Quality headphone setup?

[Jamesemt]

After buying a few high end basses its become clear that my Tascam MP3 player can't amplify bass nuances very well.
I'd like to use the Tascam but maybe with a headphone amp too. Has anyone done this?

I practice solely with headphones outside of the band rehearsal. My 'stingray fund' has £400 in it which I feel may be better spent on quality headphones, lead and headphone amp.

At the moment I'm using a wireless pair of headphones and a wireless AKG guitar bug. Obviously these will both have to go for good tone.

Anyone have a quality headphone setup and what enclosed ear headphones would anyone recommend? Got young kids so volume practice is out...

[Happy Jack]

Take a long, hard look at the Phil Jones Bass Buddy.

It's not a direct replacement for the Tascam, but it's everything I need for practice - just plug in any sort of microjack input from an mp3 player or similar and away you go.

If you specifically want just a headphone amp, check out the Little Dot range from a Chinese eBay seller, e.g. Item number: 200540404013.

I use the Little Dot II++, but the LD III is sexier and the LD IV looks pretty good.

[obbm]

I've tried a number of set-ups that all work well. it depeneds if you want to mix in an external source such as CD or PC.

Currently I use a Soundcraft Spirit Folio mixer and Sony MDR-XB700 headphones. These headphones are the totally enclosed type, have huge magnets, and give excellent bass reproduction with no overload.

Althought I haven't used mine for home practice yet, a PJB Cub would also be good as it has an external input, a very clean power amp and cuts the speaker when on headphones.

Before these I used a PJB D200 amp. This has a more sophisticated EQ than the Cub, excellent headphone output but no external input so I used a separate small mixer to mix the PC with the FX send and put it back into the FX Return. Works perfectly well with no speaker attached.

[Jamesemt]

Thanks for the replies. The Phil Jones looks interesting, but is the output stage going to be a bit of a compromise?

I want to play along to MP3s and would prefer to keep the Tascam bass trainer. Suppose the question is will the sound be good enough plugging the bass into the Tascam and then taking the output of everything into a headphone amp?

With something like a Little Dot, am I going to plug it into the Tascam with decent headphones and instantly tell a difference? The main mtoivation for this being that all my basses sound very similar through the Tascam...

[obbm]

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='1021125' date='Nov 12 2010, 10:46 AM']Thanks for the replies. The Phil Jones looks interesting, but is the output stage going to be a bit of a compromise?

I want to play along to MP3s and would prefer to keep the Tascam bass trainer. Suppose the question is will the sound be good enough plugging the bass into the Tascam and then taking the output of everything into a headphone amp?

With something like a Little Dot, am I going to plug it into the Tascam with decent headphones and instantly tell a difference? The main mtoivation for this being that all my basses sound very similar through the Tascam...[/quote]


I suspect that the weak link is the bass pre-amp in the Tascam. You need to get it out of the direct lien from the bass to the headphones and just use it to play MP3s, etc.

[bumnote]

Like OBBM I use a spirit folio mounted vertically on a wall and I find it invaluable

I have my pc, keyboard and other things plugged permanantly in

I have the choice of headphones, and I need to find some decent ones, or i can play through an old AKAI amp and a couple of reasonable monitors

[Jamesemt]

[quote name='obbm' post='1021145' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:03 AM']I suspect that the weak link is the bass pre-amp in the Tascam. You need to get it out of the direct lien from the bass to the headphones and just use it to play MP3s, etc.[/quote]

Ahhh right - the Phil Jones Buddy and Cub look like a bit of overkill just for headphone practice...is there anything else I could look at?

So am I right in thinking I'm going to have to get a bass preamp and then a mixer to mix the MP3 from the Tascam and the bass preamp?

Edited to add I've got a DHA DI box knocking about...could I use that?

Edited November 12, 2010 by Jamesemt

[obbm]

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='1021157' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:12 AM']Ahhh right - the Phil Jones Buddy and Cub look like a bit of overkill just for headphone practice...is there anything else I could look at?

So am I right in thinking I'm going to have to get a bass preamp and then a mixer to mix the MP3 from the Tascam and the bass preamp?

