I do have the Captor X. The price, the "swiss army knife" nature, the built in effects, stereo imaging, tweakability and compact size did it for me.

I got myself the Captor X, after the review of Rhett Schull. What makes it special is, that it is not that clunky as the OX, so I put it into my gigbag and take it to rehearsals. And can get a better sound, as now my guitar is also going through the PA. And yes, it is extremely easy to load your own IRs - like the ones I bought from Celestion, to go with my Vox Amp.

"just put comments down below, get it out of your system" Love this free-speaking version of Phil!!

Fryette Power Station is another GREAT option for "attenuation" but has the added feature of taking a low power amp (ie 5watt) and turning it into a 50 watt tube amp. I have the Captor X, Suhr Reactive Load, and the Fryette Power Station. They all serve a purpose.

Was planning for an ox but realized tone King is probably the best attenuator so that’s most suitable. Thank you.

This is every reason why I love this channel in one video it's amazing

I just noticed the Ashy Slashy on the shelf. Awesome!! Great video too.

Most information I’ve had put out there about the process and individual units. Thanks Phil!

That whole WiFi thing was the biggest hurdle for me with the OX, and it definitely took me a few tries to get all the connectivity sorted out. But once I got it going, man…the honeymoon is still going a couple years later.

Wooo! Been waiting for this! I own the Captor X and have been thinking about getting the Ironman II.

I have a Friedman Runt 20 and it has a cab sim balanced out built in. Works brilliantly.

I have the standard 8ohm Captor Non-X version. It does attenuation at bedroom levels or silent recording flawlessly and for less money.

I own the Captor X. Absolutely love it for he use. Headphones sound amazing and the attenuation and features are great.

I'm a powerstation guy, so I have no interest in these products, as far as IRs or attenuation. The PS is the best sounding attenuator on the market (by far in my opinion) and I can run a line out into an interface for IRs if I need to. I've owned an ox, captor X, ironman, hotplate, and a million others, and this way works the best for me. Your mileage may vary. That being said, this is an incredibly well done, insightful, and thoughtful video, with great sounds and production. It does a great job of describing the best use-case and pros and cons of all these products, and I appreciate that Phil does videos like this, where he knows its not going to be an algorithm smashing massive hit. Because this is the kind of product information guitar players *need*, whether they want it or not - and youtube is a better place because its out there. Good job, phil.

I have an original non-X Captor. It provides that juicy dynamic load, but it requires I run into an audio interface and apply IRs and effects via plug-ins in my daw. It requires that I do the work and isn't as plug and play, but very affordable and I like having total control.

I have an ox, and noticed the lower upper frequencies, so I added more on the amp head and solved the problem. I may well end up with a captor x as well though for flexibility.

Yeah now i understand more about attenuators thanks Phil

For recording I use the Suhr Reactive Load IR. It's simple, fast and sounds great.

Great demonstration !!! been using the captor X in the studio and live for over a year think it's amazing - great suggestions for alternatives - keep up the great work ☕️🤠👍🏽

Thanks for the honest comparison. It helps that you have multiple options and can speak to the best or their applications. It was what I needed to decide to get an 8ohm or 16ohm Captor X (I chose the 8 since I want to use the IR for cab and mic configurations since I have always bought combo amps and have since run out of space in my small home studio. I have all the core recording amps and while some have built-in attenuation (Laney IronHeart IRT 30-112, MesaBoogie Dual Caliber DC-5, EVH 5150 III Iconic, Peavey Bandit 112, Marshall DSL40CR), there are several that just can't be tamed unless there is a resistor-style attenuator (I found simple ones from Donner that work really well) in the FX loop (Peavey Studio PRO 40, Orange Crush PRO 30, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV, Vox AC-30), but then there is the need for 8V power and extra cabling. I have several solid-state combo amps that have built-in modelling (Blackstar ID: CORE 100, Fender Mustang GTX100, and a Boss Katana LE 100 MkII). So this is a way to get years of tone chasing PLUS all the IRs for speaker cabinets, microphones, and placement configurations at a MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE price and smaller foot print. Greatly appreciated.

