1. Quick list
2. Best option overall
3. Best for valve sound
4. Best all-in-one solution
5. Best for versatility
6. Best for pedals
7. Best for ease of use
8. Best for classic tones
9. Best for tweed amp sounds
10. Best for heavy music
11. Buying advice
12. How we choose
As much as we guitar players dream of harnessing the power of a cranked tube amp, in reality, it's just not practical when practicing at home. Many of us lead hectic lives, and as a result, we often resort to practicing whenever we get the chance, in some cases late at night when everyone else hits the hay. Surely, there's a way to get the bone-crushing tone we long for without worrying about disturbing our neighbors, young children, or even irritating our significant other – enter the best headphone amps for guitar.
These nifty little gadgets enable you to rock out without the noise complaints, delivering great tones, effects, and even recording capabilities. Whether you need to practice quietly at home or do some quick recording on the road, there's a headphone amp that will fit into your workflow.
This guide to the best headphone amps for guitar showcases stellar options from the likes of Fender, Boss, Vox and many more. So, without further ado, let's dive into these volume-friendly practice solutions.
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer at Guitar World and has been playing guitar as his main instrument for well over 20 years. He has previously worked for Dawsons Music, Northwest Guitars, and freelanced for various magazines and blogs, writing reviews, how-to's, and features. In his current role, Matt gets under the hood of the all latest gear.
Best headphone amps for guitar: Quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out exactly which we think are the best headphone amps for guitar on the market right now? Below, you’ll find a round-up of our top choices. You can jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
The Fender Mustang Micro has really set the bar for what guitar headphone amps can do. Featuring 12 amp models that go from pristine Fender clean to heavy metal high gain, it gives guitarists an astonishing array of usable tones for practice and recording. The effects are fantastic as well, including spring reverb, spacious stereo delays, and the warm wash of Fender’s own Vibratone.
Vox’s amPlug was one of the first popular headphone amps for guitar. Thanks to its simple design and great tones it’s found many a fan, from beginners all the way to touring professionals. This particular model delivers that valve amp tone Vox is famous for, the AC30 Top Boost, and whilst it’s not going to touch the real thing, it does give a more than usable practice tone.
The Boss Waza-Air differs from the others on this list in one rather substantial way – the amplifier is built into the headphones! This game-changing practice tool combines state-of-the-art wireless headphones and the amp models and effects that Boss is renowned for. Throw in Bluetooth audio streaming, and you have a pretty hard-to-beat home practice solution.
Blackstar’s amPlug Fly is built on the same architecture as the Vox amPlug, which is actually designed by Korg. There are three rotary controls and a button for switching on/off and selecting your channel. On the clean setting, there’s a surprising warmth and depth of tone considering its diminutive dimensions. Add some of the effects and you get a very 3D sound filling your headphones.
Electro Harmonix’s headphone amp is a typically no-nonsense offering from the New York-based guitar pedal giant. Featuring just one knob, an input and a headphone out, it lets you get straight down to business with minimal fuss. Coming from a behemoth of the FX pedal world, it’s no surprise to discover that the EHX headphone amp is designed to be a great pedal platform, too.
The Valeton Rushead Max comes from a company that makes lots of famous pedal clones, meaning you’re getting great guitar tones for a very low price. It’s rechargeable via USB, so no repeat buying of batteries is necessary here. Three switches on the front face of the Rushead Max give you three amp sounds, with a classic Fender clean sound, Marshall-type crunch, and high gain distortion for getting heavy.
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The original and still one of the best, the Vox amPlug Classic Rock is designed for those who want that heady drive of the late-’60s/early-’70s. Featuring a very Marshall-esque crunch alongside nine effects, you’ve got a lot of power here for very little money. The battery life is estimated at 15-17 hours, depending on your use of effects so you’ll get plenty of playtime out of it.
If you prefer your amp sounds of the Tweed-covered variety, then the Sonicake US Classic is the one for you. Emulating that much-loved tone very well, this headphone amp offers simple usability to get you up and playing quickly. Featuring a built-in rechargeable battery, you can get around 5 hours of playtime on a single charge, more than enough to last you a few practice sessions over a week.