Edited to add I've got a DHA DI box knocking about...could I use that?[/quote]

DI boxes are passive so not a lot of use in this situation.

A small mixer like the Spirit Folio Notepad or a small Samson is all you actaully need. The mixer channel should be very clean and they all have headphone amps. All you need to do is plug-in your MP3 source and you're away.


[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spirit-Folio-6-Channel-audio-mixer-/120644256812?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item1c16f5442c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spirit-Folio-6-Chann...=item1c16f5442c[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Soundcraft-SPIRIT-FOLIO-Notepad-audio-mixer-/120644859270?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item1c16fe7586"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Soundcraft-SPIRIT-FO...=item1c16fe7586[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPIRIT-FOLIO-NOTEPAD-MIXER-SOUNDCRAFT-/260690694310?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item3cb26050a6"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPIRIT-FOLIO-NOTEPAD...=item3cb26050a6[/url]

Edited November 12, 2010 by obbm

[Jamesemt]

[quote name='obbm' post='1021169' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:21 AM']DI boxes are passive so not a lot of use in this situation.

A small mixer like the Spirit Folio or a small Samson is all you actaully need. The mixer channel should be very clean and they all have headphone amps. All you need to do is plug-in your MP3 source and you're away.[/quote]

OK thanks - is the Folio mixer a 'notepad'?

[obbm]

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='1021178' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:29 AM']OK thanks - is the Folio mixer a 'notepad'?[/quote]

Yes. I've just added some links to my previous post. There are 2 versions. The Notepad and the Powerpad which has 2 x 30-watt power amps included. I use the latter without any speaker connected but the mixer sections are the same.

[Jamesemt]

[quote name='obbm' post='1021183' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:31 AM']Yes. I've just added some links to my previous post. There are 2 versions. The Notepad and the Powerpad which has 2 x 30-watt power amps included. I use the latter without any speaker connected but the mixer sections are the same.[/quote]


OK thanks for that - got there in the end!!

[Count Bassy]

I have the Tascam MP BT1 am generally pretty happy with it. However I have found that the headphones used with it make a tremendous difference, and which is best depends on what you're trying to do.

For actually playing I use some closed cup Sennheisers which I think cost about £30, so nothing posh, but give a lovely rich and smooth sound (not muddy).
However, if I'm listening to a track to try and hear the original bass line then find a cheaper pair actually works better - the bass is a bit crisper rather than rich, and it just makes it easier to hear what's going on.


By the way, do other BT1 users have the problem of the screen going very dark and 'liney' if you leave it on charge for a long time?

[dave_bass5]

I came in here to see what headphone recommendations there were.
I always use my PC for practising and as its in the living room im always on the lookout for a good set of enclosed cans as the TV is normally on at the same time.
My current ones are Senheiser HD215's and i dont really rate them so i need something fuller sounding, with good isolation.
I use a tiny headphone amp called a FiiO, cost about £15, that i find has a very nice signal, for the price. Its about the size of two Compact Flash cards on top of each other and improves even my ipods. Its powered by an internal battery thats charged using USB.
Ive got the notepad and its great but i rarely need to use it. Its a bit overkill for just playing along to MP3s etc.
Ive also got one of those small Behringer Xenyx mixers.. These are dirt cheap (of course) bu ti prefer this over the Spirit.



The Sony's that OBBM mentioned look good. Ill have to investigate those next week.

[DHA]

[quote name='obbm' post='1021169' date='Nov 12 2010, 11:21 AM']DI boxes are passive so not a lot of use in this situation.

A small mixer like the Spirit Folio Notepad or a small Samson is all you actaully need. The mixer channel should be very clean and they all have headphone amps. All you need to do is plug-in your MP3 source and you're away.


[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spirit-Folio-6-Channel-audio-mixer-/120644256812?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item1c16f5442c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spirit-Folio-6-Chann...=item1c16f5442c[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Soundcraft-SPIRIT-FOLIO-Notepad-audio-mixer-/120644859270?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item1c16fe7586"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Soundcraft-SPIRIT-FO...=item1c16fe7586[/url]

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPIRIT-FOLIO-NOTEPAD-MIXER-SOUNDCRAFT-/260690694310?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item3cb26050a6"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SPIRIT-FOLIO-NOTEPAD...=item3cb26050a6[/url][/quote]

My DI's use an op-amp design so are active.

