I have several these options available to me, including the audio interface/DAW route, practice combo with headphone out, Zoom B1-4 and Nu-X Mighty Plug/Vox Amplug etc. For me the Nu-X provides the most convenient and accessible solution with the most features for a good price. I generally leave it plugged into the bass and just turn it on, plug in the headphones and off I go. The others have their benefits but there’s the inevitable messing around with different elements and cables so they’re less immediate to use.
All of these suggestions have got me thinking though. Why don’t modern basses or guitars come with the equivalent of something like the Nu-X built in to their circuitry? It doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for an instrument with active electronics to incorporate a headphone driver which could be selected with a toggle switch to send the appropriate level to the output jack.
Maybe such a thing already exists? I’m sure someone will enlighten me if it does.