Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
Moderator: Ghost Hip
- MechaGodzilla
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2447
- Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:19 am
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
What about the mini marshall/orange thingies with belt clips? Or micro terror ?
- jrmy
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 10645
- Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:09 am
- Contact:
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
OH! Good call! I had forgotten about these things - a friend who works at a music store mentioned them to me a while back!drolo wrote:Best amp I ever used for headphones is the Yamaha THR10 (the built-in speakers sound great at low levels too). There is also the smaller THR5. Plus you can use them as USB direct recording devices and they sound pretty killer. The different amp models seem to react to dirt pedals and boosters quite similarly to how the real ones would. Not pedal sized though, not sure if that was a must.
No, pedal sized would be a plus, but isn't essential at all - I should probably make that more explicit in the first entry.
Thanks for the ideas, all! Obviously keep 'em coming, but I'm going to look into these Yamahas for sure...
I'm more like a mids-ist than a bassist.
"The main rule on ILF is don't be an asshole." - Tom Dalton
I can't wait to annoy the shit out of you with my mountain of mids. - bigchiefbc
https://thewirechimes.bandcamp.com/releases
http://crotchthrottle.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jrmyfuzz/
"The main rule on ILF is don't be an asshole." - Tom Dalton
I can't wait to annoy the shit out of you with my mountain of mids. - bigchiefbc
https://thewirechimes.bandcamp.com/releases
http://crotchthrottle.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jrmyfuzz/
- goroth
- HERO

- Posts: 13514
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:50 am
- Location: Eurothrash: Frozen northern outpost.
- Contact:
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
I use a black star fly 3 mini for headphoning. As long as you keep your fuzz at unity it sounds great, with quite a decent speaker sim. Sounds ok as an amp too. Spunky hates it but you know how loud his shit is.
Music out on all streaming services and bandcamp and what not.
Spotify /// Apple Music
My band /// Instagram ///Bandcamp ///
- sylnau
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 10403
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:38 pm
- Location: Quebec City
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
Can you plug that into a computer for recording?goroth wrote:I use a black star fly 3 mini for headphoning. As long as you keep your fuzz at unity it sounds great, with quite a decent speaker sim. Sounds ok as an amp too. Spunky hates it but you know how loud his shit is.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
- BoatRich
- IAMILF

- Posts: 2374
- Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:58 pm
- Location: Northern VA/DC
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
I’ve been thinking about a Hotone cab for pretty much this exact thing. Headphone amp, cab and power amp IR’s, aux in, etc.... they’re pretty cheap too. I feel like any dirt with enough tone shaping would work well as a Preamp into it also.
- neonblack
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 8090
- Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:00 am
- Location: Wilmington, NC
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
If you're going to spend close to 200 anyways just get a Quilter 101 or microblock. My 101 is my main amp and I spent less than 250 on it. And it handles dirt great and sounds awesome with headphones.
- goroth
- HERO

- Posts: 13514
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:50 am
- Location: Eurothrash: Frozen northern outpost.
- Contact:
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
The headphone out has a speaker sim on it, so if you have instrument level input on your soundcard then you could do it. I've never tried though. But I think in terms of playing silently it's nice. Most of the range on the ISF (tone control) is rubbish, but all the way counter clockwise is good.sylnau wrote:Can you plug that into a computer for recording?goroth wrote:I use a black star fly 3 mini for headphoning. As long as you keep your fuzz at unity it sounds great, with quite a decent speaker sim. Sounds ok as an amp too. Spunky hates it but you know how loud his shit is.
Music out on all streaming services and bandcamp and what not.
Spotify /// Apple Music
My band /// Instagram ///Bandcamp ///
-
odontophobia
- Supporter

