Best headphone amplifiers for guitar
Guitar headphone amps are becoming increasingly more popular among both beginners and seasoned guitar players, and for a good reason too. Superiorly portable, headphone amplifiers allow guitarists to play as loud as they want, use a variety of effects, record, and fine-tune their tone with a pocket-sized amp. Let’s find the best headphone amplifier to suit your needs.
We’ve scrounged the market for the best headphone amps for a guitar for your convenience, so let’s take a look:
1. Lekato Guitar Headphone Amp
The Download
Widely acclaimed as one of the best guitar headphone amps, Lekato’s model offers a host of unique preamps and cabinet models, customizable effects, Bluetooth-based connectivity, a built-in tuner, and recording capabilities.
In comparison to traditional amplifiers, Lekato’s guitar headphone amplifier stands its ground in terms of both tone quality and versatility.
With ten preamps and ten modeling amplifiers, guitarists using it can jam with a different tone every day of the week. To top it all, this headphone amp offers delay, reverb, chorus, distortion, overdrive, and phaser effects. The effects can be freely allocated to different slots, and most of them can be adjusted individually.
In the true ‘plug ‘n play’ fashion, Lekato’s guitar headphone amplifier boasts the latest Bluetooth technology, allowing guitarists to connect their headphones to an external device (PC, laptop).
It’s outfitted with a rechargeable battery that offers five hours of continuous use, which can be recharged with a USB cable.
Overall, Lekato’s headphone amp is the Jack of all trades – it doesn’t have any notable drawbacks aside from being slightly more expensive than an average headphone amplifier.
The Specs
- Package Dimensions: 4.06 x 3.7 x 1.46 in
- Item Weight: 4.6 oz
- Battery type: Lithium Ion
Stuff I like
- Numerous preamps and cabinet models
- Distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, overdrive, and phaser effects
- USB-rechargeable with five hours of battery lifespan
- Supports Bluetooth technology
- Recording capability
Stuff I like less
- A tad more expensive than average
Where to get it
2. Fender Mustang Micro
The Download
If you liked Lekato’s guitar headphone amp, you’re probably going to love Fender Mustang Micro. With an extended range of modifiable effects and amp choices, Mustang Micro is even more versatile.
Just like the Lekato’s pocket amp, Mustang Micro offers Bluetooth streaming. After inserting the jack into your guitar, simply power the Bluetooth on, and you’ll be able to hear both your guitar and the audio from a connected Bluetooth device.
With twelve amp models, guitar players can easily change the tone with a click of a button. Fine-tuning is also easy with the simplified onboard EQ. Additionally, there are as many as thirteen unique effects, such as compression, overdrive, delay, modulation, and multiple reverbs.
The design of Mustang Micro is not only great for guitars but it’s suitable for basses as well. The 3.5-mm plug can rotate up to 270 degrees, making it compatible with both traditional-styled guitar inputs, as well as with models that feature cable inputs in relatively inconvenient places (such as certain B.C. Rich models or most Flying V’s).
Speaking of connectivity, Mustang Micro also features both USB C and Headphone outputs, which can be used to record on a PC or laptop, and recharge the battery.
The Mustang Micro also features a highly responsive volume slider that resembles the standard volume controls of traditional Fender amps.
At the end of the day, Mustang Micro is one of the strongest and best-rounded pocket headphone amps for guitar players that offers outstanding performance but costs the part as well.
The Specs
- Item Dimensions: 6.25 x 6.25 x 2.13 in
- Item Weight: 0.15 lbs
- Compatible Devices: Headphones
- Power Source: Battery Powered
Stuff I like
- Twelve amp models
- Thirteen effects, including overdrive, compression, modulation, chorus, delay, and reverb
- USB-powered charging and recording capabilities
- A strong built-in digital signal processing unit
- Rotatable plug
Stuff I like less
- No instructions on how to use it
- Expensive
Where to get it
3. Donner Guitar Headphone Amp
The Download
Donner is one of the most popular guitar brands in the entry-level price point category. Its guitar headphone amp is an excellent low-cost model that offers a surprisingly high level of performance for the money.
This guitar headphone amp features ten amplifier modules, ten cabinet modules, and dozens of built-in effects, including but not limited to reverb, phaser, delay, chorus, distortion, and more.
The amp operates on a set of Li-Ion batteries that can last as much as five hours.
Just like previous models, this one can be recharged with a USB cable. Speaking of which, the USB port can be also used to export files and presets, or to record on PC/laptop. Another great asset to the feature set of Donner’s guitar headphone amp is a built-in tuner, which offers decent accuracy.
The Specs
- Item Dimensions: 3.15 x 1.18 x 0.59 in
- Item Weight: 4.6 oz
- Power Source: Electric
Stuff I like
- A decent range of available guitar effects
- Dozens of amp and cabinet modules
- Built-in tuner and USB recharging
- Highly compact
Stuff I like less
- The gain-based effects sound somewhat brittle
- No Bluetooth
Where to get it
4. Vox Amplug 2 Blues AP2BL
The Download
Vox’s Amplug series is remarkably popular for a good reason. With a stable tone, excellent connectivity, and nearly unparalleled reliability, all Amplug guitar headphone amps offer consistent results at a decently approachable price.
The Amplug 2 Blues is an essential piece for guitar players that prefer smoother guitar tones, although its level of versatility is more than decent – you will be able to use over nine unique effects, including distortion, overdrive, chorus, reverb, and others.
What separates all Amplug guitar headphone amps from most contemporary models is a fully analog circuit – the Amplug 2 Blues rocks an analog circuit with three selectable modes, which further enhances the sound customization options.
The Specs
- Item Dimensions: 1.5 x 3.39 x 1.22 in
- Item Weight: 1 lb
- Compatible Devices: Guitar
Stuff I like
- A variety of available effects
- Fully analog circuit with three modes
- Knox Gear TX 100 headphones as a complementary feature
- Excellent sound quality
Stuff I like less
- Slightly less durable than average
Where to get it
5. Valeton Guitar Headphone Amplifier
The Download
Let’s wrap it up with Valeton’s guitar headphone amplifier. In essence, it’s an affordable headphone amp that can accommodate all jamming needs of guitar players on a cash-strapped budget.
It features three amplifier modules, including clean, overdrive, and distortion channels that are complemented with multiple effects – chorus, tremolo, delay, reverb, and flanger effects.
Valeton’s guitar headphone amplifier is very easy and intuitive to use, and its cheap price tag is probably one of its strongest points.
The Specs
- Item Dimensions: 5.67 x 4.8 x 1.54 in
- Item Weight: 4.2 oz
- Power Source: Battery Powered
Stuff I like
- Cheap and easy to use
- Surprisingly sturdy considering the low price
- Excellent sound quality
- USB recording and recharging
Stuff I like less
- A limited range of available tones and effects
Where to get it
Conclusion: Best Headphone Amplifier
A good guitar headphone amp offers the convenience of portability and a decent quality of sound. The best guitar headphone amplifiers are better-rounded, allowing guitar players to utilize a range of different tones, digital cabinet modules, effects, and record on their computers or laptops.
We hope that this guide has helped you find the guitar headphone amp that suits your needs. For more content, check out our list of guitar accessories.
A musician with over 2 decades of experience in studio recording. Audiophile, always in pursuit of the perfect set of headphones. King Crimson fan.
This post was last updated on 2025-02-06 / Some images from Amazon Product API & some links may be affiliate links which may earn us a commission from purchases.