Looking for small, portable, bass pre-amp for headphone practice (preferably with rechargeable battery)

[danonearth]

I'm looking for small, portable, bass pre-amp for headphone practice (preferably with rechargeable battery)

I have been looking at the VOX ones, but they don't get great reviews...

I also saw the Phil Jones Bass Guitar Headphones H-850, and the PJB Big Head from them as well… I'm not sure I want to pay a few hundred for the Big Head though! I’d rather just find a good, cheap carry around for headphone practice

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[project_c]

[quote name='danonearth' timestamp='1478477525' post='3169373']
I'm looking for small, portable, bass pre-amp for headphone practice (preferably with rechargeable battery)

I have been looking at the VOX ones, but they don't get great reviews...

I also saw the Phil Jones Bass Guitar Headphones H-850, and the PJB Big Head from them as well… I'm not sure I want to pay a few hundred for the Big Head though! I’d rather just find a good, cheap carry around for headphone practice

Any recommendations?

Thanks!
[/quote]

Boss TU88, not a pre as such, it's a tuner and metronome with instrument in and headphone out, plus it has an extra input for audio/mp3 etc. Not new technology, they've been around for years but i love mine, i take it everywhere. They're only 30ish quid, they sound good and are more than enough for headphone practice. (unless you want effects and amp sim, in which case you're better off using a phone and something like iRig, but i personally can't stand that stuff, i like a dry signal for practice).

[Bigwan]

The bighead is awesome. Totally worth the money.

If you use an apple iphone the Irig is a good suggestion. You don't have to use effects and amp sims just because they're there!

There's the Zoom B1ON to consider if you don't want to spend as much as that. It's not rechargeable but you could run it on rechargeable AA's... Bit of a faff though...

[NickA]

plus One for the Big Head. Lovely build quality, great sound. What's more, you can mix in an "aux" source to play along with, you can use it as a pre-amp for a Power Amp (or your stereo) and it's ALSO a USB sound card that lets you record to and play back from a PC.

Admitted, I haven't tried the others.

[redbandit599]

I use one of these Nux PG1 jobbies - only plastic but works well for me. Whether it'd stand up as a proper pre-amp, I'm not sure, but I have plugged it straight into a mixer and PA, it was ok.

I like having the ability to add a few basic effects built in and the tuner is handy too if travelling light.

Cheaper on Ebay.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Technote-PG-1-Effects-Processor-Metronome/dp/B0041D81H6

Edited November 7, 2016 by redbandit599

[BassBod]

The PJB BigHead is very good - well worth the cash if you will be using headphones regularly. The PJB headphones are also very good, but there are many others that work well for less.

Many of the modern small ampheads also work without speakers, and have headphone outputs, but they are often hissy and a bit of an afterthought...I'd rather use the BigHead for its sound quality.

[markstuk]

Have a look at the Vox amphones - apart from being a bit quiet I like them...

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/vox-amphones-bass-active-bass-guitar-headphones/74158

[jazzyvee]

+ 1 on the PJB Big head it's extremely high quality soundwise and . I've had two of the Vox amplug things and whilst i thought they sounded fine, the weak point is the plastic jackplug which is extremely weak and is the part that broke on one of mine and the other was the headphone jack just pushed inside one day when I was plugging in. I wouldn't recommend them.
The only gripe I have on the PJB is that I've never got anywhere near the "Up to 8 hours" that it says in their literature and when it goes flat, the lead isn't long enough to plug it in and keep playing whilst sat on the sofa.

[Bobthedog]

PJB Bighead for me too. Superb bit of kit. I am not too sure re the headphones and agree better can be found. If you want to splash the cash, go Bighead!

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1478545237' post='3169799']
PJB Bighead for me too. Superb bit of kit. I am not too sure re the headphones and agree better can be found. If you want to splash the cash, go Bighead!
[/quote]
I tried the headphones and whilst the sound was very hi-fi, i found the bottom end to be too light and distorting at moderate sound levels. I even tried them on my ipod and home hifi and they didn't give me any bottom end meat at all. I now just use my old £19.99 sony headphones which whilst not hifi or neutral sound great at the bottom end.

[danonearth]

Wow! Thanks for heaps of great advice & tips, everyone… I’ve ended up using my Zoom B1-on (the model without the pedal) and it works pretty well for what I want (except for it being rather larger than I’d like, and not rechargeable) but it has opened up another question I should probably post in a new thread…

I like the ‘stereo’ effects that come out in the headphones (I haven’t played much in headphones - mostly I just practice silently with my bass not plugged into anything, as I have housemates) so my new question is…

Has anyone experimented with using a ‘stereo’ head amp and two speakers for their bass? 

Thanks!

cheers,
Dan

Edited November 8, 2016 by danonearth

[Phil Starr]

I use the B1ON too as do many people here. I get about a weeks practice out of rechargeables, probably more as i just recharge them once a week and I can't remember them running out other than when I forget to unplug the lead.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Phil Starr

[dudewheresmybass]

Just for pure headphone practise I use the ehx headphone amp. Sounds great, battery powered, and the size of a mooer pedal

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1478540225' post='3169738']
+ 1 on the PJB Big head it's extremely high quality soundwise and . I've had two of the Vox amplug things and whilst i thought they sounded fine, the weak point is the plastic jackplug which is extremely weak and is the part that broke on one of mine and the other was the headphone jack just pushed inside one day when I was plugging in. I wouldn't recommend them.
The only gripe I have on the PJB is that I've never got anywhere near the "Up to 8 hours" that it says in their literature and when it goes flat, the lead isn't long enough to plug it in and keep playing whilst sat on the sofa.
[/quote]

It uses a standard USB lead though so you can get an extension cable, or even plug it into a power pack designed for recharging mobiles.

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1478694375' post='3170967']
Just for pure headphone practise I use the ehx headphone amp. Sounds great, battery powered, and the size of a mooer pedal
[/quote]

No aux input on that though, they missed an opportunity there!