# Headphone amp with "amp like" tone



## idma (Nov 7, 2013)

Basically I want to practice with headphones so I don't annoy the wife with my sloppy scales and blues licks that always sound the same. 

I've tried some modelling amps (fender mustang, vox valvetronix, line 6, those small amp plug in things, to even a Scarlett's 2i2 DAW) and all of the had very muddy or lackluster tones, especially in a clean setting. Are there any that have a really good clean to them?i keep hearing about the Yamaha thr series but I'm afraid it'll just be another modelling amp

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Traynor TVM10. It's an acoustic amp or a small PA or monitor; whatever you wish to call it and it is clean. Don't let the fact that it is battery powered mislead you. It plays a long time before having to charge it again.

Traynor - Travel Mate 2-Channel - 10 Watt Battery Powered Wedge Amp


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## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Have you considered an iRig? There are a good handful of iOS apps that you can use with the iRig interface. I'd start with just GarageBand, I've played around with Bias and AmpliTube as well.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Truthfully, what you are looking for is not a modelling amp that attempts to mimic the drive qualities of this amp or that, but a headphone amp with _*cab simulation*_, so that it sounds like you are listening to amp speakers.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Blackstar HT1R has a great cab sim and awesome tube tone. The 1x8 combo doesn't sound that great through the stock speaker but it comes alive with headphones or a 1x12 cab. I use a HT1RH (head version) every day for headphone practice. Take your guitar and a set of headphones to a store and try one out.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

This is such a no brainer to me...

You need to look up the Traynor Quaterhorse...25 watts, all the effects you need , a headphone out and you can put it in you big pocket..
G.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I'll echo the Traynor Quarterhorse suggestion. Bang for the buck, it's hard to beat.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Roland Microcube. I really like the cleans on it, but through headphones? I don't know.


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## PTWamps (Aug 5, 2016)

I have a Fender Champion 20, with "voice" settings. Both the 65 blackface and tweed bassman voicings sound pretty good in headphones as clean platforms. I use my pedals for drive, reverb, etc, instead of the digi-stuff in the amp. I've been using this arrangment for quiet nighttime practice for a couple of years now, and it works pretty well. I did own a Fender Mustang and had AmpliTube on my laptop, but I found the Champion 20 an overall better arrangment.... as I like to simply grab volume and tone knobs instead of programing presents or clicking a mouse.


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2016)

A plug for the Quarterhorse from me as well.
The headphone out can also be used as an interface for your computer.

They're discontinued, but, there's a couple on kijiji at the moment.
Here's one in T.O. for $80.
Traynor Quarterhorse Microamp - $80 | amps, pedals | City of Toronto | Kijiji


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Garage band.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

iRig/Amplitube and an iPhone works great but whatever you get, make sure you're using good headphones. Most typical earbuds suck arse... get some studio headphones or some in ear monitor type buds.


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

This...if you are into Def Leppard.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Check out the Palmer Pocket Amp Mk2. I have the Mk1 and it's great to have for practicing quietly. Also has an Auxiliary Input that could connect to your music source, could be an Ipod, mp3 player, laptop, etc. Here is a quote from their site.



> It doubles as a practice amp, overdrive and distortion pedal, standard guitar DI box when bypassed and replaces your stage amp when used with a sound and monitor system.












PEPAMPMKII Palmer MI POCKET AMP MK 2 - Portable Guitar Preamp


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

11 rack, not an amp per say, more of a modeller but sounds great in headphones or through the p.a.


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## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

Moosehead said:


> 11 rack, not an amp per say, more of a modeller but sounds great in headphones or through the p.a.


^^^ +1


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

There is the old Mesa Boogie V-Twin pedal that has two 12ax7 tubes, full tone stack, MV, gain, clean, blues, and drive channel settings. There is a switch and headphone output.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I don't know that much about the insides of the Mesa unit or the Quarterhorse. But what I will say is that well over 95% of the amp schematics I've looked at (and that's a lot) that have a headphone out, simply provide an attenutated version of what is fed to the speakers, with nothing resembling a cab simulation. That doesn't mean it's bad or will implicitly sound harsh and unsatisfying. But I think we tend to forget the tone-shaping role that speakers play, particularly with respect to rolling off the highs.

Some headphones can do that too. I had a pair of headphones from a flight on Canada 3000 (or was it 2000?), 25 years ago, with bigass drivers that sounded fantastic with overdriven guitar.


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## isoneedacoffee (Oct 31, 2014)

I'm using the blackstar fly3. It also has an additional input for your phone, or other source of sound/music. I'm happy with it. I think a key to a simulated cab sound through headphones is a sense of space through reverb or delay. Otherwise it sounds too clinical and sterile. The blackstar has a very nice tape-like delay.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Another option.










No headphone out but I run this through a small stereo system that I can either use hi-fi speakers or headphones for low volume crankage. Not the greatest pre-amp / speaker sim (I imagine that Palmer on pg1 is better), but these are cheap and plentiful used. I see them occasionally for $100 - $120.

I would also recommend garageband (or some other basic DAW). Infinite amount of effects and speaker sims and models available on line.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Chito said:


> Check out the Palmer Pocket Amp Mk2. I have the Mk1 and it's great to have for practicing quietly. Also has an Auxiliary Input that could connect to your music source, could be an Ipod, mp3 player, laptop, etc. Here is a quote from their site.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have the original version of the Palmer Pocket Amp. Works well. Mine developed a buzz a while back and I replaced it with a Sansamp GT-2 which doesn't have a dedicated headphone (or DI) out, but otherwise does the same job. I run it through my mixer which has a headphone out if I need it.

This post prompted me to investigate the buzz in my Palmer and it seems to have disappeared...


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

I have a yamaha thr10 and feel it is one of the more useful pieces of kit I've bought. Sounds great with headphones or a low volume. My understanding is that all sounds are cab sims from this amp and tweakable.

Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I probably sound like a broken record, but whenever this topic comes up I like to suggest the Carl Martin Rock Bug. It is an amp speaker simulator. It has a headphone out and an XLR out. It has a switch to simulate an open or a close back. It is all analog, sounds surprisingly good and costs about 200 brand new. I used one for many years. I now have a Two-Notes Torpedo Live which walks all over it (but at 6-7 times the price) for recording or direct-to-PA but sounds pretty much the same quality-wise with headphones (only a lot more tweakable).


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