Thomann Affiliate: www.thomann.de/intl/index.html?offid=1&affid=3210 Sweetwater Affiliate: sweetwater.sjv.io/k0mGvx My personal Thomann recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/cv37zixo68 My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio Thanks for supporting the channel!
I'm playing a Powerball II all my life. I simply can't have any other amp because I miss that German bite it has. It truly bites through mix like a piranha.
This was a useful video especially for those who are tighter on a budget. If you watch the video, the SE FE sounds a tad fuller, richer and as you said more refined than the Powerball II, but if you close your eyes you might not hear that big of a difference. Needless to say if one can afford it, the SE FE wins because of all the features but the Powerball is totally capable to fulfill the needs of someone like myself. In a mix the difference would be almost inaudible. Thanks for this comparison.
Been waiting for this one!! The PBII is one of my favourites that I own and I love that amp. Happy to hear the signature ENGL sound is present in both amps. Sometimes less is more maybe? But clearly both awesome amps. Great video!!
Se fe has allot more options.....that you kinda don't need. With all these amps for me it is pretty easy. Skip the midboost,contour etc etc etc buttons on these amps and stick to the eq. if your still missing something then touch those buttons. i always tend to not touch all these buttons on my engl se. High gain channel 1/2 and maybe the gate and fx loop with some delay. Thats it.
@@jmartinez2367 Optional. I never use an eq live persay. Had a 10band awhile back. But mostly i'm cool with the amp i use. But agreed. If theres something in the tone your not 100% with. add eq in the loop. Engls mostly don't need anything in front as a boost or something,
@@jmartinez2367 an eq in the loop is not the same as a pre-gain eq. Most voicing options on the SE are pre-gain or in-between gain stages. Such setups not only lets you choose what frequencies to boost or cut but also which ones to compress. Completely different to a loop eq. Furthermore the options on the SE are midi programmable, you can literally have the same channel match 4 different guitars with just a stomp on the midi controller and zero eq adjustments. Sure useless if someone plays a single music style and uses one guitar, but priceless if you use more guitars and play multiple styles.
Your reviews are exceptional. I own the PBII, and as much as I’d like to say it’s the better sounding amp, every channel sounded better on the SE FE. Much more dynamic, smooth, and full. There is a scratchiness in the upper frequencies of the PBII that are very apparent when A/B tested against the SE FE. Some might question if the difference is worth the extra money. I’d have to say it is.
I love the new SE Engl, such a beast of an amp that can do it all. Would love to see a shoot out between the Engl SE and the litchlaerm Prometheus, another amazing amp with quite a bit of flexibility.
The more demos I see with the powerball 2 the more I really want it. I already have a super powerful and polished sounding amp. And I gotta say the main thing I miss is the rawness. The powerball is so sweet sounding. Don’t get me wrong the founders edition is one of the coolest amps ever made. I just don’t need that particular vibe. I want that raw unhinged sound. Both are super awesome amps.
Very cool riff at 5:18. And excellent songs, all the different styles throughout, as usual. (Actually preferred Powerball, although SE isn't bad by any stretch)
I don’t need all the features that the SE FE has but I just can’t shake how fantastic it sounds. The powerball and savage sound really brutal and I respect them, they’re certainly premium amps I’d expect to hear in professional rigs but they’re just not my sound and don’t quite make me want to write anything. The SE FE has tons of aggression but it doesn’t sound quite so brittle if that makes sense. But where I would find the money I have nooo idea.
Sounds like the PB 2 has a slightly different depth and presence character. The FE sounds a little more rounded. I like both, but, i think the FE is more useable in more situations.
I have the Powerball II and can testify is a beast of an amp. I actually like the crunch channel a lot and use for heavier stuff as well with an added boost. May I ask what the purpose of the DI box in your chain is as you mention one on your gear list? I ask because I also record with a load box and cab sims/IRs. Thanks!
Your thumbnail had me fooled... if the Powerball were $1575 brand new I would buy one right this second. But it's $2500 new here in the US. Now I'm sad.
Se slightly fuller in the bass without becoming more muddy, upper midrange voicing seems to be slightly different between them with the Powerball II sitting a little higher making for a slightly more metallic clean sound, and more present, SE more pleasant sounding and fills the mix more. Prefer the SE, but not 1500 euros in it x)
I love my SE/FE...my only complaint is with the High Gain in Chan's 3 and 4. I find that you have to sacrifice a good sound on both those channels with the HG not engaged in order to have the HG without uncontrollable squealing.
i just recently bought a Powerball 2 with a z9 switch and an engl pro cab loaded with greenbacks on ebay classifieds, for just 1200€. it was the bargain of the decade. best amp i've owned so far, and beats all the "high gain" amps i owned before right out of the water. the versatility, the features and the sound this thing pushes even at the retail price are hard to argue with in my opinion. the SE FE is great, but far out of the reach of my budget.