Am I the only one kind of waiting for an “Ox 2.0” before I purchase 😂

i love that when i used the captor x just for attenuating you don't have to plug it in and turn it on, it doesn't need to be connected to power and still attenuates so that's cool just for a little quick playing real fast if I want to not have to keep it on or go to the trouble (small trouble I know) of powering it

I do a similar thing to feed signal to my audio interface using the original Rivera Rockcrusher and the Mooer Radar and it works great. The Rockcrusher is a reactive load/attenuator and has line out which I run to the Mooer Radar cab simulator, which has IR's and allows you to load your own if you want. While my set up does not have any FX, all that can be added in your DAW. At $550 for the the Rivera and $150 for the Mooer it way less then the OX. YOu can get the Mini Rockcrusher recording which has no attenuation but is a loadbox and is ~ $400. Personally I bought the original Rockcrusher used for $400 (which is a great attenuator) and the Mooer new for $150. Another bonus is the Rockcrusher is not powered so you don't have to plug it in to the wall. Phil used to have a Rockcrusher, not sure why he moved away from it.

I feel that the ox is so huge at times. I used to have one but it always felt like it can be slimmer. They can also improve spdif to something else. Wish Suhr would release an attenuator since they have lodboxes/irs.

This is gonna be very interesting that you Philip for all the great content!

I’ve gone down the TwoNotes path with a Captor 8 + CabM. Works seamlessly!

Ox looks like some kind of Radio Shack electronics projects kit.

What a fantastic video! Been waiting for this. Glad I got my captor X

Thanks for posting this. I sold my Weber attenuator for the Captor X and regretted it. I replaced that with the UA OX box and am more than thrilled with it. My #1 complaint about the Captor X was that mostly useless two position switch on the back that never takes your amp down to silent without unplugging the cab. The middle position was still too loud and the low position was way too low but not silent. That's just my experience YMMV

Another option is the Tube amp expander. It’s all of these boxes in one. But pricey

Excellant job, thanks.

Another great thing to point out is that the Two-Notes Cab M+ includes a license of their Wall of Sound plugin. So you can come out of the Captor or Ironman direct into your recording interface, and add the cab sim on the back end, for more flexibility when mixing.

I went back and forth between the OX and the Captor-X for months. I read many users had trouble with their wireless connection with your iPad, many lost connection. Plus like you stated OX is Twice as much. I got the Captor-X in 8ohm I use my in ears with my Captor and the room sounds sound killer. I love UA products as I own a UA Apollo/Twin. Phil, do a video on how you have all your cables hooked up, hopefully you don't have to pull out your amp head to hookup. My First Attenuator was a Weber 150 Max or something like that, great attenuator at not a high price tag. Great video.

Yessss this has been a theory of mine for a while. That you’re better off getting a seperate attenuator. Thanks Phil

Very informative video, made things pretty clear about these products. Makes it easier to go down the rabbit hole to find out more.

"Run to the front of your audience" I'm lost. I am still one of those guys that plays just through an amp. Please teach me your magical ways PHIL

Phillip, you’re going to have too adopt me, as you’re costing me a fortune with these new goodies that I MUST HAVE!!! I did however send my Ox Box back and purchased the Captor X, as it fits nicely in my studio and even the attenuator works fantastically with my late 70’s Marshall JMP and it’s Master volume. Sounds terrific and the new DynIR’s are something else… WOW!!! Thanks for another great review and please think about the adoption thing. Best! ✌🏼

I had both the Captor X and Ox, but for my use, the OX was way easier to get a good sound via headphones, and there is an on/off switch. You have to fiddle a lot more with the Captor X with settings and lack of physical control. I got rid if the Captor X, and the UA OX price was well worth it.

Great comparisons. I have a torpedo live and have been debating an attenuator. You just gave me another to look in to. Thanks Phil!

I bought 2 Captor X. I also have 2 Cab M pedals. They sound fantastic. Great stuff. I use UA Apollo and plugins but I still prefer the X

i have both the two notes products love them both- easy to use- played a live show with the torpedo- and no issues- i do wish the plug was on the side out of the way - from all the other inputs and where cables would be

Reasons I love the EU: the gimmicky proprietary power on the Ox will be bannned. All consumer electronics moving to ONE standard. Inarguably a very good idea.

