New Amplifier

[Haywood]

I wanted to put a music system in my office that was not connected to my computer. The main reason is that my Mackie CR3s are connected to my KVM switch and move back and forth between my PC and the company laptop. I don't want to stream music over the corporate network and re-wiring everything is just a pain. I had the Insignia bookshelf speakers that Franklin modded back in the day and my old Energy subwoofer from the late 90s, but I needed an amp. I was already using a tiny 50x2 amplifier from Fosi on the back porch with the speakers Franklin built for me, so I looked to see if they made a similar amp with a subwoofer out. They do. It also has analog, coax, and optical inputs in addition to Bluetooth, which is nice. I hooked it up tonight and it sounds great.

The one caveat with these little amps is that the power rating is a bit less than honest. 50W is into a 4 Ohm load and folks who have measured found that they got closer to 35W. That means the amp really puts out about 17W into an 8 Ohm load. I have not found that to be an issue on either the back porch or in the office. Both sets of speakers play as loud as I need them to and I have no complaints about the sound quality. If you have a pair of bookshelf speakers kicking around that are not horrifically inefficient, these little amps are great. The one I just bought was $140.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y89R72P/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

 

[walls]

I love these little amps for certain applications. I have the Dayton version of this powering Yamaha outdoor speakers on my pool deck and it has performed leagues above its price.

 

[Towen7]

That's a cool little amp.
I didn't realize there were amps that had a USB input. I'd love to find a small form factor amp with a USB input, sub out, and A/B speaker switching.

 

[Haywood]

One minor complaint about this amp. The noise floor is high enough that I turn it off when I'm not using it. That is one place where the $140 price shows. Another is that the subwoofer output has a fixed 200hz crossover point and no gain control. The speakers only run full-range. It is definitely a bargain product, but the value is still quite high. I should also mention that they make a 120W version for $40 more if you want more power.

 

[Towen7]

I've got an old Pioneer receiver laying around that I could use but was hoping to find something smaller.

 

[Haywood]

I've got an old Pioneer receiver laying around that I could use but was hoping to find something smaller.

I don't think you are going to find one with an A/B switch.

 

[jamhead]

I've got an old Pioneer receiver laying around that I could use but was hoping to find something smaller.

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Dayton Audio APA102BT Class D Stereo 60 WPC Bluetooth AmplifierThe Dayton Audio APA102BT high fidelity power amplifier switches sources and powers on (in auto-on mode) automatically when a source signal is detected. Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX, two line input sources, two-channels, and Class D...

www.parts-express.com

I use this for my garage 2 channel.

No complaints.

 

[Towen7]

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Dayton Audio APA102BT Class D Stereo 60 WPC Bluetooth AmplifierThe Dayton Audio APA102BT high fidelity power amplifier switches sources and powers on (in auto-on mode) automatically when a source signal is detected. Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX, two line input sources, two-channels, and Class D...

www.parts-express.com

I use this for my garage 2 channel.

No complaints.

I have the old AudioSource branded version (non BT) of that amp in a box. I think I'm going to end up using it. The drawback is that it lacks a sub-out but I think I have a work-around figured out.

 

[walls]

Been meaning to post this but forgot until I opened the pool this week. This little amp is phenomenal for what I use it for and I highly recommend it.