for me.

Of course if you’re on TONEX Already - then this is your Christmas stocking filler - for everyone else - it’s more about having expanded access to whichever platform you subscribe to - whether TONEX, Boss Katana, Fender Mustang / Tone Master, or Nux TSAC!

These are currently listed in descending pricing - where the TONEX PLUG is $150, the Katana : GO is $140, Fender Mustang Micro Plus is $135, and the NUX Mighty Plug Pro is at $109.

If you’re not wedded to one of those platforms already - then by all means shop around - while you might just find the Katana : GO and Femder Mustang Micro Pro - a little more practically usable - because of their displayed - however rudimentary those are. I still feel like these are mostly first generation devices - and more practical variants lie ahead. I look forward to a Valeton variant with a screen at some stage! I definitely feel the ergonomics can be improved here. And I also really value a stand-alone device - where I don’t always need to be connected to the mobile App to figure out what’s going on!

You also probably need to include the even more convenient Boss Waza-Air, and Postive Grid Spark Neo actual Headphone Amps into this conversation too - whilch I will surely do at a later time!