I wouldn't use this for a recording pre-amp, but for a headphone amp for multi-tracking or delivering separate mixes to several individual players concurrently, this is excellent. If you crank the levels, you'll hear some self-noise. Keep the input volume high so you can keep the output in the mid-range or lower, and you won't hear any noise. (unless of course, something's not working right) This is another winner by Behringer, whose stuff has begun to make a presence in my studio. I can reach out and touch 4 Behringer devices from where I sit at this moment, meaning that I've overcome my reluctance to buy what once was the pariah of pro studios. Apparently Behringer took a good long look at themselves, decided not to be the low-end of the business anymore, and started outputting quality devices. I haven't gotten the courage to put their $150 hardware processors directly in the signal chain for mixing, but for MIDI input, monitoring, and even patch bays (which ARE in the signal chain), I've changed my opinion of Behringer. If I were just starting out, I'd even try one of those $150 hardware compressors and see what I could get out of it. I mean, compare the pro-alternative in price. We're talking about a factor of 10.Don't complain about Behringer. Even if you get a bad one (and I have NOT), you're still 9X ahead in price, and can try another and still be way under budget. But let me reiterate: I've had no quality problems with Behringer's newer products. It seems that just those from the 1990s or early 2000s had that reputation.Giving it 5 stars doesn't mean I put it on the level of the highest pro-gear. It means that I recognize from the price that Behringer aims for a certain quality level that jaw-droppingly defies its price range, and they achieve that. This stuff plays way above its pay grade.Shooshie