The headphone amp wars just got louder. Blackstar has entered the battlefield with the Beam Solo, a compact, intuitive practice companion aimed squarely at Fender’s Mustang Micro Plus and Boss’s Katana:Go.
Over the past three years, headphone amps have gone from niche curiosities to essential gig-bag tools, offering guitarists silent practice without sacrificing inspiring tone. Fender and Boss have dominated this space with their streamlined, plug-and-play units – but Blackstar is out to shake things up, calling the Beam Solo “the most immersive, intuitive headphone amp on the market today.”
At first glance, the Beam Solo looks like your standard plug-in headphone amp. But it takes a different tack: instead of menus or complex screens, it uses a Beam light display along the edge of the unit to help players dial in their sound quickly. A central SpeedDial wheel acts as the control hub, handling gain, EQ, volume, and Blackstar’s new XpressFX system, which allows instant multi-layer effects adjustments.
This “screenless-yet-intuitive” approach feels like a deliberate move to offer a faster, more tactile experience than the Mustang Micro or Katana:Go.
The Beam Solo isn’t just about clever UI, though – it’s backed by serious tone-shaping muscle. Its companion Beam app unlocks more than 35 amps, cabs, mic sims, and effects, all from Blackstar’s “Ampton” collection, which blends authentic valve-style character with digital flexibility.
Add in Blackstar’s “In The Room” immersive tech, and the Beam Solo aims to replicate the feel of playing through a real amp in a real space – something headphone amps often struggle to capture.
For singer-guitarists, there’s a headset mic input with onboard preamps and reverbs, making solo rehearsal and set run-throughs simple. Bluetooth compatibility allows streaming tracks for jamming, while the app’s preset-sharing community already features contributions from Blackstar artists like Jared James Nichols and Doug Aldrich.
Get the Blackstar Beam Solo here for $129.99 and keep up with all our Blackstar coverage right here!
