Mesa Boogie PowerHouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator 16 Ohm

Available Now at Northeast Music Center!

MESA/Boogie PowerHouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator – 16 Ohm

Turn up your tube amp without turning up the room. The MESA/Boogie PowerHouse lets you drive your amplifier where it sounds and feels its best, then control the final volume with a reactive load designed to preserve the response of a real speaker cabinet.

The MESA/Boogie PowerHouse Reactive Amp Load Attenuator is built for players who love the sound of a tube amplifier working hard but don't always have the luxury of running a 30-, 50-, or 100-watt amp at stage volume.

This 16-ohm version is rated for amplifiers up to 150 watts and combines MESA's reactive load technology with multiple attenuation levels, silent-load capability, voicing options, dual speaker outputs, and a dedicated dry line-level output.

Available from Northeast Music Center, the PowerHouse gives players a practical way to get more from the tube amplifier they already own—whether they're playing at home, recording, rehearsing, or managing tighter stage-volume requirements.

KEY FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS:

• 16-ohm reactive load attenuator
• Rated for amplifiers up to 150 watts
• Advanced MESA reactive load circuit
• Bypass plus 4 attenuation levels: -4dB / -8dB / -12dB / -16dB
• Variable Level control below the -16dB setting
• Allows extremely low and whisper-level output
• Speaker / Load switch
• Speaker mode for use with a live cabinet
• Load mode for safe silent operation without a speaker cabinet
• Normal / Bright / Warm voicing switch
• 1 x 1/4" amplifier input
• 2 x 1/4" speaker cabinet outputs wired in parallel
• Independent 1/4" dry Line Out
• Line Out Level control
• Dry output ideal for IR loaders, effects processors, re-amping, or additional amplification
• Fan cooled
• Tall rubber feet designed to clear many amplifier handles
• Actual Weight: 4 lbs. 1.7 oz.
• Dimensions: 8" W x 7.375" D x 3.5" H
• Built in Petaluma, California

GET THE POWER SECTION WORKING

There is a reason great tube amplifiers sound and feel different when they're turned up.

As the amplifier begins operating deeper into its power range, the relationship between the preamp, power tubes, output transformer, and speaker becomes more dynamic and interactive.

The problem is simple:

That usually gets loud.

The PowerHouse sits between your amplifier's speaker output and cabinet, allowing you to turn the amplifier up while reducing the level ultimately reaching the speakers.

Instead of forcing a great tube amplifier to live at barely-open master-volume settings, you can explore more of the response and character it was designed to produce.

At Northeast Music Center, we see that as the real value of a quality attenuator. It isn't simply about making an amplifier quieter.

It's about giving you greater access to the amplifier's best operating range.

A REACTIVE LOAD — NOT JUST A VOLUME CONTROL

The PowerHouse uses an expanded version of the reactive-load technology MESA developed for its CabClone IR products.

That's important because a speaker cabinet does not present a simple fixed resistance to an amplifier.

Its electrical behavior changes with frequency.

A properly designed reactive load is intended to interact with the amplifier's power section in a way that more closely resembles a real speaker cabinet, helping preserve the dynamics and response players expect from the amp.

That is very different from simply placing a basic resistive load between the amplifier and speaker.

FOUR ATTENUATION LEVELS + CONTINUOUS LOW-VOLUME CONTROL

The PowerHouse gives you several practical output levels:

-4dB – A moderate reduction when you simply need to bring stage volume under control.

-8dB – A more substantial reduction while keeping plenty of cabinet output.

-12dB – Useful when you want to push the amplifier considerably harder without overwhelming the room.

-16dB – A major reduction in speaker level.

But MESA goes a step further.

At the -16dB setting, the Level control becomes active, providing continuously variable attenuation from that point downward.

That lets you bring a driven amplifier down to extremely low listening levels.

In practical terms, the PowerHouse can move from stage-volume management to home-volume control without requiring a different device.

SPEAKER MODE OR SILENT LOAD MODE

The front-panel Speaker / Load switch is another major feature.

