In my book, Boss’ Katana:Go Mini is the headphone amp to beat – and now it’s the best value, too – undercutting Fender, Blackstar and even NUX at just $99

Wallets are a little tighter for many of us this Black Friday, but I reckon this is hands-down the best deal I’ve spotted so far: Boss is shifting its excellent Katana: Go Mini headphone amp for $99 (that's a hefty 29% discount) at Guitar Center and Sweetwater.

That’s a $40 discount, making it cheaper than it was at launch 18 months ago – way back in the pre-tariff days of early 2024 – when it was priced at $119.

Like a lot of things, its price has since risen, so this temporary tag of $99 now makes it one of the most affordable options out there and undoubtedly the best for the money.

Now it's significantly undercutting rivals with similar offerings, like the Fender Mustang Micro Plus, Blackstar BEAM Solo, IK Multimedia's ToneX Plug and even the affordable Chinese champion NUX’s Mighty Plug Pro. Heck, even Fender’s stripped-back, screenless Mustang Micro is $104.

Save $40

Boss Katana:Go Mini: was $139.99 now $99.99 at Sweetwater Sound

Boss' Katana:Go Mini is one of the best headphone amps available and at $99 across Cyber Weekend, it's temporarily the most affordable option in its class, too – significantly undercutting the likes of Fender's Mustang Micro Plus or Blackstar's BEAM.

View Deal

This would all mean nothing if it didn’t actually perform, but I have one, and can say that if you need a headphone amp, the Katana:Go Mini is hard to beat.

I own a Vox AC4 tube amp, a Positive Grid Spark, various apps and have also tried the micro amp route, but when it comes to home practice solutions, it’s the Katana: Go Mini that I play through the most. Indeed, as I explained around its launch, it got me playing way more often at home, too.

Why? Well, obviously, it comes loaded with a heap of Boss’ acclaimed Katana tones, including 10 amp models and 60 effects (plus bass options), but the reason I keep coming back to it is the Stage Feel mode.

There’s some marketing bumpf about its spatial audio wizardry, but what’s important is that it works. I feel like I’m actually hearing an amp, and I can play for hours without the ear-wear I’ve experienced with other headphone options.

I actively prefer it as a silent practice option to my Spark 40, too – despite all the bells, whistles, and smart practice features of the latter.

It’s so small, so easy to tuck back in the gigbag, and while you can tweak tones to your heart’s content on your smartphone, you don’t actually need to get your phone out to make it work.

There’s an OLED display that’s bright, but plain enough that you don’t gaze at it instead of playing; and I use the built-in tuner all the time. Then it’s USB-C rechargeable, doubles as an audio interface and has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream tracks from your phone.

At $99 for the Katana: Go Mini across Cyber Weekend, if you're looking at it – or headphone amps, in general – this is absolutely the time to buy and that rarest of deals: a discount on a product you will actually use and enjoy – at a price point that won’t cancel Christmas.

If you want to keep up to speed with the biggest bargains and hand-picked staff favorites this Black Friday, visit our Black Friday guitar deals live blog, where we'll be highlighting all of the best deals, as we find them.