Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

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mjet
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Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by mjet » Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:10 am

Hi

My son is going to start college abroad next year and I'm looking into (dormitory-friendly) headphone amp options. We have a bean-shaped POD HD that actually works pretty well but even that model of the POD is quite old and I can't help but think that there will be better and smaller options that have come out in the past few years. Any suggestions?

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somanytoys
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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by somanytoys » Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:47 am

Some depends on how much you want to spend and how versatile you want it to be.

I have a Yamaha THR-10C that works well with headphones or it’s own speakers. It has a usb out for recording and making adjustments to the amp with a computer, and an audio-in to use the speaker for playing music from a phone or whatever. It has 5 amp models + acoustic, bass & flat (for audio) and built in effects. It has gain & volume, then an overall amp volume, to get the tones you want from the amp, at any volume level. There are also other models in the THR series besides the C, never tried any others.

I think the newer ones have Bluetooth, but the older versions are a bit cheaper, I think mine was around $250. It will run on around 8 AA batteries, but I highly recommend getting the power cable included with it, and the case if possible.

I haven’t used any other smaller things except for the Vox Amplugs, which are okay but not really good. I sold the 2 that I had and got the THR, I like it for playing outside, inside or with headphones.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:26 pm

The Boss Waza Air looks pretty badass.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:38 pm

It depends so much on what you want to spend and what sounds you want. I have a Mooer PE100 that I got second hand for £25 that is great for the money.

But... I always found that the clean sounds on little digital units were quite flat and lifeless, so now I mainly use a Tech21 FlyRig RK5 version 2 for headphone practice - that one In particular because it has a headphone out. It is basically an analogue gain path with a SansAmp at its heart, with digital reverb and delay. It sounds really good. I often power it off an external Mooer rechargable battery pack if I don’t want to be plugged in to the wall (it doesn’t take batteries).
All the cheeses....

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by somanytoys » Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:08 am

Tech 21 makes some really good stuff, definitely recommend them.

I have 1 of their bass pedals (VTDI) and a rackmount bass preamp (2112), love them both. I’ve never tried any of their guitar pedals or rigs, but read great things about some of them.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by timtam » Sat Jun 13, 2020 6:32 pm

Different portability/in-built effects/cost +/- speaker options ...
Yamaha THR series
Roland Micro Cube
Nux PG-2 headphone (only) amp (I have this for travel)

Lots of voutube vids on other options, eg Blackstar Fly, Nux Lite.
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by reserves » Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:28 am

since a house move I’m trying to simplify my set ups.

So I brought a Fender Champion 40 second hand for £80. Sounds fine with the JM and versatile. Has headphone jack and aux in.

The Champion 20 should be even cheaper.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by Trout » Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:31 am

Vox Amplug works for me. You can use a strap and walk around (go make coffe :) ), or connect to the iphone and play along with spotify/Yt etc
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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by Larsongs » Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:29 pm

I'm a Tube Amp Guy. When my friend told me he got a Strymon Iridium Pedal I thought big deal..

Turns out it sounds amazing.. With Headphones, with an Amp or by itself thru a PA System...

This is a serious piece of Gear & well worth checking out...

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:22 pm

I just bought a DSM/Humbolt Simplifier and it is simply amazing, forgive the pun.

I bought it to try as a DI Stereo recording solution. It has a stereo Fx Loop, headphones in and aux in, and it is totally analog, and sounds absolutely Killer!
You can go Stereo XLR to FOH, and it also has stereo 1/4” TRS outs that you can go to powered speakers/FRFRs or into the effects return of an amp, or two.
It takes pedals incredibly well too. I’m so stoked with it. I highly recommend it.

https://youtu.be/nByJbzj_1z8
https://youtu.be/0kK-bapBCLI

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MT
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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by MT » Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:48 pm

I’ve played the Simplifier, it was very nice sounding. It’s a “zero watt” amp though so you’ll need a powered speaker if you want to play it like an actual amp.

I’d go with a Boss Katana. It’s got power scaling down to 0.5w so he can play it in the dorm but it’ll also be fine if he wants to play with other musicians. And he gets effects built in as a bonus.

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by RocknRollShakeUp » Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:58 pm

MT wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:48 pm
I’ve played the Simplifier, it was very nice sounding. It’s a “zero watt” amp though so you’ll need a powered speaker if you want to play it like an actual amp.

I’d go with a Boss Katana. It’s got power scaling down to 0.5w so he can play it in the dorm but it’ll also be fine if he wants to play with other musicians. And he gets effects built in as a bonus.
I don't disagree with your advice. I've got a Katana, and a Yamaha THR 10 btw. They are both cool amps. For practice in a dorm, even the 0.5W of the Katana can be loud, so one would have to plug headphones in most likely. If he doesn't have pedals, especially stereo pedals, then I'd go Katana if I wanted an amp I could also potentially gig/jam with, and if not I'd go THR10. If he's got a nice pedal board especially with stereo pedals, then Simplifier is hard to beat, and if he wanted to jam/gig, there is the option of going into the PA direct, and/or buy an economical powered speaker, or two for stereo.

But speaking of practice, I had a totally silent, luxury practice session today using my two H9's plugged into the FX loop of the Simplifier, running my iPhone Metronome on drum machine mode into the AUX in of the Simplifier, and getting just awesome tone with gorgeous stereo effects in my cans..I loved it.

Lots of options out there for sure!

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by Larsongs » Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:53 am

Larsongs wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:29 pm
I'm a Tube Amp Guy. When my friend told me he got a Strymon Iridium Pedal I thought big deal..

Turns out it sounds amazing.. With Headphones, with an Amp or by itself thru a PA System...

This is a serious piece of Gear & well worth checking out...
Here's a YouTube Demo of the Iridium.... Pretty Badass....

https://youtu.be/ITSZ00-obLM

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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by cestlamort » Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:02 am

The Strymon Iridium sounds really great through headphones, especially with stereo effects.
That said if the Pod sounds good, maybe put the money into a fund for the next piece of gear, outside of dorm room
Last edited by cestlamort on Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Larsongs
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Re: Headphone/practice amp suggestions sought

Post by Larsongs » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:18 am

cestlamort wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 8:02 am
The Strymon Iridium sounds really great through headphones, especially with stereo effects.
That said if the Pod sounds good, maybe put the money into a fund for the next piece of gear, outside of dorm roomm
It also sounds great thru an Amp, direct into PA & on Recordings... This is the closest sound to a a Tube Amp I've ever heard! Actually 3 different Tube Amps...

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