Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Tools for the Task: Headphone Amps

Ten easy-to-stow—and silent—solutions that’ll keep you practicing when inspired, and keep your family and neighbors happy when they aren’t inspired to listen.

Whether you’re on the go or in your bedroom, each of these 10 headphone amp options represent a quick and easy way to plug in for silent guitar practice—without having to look at that phone you’ve likely been staring at all day.

joyoaudio.com

Headphone Amp

This pedal-sized headphone amp from OBNE will, of course, allow a guitarist to play silently, but also permits a buddy listener thanks to the second 1/4" output jack.

OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVORS
$99

Headphone Amp

This true-bypass amp is enclosed in cast aluminum and features a pro-grade switch for long life, Neutrik jacks, audio-grade active components, and military spec silver-plated wire.

SATURNWORKS PEDALS
$79

amPlug 2 Clean

Boasting a folding mechanism that rotates 180 degrees, this little Vox was designed to deliver fat, boutique-inspired clean sounds, and features effects for delay, chorus, and reverb.

VOX
$39

I-Plug

This little amp with built-in overdrive runs on a pair of AAA batteries, has controls for volume, tone, and gain, and houses an auxiliary in for external devices.

JOYO
$15

Headphone Amp

This plug-and-play amp from EHX is ultra-lightweight and portable, and is built to handle high-gain pedalboard input so you can dial up your favorite tones and let it rip—silently.

ELECTRO-HARMONIX
$45

Rock Bug

This 9V-battery operated rehearsal unit was designed to deliver the audio sensation of playing through a good tube amp. Features include open- or closed-back cab simulation and an XLR out.

CARL MARTIN
$189

AxeHead

Offering up to 15 hours playing time from each USB charge of its lithium-ion battery, this headphone amp houses controls for volume, tone, and drive to dial in clean to dirty.

NADY
$29

Pocket POD

With 32 amp models and 16 cab models onboard, this battery-powered, headphone practice unit (and much more) can serve up tones to feed your inspiration whenever and wherever.

LINE 6
$129

Bighead

Designed for low enders, this amp features a 2-band EQ, has a runtime of eight hours on its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and functions as an interface or analog preamp as well.

PHIL JONES BASS
$249

Guitar Ace

These headphone amps provide built-in compression and an auxiliary stereo input/output, as well as settings for clean and two different flavors of distortion.

ROCKMAN
$69

Day 12 of Stompboxtober means a chance to win today’s pedal from LR Baggs! Enter now and check back tomorrow for more!

Read MoreShow less

The second release from Cosmodio is a first-of-its-kind modulation effect that features an Expression Pedal/Tap Tempo input for dynamically controlling the LFO’s speed or depth mid-performance.

Read MoreShow less

The multi-instrumentalist bandleader and ex-Metallica bassist talks the strain of professional touring, creative fulfillment, maintaining artistic balance, and cellphone screens.

Read MoreShow less

This compact multi-effects unit provides four simultaneous effects with a user-friendly experience inspired by traditional guitar pedals.

Read MoreShow less