[dannybuoy]

Shameless plug time, I'm selling a Behringer Micromon MA400, you can use your DHA DI to feed into the mic socket (I used a Radial JDI with mine):



I know it's Behringer, but the sound quality is pretty good and it's cheap as chips!

Edited November 13, 2010 by dannybuoy

[obbm]

[quote name='DHA' post='1022378' date='Nov 13 2010, 01:37 PM']My DI's use an op-amp design so are active.[/quote]

OK. What I should have said is that they don't have the level of voltage amplification you'd expect from a pre-amp.

[jaybass 70]

I keep it simple and have a vox amplug bass headphone amp ,, sounds great ,, nice and meaty !!!
check em out here ... [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Vox-amPlug-Bass-Guitar-Headphone-Amp/9BT"]http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/...adphone-Amp/9BT[/url] you can get them cheaper off ebay

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='jaybass 70' post='1022771' date='Nov 13 2010, 06:52 PM']I keep it simple and have a vox amplug bass headphone amp ,, sounds great ,, nice and meaty !!!
check em out here ... [url="http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Vox-amPlug-Bass-Guitar-Headphone-Amp/9BT"]http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/...adphone-Amp/9BT[/url] you can get them cheaper off ebay[/quote]

Interesting - I tried one of these and hated it. Different strokes, I guess.

[JDH]

I’m using a mixer connected to my PC via a sound card. I DI out of my practice amp into the mixer so I can listen to just the bass, play along or record with any source.

I have a pair Audio Technica M50 headphones. To my ear they have an excellent response across all frequencies especially bass. I’ve had them for almost 2 years and would recommend them, no problems so far and I use them regularly! They cost me £85.00 in January 2009, currently £134.00 from the same supplier. Ouch…

JDH

[DHA]

[quote name='obbm' post='1022476' date='Nov 13 2010, 02:36 PM']OK. What I should have said is that they don't have the level of voltage amplification you'd expect from a pre-amp.[/quote]

sorry, was not having a go.

Being an op-amp design you can run them up to 15VDC and this will give a 14V ish peak-peak, even with the 9V battery you can get 8V ish. I have found that this can drive most power amps, or am I missing something?

[BassBod]

Cafe Walter..bit spendy these days though. Very clear and clean, and does a nice job with the iPod.

[JimBobTTD]

A lot of the above sounds a bit complicated. I use a [url="http://line6.com/toneportux2/"]Line 6 Toneport[/url] connected to my computer. £100 mine cost me and I use it for recording too.

As for earphones, I use a set of Sony MDR-XD300 and I find them ace.

[dmz]

I've just got the iRig setup for bass primarily and though it has taken a while to get into it - sounds good - latency is minimal. You can record (4-track) and play along with mp3 files.

Headphones - not yet sussed that out yet !

[url="http://www.ikmultimedia.com/irig/features/"]http://www.ikmultimedia.com/irig/features/[/url]

[dave_bass5]

I was really looking forward to using the irig setup but just couldn't get a good clean tone and sent it back. For now im back to my trusty Korg Panadora for mobile rehearsing.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Dave_Bass 5 and I seem to have almost exactly the same stuff!

Korg Pandora (which works just fine!)
Sennheiser HD 215 (The mk1 were closed back and I love mine. I think the mk2 are open and "leak" sound in and out)
A cheapo mixer. I bought mine for something else entirely, and whilst trying it out discovered that it has the cleanest sounding pre-amp I've encountered, and has enough gain through the 1/4" inputs to amplify even passive instruments comfortably. I can mix in the MP3 player easily, and being mains powered, it can cope with whatever headphones you plug into it. It'll take 4 instruments at once (!) as it's an 8 track, and can phantom power DI boxes via its XLRs. It's SO good, I've started using it at rehearsal/live through a big power amp.