What Is a Pocket Amplifier?

A pocket amplifier or amp is an electronic device that is typically small enough to fit into a pocket and which can boost or amplify a signal. These devices are often used with audio equipment, to boost a signal from an instrument or media player to a set of speakers. Many types of pocket amplifier are meant for use with a media player and headphones, which boost the signal for louder and clearer audio. There are also some pocket amps that can be used with an electronic musical instrument, like a guitar, to allow for portable playing through the device.

The basic purpose for a pocket amplifier is to provide listeners with improved audio performance or sound through a very small device. These amps are not always necessarily small enough to fit into a pocket, but are of much smaller size than many other models of amplifiers. They can also include belt clips that allow a listener to connect the pocket amplifier to his or her belt while listening or playing audio. Due to the portable nature of these devices, they typically run on batteries as a power supply, which may need to be changed often but are essential to signal boosting.

One of the most common types of pocket amplifier is a device designed to function with a media player and headphones. This device connects to the output slot on a media player and then connects to a pair of headphones, rather than plugging the headphones directly into the player. As the audio signal passes through the pocket amplifier, it is boosted by the device and then transmitted to the headphones. This provides the listener with audio that is often louder and higher in quality, which can make an inexpensive pair of headphones sound like a much more impressive listening device.

There are also some models of pocket amplifier that can be used with an electronic instrument or media player and act as a small speaker. Instruments like electric guitars usually require an amplifier to boost the audio signal created by playing them, which is then sent to a set of speakers for playback. A pocket amplifier can be used and connected to an electric guitar to act as both an amp and a speaker, providing listeners with limited audio performance. These devices do not typically have the range or sound quality provided by larger amps and speakers, but they can be used for practice. Since they are usually quite portable, they can also function as fairly effective output devices for media players in certain environments.