Why does my guitar sound so s**t through cans?

pmbomb

Got a good guitar (LP with Oil City Tubesnakes) and a good amp (Yam THR10) and good headphones (Beyerdynamic something).

Guitar and amp rock playing to open air.

The Yammy has a a 1/4 inch jack which I use to output to the phones using a 1/4 inch to mini-jack adapter. It sounds dire - all flubby and faux chorusy. Bad enough I can't do it any more.

What's wrong? Am I using the wrong "kind" of phones - the fact being that the amp has 1/4" not mini-jack output being a clue?

Ta.

stimpsonslostson

I find that the speakers on the THR are quite "airy" and open sounding. 
You lose some of this airiness when the speakers are taken out of the equation so the sound changes dramatically- I'm not overly fond of the headphone sound of my THR unless I tweak all the settings accordingly. 

DefaultM

Try using a longer piece of string between the cans, and if using own brand you could try upgrading to Branston. 

Th4fonz

It's just how it is through that amp I had one and I had two headphones I used one was Phillips Fidelio X2 other was sennheisers momentum 2.0 and both sounded crap I never used headphones again through it.  

Modulus_Amps

Presumably they have some components in the headphone out to try and emulate a speaker, sounds like they have got it wrong

pmbomb

ok, so basically it is what it is, not my error.

thx all.

exocet

I have a THR 10C as well, love the sound through the standard speakers, really don't like the sound via headphonse - it's too "direct" and "immediate" not sure if the few mS of delay that are introduced between the speakers and your ears has anything to do with it?
I used to have an old POD - didn't like the headphone sound on that either.
The only headphone sound that I did like was on the old ZOOM 9002 (the original MultiFx Processor that could clip on your guitar strap). Whilst the sound was not one that you would ever play with live, it was fun to play with on headphones.

Snags

It's because your goldtop is totally shit and useless and will never be any good, so should just give it to me next weekend. It's the only sensible course of action. I'd be doing you a favour really, you don't need to keep putting yourself through this.

pmbomb

Snags said:

It's because your goldtop is totally shit and useless and will never be any good, so should just give it to me next weekend. It's the only sensible course of action. I'd be doing you a favour really, you don't need to keep putting yourself through this.

I knew you had my back.

ICBM

I hate playing through headphones. I'd rather just play clean at very low volume or even unplugged.

pmbomb

yeah but I'm playing along to Ace of Spades!

and my family's definition of "too loud" is directly equivalent to "audible".

thegummy

ICBM said:

I hate playing through headphones. I'd rather just play clean at very low volume or even unplugged.

Have you tried headphones with a good cab sim?

I started using headphones because I was playing late and didn't want to disturb anyone but now I much prefer headphones any time of the day, can hear so much more detail.

Also need reverb if the cab sim doesn't also have room sim.

I'd imagine headphones straight in to the amp with no cab or room sim would be unenjoyable.

Winny_Pooh

You need a modeller of sorts for good headphone sounds.

ICBM

thegummy said:

ICBM said:

I hate playing through headphones. I'd rather just play clean at very low volume or even unplugged.

Have you tried headphones with a good cab sim?

Not sure about 'good', but yes. I just hate the artificial boxed-in-ness of the sound and the lack of environmental ambient  reference. I don't like listening to music through them either, it's not just guitar.

Winny_Pooh said:

You need a modeller of sorts for good headphone sounds.

That's what the THR10 is.

pmbomb

That's what the THR10 is.

Just what I was thinking.

roberty

I track through cans and find it helps.  You don't get any transient smear from room reflections so you can lock in better

rlw

I used to get transient smear but a course of antibiotics cured it.

thegummy

ICBM said:

thegummy said:

ICBM said:

I hate playing through headphones. I'd rather just play clean at very low volume or even unplugged.

Have you tried headphones with a good cab sim?

Not sure about 'good', but yes. I just hate the artificial boxed-in-ness of the sound and the lack of environmental ambient  reference. I don't like listening to music through them either, it's not just guitar.

Winny_Pooh said:

You need a modeller of sorts for good headphone sounds.

That's what the THR10 is.

I'd say anything using impulse response would be in the good class. Before that was used it was just modeled cab which wasn't so great.

I think Guitar Rig still uses old modelling making it far behind any newer ones.

I think the fact my headphones are really good, speakers are mediocre and room is acoustically terrible could be one reason I prefer headphones.

rossi

Mine was the same though I assumed cheap headphones were to blame.

pmbomb

roberty said:

I track through cans and find it helps.  You don't get any transient smear from room reflections so you can lock in better

I don't know what this means.

guitars4you

ICBM said:

I hate playing through headphones. I'd rather just play clean at very low volume or even unplugged.

ditto ^^^^^

Yet an interesting blog - I'm exhibiting at the Guitar Show in Birmingham in a couple of weeks and was planning on taking my THR10 that I use on the work bench - Partly as we only have so much space for transit and on the stand - Plus the show back ground noise is so loud not sure you can hear anything through any amp - Plus can still use this option during the shows quiet period when no amp noise is allowed - So was thinking of headphones and the THR10

Yet equally we are trying to sell nice guitars which you hopefully want to hear through a decent set-up and many above are having negative comments on such an amp with headphones

Yet I've never played this amp through any headphones, so will give it a try first and see what I can come up with