There are typically two types of guitar enthusiast – the showy performer and the brooding one who wants to jam alone. Okay, so technically, that’s not so accurate but for you to get a clearer picture, there are guitarists who love working with large amps that’s as loud as using a microphone while some just want to jam in privacy. For the latter, a guitar headphone amp is the best selection.
What Exactly Is a Guitar Headphone Amp?
A guitar headphone amp allows a user to connect guitars to a device that can amplify the signal to a small built in speaker or a pair of headphones. The size of the guitar headphone amp makes it a convenient choice for home use, especially if guitarists live with kids, babies or literally anyone in the family who needs some peace and quiet.
Are There Different Types of Guitar Headphone Amplifiers? Just like regular guitar amps, there are also different types of guitar headphone amps. In this article, we will be sharing with you our selection to help guide you in choosing the best accessories for your guitar playing needs. A guitar headphone amp may come in the form of guitar amplifier emulation units, mini amplifiers and micro/bug amplifiers.
To give you a clearer picture of the different type of guitar headphone amp – micro/bug amplifiers plug straight into the guitar. It features different kinds of parameters and has a jack connector on one end.
Meanwhile, mini amplifiers look a lot like miniaturized regular amplifiers. This kind of guitar headphone amp is often powered by a battery and can be easily attached to clothing. It usually comes with a built in speaker and a headphone output.
Guitar amplifier emulation units are devices with stomp-box simulation, cabinet speakers and amplifiers all sharing space in one small chassis. A more advanced gear may also feature some degree of connectivity in the form of USB capabilities for tone tweaking and recording using a separate computer software. Now that we’re done discussing guitar headphone amps, the next question is – should you get them? Are they worth it?
Guitar Headphone Amp: Who Needs Them
If you are a musician, specifically a guitarist at that, a guitar headphone amp is a pretty great add-on to fully maximize your instrument. Primarily, we think the guitar headphone amp is a great device to use when you need to practice out of the studio, say, at home, and you need to reduce your noise or audio so as not to disturb a sleeping child, a family member watching TV, or a student making homework on the computer. A guitar headphone amp is also ideal for practicing with backing tracks and is also great for trying a hand at mixing tonal variation.
Best Guitar Headphone Amp: VOX AP2AC amPlug Guitar Headphone
What We Like:
- 7 different amplifiers
- 17 hours battery life
What We Don’t Like:
- Limited range of guitar tones
The VOX AP2AC can be considered as an oldie but a goodie. Founded in the 1950s, this guitar headphone amp continues to be one of the most popular and preferred brand to this day. The VOX guitar headphone amp is so tiny, it can fit in the palm of your hand.
This guitar headphone amp from VOX is available in 7 various headphone amplifiers and can cover a range of tones – Classic Rock, Metal, Clean, Bass, Blues and Lead. To enjoy the effects of the guitar headphone amp, a pair of headphones just needs to be plugged in with the output of the guitar headphone amp, followed by connecting the jack to the instrument and you’re all set.
Best Guitar Headphone Amp: Line 6 Pocket POD
What We Like:
- USB connectivity
- Signature processing technology
What We Don’t Like:
- LCD display can be temperamental
Just like the VOX guitar amp headphone, this kidney-shaped guitar amp fits in the palm of your hand. For such a small device, it actually offers a massive tone and features of the original POD, down to the signature processing technology that has been making new musicians clacking away on their keyboards or touch screen to search for this product online.
An arrow pad is located on the anterior of the Pocket POD, allowing users to cycle through options on the LCD display. There are also two buttons and four knobs, with the latter giving allowance for channel volume, drive, delay and effects to be customized. Said knobs can also be toggled to adjust reverb, treble, mid and bass. Meanwhile, the buttons of this guitar headphone amp allows users to save their preset tweaks and has a tap function to synchronize effects. Buttons can also be held down for tuner mode.
The LCD display can be quite moody but it’s a good thing that there is a USB connectivity so that users can simply connect the guitar headphone amp to the computer, download the Vyzek software and adjust the guitar tone.
Best Guitar Headphone Amp: Donner Classic Rock Mini Amp
What We Like:
- Can be connected to MP3
- 15 hours playback for lithium battery
- affordable
What We Don’t Like:
- Less tonal shaping flexibility
Say hello to the Donner Pocket Mini Guitar Headphone Amp, a small but powerful device that offers 6 different types of bug style amps. The Donner Pocket Mini is quite similar with the VOX guitar headphone amp in the sense that it has classic, basement, classic OD, heavy metal, plexitone and hard rock.
Another great feature that we like about this guitar headphone amp is that it has an auxiliary output, making it possible for users to connect to an MP3 player so users can jam with their favorite songs. Not all guitar headphone amps offer a wide media selection, so the Donner Pocket Mini is really a steal! Speaking of great steals, the prices of a guitar headphone amp is not really considered as budget friendly, but with the Donner Pocket Mini, its price is very affordable. However, don’t take it as a sign of having a mediocre performance because it is actually one of the best guitar headphone amp that gives a great sound whether during mixing or live jams.
That concludes our selection of the best guitar headphone amps in the market. We hope that the information we have shared will help you shop smarter. You can purchase your desired guitar headphone amp on Amazon.com with shipping. If you want to learn more about how a guitar headphone amp works or how it is different from a regular amplifier, you can also check out YouTube videos from legit musicians and professional guitarists.
In a nutshell, a guitar headphone amp can definitely change the sound of your jams and we hope that this article has been a great guide for you to choose the best one in terms of features, prices and overall performance. Whether you are a beginner in the field of music, still learning how to play a guitar or already considered as a veteran guitarist, once in your musical life, you will definitely encounter a situation where you will need a guitar amp headphone and it’s a good thing that you already have an idea about this instrument.
