Best Guitar Headphone Amp 2024 – Guitarsite Results

Best Guitar Headphone Amp 2024 - Guitarsite Results









Alexander







March 14, 2024







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Make your practice productive and less disruptive by using the best guitar headphone amp. Choose from our selection of the best guitar headphone amps, and get tips on what features to look for.









Best Overall





Fender Mustang MicroFender cleans plus other amp models in a compact bug type amp format, with onboard effects.








Sweetwater










Amazon













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Best Rock Tone





VOX AmPlug 2Get the classic rock vibe with this compact headphone amp. Great mids and crunchy overdrive tones, straight to your headphones.








Sweetwater










Amazon













Read Review













Best Value





Valeton Rushead MaxA guitar headphone amplifier with a range of voicings that expand your tonal palette as you quietly practice.








Amazon













Read Review













Best Features





Boss Pocket GTBoasting the best editing and play-along features. The Boss Pocket GT's full capabilities are unleashed via a mobile app.








Amazon













Read Review













Best in Innovation





Boss Waza-AirIntegrating Boss' Waza engineering into a headphone amp with a gyroscope feature for the most immersive practice experience.








Sweetwater










Amazon













Read Review












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As the name implies, a guitar headphone amp allows you to quietly listen to your guitar playing via headphones.This is especially useful for electric guitars, but it can work with electric and acoustic guitars (acoustic-electric).Covered in this guide are the widely used bug-type amps, which plug directly into your guitar. But we also feature other types that are just as useful.If you’re a beginner, a guitar headphone amp allows you to experience what an actual amp sounds like without the usual loud volume associated with real amps.Whether you are looking for something for jamming or you intend to seriously hone your chops, this updated list of the best headphone amps for guitar will make it easier for you to choose.You will need a set of headphones to use most of these, so we recommend you also look at this guide to The Best Closed-Back Headphones.



























Table of Contents












Best Guitar Headphone Amp 2024













Fender Mustang Micro







VOX AmPlug 2







Valeton Rushead Max







Blackstar Amplug 2 Fly







Boss Pocket GT







Boss Waza-Air Wireless Headphones







NUX Mighty Plug Pro 3













Things To Consider When Buying A Headphone Guitar Amp
















Fender Mustang Micro



Best Headphone Amp (Overall)

















Fender Mustang Micro



Guitarsite Expert Opinion







The Fender Mustang Micro brings the popular Mustang amp tones and features in a headphone amp format. It separates itself from the competition by having more effects and tone options.





















0

Out of 100








Manufacturer: Fender 








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The Fender Mustang Micro brings the signature Mustang amp sound in a headphone amp format. It separates itself from the competition by having more effects and tonal adjustments in its device.Tonal versatility is the main reason why people love the Mustang Micro. The many sounds you can get out of this unit make quiet and boring practice into a fun one.The convenience of Bluetooth and USB-C direct recording is a welcome addition. This makes the Mustang Micro worth your money.The physical controls can be improved, though. A compatible software editor that can edit parameters via Bluetooth would be nice.Fender secures a spot in this guide by loading the features of their Mustang series amps into the compact Mustang Micro, a bug-type guitar headphone amplifier unit.What sets this one apart is the use of newer technology, including Bluetooth compatibility (for playing with your favorite audio/backing track) and USB-C connectivity for direct recording, essentially making this unit double as a guitar audio interface.Having more amp models and effects is another noteworthy advantage of this unit. Like the Mustang amps, it comes with Fender’s digital GTX stomp and amp models, with up to 12 amps and 13 effect types to play with. This allows for much more sonic flexibility than the competition offers, albeit at a higher price point.Like its bigger Mustang amp siblings, this unit excels in clean to mid-gain tones, although its high-gain options are not that bad as well.These features are powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can run up to 6 hours per charge.Even with its size limitation, Fender could still equip this unit with essential controls for tweaking the amp, effects, EQ, and volume.The plug angle can be adjusted to accommodate different guitars and even basses, and it can also be folded for easier storage.With its modern features and big brand backing, the Fender Mustang Micro is surely a device worth investing in. 







Pros:







Great sounding cleans and low to mid-gain tones




More amp tones and effects packed in similar compact size bug-type unit




Modern Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity




Plug swivel mechanism for easier storage and positioning




Lightweight and portable




A great value for your money








Cons:







It would've been nice to have deeper control via a software editor




Substantially more expensive than other bug-type options














Specifications:
Controls: On|Off, Amp, EQ, Effects, ModifyHeadphone Output: 1/4″ PlugHeadphone Jack: 1/8″ StereoEffects: 12 different amp models, 11 FX Models (Reverb, Modulation, Delay, Combination), EQBattery: Lithium-ion battery rechargeable via USB (6hrs playing time)Weight: 51g (0.11 lbs)






























VOX AmPlug 2



Classic Rock Headphone Amp
















VOX AmPlug 2



Guitarsite Expert Opinion







At its core, the Vox Classic Rock has the tone of vintage, overdriven tube amps that are cranked to their sweet spot. It’s got great mids and crunchy overdrive tones, all in one compact device. Even amp modelers and guitar processors have difficulty emulating this sound.  





















