[averagejose]

Hi I'm quite new to all this, and i was wondering if a guitar amp could be used as a headphone amp? I thought it would work basically the same way a headphone amp does and having tried it i can notice a difference in sound. Thanks in advance 

 

[Crazyguy106]

The function of guitar amps are mainly to colour the sound in a guitar way. Most electric guitar amps sound super mids heavy to give a growl to the sound and therefore do not function great as a head-fi amplifier. But if you like the sound, it can function as such, but it was not meant for high fidelity.

 

[averagejose]

oh ok thanks, are there any good affordable headphone amps (under $500) that you could recommend?

 

[Seamless Sounds]

What headphones? Tube or solid state? With $500, there are many many good choices! You might not need to spend $500 even.

 

[averagejose]

probably solid state for now.... $500 is the very top of my price range, i would love to get a good amp for less haha, I'd be using it mostly with an ipod

 

[InFn-0]

When you plug your headphones into the guitar amp, the amplification of your guitar amp speaker(cabinet) goes to your headphones. You can try it out, but probably wont be musically satisfying.

 

[Ypoknons]

What amp you want depends on the headphones. If they're Grados don't worry about it too much, I haven't tried but people generally don't amp Grados or use relatively simple amps with them.

 

[averagejose]

yah they are grado rs2, i was looking through the threads and the Schiit Asgard was about what im looking for. I'm gonna hold off on the amp for now but would the asgard be a good choice later on?

 

[Ypoknons]

I'm not a Grado man but people have said they're not all that amp hungry... We'll see. 

 

[Uncle Erik]

It is also worth mentioning that most guitar amps are mono.

 

[Icenine2]

My old Boogie (Mesa Engineering 1978) had a jack you could use for phones.  As I recall it was nothing to get nuts over.
 
K

 

[InFn-0]

Yep, what Uncle Eric said is absolutely right. The main problem with guitar amps are that they are mono, and when used with headphones, they simulate as stereo; that way, imaging gets screwed.