[textus]

I have never bought any headphone amplifiers before and I'm new to the forum! Thinking of venturing in to reap the benefits of an amp instead listening to the puny sound quality that my laptop has each time I plug my headphones directly into it. Hope it'll work well with desktop speakers too.
 
I will be buying an electric guitar and a microphone in the future and thought it would be great if the amp has an input jack (does not have to have two; but two will be good). Would be nice to amplify my electric guitar and output it to headphones or speakers. Also looking to do some karaoke.
 
I am not sure of what the usual features are in an amp, but it'll be nice to see some of those in it. USB powered will be great also. Any recommendation guys?

 

[textus]

bump!

 

[Armaegis]

When looking at inputs, you're better off skipping the "audiophile" stuff and getting into proaudio gear. Check out your local music shop or guitar centre for options. Gearslutz is also a good site to wander around and ask about stuff.
 
I've used some Focusrite gear which is nice, but not in the same applications as you.

 

[timza]

Practice Amps: Used Raven Labs PHA-1 (Nice. They don't make them anymore). Korg Pandora (Cheap and portable, has guitar effects, but the music is just pass through). Fodera Private Practice Amp (Nice. Again not made anymore). Cafe Walter (Not designed to make you sound good, designed so you hear everything, so you get better, but reallly nice unit, separate volume knob for 1/4 inch mono jack (Instrument) and volume knob for 1/8 in stereo jack (Music).) Ken Smith P.A.P.A. Pre Amp Practice Amp (Expensive. Real expensive.). Carl Martin Rock Bug (don't know anything about it).
 
You may want to look into software named Transcribe! by seventhstring. You can loop sections of music, slow down or speed up the music, really good eq to cut out frequencies so you can listen to separate parts. Great for learning songs by ear.
 
Expensive: Play your guitar through something with effects, then put your audio out through a good amp like talked about here, then you have your microphone, then put those three signals through a small mixer. You may want to look at small Nady or Mackie mixers. You want one with a headphone jack. Or you can use the audio out of the mixer to speakers.
 
Cheap: Put your audio through a small Fiio amp, into the Korg Pandora. The Pandora has Guitar in and audio in, has effects for the guitar. I don't remember if it has a separate volume knob for the audio, or if you have to vary the audio at the source. Then the Pandora has a headphone jack.