Vox vs Orange Amps: Which are the Best?

Orange and Vox are two British amplifier brands with huge ranges and a lot of history behind them. In this article, I’ll be comparing the signature tones of Vox and Orange, looking at similar models in-depth and head-to-head, and taking a deep dive into each range to compare the controls, types, power and prices of pretty much every model available.

The Quick Answer

Vox and Orange are both British brands which produce solid state and valve amplifiers, however they have different tones. Vox amps sound bright and chimey, and the valve amps have more headroom compared to Orange amps which have less headroom and sound darker and heavier.

Comparing the Tones

Both Vox and Orange produce solid state and valve amps, so I’ll separate the signature tones into these two amp types for this next section. Of course, it’s hard to talk about the tonal differences without actually hearing the amps, so I’ve included a couple of videos so you can hear them in action.

Clean Tone

• Vox valve amps offer more headroom on the clean channel compared to Orange valve amps.
• Vox solid state amps sound warmer than Orange solid state amps.

Distorted Tone

• Vox valve amps sound brighter and chimey compared to Orange amps which heavy more bass and sound heavier and fuzzier.
• Vox solid state amp sound more compressed than Orange solid state amps which sound crunchier.

Music Styles

Vox and Orange amps are capable of playing a wide variety of music styles. However, Orange amps are more associated with heavy metal due to their heavy and darker tones, whilst Vox amps are best known for classic rock tones due to their boosted mid-range and brighter tone.

Here is a video comparing valve amps from both brands.

Orange Crush vs Vox Pathfinder

The Vox Pathfinder is cheaper than the Orange Crush12, however, it has a clean and dirty channel, unlike the Crush12 which has a single channel. The Orange Crush12 is more expensive than the Vox Pathfinder, but has 20W power compared to the Vox’s 10W power, and a 3-band EQ.

Tonal differences:

• The Orange Crush series has a 3 band EQ (bass, mids and treble) compared to the Vox Pathfinders 2 band EQ (bass and treble), giving the Crush the upper-hand when it comes to tonal shaping options.
• The Orange Crush12 has a single channel, but an overdrive control which allows you to adjust the distortion level, as well as having a gain control. The Vox Pathfinder has 2 channels making it easier to switch from clean to distorted. The Crush20 has an overdrive control, and 2 channels, making it the most versatile of the three models.
• The Vox sounds warmer than the Orange, particularly when played clean.
• The Orange has more treble and sounds clearer than the Vox which sounds heavier.

Feature	Vox Pathfinder	Orange Crush12	Orange Crush20
Power	10W	12W	20W
Channels	2	1	2
EQ controls	Bass and treble	Bass, middle and treble	Bass, middle, treble
Dimensions	43.2 X 20.3 X 30.5 cm	30.5 x 29.0 x 17.5 cm	37.5 x 32.5 x 19.7 cm
Weight	5.4 kg	4.7 kg	7.15 kg

Here are links to the three amps on Amazon so you can check the current prices:

• Vox Pathfinder
• Orange Crush12
• Orange Crush20

You can also check out this video comparing the tones of both the Orange Crush and Vox Pathfinder.

Orange Rocker vs Vox AC

The Orange Rocker15 and the Vox AC15 are often compared to one another as they are a similar price and have the same 15W power level.

The Vox AC15 and Orange Rocker15 are both 15W valve (tube) amplifiers with two channels. The AC15 has tremolo and reverb effects, however only has bass and treble controls, unlike the Rocker15 which also has a mids control. The Rocker15 also has a power level control to allow you to play at lower volumes.

Key Information:

• Both amps have two channels however they work a little differently. The Rocker15 has a fairly explanatory dirty channel, as well as the natural channel, however the Vox AC15 instead has a normal channel and a top boost channel.
• Only the Rocker15 has a gain control.
• Only the Vox AC15 has reverb and tremolo controls.
• The Rocker15 has a power level control which allows you to reduce the power from 15W to either 7W, 1W or 0.5W, making it playable at lower volumes so it is suitable for practicing as well as gigging in small venues.
• The Vox AC15 has a brighter and chimey tone compared to the Orange Rocker15 which sounds heavier and darker.

Here is a table comparing the key features and specifications of each amp.

Feature	Vox AC15	Orange Rocker15
Channels	2	2
EQ controls	Bass and treble	Bass, middle and treble
Gain Control	No	Yes
Effects	Tremolo, reverb	None
Power Control	None	15W, 7W, 1W, 0.5W
Dimensions	60.2 x 45.6 x 26.5 cm	47 x 41 x 26 cm
Weight	22 kg	13.6 kg

Comparing the Ranges

As well as comparing some popular models in more-depth, I wanted to take a look at the full ranges as well. In this next section, I’ve collated the features of pretty much every currently available Vox and Orange amp into tables. The prices shown are based on Guitar Center at the time of writing. The tables are split into the amplifier type, and are all ordered from lowest to highest price.