- Posts: 5556
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:09 pm
- Location: grand rapids
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
I use a Mesa Boogie Cab Clone for my headphone needs. It sounds good because of the speaker emulation that it has going on. Bought one off of reverb for a pretty fair price and have been very happy with it.
Was just watching the Pelican Rig Rundown and they actually use Radial JDX between amp and cabs and send a DI to the mixer as well as mic'd cabs. Blend over it all. Sounds cool. May try it with the cab clone sometime.
Was just watching the Pelican Rig Rundown and they actually use Radial JDX between amp and cabs and send a DI to the mixer as well as mic'd cabs. Blend over it all. Sounds cool. May try it with the cab clone sometime.
- oldangelmidnight
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 3749
- Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:17 pm
- Location: Northampton, MA
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
I've got a THR10C and I concur. The computer editor can let you tailor things to your liking and save to a preset so you don't have to worry about it.jrmy wrote:OH! Good call! I had forgotten about these things - a friend who works at a music store mentioned them to me a while back!drolo wrote:Best amp I ever used for headphones is the Yamaha THR10 (the built-in speakers sound great at low levels too). There is also the smaller THR5. Plus you can use them as USB direct recording devices and they sound pretty killer. The different amp models seem to react to dirt pedals and boosters quite similarly to how the real ones would. Not pedal sized though, not sure if that was a must.
No, pedal sized would be a plus, but isn't essential at all - I should probably make that more explicit in the first entry.
Thanks for the ideas, all! Obviously keep 'em coming, but I'm going to look into these Yamahas for sure...
- sylnau
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 10403
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:38 pm
- Location: Quebec City
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
Can you plug this to you're sound card on the computer to do some recording?oldangelmidnight wrote:I've got a THR10C and I concur. The computer editor can let you tailor things to your liking and save to a preset so you don't have to worry about it.jrmy wrote:OH! Good call! I had forgotten about these things - a friend who works at a music store mentioned them to me a while back!drolo wrote:Best amp I ever used for headphones is the Yamaha THR10 (the built-in speakers sound great at low levels too). There is also the smaller THR5. Plus you can use them as USB direct recording devices and they sound pretty killer. The different amp models seem to react to dirt pedals and boosters quite similarly to how the real ones would. Not pedal sized though, not sure if that was a must.
No, pedal sized would be a plus, but isn't essential at all - I should probably make that more explicit in the first entry.
Thanks for the ideas, all! Obviously keep 'em coming, but I'm going to look into these Yamahas for sure...
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
- drolo
- FAMOUS

- Posts: 1168
- Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 12:00 pm
- Location: South Pole of Belgium
- Contact:
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
You can actually plug it through usb to your PC and use it as a soundcardsylnau wrote: Can you plug this to you're sound card on the computer to do some recording?
- sylnau
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 10403
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:38 pm
- Location: Quebec City
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
Nice!drolo wrote:You can actually plug it through usb to your PC and use it as a soundcardsylnau wrote: Can you plug this to you're sound card on the computer to do some recording?
I have a Yamaha DG-Stomp... but it doesn't take pedals well. Might put it for sale and try to get one of these.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
- oscillofuzz
- committed

- Posts: 397
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:33 pm
- Location: Netherlands
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
This thread has me thinking about buying either a Yamaha THR10X, Vox Adio Air GT or Boss Katana Air... my eyes want the Yamaha, but based on demos my ears prefer the Vox so far. The Boss is considerably more expensive but has that nifty wireless thing included...
The g.a.s., it never ends
The g.a.s., it never ends

- goroth
- HERO

- Posts: 13514
- Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:50 am
- Location: Eurothrash: Frozen northern outpost.
- Contact:
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
I ab’d the black star with the similar sized boss Katana and thought that it sounded better distorted, and preferred the speaker sim. But the katana sounded better clean.
Music out on all streaming services and bandcamp and what not.
Spotify /// Apple Music
My band /// Instagram ///Bandcamp ///
- sylnau
- IAMILFFAMOUS

- Posts: 10403
- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:38 pm
- Location: Quebec City
Re: Best headphone amp solution for testing pedals
Any thought on the Rivera Mini Rock Rec?
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." --John Cage
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
http://www.youtube.com/sylnau
