Is there an affordable transparent headphone amp ?

S

shoulderpet

Sep 24, 2015
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#1
Hi , am looking for a small portable headphone amp solution, I have an Amplug 2 bass and it is ok but somewhat midrange heavy, I am sure it would probably sound ok with bright roundwounds but with flats it is somewhat quacky sounding in the midrange, are there any headphone amps that are relatively affordable and transparent sounding ? Thanks
 
#2
What type of headphones are you plugging into it? I doubt the Amplug is going to sound like a gloriously mic'd SVT rig, but it could be your headphones giving it that tone and quacky midrange.
 
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#7
" Transparent " is in the ear of the beholder, imho. I've tried a lot of headphone amps, and I've come to the conclusion that they all have some sort of " character ", even with everything set " flat ". Then you throw in the wide, wide world of headphones, and you have yet another jungle of built in tones to deal with. I would search for a more versatile headphone amp - the more options, the more choices to get the tone you want. I've settled on two that I really like : the Phil Jones Bass Buddy, and the Raven Labs PHA-1. Both are very versatile in EQ and features, relatively quiet, and easy to use. The Raven Labs has separate volume controls ( left and right ), for incoming mixes, which I find to be a really useful tool for picking out bass parts, and it's dead quiet. Unfortunately, it is also discontinued, but they pop up now and then in the classifieds. It is also built like a tank. The PJ Bass Buddy has a compressor/limiter, and a separate volume control for incoming signals, which I find very useful. Both get definitely loud enough, and both EQ sections are pretty good for bass. They are both mid range priced, but, gun to me head, I would choose the Raven Labs, if you can find one in excellent shape. The battery life on the RL lasts about 50 hours, the BB only about 3 hours. The BB can also power a cab, at about 8 watts, if you want quiet practice with your rig. Don't even get me started on which headphones to use ! ;)
 
#10
AstroSonic said:
Affordable is relative, but this headphone amp (Schiit Audio, Headphone amps and DACs made in USA.) offers remarkable performance for the price. As the cost of headphone amps goes this one is pretty inexpensive. Do an internet search for reviews. People really like this one.
Click to expand...
Can you please explain how you would use this? The Schiit headphone amps all have RCA connectors. None of them have a 1/4" socket to plug your bass in.
 
#13
I use a Zoom B1on that I picked up for $50 and now there is a B1 Four that is $79 new. It’s a Swiss Army knife for rehearsal and stage. It’s a decent headphone amp with a separate input jack for playing along with tunes from a phone or iPad. It has around 100 effects that you can add (up to 5 at a time). It has amp and speaker modeling, a looper, a tuner and a drum machine - all in a small footprint that will fit in your guitar case or gig bag. It also has a bypass setting for the effects but it’s so much more satisfying to play through one of the many programmable presets to inspire and shape your tone. It’s probably the most useful accessory that I have.
 
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