Palmer Pocket Amp MK2 Guitar Preamp

My application for this unit, is to use it as at a pedal-based clean platform amp to use in conjunction with an FRFR-speaker and with some compact pedals I particularly like.
The quality of the sounds has greatly improved since the Mk1-version, although I tend to stick to the the vintage clean preset. This presents me with a decent and tweakable Fender-esque clean canvas.
The pedal is very suitable to use in combination with other pedals.
The built in XLR-out is not at all good-sounding, so an additional amp sim-DI or IR-loader is advisable before going straight into the board.
As a stand alone unit, it is very practical (e.g. hotel room playing with headphones) but the sounds of the higher gain stuff are not very convincing.
Sonically, neither the Mk1 or the Mk2 can really compete with the Tech-21 GT-2 SansAmp the design was clearly based on.
Overall, a practical little unit with some pretty nice features; if it were really suitable as a one-stop solution for amp modeling, amp sim AND DI, this would potentially be a five star product on pedalboards everywhere. Maybe the Mk3-version? I would happily pay quite a bit extra if the DI were more usable (and included amp sim functionality, e.g. Palmer pdi 03 jb).

This box is ideal for taking the most established electric guitar sounds available everywhere you go. It is well suited for studio recording and rehearsing, since it also emulates cabinet microphone capturing.

* Build *
Solid 10 x 10 cm aluminum box, no loose parts. Its controls rotate smoothly and its switches are snappy. The foot switch is strong with good feedback. I have not used the power input and the XLR output. The jack connectors are just good: neither loose, nor too resisting. Overall, the box offers the impression of rugged quality.

* Features *
Very easy to handle. No on/off switch. When fitted with a 9v battery it starts up when the input jack is connected.

In terms of distortion, the Pocket Amp offers the three most used classes of effects: the vintage clean to smooth overdrive, the British-style emphasized-mids heavy or "lead" sound and the high-gain bassy treble modern metal distortion. Three levels of distortion can be picked using the "Mode" selector. Separate gain control.

The two band equalizer controls (for bass and treble) and a choice of three filters which emulate cabinet microphone recording offer an authentic and complete guitar sound. The sound processing can be completely bypassed using the foot switch.

* Minuses: the microphone emulation cannot be disabled, making it impossible to just get the distortion signal out.

* Sound *
The distortion effects are, as far as I can tell, quite pure and accurate. In comparison with other effects I have used, they don't have emphasized bass or highs by themselves. The EQ is powerful and it really makes a difference. I rarely encountered little noise, at high gains and volume.

* Minus: The lack of a mid EQ band control may be limiting.

Update: after not much use, the switches and pots became noisy and the switches sometimes stop in inconsistent states (where a slight touch change the tone, you are not sure what is actually selected)