Why spend any $$ at all when I already have the buds and found comfortable inexpensive phones? I and don’t need to add another piece of electronic gear (needing another power cord) to my set up. My practice studio is not a separate room, it is our home gym. My table is the weight bench. in the corner you see the rotating column fan aimed at the elliptical trainer behind me. I’m seated on a folding chair that lives against the wall behind the elliptical. And the wires to the earbuds are so small I do not even feel them as they pass under the foam headphone cups. I don’t have a DAW; OBS and Audacity are free and I have been using both for years (although I only recently learned about OpenVINO from this forum thanks you!). I’ve only been learning on B2B since mid-June, on a used Squier I found for about $200, and a low end Monoprice bass amp for another $200.
The upshot… this inexpensive minimalist system works. Someday I may reach a level of proficiency that I will want to do serious recording and succumb to the GAS for a better amp, pedals, mixer, etc. For now, I can hang the earbuds that are nearly all the time left plugged into the amp, plug the headphones into the MacBook, sit down, turn on the Mac and amp, and practice silently for family peace.
For my first cover, Hang on Sloopy, I used my iPhone, and the Mac speakers and Amp speaker. My second cover, Mustang Sally, required OBS plus DAC set up described over in Post Your Covers.
To quote Highway, "improvise, adapt, overcome!" Hoorah!
p.s. Barney, your progress from B2B Beginner to bar band hero has been an inspiration for me here!