0

Out of 100








Manufacturer: Vox








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The AP2-CR did a nice job of emulating the midrange emphasis and crunchy overdrive flavor commonly associated with classic rock tunes.The “bite” when digging into the strings makes this amp ideal for practicing solos and improvisation. More importantly, there’s enough transparency with its overdrive.Surprisingly, notes seem to decay organically in Classic Rock, similar to tube amps, which is a big plus. Chords sound detailed and full, but only in low—to mid-gain levels.Speaking of gain levels, driving this classic guitar headphone amp up too much results in muddy-sounding chords and fizzy single-note lines. This is unfortunate but understandable, given this unit’s price and target market.The muddy tone is especially noticeable when using single-coil pickups, but thankfully, it’s not as muddy when switching to a humbucker.What sets this one apart from other AmPlugs is its switchable (color-coded) “Mid-Boost” Mode. It lets you choose between Mid-boost Off (Green), Mid-boost 1 Lo (Orange), and Mid-boost 2 Hi (Red).This feature adds a virtual switchable booster circuit into the unit, emulating many rock guitarists’ commonly used boost pedal + amp setup.Naturally, this headphone amp cannot replicate a Vox AC30-style clean tone. But you can get good clean tones by turning the gain knob all the way down in Green mode (Mid-boost Off).The Orange and Red modes have better dirt and gritty clean tones, though. Meanwhile, the mid-boost works really well with a Strat, as it lets you hear the nuances of your playing better.This is a great practice amp for fans of classic rock’s signature gnarly guitar tone. If you want high quality tones for practicing your favorite rock tunes, this is it.










Pros:







True to form classic rock tone in low to mid-gain settings




Tube-amp-like transparency and bite make it work well with different genres




Switchable mid-boost that allows for cranking up the amp further




Affordable but premium looking with old-school vintage amp-style cosmetics




Plug with swivel allows for easier storage and positioning




Lightweight and portable




Packaged securely and comes with AAA batteries included








Cons:







Cramped controls cause accidental setting changes




Sounds muddy and fizzy at high-gain settings




Made mostly of lightweight Plastic material, requires extra handling care













Specifications:
Controls: On|Off|Standby, Volume, Gain, Tone, FX ControlsHeadphone Output: 1/4″ PlugHeadphone Jack: 1/8″ StereoEffects: Chorus, Delay, ReverbBattery: 2 x AAA BatteriesWeight: 40g (0.08 lbs)





























Valeton Rushead Max



Headphone Amp
















Valeton Rushead Max



Guitarsite Expert Opinion







A headphone amplifier that is versatile, affordable, and compatible with any pickup type. The Rushhead Max from Valeton features a range of voicings that covers different musical styles, and it does so while maintaining a very accessible price tag.





















0

Out of 100








Manufacturer: Valeton








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The Valeton Rushead Max lets you choose between the most commonly used amp types: “CL” (clean tones based on US-made amps), “OD” (crunchy overdriven tone based on popular UK amps), and “DIST” (based on modern high-gain amps), and switching between these amp voicings is done on its easy to use streamlined interface.Tone shaping is done via the included tone, gain, and level knobs. These tweaks can also better accommodate different pickup configurations and types, allowing you to get good tones regardless of the guitar type you use.On the effects side, it has a switch that lets you choose between 3 essential modulation types, including tremolo, chorus, and flanger.This headphone guitar amp comes with ambient effects, including delay and reverb, with an option to use both simultaneously. These effects add realism to the electric guitar headphone amp sound you hear through your headphones.Other features include aux input jack and the ability to charge the unit via USB. These are packed in a typical lightweight plastic housing with a fixed plug that directly mounts on your guitar’s output jack.On the downside, Valeton stated that it has no warranty document available online. After contacting them, they confirmed that the warranty was processed through the seller.But if you’re looking for a budget-friendly yet versatile guitar headphone amplifier with many effects options, this amp is for you.










Pros:







Good sounding versatile amp voicings




Good tone shaping controls that work well with different types of pickup types and configurations




Built-in Modulation and Ambiance effects




Lightweight and portable




Convenient built-in USB rechargeable battery




Very affordable








Cons: