dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp Review: The Compact Contender Punching Above Its Weight

As a bassist, I’ve spent countless hours in the pursuit of the perfect tone. We chase it through different instruments, strings, pedals, and of course, amplifiers. But there’s a specific, often frustrating, challenge that every player faces: finding a practice amp that doesn’t feel like a compromise. The problem is twofold. On one hand, you have massive, stage-ready rigs that sound incredible but are utterly impractical for a living room, capable of shaking the fillings out of your neighbour’s teeth at volume level 2. On the other, you have tiny, budget “practice” amps that sound thin, tinny, and lifeless, sucking all the joy and nuance out of your playing. This search for a compact, portable, and affordable amp that still delivers a satisfying low-end thump and tonal character is a journey familiar to many. It’s the desire for a tool that makes you want to pick up your bass every day, not one that reminds you of what you’re missing from your main rig. This is precisely the space the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp aims to conquer.

What to Consider Before Buying a Bass Combo Amp

A combo amp is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for musicians needing an all-in-one package of speaker and amplifier. For bass players, this is especially crucial. The main benefit is convenience and portability. Instead of lugging a separate head and cabinet, a combo amp integrates everything into a single enclosure, making it perfect for home practice, rehearsals, small jams, or even taking on the road for a camping trip, as some users have happily discovered. The problem it solves is logistical complexity. It eliminates the need for extra speaker cables and matching impedances, providing a plug-and-play experience that gets you from silence to sound in seconds. This simplicity is its greatest strength.

The ideal customer for a compact combo amp like this one is someone facing the need for a great sound in a small space. This includes beginners who need a reliable first amp, seasoned players looking for a dedicated practice tool for their home or apartment, and musicians who need a portable “grab-and-go” solution for casual jams or teaching. It’s for the player who values convenience and solid tone over sheer, earth-shattering volume. Conversely, this type of amp might not be suitable for those who need to compete with a loud drummer in a full band setting. A 20-watt amp with a 6.5-inch speaker, no matter how well-designed, simply won’t have the headroom or air-moving capability for medium-to-large venues. Those players should be looking at higher-wattage combos with larger speakers (10-inch or 15-inch) or separate head-and-cabinet rigs.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Consider where the amp will live. A compact model like the dellersound TS20, with dimensions of 26 x 30 x 29 cm, is designed to fit comfortably in a bedroom corner, under a desk, or in the boot of a small car. Measure your available space and think about portability. A built-in carry handle, as featured here, is a small detail that makes a huge difference in day-to-day usability.
• Power & Performance: Wattage is a key metric. 20 watts is the sweet spot for personal practice and quiet rehearsals. It’s loud enough to feel satisfying without being antisocial. The speaker size—in this case, 6.5 inches—also heavily influences the sound. While a smaller speaker won’t produce the sub-bass frequencies of a larger one, it can offer a tighter, more focused midrange punch, which is often preferable for clarity at lower volumes.
• Materials & Durability: The enclosure material is critical for sound and longevity. Many budget amps use plastic or thin particleboard, which can rattle and produce a boxy tone. We were pleased to find that the dellersound TS20 features a solid wooden cabinet. This is a significant upgrade, as wood provides better resonance and a warmer, more natural sound, a finding confirmed by users who praise its solid construction and superior tone compared to plastic alternatives.
• Ease of Use & Features: How intuitive are the controls? Look for a clear layout. A 3-band EQ (Low, Mid, High) provides essential tone-shaping capabilities. Modern features like Bluetooth for playing along with backing tracks or an Auxiliary input for connecting a music player can transform a simple amplifier into a powerful practice tool. Consider if these features align with your practice routine before you explore the full specifications and latest offers.

While the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp is an excellent choice for this category, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Solid, Simple, and Ready to Rumble

Unboxing the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp, the first thing that struck us was its reassuring heft and solidity. In a market flooded with lightweight, plastic-heavy practice amps, this little black box feels different. It feels substantial. The wooden enclosure, covered in a durable black tolex, and the sturdy corner protectors give it the look and feel of a much more expensive piece of gear. There’s no assembly required; just unbox, plug in the included power supply, and you’re ready to go. The top-mounted control panel is clean, logical, and easy to read, with chunky, responsive knobs for Gain, Bass, Mid, High, and Volume. The inclusion of push-button switches for the Overdrive and Mid-Scoop Contour is a nice touch, offering instant tonal changes. We also immediately noticed the top carry belt, which is comfortable and makes moving the amp around the studio an effortless task. Compared to some other amps in this price range that can feel a bit like toys, the TS20 presents itself as a serious, albeit small, musical instrument. This initial impression of quality construction and thoughtful design set a positive tone for our in-depth testing, suggesting that this amp might just be the solution many of us have been looking for.

Deep Dive: Deconstructing the dellersound TS20’s Performance

After our positive initial impressions, we were eager to plug in and see if the sound lived up to the build quality. We spent several weeks with the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp, putting it through its paces with a variety of basses—from a classic P-bass with flatwounds to a modern active 5-string—to truly understand its capabilities and limitations. Here’s our detailed breakdown.

Tone Shaping and Sonic Versatility

The heart of any amplifier is its ability to shape sound, and this is where the TS20 genuinely surprised us. The 3-band EQ is simple but effective. The ‘Low’ knob adds a respectable amount of weight and foundation to the tone, and while the 6.5-inch speaker won’t rattle the windows, the wooden cabinet helps translate that low-end boost into a warm, musical presence rather than a flabby boom. The ‘Mid’ control is the amp’s secret weapon, allowing you to go from a scooped, modern slap tone to a punchy, fingerstyle sound that cuts through a mix. The ‘High’ knob adds articulation and string noise detail without becoming harsh or brittle. For such a compact unit, the EQ offers a surprisingly wide palette. The real game-changer, however, is the ‘Contour’ switch. Engaging this button activates a mid-scoop, instantly creating a tone that’s perfect for modern genres like funk or metal. It tightens up the low end and adds sparkle to the highs, making it incredibly fun for slap and pop techniques. We found that with the contour engaged and the mids dialled back slightly, we could achieve a very pleasing, contemporary bass sound. One user noted they use it for their electric guitar and achieve a “great warm sound,” which we can absolutely confirm. The amp’s voicing has a natural warmth that is versatile enough to flatter other instruments, a testament to its well-designed preamp circuit and solid enclosure. The range of tones available makes the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp a remarkably versatile practice tool.

The Overdrive Circuit: Adding Grit and Character

Many small practice amps either omit an overdrive circuit entirely or include one that sounds fizzy and artificial. The TS20 includes a dedicated overdrive button, and our assessment is that it’s a very usable feature, provided you have the right expectations. This is not a high-gain distortion pedal built for extreme metal. Instead, it’s more of a classic-style overdrive that adds warmth, compression, and a gentle breakup to the signal. With the ‘Gain’ knob set low, engaging the overdrive adds a subtle tube-like sag and richness, perfect for fattening up a clean tone for soul or blues. As you increase the gain, the sound moves into a pleasant, gritty growl reminiscent of a slightly pushed tube amp. It’s ideal for classic rock and Motown basslines, adding an edge and helping the bass sit perfectly in a mix with a guitar and drums. We found the sweet spot with the gain around 2 o’clock, which provided a dynamic, touch-sensitive crunch that responded well to playing dynamics. While it won’t satisfy players looking for aggressive, clanky distortion, its musicality makes it a valuable addition for adding character and flavour to your practice sessions.

Portability and Build Quality: A Practice Amp Built to Move

This is an area where the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp truly excels and validates the feedback from users who sought a portable solution. Its compact footprint and weight make it incredibly easy to live with. The top-mounted carry belt is robust and comfortable, encouraging you to take the amp with you, whether it’s to a friend’s house for a jam, a lesson, or as one user mentioned, out to the garden or on a camping trip. The real story here, though, is the wooden cabinet. We cannot overstate how much this contributes to both the sound and the perceived quality of the amp. The airtight, solid construction prevents unwanted vibrations and rattles that plague cheaper, plastic-bodied amps, especially when you push the volume. This structural integrity allows the 6.5-inch speaker to perform at its best, projecting a focused and surprisingly full sound. During our testing, we moved the amp around frequently, and it always felt durable and road-ready, despite its small size. The robust corner protectors and quality tolex covering ensure it can handle the minor bumps and scrapes of travel. This commitment to solid build quality is rare at this price point and is a major reason why we feel confident in recommending it. To see its full feature set and user reviews is to understand why its construction gets such high praise.