Guitar Center are always the first place I look at when I’m interested in a new amp because have a huge range of amplifiers for sale and always have some excellent deals on. Here’s a link to take you directly to Guitar Center’s amp range so you can see all the offers available at the moment. 

Contents:

• Solid state combo amps: $90-$500
• Valve combo amps: $400-$2350
• Head units: $200-$2150

Solids State Combo Amps

Amplifier	Wattage	Price	Settings
VOX Pathfinder	10W	$90	2 channels, gain, bass, treble
Orange Crush12	12W	$100	1 channel, 3 band EQ, overdrive, gain
Orange Crush20	20W	$140	2 channels, dirty, 3 band EQ, gain
Vox Valvetronix VT20X	20W	$180	11 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb
Orange Crush 20RT	20W	$190	2 channels (dual-voice), dirty, 3 band EQ, gain, reverb, tuner
Vox VX50 GTV	50W	$230	11 models, gain, treb, bass, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, reverb, delay
Vox Valvetronix VT40X	40W	$250	11 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb
Orange Crush 35RT	35W	$260	2 channels, dirty, 3 band EQ, gain, reverb, tuner
Vox Cambridge50	50W	$300	11 models, gain chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo, delay, reverb
Vox Valvetronix VT100X	100W	$380	11 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb
Orange Crush Pro CR60C	60W	$500	2 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb

Key Points:

• Vox make the highest power (100W) solid state combo amp.
• Vox amps have more built-in effects compared to Orange amps.

Valve (Tube) Combo Amps

Amplifier	Wattage	Price	Settings
Vox AC4C1-12	4W	$400	Gain, bass, treble
Vox AC10C1	10W	$480	Gain, bass, treble, reverb
Vox AC15	15W	$700	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Orange Rocker15	15W	$800	2 channels, gain, 3 band EQ
Vox AC4HW Hand-Wired	4W	$840	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble
Vox Custom AC15C2	15W	$900	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Vox AC151X	15W	$900	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Vox AC30S1	30W	$900	Gain, bass, treble, reverb
Orange TremLord-30	30W	$1300	Bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Vox AC30C2	30W	$1400	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Vox AC15HW1 Hand-Wired	15W	$1400	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble
Vox Custom AC30CX2	30W	$1550	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverb
Vox AC30HW2 Hand-Wired	30W	$1900	Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble
Orange AD30TC	30W	$2300	2 channels, 3 band EQ, gain
Orange Rockerverb 50	50W	$2350	2 channels, 3 band EQ, rever

Key Points:

• Vox produce a much larger range of tube combo amps than Orange.
• Vox produce the cheapest tube combo compared to Orange.

Head Units

Amplifier	Wattage	Type	Price	Settings
Orange Terror Stamp	20W	Hybrid	$200	Shape, gain
Orange Crush Pro CR120H	120W	Solid State	$450	2 channels, gain  3 band EQ, reverb
Orange Dark Terror 15	15W	Tube	$650	2 channels, shape, gain
Orange Rocker 15 Terror	15W	Tube	$650	2 channels, 3 band EQ, gain
Orange OR15H	15W	Tube	$700	2 channels, 3 band EQ, gain
Vox AC15CH Custom	15W	Tube	$700	Normal and top boost channels, treb, bass, reverb, tremolo
Vox MVX150H	150W	Solid State	$800	2 channels, gain, tone, bass, mids, treb, reverb, presence, resonance
Orange Dual Terror	30W	Tube	$900	2 channels, tone
Orange TH30H	30W	Tube	$1200	2 channels, gain, shape
Vox AC30CH Custom	30W	Tube	$1100	Normal and top boost channels, treb, bass, reverb, tremolo
Orange Rockerverb 50	50W	Tube	$1200	2 channels, 3 band EQ, gain, reverb
Vox Hand-Wired AC30	30W	Tube	$1300	Normal and top boost channels, treb, bass
Orange Rockerverb 100	100W	Tube	£2150	2 channels, 3 band EQ, gain, reverb

Key Points:

• Orange produce a larger range of head units than Vox.
• Vox make the highest power solid state head unit.
• Orange make the highest power valve head unit.

The Controls

Both these amp brands produce models with fairly similar controls. The main difference between Vox and Orange amp settings, is that Orange amps often have a 3-band EQ (bass, mids, treble), whereas Vox amps often just have treble and bass controls.

Here are some more in-depth articles on the settings you can find with each brand:

• Vox Amp Settings Guide
• Orange Amp Settings Guide

In the market for a new amplifier? Check out my complete amplifier buyer’s guide to help narrow down your selection and find the perfect amp for you.

Here are some more articles you might find useful:

• Vox vs Fender Amps
• Vox vs Marshall Amps
• Orange vs Fender Amps
• Orange vs Marshall Amps