Vox amPlug Headphone Amplifier APBA (Bass)

Feature:
Well, it has a gain control, volume knob and tone knob. There is also and "effects" feature that creates a distorted, overdriven sound. Nice if you're into that sort of thing, but I'm really not. It also has an auxiliary input, so you can plug your CD player or iPod into it and jam along, or use an electronic metronome with it, if the metronome has a headphone jack.

Quality:
I've not had any problems with it, but I haven't actually dropped it or anything, either. I rated it a 5 because I'm neutral on the subject. It does drink batteries, though, so if you get one, stock up on AAA's.

Value:
Well, the only comparable thing to this little item would be a bass Rockman, which I've never used. It's less expensive than the cheapie Rockmans that are on the market (wish I'd gotten one before the company got bought out and they quit making the higher-end ones). At fifty bucks, I'd say I got my money's worth.

Desirability:
No sex appeal, but it will fit in the palm of your hand. I think that puts it in the "little and cute" category. I bought it for strictly practical purposes.

Sound:
The sound is decent. I wouldn't say it fits my style of music, I'm a metal player but, hey, it's a headphone amp. There's quite a bit of distortion if I try to crank the bass knob on my bass- I like a lot of bottom (Ibanez SR-300), but sometimes that's desirable. For what it is, it gets pretty good sound. If you don't crank the tone knob to far to the bass end of things, it gets a good, clean sound. It makes a right handy practice amp if you're the kind of person who likes to play late at night when the other people in the house are asleep. I will say that I've switched from using roundwound strings to flatwounds, and it does seem to get better tone with the flatwounds.

Ease of Use:
This is a very easy to use item. Really, there's just the on/off switch, which also turns on the effect, and three little knobs. It's kind of self-explanatory, really. It would be nice if the labels for the controls were printed in white. One caveat- if you're playing an instrument with a recessed plug, such as Ibanez SoundGear, you're going to need a female-to-female extension plug and a short cord, and attach it to your belt or strap somehow.

Support:
Again, I'm staying neutral. I haven't had any problems with it, so I haven't needed to contact the company.

Overall:
Overall, I think it's a good little headphone amp. I figure I'll keep it until it dies, then see if I could get a similar item for roughly the same price, adjusted for inflation. If the technology evolves to the point that you could get better tone out of a small headphone amp, I might consider upgrading.