Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator 5-stars Reviews

Amazing attenuator and line out

I have PRS MT15 amp and live in an apartment with wife and kids. MY15 is a beast so I bought this HB and solved my issue. You can also unplug the speaker and play with line out and headphones at attenuator volume 2-3. Save my life. You don’t need anything else

Power attenuator

The attenuator for its price and quality is worth to buy, it keeps a good quality sound even at low volume levels. The material it is also quite strong and reliable; the fan keeps the metal cool and you can use it with any type of speaker impedance which it is very convenient for any occasion!

Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator

The Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator is an excellent device designed for guitarists who want to control the volume of their amplifier without compromising the sound. This attenuator offers a wide range of volume control, allowing guitarists to enjoy the full range of tones and feel of the amp at lower volumes. One of the key benefits of the Harley Benton PA-100 is its ease of use. The unit features an intuitive set of controls that allow you to quickly and easily adjust the desired volume level. This makes it an ideal choice for guitarists of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced musicians. In addition, the Harley Benton PA-100 delivers high quality sound even when the volume is turned down. The unit retains the original tone and character of the amp, allowing guitarists to enjoy high sound quality even at low volume. Just as importantly, the Harley Benton PA-100 offers a wide impedance range, allowing guitarists to adjust the attenuation to suit their needs. This makes it a versatile solution for a variety of amplifier types and playing styles.

Simple

Super ,good quality.

I m happy)

Great device, marginally better than the Bugera PS-1 IMHO

I purchased both this and the Bugera PS-1 to see which was better for me. It was a very tough call but I ended up keeping this one. It seems to functionally be pretty much the same device, and despite looking a bit less neat (the black powder coating on the PS-1 is nicer IMO than the smooth and shiny grey panels here) and bigger (I think due to the inclusion of the fan the HB PA-100 is about 1.25x the width of the PS-1) it definitely has some pros over the PS-1:

First, the Mic output on this device doesn't feature the muddy and IMO unusable "amp simulation" that the Bugera has. Yes it's a little bright here, but you can always tame that how you like it on the console.

Second, the chicken head soak knob is much easier to tell where you're at than the big black round almost featureless knob on the PS-1 (though the look of the PS-1 is "nicer").

Third, this device's manual explicitly states that you can use it without a speaker connected as a dummy load as long as the line out volume is set to anywhere between 2-3, whereas for the PS-1 this may be possible but isn't stated explicitly anywhere so I'd err on the side of caution.

Fourth, the fan is truly silent and seems genuinely useful, whereas the PS-1 would only radiate heat with no additional airflow.

Add these to fact it's about £30 cheaper and I'm sold on this one.

Things to bear in mind: With a speaker connected and the line level on max with a line output to your recording device you will still need to allow enough volume through to the speaker to bring up the line level, since this is picked off after the attenuation. For some amps this will mean a considerable non-silent volume. However, since there's the dummy load option you can just use that for "silent practice", allowing the attenuation and therefore line level you choose to not be limited by room sound levels.

Another thing worth mentioning is that I found higher amp volume levels to feature a clearly audible top end distortion when listening through the line out on my audio device, which I couldn't hear in the room through the amp speaker. I'm hesitant to call this a problem with this device as it could simply indicate that my amp needs a power valve refresh or a lower bias, and this might be inaudible through the speaker simply because of the speaker response. Either way, the exact same behaviour was heard through the Bugera PS-1 so it's either some previously inaudible behaviour of my amp, or it's an unintended consequence of how these power soaks are constructed, and not specifically a flaw with this over the PS-1. My money is on the former, that it's down to my specific amp. Which by the way is a very loud Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue 40W.

Amazing attentuator

The Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator is a great device that allows you to reduce the output power of your amplifier, without sacrificing tone and sound quality. The attenuator features a robust and compact design, making it easy to carry and transport. With its simple and intuitive controls, the PA-100 is very easy to use, allowing you to adjust the power level to suit your playing style and environment.

One of the most notable features of the PA-100 is its ability to reduce the output power of your amplifier without affecting the tone and sound quality. This makes it an excellent choice for guitarists who want to achieve high gain tones at lower volumes, or for those who want to practice at home without disturbing the neighbors.

In addition, the PA-100 also features a range of safety features that protect your amplifier from damage. These include overheat protection, short-circuit protection, and a fan cooling system.

Overall, the Harley Benton PA-100 Power Attenuator is a versatile and reliable device that can help you achieve great sound at lower volumes. Whether you're a gigging musician or a bedroom player, the PA-100 is definitely worth considering if you want to get the most out of your amplifier while keeping the volume at a reasonable level.