One attenuator that's no longer being manufactured but I would love your take on all the same, Mr. Mcknight, is the SR&D Power Soak.

Always amazing info. Thanks so much mate. 🙏

Thank you for doing all the research. Much appreciated.

Captor X all the way! 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

I have the captor and besides the price point after watching review videos the biggest reason was form factor, looks and of course the huge price difference. I liked the idea of being able to load ir's. Also, my desk space is limited and I love how the captor looks and it's small footprint. The ox is huge! And in my opinion it's ugly. It looks like some 70's retro design. I can't stand the brown/beige look. It reminds me of the old appliances from the 70's. It reminds me of the brady bunch. That's just my opinion. I do think from the vids it has better options and the on/off swtich. My biggest complaint on the captor is no on/off switch and no switch to turn off the cabinet. I plugged mine up to a furman conditioner- so that solved my problem with that piece but I can't stand having to unplug the cab depending on if I want to record silently or use my cab with attenuation. Sound wise I have no complaints. Feel wise, the captor x feels great. It has that feel when i crank my amp up. I do wish we had more attenuation options but just being nitpicky and certainly not a deal breaker. Great vid man. We are so spoiled having youtube gear reviews to help us decide on gear. I am super happy with my captor x. No regrets.

I like using my Milkman The Amp 50 and running it into a cab sim or mic a cab (or both). I also like it because it has become my gigging amp also for shows. For me, it fits all my needs. I really like how we have so many options now to choose from

Or just buy a Hughes and Kettner GrandMeister/Tubemeister and get your excellent tube amp, balanced line out, great attenuater, and decent cab sim all in one surprisingly compact unit. Although the cab sim is the weakest link IMO, you can easily turn it off, record DI, and run it through the IR of your choice.

Good stuff Phill, well worth the time. Thanks!

I have the same Ironman 2 that is in this video. I think it blows them both away if you don't want all the extra effects.

Yup, you nailed it. Thanks Phillip.....

Very educational. Love the video. Thank you Phill

you can choose direct mics on the ox and then use IRs in your DAW. kind of an annoying workaround but it does work. The only thing I care about is how these sound recorded, I have the ox but im interested in the captor.

For me the problems start when devices become outdated quickly and were expensive initially..

I'm interested in where the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander fits in with these as i think it does a bit of everything these do. Any chance of having a look at it?

TRS/XLR combo jacks are input/female-female only. As of right now, to my knowledge, no one makes and output/male-female version. That said, while the two notes doesn't have the space, there's no reason the ox couldn't have added XLRs.

That Tone King there, that’s something I’m very interested in.

I have the iron man II and use it just to hit the sweet spot on my high wattage amps...not so much on recording. One I startup logic and "think" I'm ready to record I loose all inspiration and attention to what I need to do and focus on everything else but playing. Grip it and rip it is the way I go... my patience to record anything is that of a sloth.

Thank you Phil, that was a really helpful video :)

I am running a 100 watt plexi through a captor x and the fan is going crazy and can hear it going 1 million miles an hour in the room. I also hear this weird breakup swishing with the OX only through monitors that is very up front but with the captor x, a cab or anything else it's there but very much in the background.

I just played a blues solo over your comparison backing track. Lol . . Oh, great video, glad to see your still not a company man.

Thank you for this. Food for thought👍🏻

I’m using a Rivera mini RocRec and am quite happy with it. Noy quite as many features. But it works well.

Got a Captor X, used for £250. Cannot beat that price, works really well. Bonus use at gigs, absolutely fantastic features when connecting to a PA and easy to use. Love it!

Awesome information ! I have both and agree with everything you said

Thanks Phil, I've been wondering about these three... I got the NUX cab sim pedal, so all I realy need is the Ironman :)

❤ wish i had seen this video before i bought the two notes

Great breakdown Phil

Using the two notes off a car battery when the power goes out 🤟

Great video thanks Phil. Considering selling my Kemper and going down this route so I can use my tube amps instead. The Kemper is great but as I always end up trying to mimic my tube amps and pedals I may as well play them. The Ironman looks an interesting if expensive option compared to the "X" but maybe the Ironman Mini might do?

