Bad Cat Unleash V3 combines a 150-watt reactive load, 100-watt re-amp and analog DI

Bad Cat has introduced the Unleash V3, a three-part amplifier utility built around a 150-watt reactive load, a 100-watt solid-state re-amplifier and a balanced analog direct output. Announced on November 10 and now listed in the company’s store for $799.99, it is designed to let players drive a tube amp at its preferred operating level and then set the actual room or stage volume independently. It accepts 4-, 8- and 16-ohm amplifier outputs.

Two footswitchable channels each provide level, low and high controls, so rhythm and lead levels can be set without changing the source amp. Cabinet Dynamics controls shape low- and high-frequency response, and an included footswitch handles channel changes. The rear-panel routing adds two speaker outputs, a headphone output with its own level control and Bad Cat’s Purepath balanced XLR output with selectable edge or center cabinet voicing.

The Unleash V3 also places a switchable instrument- or line-level serial effects loop after the connected amplifier’s power section. That arrangement lets delay, reverb and modulation sit after power-tube saturation even when the original amplifier has no loop. Bad Cat lists the unit at 4 by 10 by 9 inches and 8.5 pounds, making it compact enough to move between a home setup, recording session and live rig.

Its practical distinction is that it solves opposite volume problems with the same box. A high-powered head can be attenuated for recording or rehearsal, while a low-wattage amp can be re-amplified for a larger venue. Because the direct path is analog and the unit uses no impulse responses or digital modeling, the proposition is centered on preserving the connected amplifier’s own sound rather than replacing it.