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What's your best genuinely enjoyable headphone listening amplification/processing solution?

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RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
What do you prefer for an enjoyable headphone guitar listening experience:

  • Kemper
  • Helix
  • Axe-FX
  • Tube amp with Ox or Boss TAE
  • Modelling amp...Katana etc


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Comments

  • I have been mostly playing with headphones for about 3 years. 

    Have tried Helix and OX but found it hard to get a sound in headphones that wasn’t too tough on my ears. 

    Kemper is by far the best for me in terms of sound and optionality. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    Genuinely most enjoyable - not to use headphones.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Yep. Don’t use cans. When I have to listen quietly then I use my IEMs. They’re decent quality sound, and I hear the same as I hear when playing live. As for sound source: whatever floats your boat. If you use something live then that should be first choice for home use too. 
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4947
    I genuinely don’t understand why anyone would want to use headphones when playing guitar. 
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    edited November 2019
    Rocker said:
    I genuinely don’t understand why anyone would want to use headphones when playing guitar. 
    Moaning family members


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  • Zoom G3. Thanks the "air" block playing with headphones sounds pretty good,

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  • sgosdensgosden Frets: 1993
    Headphones in with metronome. Amp up even louder. 
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  • Jonathanthomas83Jonathanthomas83 Frets: 3466
    edited November 2019
    Don't get why people are so averse to headphones. I get great tones. Like a broken record saying this though.... Amp, Suhr Reactive Load, Two Notes Torpedo CAB M, DAW, RME Baby-face Pro, Sennheiser HD650.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    I have to use headphones due to young kids - have tried modelled up to Helix quality and couldn’t get on with them, just didn’t feel right. The OX has been a life saver for my playing time - get it set up with your fav valve amp
    and pedals and it’s a genuinely immersive and fun playing experience. 
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  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    I always loved the original Zoom 9002. Haven’t enjoyed headphones with anything else since.
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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    Output of Laney L5t into a reactive load, line out into Focusrite Scarlet, into laptop with ableton live, nadir IR loader and Celestion Creamback / A type / G12-64 IRs. 
    Works quite nicely, sounds way better than the BIAS Amp / FX I have on the laptop, but is a faff to plug in so I generally just turn the volume way down instead.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    Don't get why people are so averse to headphones.
    To be fair, I just hate headphones even for listening to music.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mrkbmrkb Frets: 6637
    edited November 2019
    Don't get why people are so averse to headphones. I get great tones. Like a broken record saying this though.... Amp, Suhr Reactive Load, Two Notes Torpedo CAB M, DAW, RME Baby-face Pro, Sennheiser HD650.
    Totally agree, headphones can give a great sounding amp sound in a great sounding room with awesome stereo effects. A small combo in a bedroom doesn’t sound as good.

    My Axe fx into Sennheiser HD650s gives an awesome sound, consistently at any time of the day or night, within 2 seconds of switching it on
    Karma......
    Ebay mark7777_1
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  • ICBM said:
    Don't get why people are so averse to headphones.
    To be fair, I just hate headphones even for listening to music.
    Fair one mate.
    mrkb said:
    Don't get why people are so averse to headphones. I get great tones. Like a broken record saying this though.... Amp, Suhr Reactive Load, Two Notes Torpedo CAB M, DAW, RME Baby-face Pro, Sennheiser HD650.
    Totally agree, headphones can give a great sounding amp sound in a great sounding room with awesome stereo effects. A small combo in a bedroom doesn’t sound as good.

    My Axe fx into Sennheiser HD650s gives an awesome sound, consistently at any time of the day or night, within 2 seconds of switching it on
    Yep indeed. When you use the right gear, it can sound superb.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • I use them as it is very easy to play along to music and get a balanced sound. Much easier to learn songs, play at any time of day and with a decent pair of headphones it gives a good tone at any volume. 
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  • JayGeeJayGee Frets: 1254
    I’m not necessarily coming at this from the same perspective as either OP or others offering an answer because headphone playing for me is about being able to play in places or at times when I wouldn’t otherwise be able to (at work, on holiday, etc) but...

    iPad, Line6 Mobile In, a pair of Sennheiser PX100 foldable headphones, and Positive Grid Jam Up.

    ...because it can always be there (in my desk drawer at work, in my man-bag, whatever), it’s easy to use, and it’s good enough
    Don't ask me, I just play the damned thing...
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  • My home rig is a 1959HW with a Granger PPIV master volume into a 4x12 so I can run Vol 1 at 8 and still be quieter than a TV!
    Hate the claustrophopic feeling of headphones ;)
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  • The trouble with headphones and guitars is the frequency response - which is far too wide - and nothing like a guitar speaker. I've got some Kenwood amateur radio cans which are much more like a Celestion greenback (etc.) than anything else I own and they work a treat.  You can pick up ex air traffic control headsets for a few quid if you shop around.
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  • You don't need a pair of cans with a similar frequency to a guitar cab.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    I have Read Audio IEM's.
    They are good, but studio monitors sound a lot better.
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