Great product, makes bedroom level play possible

I love that Harley Benton continues to meet my needs for a great product at a great price. Does everything you need, can play my full stack in my bedroom while my kid does homeschool in the next room. <3

Does the job good build quality

Got this as I'm running a hdrx and needed the cranked volumes for the tone I wanted.

Easy to use build quality is solid price was very good

This does the job no noticeable drop in tone and stops my band mates glaring at me all for a pocket friendly price

Does what it is supposed to do and does it very good

I had a problem with my amp being too loud. This solved the issue and now I can crank it up and get the sound I want. I really like that I can adjust the volume on this device. Very good! You can't find another one for the same price.

Works like it's suposed to!

I'm using it primarily with a Marshal plexi and it's exactly what I needed to get the tone out of the amp without the excessive volume levels.

Does everything as described

I am absolutely amazed by this little metal box. I can use my 100W Peavey Valveking as practice amp at home, even when kids are asleep, and it is more quiet than TV my wife is watching next room. And then, when they are not home, just little adjustment and you have full on tube amp sound...in sturdy metal box for little as 70€

best thing ever

Good Attenuator for the price

The only thing that was needed was to strengthen the volume knobs.

Snatch this up

I use this with:

Guitar - 1960 Fender Concert Brownface - Weber Z-Matcher - HB Power Attenuator - 1961 Jensen 15 inch Concert speaker (MI-150) . I love the sound of the Concert as it is on the edge of breakup, but the amp is LOUD! This product tames that down to a practice level nicely. I don't notice a difference in sound quality except the effect of filling the room in that special Fender way. I guess there is no substitute for volume. However, at low volumes it doesn't seem to change the color noticeably. I'm sure that if you ran sound wave comparison, it would show a difference. I also use this to go direct to a sound system when playing larger venues as it keeps the sound guy happy with his levels.

I sometimes use it with my Peavey Bravo as the Bravo shines with the tube saturation on the clean channel and the OD Channel is a monster when cranked. The HB Power Attenuator lets the true tone come out of this amp.

I also have a Peavey Classic 50/50 power amp that is an older setup which I use Boss Multi effects with and put it through 2 4x12 cabs. I don't use this as much any more due to the fact that I can now get tube saturation from the amps and keep my sound guy happy.

I may end up with more than one of these just for convenience sake.

It does what it does well and at a great price.

Thanks to HB for a quality product at a great price.

Totally satisfied. Gives me greater confidence to play

I use 2 amp both with a 1 watt setting. Both of these are tube amps and even at 1 watt they are pretty loud. To make even a 1 watt a tube amp playable at bedroom levels you are going to need one of these. I was initially dubious because I didn't think it would work on my 1 watt setting or make a huge difference: I was wrong. I makes a tremendous difference. You could play with sleeping children in house or people watching TV in the adjoining room. It does away with the need to use headphones which is so much more comfortable. One of my best investments. Remember to check that your amp has a speaker disconnection system ( some don't) which allows you to use an external speaker. Also always use Speaker Cable to loop this unit in. And because you don't want loads of people hearing your mistakes when you practice it gives you a greater sense of confidence to just play.

Great tone at any volume

I have 3 "lunchbox" amps and one homemade cabinet. Living in a townhouse means I can't generally crank up my amps meaning little or no tone. This allows me to get the tone at any volume. I use it with a Joyo Bantamp Jackman, a Orange Micro Terror, and a Hughes & Kettner Spirit of Vintage... and YES, this works for Solid State amps as well as tube amps

Does what it's supposed to.

Does what it's supposed to and at a very reasonable price. Good stuff.

Loved it!!!

I bought the attenuator because i needed a dummy load for my amplifier since i don't have a cabinet for now!! After buying i found quite a few reviews saying that it has different resistance than what the input resistance on the box says and it ia dangerous for your amp! Also they said that the line volume doesn't work!! After reading the manual i figured out that you need to turn the right knob to 2-3 o'clock and leave it there! I tested it with a multimeter and it gives the exact resistance it is supposed to!! Then you just play with the line volume that is the left knob on the box and it works like a charm!! I am pretty sure when i get a speker for my amp it will sound awesome in combination with the attenuator!!! I really like it and i can recommend the product!! I left 3 stars on quality because mine looked like it was an open box! Scratches and fingerprints everywhere but it works so i will keep it!

Blown away

I’ll be honest, when I bought this I wasn’t expecting much for the price. But wow, what a product!

I’m blown away by how great it actually is. The Harley Benton range continues to blow my mind

Finally, I can enjoy my tube amps without ******* off my neighbours

Does what says on the solid steel enclosure. Allows you to hear the tone of your cranked tube amp at ear friendly levels. Everything you need, none of the frilly extras you don't.

very useful

The time when you had to pay above 200 USD for similar devices is long gone thanks to this very well built attenuator!