Budget Headphone Amp?

[moneycat12]

Hey everyone

I'm filling in the missing pieces of my soon to be home studio. One thing I completely forgot about was a headphone amp. My question is whether or not you would recommend buying a budget product. I would hate to drop a lot of cash on this but I dont want to get burnt by getting one that's too cheap. I am avoiding Behringer products all together, but I can't seem to resist an affordable Behringer headphone amp. What do you think?

Any amps you'd recommend?

[venuestudio]

Their headphone amps (either the 4 channel or 8 channel) are very usable products. I have one of each. I would suggest the 4 channel over the 8 channel. the 4 channel has front panel aux inputs that are very handy. For instance, I run the drum mix into the main ins on the back. I then use the aux ins on the front to add specific instruments or mixes to each cue mix and blend to taste. You can also just build 4 separate mixes. With the 8 channel you have individual inputs on the back but they override the main ins (not blendable like the 4 channel). Well worth buying.

[String7th]

Behringer is perfectly fine for a headphone amp. I have the 4 channel. If you vowed 100% against Behirnger, Nady has a cheap one too, but it really doesn;t matter, they are both equal quality.

it's ok, I won't tell

[Gold Sputtered]

I would not avoid Behringer as a rule just because of the name. Behringer makes lots of good, workable solutions for the home studio and all their products are affordable if not down right cheap. Most significant in this case, the headphone amp will not be part of the signal chain being recorded.

[mindundermatter]

Yeah, I've actually heard good things about the Behringer headphone amps. Even from people who talk shit about their recording products. And as has been mentioned, it won't be in your recording chain, so you don't exactly need hi-fi gear; just something that gets the job done. Why buy a Ferrari when you just need to get to and from work every day and a Honda will do just fine?

[chas_w]

I have been using one of these Art HeadAmp4 boxes for years now.

ART HeadAmp4 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier from zZounds.com!