Sounds like a bit of GAS with some âI think it will sound betterâ. I understand that for sure. Time for a bit of a story then⌠(did you just groan?) 
My wife also has an electric piano, weighted keys, different tonal options, etc. It is old now, but sounds good - for being electrically created sounds. The big difference here is that a traditional piano doesnât produce its sound out of a speaker, but out of the various places across the whole instrument that the particular string being hit resides. This cannot be reliably reproduced with a speaker at your knees as is with the electric piano we have.
Guitar is a bit simpler. from one electric to another the difference is in the signal chain, but we are still producing sound out of a speaker. Differences are not the same as the piano example.
I bought my Helix modeler expecting to improve my experience over a âpractice modelerâ. It did as the practice amp had more shortcomings than just its modeling capability. However, I always wondered if the models were really like the amps it was supposed to be like. I was curious if the dynamics was the same, if the distortion was modeled correctly (still wonder this), and if there are artifacts in the modeler that are not in the real amp.
I later bought a tiny solid-state amp - 5W and the size of a pedal - to have a portable amp I would be free to move around, use headphones with, take on vacation, etc. It connects to a scrapped Fender amp cabinet that is just a speaker now. The sound of this was surprising. Warm, good range on the knobs, and it wasnât too loud if controlled properly. What I learned from this little thing was how to adjust my Helix. The adjustment is mostly in the tone equalization. I learned that not knowing what a bare amp should sound like meant that I had set up the Helix incorrectly. playing with a real amp, albeit tiny, helped me learn what to expect when setting up a modeled amp.
I also learned that volume makes a big difference. I need things to be a bit louder so I can overcome the tinitus that is strong enough to cover subtle sounds when the volume is low. If I turn up the Helix volume, it sounds a lot âbetterâ. You may need to consider an attenuator with your purchase so you can drive the amp to a pleasant sound, but keep the volume to pleasant levels.
I strongly recommend you consider what sound you like, then go listen for that, in recordings, reviews, in-person⌠You will want to know what tone you like, and listen for how the amp breaks up. The break up harmonics can be harsh to mellow, depending on the design as well as what the amplifier stages are designed with (bipolar, FET, tube). Folks are happy to recommend their favorite amp, but you need to hear them to decide if it is what you like.