In Speaker mode, your connected cabinet remains active and the PowerHouse attenuates the signal reaching it.

In Load mode, the PowerHouse's internal reactive load takes over, allowing the amplifier to operate safely without a live speaker cabinet connected.

That makes the PowerHouse especially useful for recording and direct-rig applications.

You can run the amplifier into its power section, use the PowerHouse as the proper load, and send the dry Line Out to an external IR loader, cabinet simulator, effects processor, recording interface, or other suitable destination.

IMPORTANT: THE LINE OUT IS DRY

This is a detail worth making very clear.

The PowerHouse's Line Out does not include cabinet simulation.

It provides a line-level version of the signal coming from the amplifier's speaker output.

That makes it ideal for feeding an external impulse-response loader or other cabinet-simulation system.

It also allows the PowerHouse to integrate into more advanced recording, re-amping, or wet/dry/wet setups.

For the player who already has a favorite IR platform, that's actually an advantage—you aren't locked into a built-in cabinet simulation.

NORMAL / BRIGHT / WARM VOICING

Heavy attenuation can change how we perceive an amplifier at lower listening levels.

MESA includes a three-position Normal / Bright / Warm voicing switch to help tailor the final response.

Normal retains the standard response.

Bright adds additional presence when reduced listening levels make the tone feel darker.

Warm shifts the response in the opposite direction when you want a softer top end.

It's a simple feature, but a very practical one.

TWO SPEAKER OUTPUTS

The PowerHouse provides two parallel 1/4" speaker outputs, allowing you to connect appropriate cabinet configurations just as you would to an amplifier with parallel speaker jacks.

That gives the PowerHouse enough flexibility for more elaborate live rigs while keeping operation straightforward.

As always, the total cabinet impedance needs to remain appropriate for the amplifier and the 16-ohm PowerHouse configuration.

BUILT FOR REAL AMPLIFIERS

With a 150-watt maximum amplifier rating, the PowerHouse is capable of working with everything from lower-powered EL84 and 6V6 combos to substantial 6L6- and EL34-powered heads.

That makes the 16-ohm model especially useful for players with high-powered tube amplifiers and matching 16-ohm cabinet systems.

And despite its serious role in the signal chain, the unit remains remarkably compact.

At only 8 inches wide and just over 4 pounds, it can sit comfortably on top of many amplifier heads without becoming another large piece of equipment to transport.

At Northeast Music Center, we think the PowerHouse makes the most sense for players who already own an amplifier they love and simply want more control over where and how they can use it.

You don't need another amplifier.

You don't need to abandon tubes.

You don't need to keep your favorite amp permanently idling at low volume.

Northeast Music Center is proud to offer the MESA/Boogie PowerHouse to players who want the feel of a working tube power section without surrendering control of the room.

Reactive load. 150-watt capability. Four attenuation stages. Continuously variable low-volume control. Silent-load operation. Dry Line Out.

Turn up the amp. Control everything after it.

Northeast Music Center is a full line Music retailer located in Northeast Pennsylvania- We are an Authorized Mesa Boogie Dealer and purchase these products direct from MESA HEADQUARTERS IN PETALUMA CALIFORNIA. We do not obtain our MESA AMPLIFIERS or other MESA products from "jobbers" or other dealers. Our MESA AMPLIFIERS AND CABINETS come to you in the factory boxes with factory packing material. We will, upon request, and also randomly, open the box prior to shipping to check that all contents are included and that no damage has been found in shipping from MESA to our Store location. Northeast Music Center does reserve the right to sell these products in our store to daily walk in customers. It is our goal to always have this product in stock and if for any reason we sell out, we will reorder immediately as long as this MESA AMPLIFIER is currently produced for resale by the company. We will order the amplifier in a ample quantity to fill your order. It is our goal to make your experience a good one; We invite you to ask any and all questions about this product.  Please do not purchase this item if you can not pay. This is a new Mesa with full 5 Year factory warranty to the Original Owner. 3 Year Warranty on Speakers.