This particular model is designed for players who want crushing distortion sounds for heavier styles, and it's great for those late-night chugging sessions. As with all the Vox amPlug series, the construction is the same, with your gain, volume, and tone controls, nine effects, plus a line out for jamming along with your preferred device. With up to 17 hours of playing time, it’s got plenty of juice to keep you going.
The best headphones amps for guitar in 2023
You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Below you'll find full and detailed write-ups for each of the best headphone amps for guitar in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best overall
The Fender Mustang Micro has really set the bar for what guitar headphone amps can do. Featuring 12 amp models that go from pristine Fender clean to heavy metal high gain, it gives guitarists an astonishing array of usable tones for practice and recording.
The effects are fantastic as well: you’ve got classic Fender spring reverb, spacious stereo delays, and the warm wash of Fender’s own Vibratone. Some of these effects are combined to prevent them from sounding too dry, but all of them are usable in various scenarios.
Four colored LEDs on the side of the unit let you know your amp, effect, EQ and effects setting, whilst the 4th LED titled 'modify' allows you to adjust effect parameters. This means you can set the amount of reverb you’d like, or the time setting for your delay effects.
Read our full Fender Mustang Micro review
Best valve sound
Vox’s amPlug was one of the first popular headphone amps for guitar. Thanks to its simple design and great tones it’s found many a fan, from beginners all the way to touring professionals.
This particular model delivers that valve amp tone Vox is famous for, the AC30 Top Boost. Whilst it’s not going to touch the real thing, it does give a more than usable practice tone that’s easily tweakable thanks to the Volume, Tone, and Gain controls.
It won’t do metal distortion, but crank the gain and you get a very crunchy overdriven sound that responds well to rhythm playing. It also features 3 effects, each with 3 variations giving you a total of 9 to add some delay, reverb, or chorus once you’ve found your base-level tone.
Best all-in-one solution
The Boss Waza-Air differs from the others on this list in one rather substantial way – the amplifier is built into the headphones! This game-changing practice tool combines state-of-the-art wireless headphones and the amp models and effects that Boss is renowned for. Throw in Bluetooth audio streaming, and you have a pretty hard-to-beat home practice solution.
Not only does the Waza-Air give you access to five realistic amplifier models as well as 50 customizable effects via the Boss Tone Studio app, but it also boasts spatial technology and an integrated gyro sensor that delivers a unique 3D soundscape.
We found the Waza-Air to be incredibly easy to use, with the buttons being accessible and intuitive. An obvious plus for this stellar headphone amp is the lack of cables. The wireless nature means you won’t get tangled up when you are trying to nail that tricky new solo.
Read our full Boss Waza-Air review
Best for versatility
Blackstar’s amPlug Fly is built on the same architecture as the Vox amPlug, which is actually designed by Korg (stay with us here). So when you initially pick it up it looks and feels exactly the same as Vox’s offering, just with different branding.
Like the Vox amPlug, there are three rotary controls and a button for switching on/off and selecting your channel. On the clean setting, there’s a surprising warmth and depth of tone considering its diminutive dimensions. Add some of the effects and you get a very 3D sound filling your headphones.
It also handles higher gain settings very well, with a powerful distortion that doesn’t sound tinny in the slightest. Blackstar’s famed ISF control gives you the power to switch from an American amp tone to a British one.
Best for pedals
Electro Harmonix’s headphone amp for guitar is a typically no-nonsense offering from the New York-based guitar pedal giant. Featuring just one knob, an input and a headphone out, it lets you get straight down to business with minimal fuss.
Coming from a behemoth of the FX pedal world, it’s no surprise to discover that the EHX headphone amp is designed to be a great pedal platform, offering a fantastic base clean tone that takes fuzzes, distortions, reverbs, delays, and anything else you can throw at it.
It features a handy belt clip should you want to go for a wander whilst noodling your favorite riffs or practicing scales. Unlike some others on this list, it doesn’t plug straight into your guitar, so you’ll need an additional cable to get up and running.
