The problem that I see here is that everyone is comparing things that are radically different. The Budda's and the Mesa's and the marshalls etc... won't blw away on Orange amp at all. They all have different sounds. If the orange gives you the sound you need then for you it probably will blow away the others. The same goes witht he other amps. Mesa's sound very different than oranges and marshalls. Oranges sound a little more similar to a marshall, but still different. No mesa out there will do that "orange" thing, but then the Orange's won't do the rectified Mesa sounds either. People here are saying that a Mesa is more versatile. Generally speaking I find that to be pretty true, but it comes at a price, you will have to sacrifice that other sound if you want to go the mesa route. For some players that is a good sacrifice, for others it makes no sense. The bottom line is that whatever people want to think, the Oranges are holding their place in the market for a reason. They have a fairly unique tone, and its one that many people desire. Orange builds great amps, but they are really only great for people that want THAT sound. If you want something different, than an Orange may be a waste of money. All of this is before even considering what guitar is being used, what pickups, the players technique etc... Personally, I love all different sorts of amps, but I love them all in different scenarios. If I had to go buy one true workhorse amp, the one I think that does the best at all things is certainly not a Mesa, although the Road King 2 sure offers a lot of flexibility. I would be looking at a Bogner Extasy.