Earphone Amp

Does anyone have a newish earphone amp that they like?

For years I had a Rockman which eventually gave up the ghost. I liked it and used it both as a belt-worn effects box when playing with other people, and to listen to myself through earphones.

I am looking for one for my daughter, so she can play her electric guitar without neighbor complaints.

Any suggestions? I am looking at the Pocket Pod but I have no idea if this is a good product, or the best choice.

Thanks!

posted by Danf (6 comments total)

I haven't used the Pocket Pod in particular, but I've always been a fan of Line 6's products. Given the number of amp sims and effects included, I really don't think it can be beat. It can be used over headphones as well as to drive an amp (I actually use my POD to turn my regular amp into a good-sounding acoustic guitar amp), and it has a line-in for playing along with an iPod or whatever. Not bad.

The only thing is that although it has a USB port, there's no audio output over USB ... which is probably not an issue, but it's sort of a puzzling omission.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:25 AM on April 24, 2014

I can't see the need for a USB out, either. It can still be jacked into an AI, which could USB into a computer, if needed. Right?

Thanks for the answer.
posted by Danf at 8:53 AM on April 24, 2014

Headphone amps and multi-effect units aren't really my cup of tea, but Line 6 in general makes a fine product.

I feel like I've seen a lot of enthusiasm for the Korg Pandora series over the years.

Zoom is another company that's pretty well known for this sort of thing.

Not enough experience with any of the above to really make a recommendation, except that this sounds like a good opportunity to make a father-daughter trip to some music stores to try some out and see which one she likes.

Just for chuckles, I got the "AC30" version of the Vox AmPlug and was really pleasantly surprised at how well it mimicked the sound of an actual Vox AC30 amp. But the tiny controls are pretty fiddly and the mp3 player input isn't really loud enough, so I don't know if I'd really recommend it except as a fun toy.
posted by soundguy99 at 11:08 PM on April 24, 2014

Less effects, more amplifier, I have/love the Vox amPlug. And it looks like there's a whole bunch of other versions too.
posted by TheNegativeInfluence at 4:30 PM on May 30, 2014

I can also vouch for the Vox amPlugs. I have one version for my guitar and a second version for my bass, and both are nice for quiet practice. I just toss them into my gigbags, and they're ready whenever I need them.

At a similar price point and form factor, you could also consider the Fiio G01. Fiio makes entry-level headphone amps, and are well-regarded in that area for excellent bang for your buck.
posted by gox3r at 4:47 PM on July 29, 2014

+1 for the Vox amPlugs. They are so good for being inexpensive IF she likes the general sound they provide (they make several models but each one isn't that versatile). I use one to practice while at work and it's great. It even plays well with effects pedals.
posted by Fierce at 12:20 PM on September 20, 2019