Headphone amps

[chrisgriff]

23 minutes ago, Bafflegab said:

The Ashdown site used to say 8 hours then the reviews were saying that’s inaccurate, so maybe they changed it

Seems like the most likely explanation...bit of a shame really, as it pretty close in price to the pjb BH-1 which supposedly can manage 8 hours playback! 

[pineweasel]

11 hours ago, chrisgriff said:

Seems like the most likely explanation...bit of a shame really, as it pretty close in price to the pjb BH-1 which supposedly can manage 8 hours playback! 

I’ve only ever got around 5 hours from my Bighead. 

[Al Krow]

On 08/02/2020 at 18:37, Bafflegab said:

Well.  I’ve gone and ended up with one of these.  Great fun, sounds better than I expected.  And found a thread on another forum with some patch ideas, as the preinstalled ones are decent but I won’t use most, and I’d rather replace them with stuff I will use.  Thanks!

Hope you've managed to get it all set up with your computer without any glitches. It's actually been a while since I've used it as a headphone amp, but needed to last night and it really is very convenient! Got it set up here connected to the free ToneLib software for patch editing / aux in for connecting up to Spotify etc.:

[Bassman Sam]

I've just ordered an Ashdown Tone Pocket, I give a review next week when it arrives. I'll be using Phil Jones headphones with it.  Looking forward to hearing the Rick and T-bird through them.

[fretmeister]

Line6 Sonic Port and AmpliTube free if you have an iPhone.

Wont need the auxiliary in then, will read straight from iTunes library including slowing tracks down.

[Muppet]

On 16/02/2020 at 20:32, Bassman Sam said:

I've just ordered an Ashdown Tone Pocket, I give a review next week when it arrives. I'll be using Phil Jones headphones with it.  Looking forward to hearing the Rick and T-bird through them.

Did you ever do a review? I got an email from Ashdown today for these with 10% off.  I love the Ashdown sound so this is a possibility for me. I used to use a Tascam BT MP1 which was excellent in it's day, but only 1GB of storage and poor battery life as well as limited tone controls. 

[Bassman Sam]

19 hours ago, Muppet said:

Did you ever do a review? I got an email from Ashdown today for these with 10% off.  I love the Ashdown sound so this is a possibility for me. I used to use a Tascam BT MP1 which was excellent in it's day, but only 1GB of storage and poor battery life as well as limited tone controls. 

I never got around to doing a review but I can say that I like it. It's a solid piece of kit, good volume, good tone control and light. I can give it a thumps up.

[naxos10]

How about the Tascam GB10, - small, compact and you can load it with music to play along to. Powered by batteries our usb supply. Built in effects and tuner (if I remember correctly).

[JPJ]

On 24/03/2020 at 18:04, Muppet said:

Did you ever do a review? I got an email from Ashdown today for these with 10% off.  I love the Ashdown sound so this is a possibility for me. I used to use a Tascam BT MP1 which was excellent in it's day, but only 1GB of storage and poor battery life as well as limited tone controls. 

I'm not much of a reviewer, but I've had mine for about a year used exclusively as a headphone amp at the weekday 'home' in Holland. However, I brought it home to the UK with me when I retreated to lockdown two weeks ago, and I've been using it as an interface for recording into GarageBand (first time for me).

First thing I'd say is this doesn't have the 'baked in' Ashdown sound. I has a good range of tones available from the bass + mids + treble eq's and it handles my five-string basses very well with no clipping on an enthusiastically strummed low B. Plugging your phone or music player in via the 3.5mm jack makes it an effective practice tool for those late night stadium gigs. I've not had chance to check the line out but everything else works as it should and I assume this will too. 

Recording into GarageBand via the micro-USB output, I'm getting a bit fat tone that growls like a growly thing with a little bit of added mids. 

The unit is well made, with a metal case and metal jack sockets for the instrument in, line in, line out, and headphone out. Looks like it will survive life on the road for a good few years. 

[stewblack]

I have been through numerous headphones and and headphone amps but all at the lower end, price wise. 

I have ended up just using a Zoom B1on. Tuner, battery powered, light but sturdy. However it isn't walk around the house naked portable. I'd like to find an option like the amplug which didn't disintegrate the first time it suffers a mild trauma, and which didn't hiss like a pressure cooker. 

I don't use effects when I work with headphones on which may be why I don't find the Zoom noisy as others do. 

Ideally I would like something that slipped into the wireless transmitter pouch on my strap but it's not a huge deal for me to set up the Zoom for silent practice. 

 

[Muppet]

Well I bought one. I am really impressed. It's really small and the build quality is excellent.  Solid metal, no plastic, smooth turning pots, with three charging options. 

I think it does have an Ashdown type sound in it, although there's no drive function to blend in.  Even using the line-in the amount of noise is negligible.  

20 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Ideally I would like something that slipped into the wireless transmitter pouch on my strap but it's not a huge deal for me to set up the Zoom for silent practice. 

It comes with a clip that you can attach to a belt or strap so is pretty portable. a jack inserted in to the input turns it on so remember to unplug it.  It really is small! Hopefully the photos show that with a iphone 7. It comes with connectors and charger too.  It takes a couple of hours to charge and I'm getting maybe four hours out of it at the moment.  The line out is nice - balanced - and not affected by the volume control. USB connectivity to PC as a recording interface too. 

