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Recommendations for a headphone amp?


Sheraton

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I'm looking for an inexpensive headphone amp so I can practice without disturbing the family. The two I'm looking at are both $20 or less and are:
1. The Monoprice clone of a Vox amplug.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...08&cp_id=10860

2. The Bravo Audio Headplug ($20 on Amazon.com)
http://bravoaudio.com/headplug.html

The Monoprice amplug clone is available in Clean or two OD versions and has Volume, Tone and Gain controls but uses AAA batteries.

The Bravo has no controls but has a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that charges with a usb cable.

Does anybody have any experience with these? Or any other comparably priced recommendations? I'm leaning toward the Bravo so I don't need to mess with batteries. What am I giving up in sound quality if anything?

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Quote Originally Posted by kayd_mon View Post
I have an Amplug AC30 version, and I think it's great as a headphone amp. A pocket Pod might be better, but it's also more expensive.
Yep, cheap is one of my main criteria. Small and light is another. How's the battery life?

I'm wondering if the Monoprice version is made in the same plant as the Vox for half the cost.
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Quote Originally Posted by kayd_mon View Post
I have an Amplug AC30 version, and I think it's great as a headphone amp. A pocket Pod might be better, but it's also more expensive.
Yep, cheap is one of my main criteria. Small and light is another. How's the battery life?

I'm wondering if the Monoprice version is made in the same plant as the Vox for half the cost.
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I would try to find a used Fender Mustang 1 at GC or on Craigslist. I'd be willing to bet you could score one for $50. I bought one new for $100 and it sounds great with headphones. You can program a bunch of models, it has an aux port so you can play along to backing tracks, and you can do direct recording. The mini amps such as the Roland, Fender, or Vox are also light, inexpensive, and have much of the same functionality of the Mustang 1.

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I would try to find a used Fender Mustang 1 at GC or on Craigslist. I'd be willing to bet you could score one for $50. I bought one new for $100 and it sounds great with headphones. You can program a bunch of models, it has an aux port so you can play along to backing tracks, and you can do direct recording. The mini amps such as the Roland, Fender, or Vox are also light, inexpensive, and have much of the same functionality of the Mustang 1.

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Thanks for the suggestions. For me the v-amp, pod or small amp (Fender Mustang I) and other similiar devices have the disadvantages of size and the necessity to plug in to a separate device as well as cost. Then you aren't mobile and have to manage the headphone cord as well as the guitar cord. I know you could go bluetooth on the headphones but how complex and expensive do you want to get?

I had an Amplitube iRig with the software on my iPhone which was pretty cool but still needed the phone, iRig, cord from the guitar to the iRig and from the iPhone to my headphones. Aaaaggghh. Too much cord spaghetti for me. Fun if you want to play with the interface to make tweaks to the sound. Me? I just want to play my guitar.

I love the simplicity of the device (Amplug, Monoprice clone, Bravo Headplug) plugged into the guitar and 1 cord to my headphones. Simple, mobile, cheap.

Any idea if the Monoprice clone is the same as the Vox Amplug for half the price? How is battery life? Any experience with the Bravo Audio Headplug? Any other small simple cheap suggestions?

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Thanks for the suggestions. For me the v-amp, pod or small amp (Fender Mustang I) and other similiar devices have the disadvantages of size and the necessity to plug in to a separate device as well as cost. Then you aren't mobile and have to manage the headphone cord as well as the guitar cord. I know you could go bluetooth on the headphones but how complex and expensive do you want to get?

I had an Amplitube iRig with the software on my iPhone which was pretty cool but still needed the phone, iRig, cord from the guitar to the iRig and from the iPhone to my headphones. Aaaaggghh. Too much cord spaghetti for me. Fun if you want to play with the interface to make tweaks to the sound. Me? I just want to play my guitar.

I love the simplicity of the device (Amplug, Monoprice clone, Bravo Headplug) plugged into the guitar and 1 cord to my headphones. Simple, mobile, cheap.

Any idea if the Monoprice clone is the same as the Vox Amplug for half the price? How is battery life? Any experience with the Bravo Audio Headplug? Any other small simple cheap suggestions?

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Might be too expensive for what you want, but these are small and light and FULL of features. Metronome, beats, tuner, plus all kinds of effects. Need a small patch cable or adapter to plug into the guitar then you're set. I don't use mine much, but mostly cause I hate headphones.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...FaGPPAodDFAAhw
PXminiBK.jpg

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Might be too expensive for what you want, but these are small and light and FULL of features. Metronome, beats, tuner, plus all kinds of effects. Need a small patch cable or adapter to plug into the guitar then you're set. I don't use mine much, but mostly cause I hate headphones.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...FaGPPAodDFAAhw
PXminiBK.jpg

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Line 6 Pod II or the V Amp. Cheap used and loud enough to make you learn to turn the volume down. I own a POD II and the Pandora. For quick use on headphones, the POD wins. The Pandora lacks the volume level I like, but has some great tones. I used to use Korg G3s. They worked awesome with headphones. There are still some floating around.

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Line 6 Pod II or the V Amp. Cheap used and loud enough to make you learn to turn the volume down. I own a POD II and the Pandora. For quick use on headphones, the POD wins. The Pandora lacks the volume level I like, but has some great tones. I used to use Korg G3s. They worked awesome with headphones. There are still some floating around.

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Quote Originally Posted by Sheraton View Post
Yep, cheap is one of my main criteria. Small and light is another. How's the battery life?

I'm wondering if the Monoprice version is made in the same plant as the Vox for half the cost.
The battery life on the Amplug is quite good. I can't give you an hour number, but the battery lasts a good long time. I don't know anything about the Monoprice ones.
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Quote Originally Posted by Sheraton View Post
Yep, cheap is one of my main criteria. Small and light is another. How's the battery life?

I'm wondering if the Monoprice version is made in the same plant as the Vox for half the cost.
The battery life on the Amplug is quite good. I can't give you an hour number, but the battery lasts a good long time. I don't know anything about the Monoprice ones.
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I like the Vox Amplug also, and battery life is long...and I can't give you the number of hours either. I can get a lot of sounds out of my Pocket-Pod, but I can out of my Fender Mustang-Mini too, which I think is a helluva little amp for the money...and it has optional battery power too. Unplug the headphones, dial in some bass, and it will get way louder than you'd think ii would too!

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I like the Vox Amplug also, and battery life is long...and I can't give you the number of hours either. I can get a lot of sounds out of my Pocket-Pod, but I can out of my Fender Mustang-Mini too, which I think is a helluva little amp for the money...and it has optional battery power too. Unplug the headphones, dial in some bass, and it will get way louder than you'd think ii would too!

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The only other comment i would make having owned a number of small headphone type amps, is that a 100% dry sound (no reverb/chorus etc) makes for a super bland uninspiring practice with headphones (as are the amplugs).

I think you will get a lot more enjoyment using something that at least has some basic ambient effects and a little stereo chorus for a headphone setup.

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The only other comment i would make having owned a number of small headphone type amps, is that a 100% dry sound (no reverb/chorus etc) makes for a super bland uninspiring practice with headphones (as are the amplugs).

I think you will get a lot more enjoyment using something that at least has some basic ambient effects and a little stereo chorus for a headphone setup.

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