Hey dude you should try a ADA MONSTERCAB , all analog load box and cab sim . no IRS . Use it with all the cab buttons OUT for the best cab and feel you will get . HI control to adjust mic position on/off cone , THUMP control for proximity effect. It blows away every single load box and IR , however the actual selectable cab sims are not that good , just the one "all buttons out" position is amazing , but its worth it for the sensitivity of play
Too close to really matter. Both sound amazing. Here’s something about some of ENGL’s amps that I-just my opinion-find a bit lacking. Not all of them have a proper resonance/depth potentiometer. Like here, I’d expect the Special Edition to have such a feature given everything else that it has going, but no, the depth dial is actually on the Powerball II.
i think it sounds amazing too! like all the engl stuff. in canada from a good store the powerball ii is 3500.00CAD and the revv is 4350.00CAD. apparently we don’t get a revv discount in 🇨🇦
@@lekkerblankastudio Nope, we don't get any discounts or breaks in Canada. The American and European uncharge is obvious, but our own amp builders essentially price everything in American dollars and market there.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Thomann Affiliate: www.thomann.de/intl/index.html?offid=1&affid=3210
Sweetwater Affiliate: sweetwater.sjv.io/k0mGvx
My personal Thomann recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/cv37zixo68
My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio
Thanks for supporting the channel!
The Powerball has just a little bit more vibe to me. Super content❤
Love to see more Powerball II content. I feel like that amp doesn’t get a whole lot of love even though it’s an amazing amp
I LOVE it!
I'm playing a Powerball II all my life. I simply can't have any other amp because I miss that German bite it has. It truly bites through mix like a piranha.
This was a useful video especially for those who are tighter on a budget. If you watch the video, the SE FE sounds a tad fuller, richer and as you said more refined than the Powerball II, but if you close your eyes you might not hear that big of a difference. Needless to say if one can afford it, the SE FE wins because of all the features but the Powerball is totally capable to fulfill the needs of someone like myself. In a mix the difference would be almost inaudible. Thanks for this comparison.
Been waiting for this one!! The PBII is one of my favourites that I own and I love that amp. Happy to hear the signature ENGL sound is present in both amps. Sometimes less is more maybe? But clearly both awesome amps. Great video!!
Love how the Special edition sits in the mix
Glad you did this comparison. I’ve owned both and kept the Powerball II. I like all 4 Powerball channels and like the simplicity vs the SE FE.
Se fe has allot more options.....that you kinda don't need. With all these amps for me it is pretty easy. Skip the midboost,contour etc etc etc buttons on these amps and stick to the eq. if your still missing something then touch those buttons. i always tend to not touch all these buttons on my engl se. High gain channel 1/2 and maybe the gate and fx loop with some delay. Thats it.
@@ArjanSnijder this is my experience, too. Any tones I can’t get with the knobs on the PB II I can easily tweak with an EQ in the loop.
@@jmartinez2367 Optional. I never use an eq live persay. Had a 10band awhile back. But mostly i'm cool with the amp i use. But agreed. If theres something in the tone your not 100% with. add eq in the loop. Engls mostly don't need anything in front as a boost or something,
@@jmartinez2367 an eq in the loop is not the same as a pre-gain eq. Most voicing options on the SE are pre-gain or in-between gain stages. Such setups not only lets you choose what frequencies to boost or cut but also which ones to compress.
Completely different to a loop eq.
Furthermore the options on the SE are midi programmable, you can literally have the same channel match 4 different guitars with just a stomp on the midi controller and zero eq adjustments.
Sure useless if someone plays a single music style and uses one guitar, but priceless if you use more guitars and play multiple styles.
Great comparision, but I always stay there for sick riffs! ❤❤
I have no idea how you compose such a nice tight melodies!
Greetings from Poland
ENGLs always sound so great. I’ve always wanted to hear a PBII with KT77 tubes in it! Great video.
Once again, GREAT video, awesome review and fantastic riffs. Nothing less.
Your reviews are exceptional.
I own the PBII, and as much as I’d like to say it’s the better sounding amp, every channel sounded better on the SE FE. Much more dynamic, smooth, and full. There is a scratchiness in the upper frequencies of the PBII that are very apparent when A/B tested against the SE FE.
Some might question if the difference is worth the extra money. I’d have to say it is.
I love the new SE Engl, such a beast of an amp that can do it all. Would love to see a shoot out between the Engl SE and the litchlaerm Prometheus, another amazing amp with quite a bit of flexibility.
Very cool comparison 👏🏽
The answer to which amp sounds better, is 'yes'.