Connectivity and Modern Features

In today’s world, a practice amp needs to do more than just make your instrument louder. Dellersound clearly understands this, equipping the TS20 with essential modern features. The built-in Bluetooth connectivity is a standout. Pairing our phone was instantaneous and simple, and the connection remained stable throughout our testing. Playing backing tracks or streaming lessons through the amp’s speaker transforms it from a simple amplifier into a comprehensive learning and practice hub. The sound quality for music playback is clear and balanced, making it enjoyable to jam along to your favourite songs. This is an invaluable tool for improving your timing and learning new material. In addition to Bluetooth, the amp includes a standard 1/8-inch (3.5mm) auxiliary input jack, providing a reliable wired option for connecting laptops, MP3 players, or drum machines. While the specifications don’t explicitly list a headphone output, its absence is a notable omission for silent practice. However, the amp’s excellent volume control allows for satisfying tones at very low, apartment-friendly levels. The combination of these connectivity options makes the dellersound TS20 an incredible value proposition for the modern musician.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our positive experience with the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp is echoed in the feedback from other musicians. There is a clear consensus about its surprising quality and performance for its size and price. One user, who was explicitly looking for a small, portable amplifier for casual use in the garden or while camping, praised its solid construction, noting, “It’s not a plastic body, but made of wood, which in my opinion ensures a better sound.” This sentiment perfectly aligns with our findings about the wooden cabinet’s positive impact on tone. Another user highlighted its versatility, mentioning that while it’s designed for bass, they use it for their electric guitar and achieve a “great warm sound,” adding that “the little box is quite capable of pushing.” This speaks to the amp’s well-voiced preamp and surprising power, reinforcing our own observations. The recurring themes are clear: users are consistently impressed by the solid build, the warm and versatile tone, and the incredible convenience offered by its compact, feature-rich design.

How Does the dellersound TS20 Compare to the Alternatives?

The practice amp market is competitive, and while the dellersound TS20 holds its own, it’s important to see how it stacks up against other popular options. Each of these alternatives caters to a slightly different player, so your personal needs will determine the best fit.

1. BOSS Katana-50 Gen 3 Guitar Amplifier 50-Watt Combo

The BOSS Katana-50 is a titan in the world of combo amps, and for good reason. It’s a significant step up in power (50 watts vs. 20), speaker size (12-inch vs. 6.5-inch), and feature set. Primarily a guitar amp, its main draw is the vast array of built-in amp models and BOSS effects, controlled via intuitive knobs or deep-edited via computer software. If you are a guitarist or a multi-instrumentalist who craves endless tonal options, effects, and enough power for small gigs, the Katana is an industry standard. However, for a bassist purely focused on practice, its complexity might be overkill, and its bass voicings aren’t as dedicated as the dellersound’s. The TS20 is simpler, more portable, and specifically voiced for bass, making it a more direct solution for that purpose.

2. Positive Grid Spark 40 Guitar Amplifier

The Positive Grid Spark 40 is the tech-lover’s dream amp. It’s a 40-watt stereo combo amp that works for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar, but its true power lies in its deep integration with the Spark mobile app. This app provides access to thousands of amp models and effects from the cloud, along with features like ‘Auto Chords’ (which analyzes songs and displays the chords) and ‘Smart Jam’ (which creates a backing track based on your playing). For players who want a cutting-edge practice tool and love experimenting with technology, the Spark is unparalleled. The dellersound TS20, by contrast, is a more traditional, hands-on amplifier. It’s for the player who prefers turning physical knobs to navigating menus on a phone, offering a simpler, more immediate plug-and-play experience.

3. Fender Frontman 20G Guitar Amplifier Headphone Jack

The Fender Frontman 20G is a direct competitor in the 20-watt practice amp category, but it is designed specifically for guitar. It’s known for its classic Fender styling and excellent clean channel, which provides that signature sparkly Fender tone. It also features a switchable drive channel for crunchier sounds. The main reason a player might choose the Frontman is if they primarily play guitar and want that iconic Fender sound in a compact package. While the dellersound TS20 can work well for guitar, its primary voicing and controls are optimized for the lower frequencies of a bass. For a dedicated bassist, the TS20’s 3-band EQ and mid-scoop contour switch are far more useful tools for shaping a proper bass tone than what the Frontman 20G offers.

Our Final Verdict: Is the dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp Worth It?

After extensive testing, our conclusion is a resounding yes. The dellersound TS20 20W Bass Combo Amp is an exceptional piece of gear that delivers far more value than its modest price tag would suggest. Its greatest strengths lie in its solid wood construction, which provides a warm and resonant tone, its surprising tonal versatility via the effective EQ and contour switch, and its modern feature set, including seamless Bluetooth connectivity. It nails the core requirements of a great practice amp: it sounds good, it’s easy to use, and its portability makes you want to take it everywhere. While the 6.5-inch speaker has its physical limitations and the overdrive is more for flavour than fury, these are minor trade-offs in what is otherwise a brilliantly executed product for its intended purpose.

We wholeheartedly recommend the dellersound TS20 to beginner bassists looking for a high-quality first amp, as well as to experienced players in need of a reliable, great-sounding, and portable practice companion. It bridges the gap between cheap, underwhelming practice amps and expensive, cumbersome rigs perfectly. If you’re looking for a compact bass amp that respects your tone and your space, this is a fantastic choice. To find out more and check the latest price and availability, we suggest you take a closer look.