Best for ease of use
The Valeton Rushead Max comes from a company that makes lots of famous pedal clones, meaning you’re getting great guitar tones for a very low price. It’s rechargeable via USB, so no repeat buying of batteries is necessary here.
Three switches on the front face of the Rushead Max give you three amp sounds, with a classic Fender clean sound, Marshall-type crunch, and high gain distortion for getting heavy. Combining these settings with tone and gain knobs gives you plenty of scope for sculpting.
Effects-wise we’ve got classic Delay and Reverb settings that go from simple slap-back to vast, celestial sound spaces. Alongside this, you can dial in some warm chorus sounds, tremolo, and a flanger, making the Rushead Max extremely flexible.
Best for classic tones
The original and still one of the best, the Vox amPlug Classic Rock is designed for those who want that heady drive of the late-’60s/early-’70s. Featuring a very Marshall-esque crunch alongside nine effects, you’ve got a lot of power here for very little money.
The battery life is estimated at 15-17 hours, depending on your use of effects so you’ll get plenty of playtime out of it. A 3.5mm jack output lets you connect various devices, allowing you to jam along to your favorite tracks.
It’s an analog circuit here, so you’re getting a very genuine amp sound rather than something digitally recreated. The mid-boost switch is a nice touch, helping elevate your tone when playing along with recordings.
Best for tweed amp tones
If you prefer your amp sounds of the Tweed-covered variety, then the Sonicake US Classic is the one for you. Emulating that much-loved tone very well, this headphone amp for guitar offers simple usability to get you up and playing quickly.
Featuring a built-in rechargeable battery, you can get around 5 hours of playtime on a single charge, more than enough to last you a few practice sessions over a week. The Aux In is great for practicing with recordings or a metronome.
It goes from warm clean tones all the way to deliciously crunchy overdrive, making it a versatile practice tool for a variety of styles. The built-in reverb allows you to add some space to your sound, great for a clean sound and lead guitar licks.
Best for heavy styles
Yep, it’s another Vox amPlug! This particular model is designed for players who want crushing distortion sounds for heavier styles, and it's great for those late-night chugging sessions.
As with all the Vox amPlug series, the construction is the same, with your gain, volume, and tone controls, nine effects, plus a line out for jamming along with your preferred device. With up to 17 hours of playing time, it’s got plenty of juice to keep you going.
The sound is what you’d expect from the name – crushing high gain sounds abound here. It’s modeled on American-style high gain amps and it pairs great with humbucker-equipped guitars and dropped tunings. If you’re an extended-range guitar player you’ll love this as a practice tool.
Best headphone amps for guitar: Buying advice
How to choose the best headphone amps for guitar
Much like choosing a regular guitar amp, picking out the best headphone amp for guitar requires many of the same considerations. Chances are if you enjoy the sound of a clean Fender amp, then you’ll want something similar in your headphone amp. Likewise, if you’re the sort of player that likes the heavier end of the scale, you’ll need to factor this into your decision and pick something that caters to dirty tones. There are plenty of offerings from major amp manufacturers like Fender, Blackstar and Vox, so you’re sure to find your perfect match.
The type of guitar that you have plays a factor too because of the way a lot of headphone amp input jacks are designed. There are some that may not suit guitars with inputs on the bottom of the body, like the Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul for example. Likewise, a Strat-style input jack can have limitations too because of the way the socket's recessed into the body, so be certain you think about that before purchasing. A lot of the newer headphone amps for guitar have a flexible input jack, allowing you to find the perfect position for any kind of guitar, but others do not – so bear that in mind.
If effects are a must-have, then you’ll find plenty of headphone amps for electric guitar that include these, just bear in mind that some are designed to be pure amplifiers so may not have effects included. Classic delay and reverb type effects are fairly easy to come by here, but if you’re after something more esoteric like ring modulation, you might not find what you’re looking for here. It will really help if your practice tools mirror your full-size rig, so ensure that your headphone amp of choice has the effects you need, or integrates well with your existing effects selection.
Find out more about how we make our recommendations and how we test each of the products in our buyer's guides.
How we choose the best headphones amps for guitar
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best headphone amps for guitar available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best headphone amps for guitar on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
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