trying to find a bluetooth amp for practice with earbuds

[lermgalieu]

I don't know how Boss can make these claims but they seem to say it's possible!

"And, with ultra-low latency levels and premium sound, cutting the cables doesn’t mean sacrificing audio quality. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Waza-Air Bass provides up to five hours of continuous use for extended jam sessions. Want to play along with your favorite songs? Waza-Air is Bluetooth compatible, so that you can stream from any mobile device as well as control volume and playback right from Waza-Air Bass' built-in controls.
"
Boss Waza-Air Bass Guitar Wireless Headphone Amp

Correct, the headphone link is low latency, the playback link is Bluetooth (where latency doesn’t matter)

The Boss Waza product is great. As noted above, you don't hear the bluetooth latency from the phone. I used to rarely practice with phones, because I am lazy and have a short attention span. Even though I have a nice wired setup (Phil Jones BigHead), getting it out and hooking up all the cables (instrument cable, stereo cable from phone with lightning adapter, headphone cable) is kind of a pain, and I rarely did it. Enter Waza! I am learning an entire double album right now (Double Nickels on the Dime by the minutemen) and I wouldn't have progressed through it nearly as quickly without this kit. But I don't think it's right for OP if he wants to use earbuds.

 

[FunkHead]

The Boss Waza product is great. As noted above, you don't hear the bluetooth latency from the phone. I used to rarely practice with phones, because I am lazy and have a short attention span. Even though I have a nice wired setup (Phil Jones BigHead), getting it out and hooking up all the cables (instrument cable, stereo cable from phone with lightning adapter, headphone cable) is kind of a pain, and I rarely did it. Enter Waza! I am learning an entire double album right now (Double Nickels on the Dime by the minutemen) and I wouldn't have progressed through it nearly as quickly without this kit. But I don't think it's right for OP if he wants to use earbuds.

Given time, Someone will come up with a solution…Possibly involving Apple Air Buds.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

Given time, Someone will come up with a solution…Possibly involving Apple Air Buds.

Possibly but I doubt it. Apple development resources are dedicated to the listening consumer, whereas Boss focuses on the musician.

 

[FunkHead]

Possibly but I doubt it. Apple development resources are dedicated to the listening consumer, whereas Boss focuses on the musician.

Agreed, but it would just have to be an ap that sends the Music along with the instrument to the Air-Pods from Phone, iPad or MacBook.

 

[lermgalieu]

Agreed, but it would just have to be an ap that sends the Music along with the instrument to the Air-Pods from Phone, iPad or MacBook.

Yeah but you need the instrument signal to get there too. Instrument needs to be real time, not delayed. Waza has a dongle you put into your instrument jack. It’s an integrated situation; can’t get there with just an app.

 

[Chicken Wing]

TL DR
Mustang Micro is what you are looking for

 

[overit]

Is it the corded over-ear headphones that you find bulky or the cord? They do make corded earbuds - unless you really hate a cord, they don't seem any more bulky than wireless earbuds.

This is a nice solution that can serve as a practice headphone amp and a wired IEM solution if you find yourself in a band that wants to go that route in the future.
Behringer P2 Ultra-Compact Personal In-Ear Monitor Amplifier
https://www.amazon.com/KZ-Earphone-...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[Bassnkeys]

TL DR
Mustang Micro is what you are looking for

I use this a lot. Bluetooth to IPhone for backing tracks and corded ear buds (OP: eliminates bulky over-the-head types). No need to use your amp — just plug in. Rechargeable via USB-C.

 

[bherman]

This might be in the dumb questions category but asking it anyway. For my practice, I use a small Beringer mixer with the bass and iPad plugged into separate inputs, to a corded headphone out. If I use a bluetooth headphone out, wouldn't the latency for the bass and input device (iPad) be the same, thus negating the impacts of the delay since the Ipad and bass would both be in synch? Or is the latency enough to throw me off when playing, even though it would be at the same time as the recorded music?

 

[logdrum]

My job assignment in California had something to do with bluetooth among other things. It's the protocol that's never going to make it go fast or to 1ms and sub. The solution would be pure radio. Hence the dongle on the NUX and Waza and even those have a slight lag for some sensitive people.