Phil killed my Ox Box FOMO. Captor X 4 lyfe

Great info, great 3rd option!

"I WAS VERY CONFUSED BY THESE 2 PRODUCTS" so he buys them both. Awesome lol

I’ve had them ALL.. and out of the box the Ox is so amazing. The Ox still sounds much much better to me than the Captor or Boss Waza TAE. For pure “studio guitar sounds” the Ox still can’t be beat.

I purchased the Bugera attenuater $50 and passive , I lost some tone (treble and some midrange) but with a decent equalizer and patience. Know where in or of the Universal “OX” Audio

The ox really darkened the sound!

Just bought the Captor x from Andertons

How to get around the Captor only doing 8 ohm: I bought a Weber Z-Matcher and now I can use any amp with my Captor X.

Love my ox and I love my captor x

Excellent video! Succinct and informative.

I own the Captor X its bitchin. I use it as an attenuator and to record and iv been really really happy with it. For the price it was a steal

I had the OX for a year and struggled with it. At times, the Wi-Fi wouldn’t connect, which was annoying. IMO, there are only a handful of good IRs available. They’re great, but the fact you can’t try third party IRs was also annoying. The size of the unit I think is a bit overkill. There is also a weird clipping or just strange “sizzle” with OD and higher distorted sounds. I ultimately sold it, too expensive and I wasn’t happy with it. I want to try the Captor, but I fear it will be the same. I don’t think they are quite there with this technology yet.

Would like to hear playback from the DAW. I had the Suhr IR device, and the audio/waveforms were super compressed. Any issues with this?

Thanks Phil.

With an ironman 2 you can also save money for sometime before buying the cab m by using the two notes wall of sound or other ir loader via pc. I own a captor x and o love it for every aspect.

Thank you. I think I’ll go with the Captor X.

Thoughtfully done video.

Super useful video! Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Our of curiosity what was the amp you used in the last demonstration? Sounded wonderful!

Yea I have the cab m for running direct with no amp. And I combine that with the captor 8 (not the captor x) For my amp stuff. The car m and captor 8 together are the same price of a captor x but I have more flexibility be able to run no amp at all straight into the cab m

Hmm a Kemper on the shelf 🤔 Is this a new addition Phil?

I am agree with you the ironman ii sounds better ❤❤❤❤

Super helpful vid, thanks

For pure attenuation nothing beats the Ironman II

I'm running the OX app on a windows laptop - you don't need an apple or Ipad. You can use a PC.

Good, unbiased input. Thanks. However, isn't half the picture being missed? At least for studio use, the software side appears to be where big differences and usability preferences lie. Rather than impulses, the Ox provides a simple, fun, fast user interface that allows using various mics, combinations of mics, positioning and blends/mixing of them. Admittedly, I don't have any of these but have been shopping for two years. I keep stalling, hoping for an "Ox2" that improves some of its drawbacks, particularly gaining hard wiring vs relying on wifi. Would also like it a little smaller with additional effects controls on the front and a 100% bypass of the attenuator. All things that seem very simple and inexpensive to integrate.

Pretty sure I'd give up my kidney for either one.

I wish the Captor X came with 16 ohms and 8 ohms in the same box. I bought one of these at a killer price and had to return it because I didn’t realize it was only 8 ohms. My cabinet is an Orange 2 x 12 which is only 16 ohms, maybe I’m not understanding ohms but I figured I would have to get the 16 ohm version of the Captor X.

For the price of some of these units you are better off with something like a Helix. 4cable method with your favourite tube amp and you get your tone at any volume. Plus IRs. Effects. Channel switching. All kinds of routing options. Home recording. Plus you can switch your tube amp out for a modeled amp while keeping your tube power section. Been working great for me and my Helix was cheaper than the Boss or Ox.

On my headphones sound quality goes to the Captor. Hands down.