Yeah
Great video. Powerball II is still my favourite Engl. Lead 4 has perfect tone for power metal and progressive metal.
The SE is amazing, but I dig that raw sound from the Powerball, sounds more aggressive 🤘🤘
The more demos I see with the powerball 2 the more I really want it. I already have a super powerful and polished sounding amp. And I gotta say the main thing I miss is the rawness. The powerball is so sweet sounding. Don’t get me wrong the founders edition is one of the coolest amps ever made. I just don’t need that particular vibe. I want that raw unhinged sound. Both are super awesome amps.
Very cool riff at 5:18. And excellent songs, all the different styles throughout, as usual. (Actually preferred Powerball, although SE isn't bad by any stretch)
I have a soft spot for Powerballs
Jon the Engl 570 preamp- 1 available in Portland craigslist. Then vs that to the Se Fe. Ill never understand why engl stopped making them.
Both amps sound brutal !!
I'm all for a rawer sound, which the Powerball 2 has in comparison, but it lacks a bit of bottom end compared to the SEFE for me.
I don’t need all the features that the SE FE has but I just can’t shake how fantastic it sounds. The powerball and savage sound really brutal and I respect them, they’re certainly premium amps I’d expect to hear in professional rigs but they’re just not my sound and don’t quite make me want to write anything. The SE FE has tons of aggression but it doesn’t sound quite so brittle if that makes sense. But where I would find the money I have nooo idea.
The SE FE is a very nice amp but the PB2 have something more that I can't explain
Sounds like the PB 2 has a slightly different depth and presence character. The FE sounds a little more rounded. I like both, but, i think the FE is more useable in more situations.
I like the rawness of the powerball more, the FE has some great features though. Both are killer amps
🔥
Awesome
I have the Powerball II and can testify is a beast of an amp. I actually like the crunch channel a lot and use for heavier stuff as well with an added boost.
May I ask what the purpose of the DI box in your chain is as you mention one on your gear list?
I ask because I also record with a load box and cab sims/IRs. Thanks!
Your thumbnail had me fooled... if the Powerball were $1575 brand new I would buy one right this second. But it's $2500 new here in the US. Now I'm sad.
I wouldn’t mind buying some Tonex captures of those monsters
Se slightly fuller in the bass without becoming more muddy, upper midrange voicing seems to be slightly different between them with the Powerball II sitting a little higher making for a slightly more metallic clean sound, and more present, SE more pleasant sounding and fills the mix more. Prefer the SE, but not 1500 euros in it x)
I love my SE/FE...my only complaint is with the High Gain in Chan's 3 and 4. I find that you have to sacrifice a good sound on both those channels with the HG not engaged in order to have the HG without uncontrollable squealing.
Now all Powerball series from the start
i just recently bought a Powerball 2 with a z9 switch and an engl pro cab loaded with greenbacks on ebay classifieds, for just 1200€. it was the bargain of the decade.
best amp i've owned so far, and beats all the "high gain" amps i owned before right out of the water. the versatility, the features and the sound this thing pushes even at the retail price are hard to argue with in my opinion.
the SE FE is great, but far out of the reach of my budget.
Hey dude you should try a ADA MONSTERCAB , all analog load box and cab sim . no IRS . Use it with all the cab buttons OUT for the best cab and feel you will get . HI control to adjust mic position on/off cone , THUMP control for proximity effect. It blows away every single load box and IR , however the actual selectable cab sims are not that good , just the one "all buttons out" position is amazing , but its worth it for the sensitivity of play
Hi, What is your preferred reamp box if not using the fractal??
Powerball 2 does a better job keeping up than the savage does but the special edition is still king \m/
Oh~~~ deluxe version 🤤🤤🤤
i like II
6L6？ EL34？
Too close to really matter. Both sound amazing.
Here’s something about some of ENGL’s amps that I-just my opinion-find a bit lacking. Not all of them have a proper resonance/depth potentiometer. Like here, I’d expect the Special Edition to have such a feature given everything else that it has going, but no, the depth dial is actually on the Powerball II.
ENGL vs ENGL? Everyone wins!
Agreed
are they developing a new powerball? 🤔
PBII is amazing as is imho
i think it sounds amazing too! like all the engl stuff. in canada from a good store the powerball ii is 3500.00CAD and the revv is 4350.00CAD. apparently we don’t get a revv discount in 🇨🇦
@@lekkerblankastudio Nope, we don't get any discounts or breaks in Canada. The American and European uncharge is obvious, but our own amp builders essentially price everything in American dollars and market there.
In Canada, the powerball ii is $3400 CAD new. Quite overpriced in my opinion. Almost nobody buys them here for that reason.
First ! :)
Hi! :)
@@SonicDriveStudio Amazing video like always !