This might be in the dumb questions category but asking it anyway. For my practice, I use a small Beringer mixer with the bass and iPad plugged into separate inputs, to a corded headphone out. If I use a bluetooth headphone out, wouldn't the latency for the bass and input device (iPad) be the same, thus negating the impacts of the delay since the Ipad and bass would both be in synch? Or is the latency enough to throw me off when playing, even though it would be at the same time as the recorded music?

So you need a device that can be a BT host or master. Most devices are slave devices. So you probably will need to convert the audio from your mixer out to BT. There will be. delay. Also BT can be interrupted because it is not a realtime process

So while the background audio and your bass will be in sync -- you will feel the lag when you hit the strings and when you hear the sound of your bass.

Wireless IEMS and mics/DIs are direct radio signals and as almost fast as wire.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

This might be in the dumb questions category but asking it anyway. For my practice, I use a small Beringer mixer with the bass and iPad plugged into separate inputs, to a corded headphone out. If I use a bluetooth headphone out, wouldn't the latency for the bass and input device (iPad) be the same, thus negating the impacts of the delay since the Ipad and bass would both be in synch? Or is the latency enough to throw me off when playing, even though it would be at the same time as the recorded music?

I'm pretty sure the answer is no. You would still experience the latency. The Waza has hardware and software designed to match the latency between the bass via the transmitter and the Bluetooth connection to the headset. No one else is doing that right now.

 

[two fingers]

This might be in the dumb questions category but asking it anyway. For my practice, I use a small Beringer mixer with the bass and iPad plugged into separate inputs, to a corded headphone out. If I use a bluetooth headphone out, wouldn't the latency for the bass and input device (iPad) be the same, thus negating the impacts of the delay since the Ipad and bass would both be in synch? Or is the latency enough to throw me off when playing, even though it would be at the same time as the recorded music?

The music and bass would sync. But if there is latency between YOUR FINGERS and when the note reaches your ears there will be issues. All three have to sync....fingers, music, bass signal.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I attached a bluetooth receiver to my Vox amplug for streaming tracks in. I still have earbuds, but I like it a lot for learning and jamming.

 

[agedhorse]

The music and bass would sync. But if there is latency between YOUR FINGERS amd when the nite reaches your ears there will be issues. AL three have to sync....fingers, music, bass signal.

This is the correct anawer.

 

[two fingers]

This is the correct anawer.

....especially after I fixed some typos.

 

[gumtown]

With the Boss WAZA headphones,
the bass audio part is not Bluetooth,
it is purely low latency 24bit 48kHz PCM digital audio.

The Bluetooth part of the WAZA is the streaming audio input (from Bt audio device), and the wireless peripherals,
like the Boss Bluetooth Expression Pedal, and Bluetooth patch changing foot controllers.

If you want cheap wireless Bass to Earphones, look at some of the cheap digital wireless guitar/bass units, some have a headphone/line out on the receiver.
Koogo Guitar Wireless System with Rechargeable 2.4GHz Digital Guitar Transmit... | eBay

 

[agedhorse]

I’d that device FCC compliant for legal use in the US?

 

[paskisti]

If it must be wireless and Boss is not acceptable option then you need to get real IEM transmitter and body pack. You put stereo signal from mixer or computer/pad/tab to transmitter and body pack receiver is connected to your wired headphones or IEM. You still have wired headphones but you are able to move freely.

That option is not very cheap but some affordable models could do the job here. I wouldn't go live with 150-200€ unit but for practice purpose maybe. Check the frequency compliance if ordering online because Thomann sells a lot of models and every unit is not legal in every country.

Like said earlier BT has latency in radio transmitting that troubles for bass playing, not backing track. When you hear music and you try to play with it your bass will be heard delayed in your ears (i.e. you plug bass, and hear it after 50ms delay in your ears). This is very annoying and basically makes it impossible to play.

 

[bherman]

The music and bass would sync. But if there is latency between YOUR FINGERS and when the note reaches your ears there will be issues. All three have to sync....fingers, music, bass signal.

Thx that makes sense. I’ll stay corded.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

The music and bass would sync. But if there is latency between YOUR FINGERS and when the note reaches your ears there will be issues. All three have to sync....fingers, music, bass signal.

But...but... what is a bass without strings? And what are strings without your fingers?