jayv Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Hi, I'm new to the forum and UK. I've been doing some research about this but found a wide range of answers so I thought it's better if I ask it here. Can I plug in headphones to an amp head and play it without using cabs? I'm just here to study so I'm thinking about getting a lightweight head with no cab. Looking at the Ampeg PF350 right now. Thank you ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Generally you can with a solid-state amp but a valve amp needs a speaker load connected or you can damage it. Best to check online about the specific amp you want to do this with to be on the safe side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Yes, Ampeg PF350 will be fine used in this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Why not just get something like a Phil Jones headphone amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 (edited) I used to do it with my old Hartke 3500 , but I've since read that it could potentially damage the amp. The sound only came through one side of the headphones which was annoying, I presume because the speaker output is mono, not stereo. Rereading your post if you don't actually have amp here yet try looking for one with a dedicated phones output. I think a few of the class Ds have them. Further edit. In fact having looked at the ampeg you mentioned it does indeed have a dedicated headphones output. They wouldn't have included it if it was going to damage the amp so you should be golden. Edited February 22, 2016 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 It's not a good idea to plug headphones into a speaker jack, whatever the amp. Headphones don't have the right impedance for amp o/p, and will certainly be damaged when too much signal is applied to them. An accidental movement of the volume knob and your ears will meet in the middle of your head. Use an amp with a dedicated headphone socket, never the speaker sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayv Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Thank you for all the (very) fast and detailed replies ! So it's a yes then. Regarding the headphone amp - I might look into that now that you've said it, but what I thought was if I could get a decent, lightweight head amp (like the ampeg i mentioned) second hand at a good price it'd be nice as I can take it with me when I leave UK in years time too. Hard to find decent ones with decent price in my country. I'm open to any recommendations on the amp if you guys have one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JammyJim Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Have you looked at the Zoom B3 effects pedal, does everything you require plus has 99 effects to play around with and a decent tuner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayv Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 yup had a look at the B3 and it suits my needs and is pretty cool. but I can get my hands on cheaper (second hand) pf350 so I'm not to sure what I should go for now :/ how does a PF350 a[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]t around [/font][color=#878787][font=arial, sans-serif-light, sans-serif][size=1][url="https://www.google.co.uk/search?sa=X&rlz=1C1CHWA_enTH673TH674&biw=1280&bih=619&q=define+%C2%A3&ved=0ahUKEwiBpu7q-ZPLAhXmYJoKHdZgDfUQ_SoIHzAA"]£[/url][/size][/font][/color][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]100 sounds? around 2-3 years old, some cosmetic marks, not heavily used, works fine[/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregBass Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I use a TC RH750. That has a headphone output that mutes the speakers, so would do the job for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JammyJim Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 If you are thinking of adding a cab later on then definitely go for the PF350, looks a nice piece of kit and has a headphone out and Line in, so I presume you can listen to music and play along through your headphones which is really useful. If you fail to bag the PF350 then I would highly recommend the B3, it is what I use all the time when practicing and is extremely versatile. Unfortunately you will struggle to find a 2nd hand one which tells me people don't easily part with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swijn Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 +1 for the Ampeg - and yes it has a dedicated headphone socket. I use the PF500 version to gig with and has plenty of juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1456180297' post='2986433'] It's not a good idea to plug headphones into a speaker jack, whatever the amp. Headphones don't have the right impedance for amp o/p, and will certainly be damaged when too much signal is applied to them. An accidental movement of the volume knob and your ears will meet in the middle of your head. Use an amp with a dedicated headphone socket, never the speaker sockets. [/quote] You'll probably kill the headphones in a microsecond if you plug them into the speaker out... the output there is much higher than any headphone output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybertect Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 [quote name='JammyJim' timestamp='1456487266' post='2989489']If you fail to bag the PF350 then I would highly recommend the B3, it is what I use all the time when practicing and is extremely versatile.[/quote] Likewise. My GK MB500 amp has a headphone socket which is perfectly safe to use without a cab, but I use a B3 for practice because it has Amp modelling Built in tuner Looper Drum machine USB in/out interface for my computer so I can play along with tracks on there. That it also does tons of effects is almost secondary. Most of the time I'll just make judicious use of chorus and/or reverb. As a further bonus, for some gigs where it's been necessary for reasons of time or space, I've simply used the B3 DI out straight into the PA. I bought my B3 in the classifieds here for about £100 in pretty much as-new condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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