[stewblack]

Thanks @Muppetfood for thought.

I can only think of one other feature that could make the perfect portable practice headphone amp. A built-in Bluetooth receiver to eliminate the cable from your phone. 

 

[Simon.]

A great idea, but alas the time lag associated with Bluetooth is sure that it's nigh on impossible use as a technology for playing live. Try playing along to something when there's 0.4 of a second delay between your fingers and your ears...

Given that a lot of phones no longer come with a headphone jack, it's a bit of a bugger. Just had to fork out £8 on a USB C - jack converter.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Simon.

[stewblack]

58 minutes ago, Simon. said:

A great idea, but alas the time lag associated with Bluetooth is sure that it's nigh on impossible use as a technology for playing live. Try playing along to something when there's 0.4 of a second delay between your fingers and your ears...

Given that a lot of phones no longer come with a headphone jack, it's a bit of a bugger. Just had to fork out £8 on a USB C - jack converter.

No I don't mean for the bass I mean a bluetooth receiver for the track I'm playing along with. The bass must plug straight into the unit via 1/4" jack.

[Simon.]

👍 Ahhh! Soz, I thought you were referring to the link between the headphone amp and your cans.

I'm sure I have seen somewhere a headphone amp with a Bluetooth connection, but for the life of me can't remember where. I thought it might have been the new Phil Jones Big Head 2, but apparently not.

[ead]

Just seen the Tone Pocket on Reverb for £139 inc.P&P (direct from Ashdown it would appear).

[Bankai]

How much money do you want to spend?

https://www.darkglass.com/creations/microtubes-b7k-ultra-with-aux-in/

Not only a pre-amp, but also a headphone amp, with an aux in, and a world class DI that you can use live.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Bankai

[Muppet]

8 hours ago, Bankai said:

Not only a pre-amp, but also a headphone amp, with an aux in, and a world class DI that you can use live.

There's a difference between a headphone amp and something you can plug headphones in to though. A lot of the new batch of preamp pedals have headphone and aux in sockets. They still need a fixed power source and aren't really that small and portable but serving the purpose of a practice tool, I agree, they're a great solution. (my Darkglass amp has this facility too) 

[ead]

@Muppet can I enquire whether the volume control on the Tone Pocket only controls the bass level?  i.e. do you control the input from, say, your iPod from the unit itself?

[Muppet]

14 minutes ago, ead said:

@Muppet can I enquire whether the volume control on the Tone Pocket only controls the bass level?  i.e. do you control the input from, say, your iPod from the unit itself?

Yes exactly.  you have to control anything plugged in to the 3.5mm socket from the source unit, there's no additional volume control on the Tonepocket.  That price you found on Reverb looks good! £4 less than I paid!

[Bankai]

6 hours ago, Muppet said:

There's a difference between a headphone amp and something you can plug headphones in to though. A lot of the new batch of preamp pedals have headphone and aux in sockets. They still need a fixed power source and aren't really that small and portable but serving the purpose of a practice tool, I agree, they're a great solution. (my Darkglass amp has this facility too) 

If it’s strictly a headphone amp you’re after then I recommend the Fiio Q1ii. Very portable and does the job well, with the ability to act as purely a headphone amp, or to take a signal from USB or lightning.

[Bassman Sam]

On 02/04/2020 at 09:00, Muppet said:

Well I bought one. I am really impressed. It's really small and the build quality is excellent.  Solid metal, no plastic, smooth turning pots, with three charging options. 

I think it does have an Ashdown type sound in it, although there's no drive function to blend in.  Even using the line-in the amount of noise is negligible.  

It comes with a clip that you can attach to a belt or strap so is pretty portable. a jack inserted in to the input turns it on so remember to unplug it.  It really is small! Hopefully the photos show that with a iphone 7. It comes with connectors and charger too.  It takes a couple of hours to charge and I'm getting maybe four hours out of it at the moment.  The line out is nice - balanced - and not affected by the volume control. USB connectivity to PC as a recording interface too. 

I've been playing through mine again tonight with my Rick and let my missis have a listen on my PJ headphones. She was blown away by the quality after hearing me play through a Vox crappy thingy. I just love this bit of kit.

 

[Muppet]

3 hours ago, Bassman Sam said:

I've been playing through mine again tonight with my Rick and let my missis have a listen on my PJ headphones. She was blown away by the quality after hearing me play through a Vox crappy thingy. I just love this bit of kit.

 

How long does yours take to charge? Using the supplied power supply the green light goes out after about half an hour on mine. It can’t be fully charged after 30 minutes can it?

[Al Krow]

I suspect the Zoom B1four which the OP ended up getting is not going to be in the same league sound quality wise as the Ashdown or PJB kit. But as I've been finding over the past couple of days, it's pretty good nonetheless! And having a tuner and easy to access and adjust drum machine (a lot more so than it's predecessor B3N), plus a host of other fx, makes it a really useful bit of kit as a standalone headphone amp. And then there's its price... 

[Bassman Sam]

8 hours ago, Muppet said:

How long does yours take to charge? Using the supplied power supply the green light goes out after about half an hour on mine. It can’t be fully charged after 30 minutes can it?

I've not  timed it but it's quite fast to charge.