Looking for a budget amp

insane111

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 31, 2008
Messages
196
I've got some old Polk TSi100 bookshelfs collecting dust, so I would like to connect them to my mothers PC (she's using monitor speakers, yuck).

So I'm looking for recommendations on a wallet-friendly 2 channel amp to power them. It lists a recommended 20-100 watts per channel, so I imagine 30 per channel would be more than enough, but I don't know much about speakers so I'm just guessing there.


Link to the speakers if you need to see the specs: http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-TSi100-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00192KF12
 
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Define "wallet friendly"

as in <$50, or $100-$200?

any old receiver from goodwill would work.

otherwise, Dayton T-amp, Lepai or Topping are often used for cheap amps.

Here's a cheap amp face-off
 
Yeah I'm thinking closer to around 50, these are just for my mom and she's not exactly picky about quality, and she's not going to blast them at super high volume either.
 
Does size matter?

A bigger used receiver would be of higher quality and have more power than the little amps, but takes a lot of space on the desk.

At $50, that puts the Topping TP30-MK2 out of your price range ($109)

The Topping TP21 is around $80,
Which means for <$50, you'll have to get a Lepai or Dayton T amp (DTA-1) if you want it to be small.

I haven't been keeping up, but here's a short list of options under $50

This Lepai looks interesting for future expansion and addition of a small subwoofer

Here's a "restocked" DTA-1 for $18 (I think that's as cheap as you'll find)

I don't know which is better quality between the Lepai 2020A or DTA-1. Do some reading or wait to see if anybody else has any suggestions.
 
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I have both a Topping TP20 MK2 and a Lepai beside me. There's a clear difference between them. The Lepai sounds more muddy and accentuates the bass and makes things generally louder. The Topping on the other hand produces a much cleaner sound, but has noticeably less bass to it and such. Either one is fine, and the Lepai is actually pretty impressive considering the price.

I'm just noting this because I was hooking up some random Pinnacle AC 400 speakers that I got from a thrift store in my bedroom. I listened to them through my Lepai and noticed the extreme bass and loudness. Then I hooked up my Topping because I realized I wasn't using it any longer and noticed that its sound was cleaner, more precise... and subdued. I have not tried the Daytons out.

I got this Topping for ~70-ish. I think this particular model is discontinued now.
 
T-amps have been popular (relatively speaking for a long time now) but the company the designed the T-amp chips has been out of business for some time.

T-amps sound good or at least mine does, SMSL SA-S3 I have owned it for over 3 years now and it has been very good and came with a 4A liteon power supply (ul rated) I bought it for the budget you state on ebay (took awhile to get here from china obviously..but whatever).

There is a newer chip that gets a lot of buzz (huge thread on this one over at AudioKarma) the TPA3116 a number of DIY or prebuilt amps using this are available...Personally if it was me I'd probably get one of these if i was buying today :


this would be my first choice (over budget)
http://www.amazon.com/SMSL-SA-60-Di...e=UTF8&qid=1432750839&sr=1-3&keywords=tpa3116


or within budget target:
http://www.amazon.com/Nobsound®Late...e=UTF8&qid=1432751156&sr=1-9&keywords=tpa3116

HOWEVER :: Do note that you need your own power supply for this (a old laptop power supply should work) so if you did go this route make sure you have something to power it with.
 
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You absolutely will not beat the TI TPA 311x amps. The 3116 is fantastic, but for you could save a few bucks and get by with the 3110 with those speakers (assuming your Mom isn't listening at high volumes).

Sure 3110: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-X-15Watt-...677?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item19fa5bfbf5

If you want something a bit prettier: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Silver-...872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae0416878

Both will require a laptop power supply. The Sure uses a 5.5mm x 2.5mm power supply, I'm not sure what size the other uses.
 
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If space isn't a concern, I would just go to a few thrift stores and pick up a used receiver.

They can usually be had for about $20-$50 depending on the store.

Recently picked up an older Sony with powered sub for $20 at a thrift store.
 
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