[SOLVED!] Yamaha THR5 vs THR10: The Perfect Guitar Amp for You

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When it comes to guitar amps, you can’t help but talk about Yamaha amps. Most discussions revolve around the comparison of Yamaha THR5 vs THR10. For newbies and those who aren’t really into guitar and music, these two are just the same – a guitar amp. We’ll delve into the details, so you can objectively compare these two and make a sound decision.

Yamaha THR5 Overview

As a leading brand in terms of musical instruments, Yamaha always offers the best for its customers. If you want to get wonderful guitar tones at any stage, check out Yamaha THR5. It’s a great-sounding portable guitar amp perfect for practicing, recording, and even performing.

The Yamaha THR5 is loaded with great features coupled with Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling (VCM) to achieve a more realistic guitar sound and feel. It can run on AC power, but if you’re on the go, you can use eight AA batteries. When it’s battery-powered, it can still last up to six hours of continuous playing.

Yamaha THR10 Overview

The big brother of THR5, the Yamaha THR10 showcases more features, more power, and more capacity. On top of the shared features with the THR5, the THR10 has enhanced connectivity options.

It offers Bluetooth and USB connections to support a wide variety of activities – playback, editing, and more. You can forget about the pedalboard because it has a 3-band EQ and a plethora of onboard effects to choose from. For beginners, the THR10 might take more time to familiarize, but once you do, the possibilities are vast.

Looks & Design

At first glance, these two amps are almost identical. They share the same color and design. Both models have light yellow color with a chevron pattern that fits perfectly with other instruments on the stage. When you turn the amp on, you’ll notice the warm orange glow from behind the grilles. It seems to mimic the light illumination from vintage warm tube amps – a nice and amazing light show.

When these two amps are placed side by side, the THR5 is smaller than the THR10 – hence, THR5 is the little bro. Get a closer comparison of these two in the section below.

Specifications Comparison

Although these two models have a lot in common, they are uniquely made. Check the table below to determine which guitar amp is perfect for you.

YAMAHA THR5 YAMAHA THR10
No. of Channels 1 1
Speaker Size 2 x 3” 2 x 3”
Total Power 10 W 20 W
Effects Chorus, Flanger, Tremolo, Phaser, Delay, Delay/Reverb, Spring Reverb, Hall Reverb Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Echo; THR Remote: Compressor, Noise Gate
Amp Types 5 x Voices (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brit Hi, and Modern) 5 x Amp Models (+10 via app), Acoustic Mic Models, Bass Amps, Flat Voicings
EQ 1-band 3-band
Inputs 1 x TS, 1 x 1/8″ (Stereo) 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ (aux in)
Connectivity USB USB, Bluetooth
Power Source AC power EADP-38EB A or UIB345-1530 (included) or 8 AA batteries 15V DC power supply (included)
Dimension (L x W x H) 4.72 x 10.67 x 6.57 inches 5.5 x 14.49 x 7.2 inches
Weight 4.4 lbs 6.61 lbs

In terms of switches and controls, the THR5 has an amp, gain, master, tone, effect, delay/reverb, volume, tap, or tune switch. For the THR10 you’ll find the controls of the THR5 plus middle, treble, bass, guitar output, USB/aux output, and the five-user memory switch. THR10 takes more time to get used to, but on the other hand, gives you more versatility and control.

Performance

The most important barometer of a good guitar amp is the performance. You have checked all their features – now, check each guitar amp in action. Let’s get started by checking this YouTube video. It’s a quick comparison between these two models.

One great advantage of these guitar amps over others is Yamaha’s very own signature VCM technology. VCM stands for Virtual Circuitry Modeling that can deliver more realistic sound and feel. This mimics the interaction of different components to deliver a more authentic digital simulation of the analog hardware. Like the vintage tube amps, they don’t just get louder, they respond and interact depending on the amp model you are using.

With just a few tweaks of the master, gain, and tone controls, you’ll be able to get the sound of the classic amps even at a lower volume. In addition to the VCM technology, you can also benefit from its connectivity. You can connect them to your computer or mobile phones as monitor speakers. Furthermore, with the Cubase AI digital audio workstation, you’ll have access to tools for recording, editing, and even songwriting.

When running on Alkaline batteries, these amps can function for up to 6 hours, but it still depends on the usage. For more efficiency, you can also use nickel-hydride batteries.

Price

Since the THR10 is an upgrade of the THR5, it’s expected that the former has more – in almost all aspects. Especially when it comes to price, the THR10 is more expensive than its smaller and older counterpart. There’s around a hundred-dollar price difference between the two.

Pros & Cons

Yamaha THR5

Pros

  • Great tone even at lower volume
  • Has amazing performance even on batteries
  • Straightforward and easy to use

Cons

  • Has residual noise when you stop playing
  • Could be awesome with more connectivity option

Yamaha THR10

Pros

  • Has more controls – more variability
  • Can connect via USB and Bluetooth
  • A great go-to practice amp

Cons

  • Needs more time to familiarize all functionalities
  • Less portable than THR5

Conclusion

Each musician has his own preferences according to his needs and his routine. For budding artists and those who travel a lot with the guitar, the Yamaha THR5 is the recommended guitar amp. It can be used with batteries, so you can practice wherever and whenever you want.

Even newbies can also challenge themselves with the THR10. Since it has more features and controls, it’s also kind of challenging to familiarize everything. Yet, this great amp opens to greater possibilities because of its versatility. Not to mention its powerful sound, different tones, and styles.