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Hi,I posted a thread last week roughly asking this same thing. I received many great responses and have since been researching and reading these forums like crazy. I want to re-ask my question since I now have a much better understanding of what I'm mean to ask.
I have very little money, living in NYC. My 10+ yr-old compact stereo died. The past 5 years I've been using it only as an amp w/ speakers, running my PC\s line out into it. The quality was very good for my use though I'm sure the readers here would differ. My problem is I can't afford a nice system nor do I have the room for it.
Without that system to use as an amp, I am in the market for a new one. I am fine with the speakers I have. My computer has volume control (iTunes EQ as well) and a DVD player so I'm guessing I don't need a receiver or even an integrated amp. Any suggestions or advice for a small amp to drive my 2 speakers? <$100 ?
I come to you cause you're the experts. I can easily be ripped off if I went someplace else and asked someone; I don't want to get stuck with crap. Maybe in the future when I have some cash I can build off this amp... better speakers, pre-amp, etc.
Follow Ups:
For the best advice, tell us what speakers you have (or the sensitivity and impedence ratings).
Thanks so far for the replies. I guess I just want someone to tell me what to get. Been reading a lot more the past few hours and the more I learn about options and additional equipment the more frustrated I get.My speakers are 2x 6 ohm Panasonic speakers I took from my compact unit. Compared to the crappy speakers I hear elsewhere (I don't know anyone who has equipment as good as you people here, and the Best Buy people always claim Bose are the best, etc.) mine sound pretty good. I would describe it as clean and full though I'm interested in hearing *real good* speakers. I don't have sensitivity rating and can't find it anywhere online. It says "Input: 100W, Music 50W, DIN" though as far as wattage. I also have an aftermarket Sony 8" (longthrow?) 30W active sub with built in crossover.
I'm also now learning about DACs and other options and it's driving me crazy. Wish my old crappy stereo didn't break, ignorance is bliss and I was perfectly happy. If anything I was hoping when it broke I could free up more space with a small no-nonsense amp or similar alternative but now I see you guys really spend a lot of time, space, and $$ on your systems. Just wish I had a friend with something good so I can hear what's so great about it.
Do I need a DAC? Or is that only if I choose an amp/receiver/preamp with a digital input?---that's what a DAC is for right? I found the PC section of these forums and people keep saying they have DACs but my PC has worked fine plugged straight into my stereo for years--so i'm guessing that factory sound cards must output analog and people with DACs want digital to the stereo.
My biggest question..... For my "stereo" (i.e. inbetween my computer which is the source, and the speakers) should I consider a preamp or is an amp perfectly fine? Hell, why bother with preamps anyway if you don't need phono??
In the future it would be great to have 5.1 or higher for HT. But now HT is my computer (DVD) and monitor. When I finally invest in that I guess the amp i'll finally get would be replaced by that new 5.1 receiver... ugh.... too many choices I guess. Consider yourself lucky already having built your systems. Sorry for the long rant..
Your sound card is your DAC. Most stock sound cards sound fine (with the exeption of laptop soundcards, which are usually trash), but if you want to get better sound from your computer, you could buy something like an M-Audio Audiophile PCI card for $50 used.The DACs the other forums are talking about is what you buy after you've dialled in the rest of your system. You'll want to think about that around the same time you start contemplating upgrading your interconnects (wires between source and amp) - which is a long way away.
Your computer/sound card is your preamp, so you don't need one.
All amps are designed to amplify a signal to listening level or higher without adding anything to the signal. The cleaner the amp (less added to the signal), the better it is. Outside of some really cheap receivers from the 70s and 80s, most amps and receivers sound good.
One rule that seems to be true about amps, and follows common sense, is that the fewer circuits it runs through, the cleaner the sound will be. So it makes sense that a straight amp with no receiver, no preamp, no treble/bass/balance will produce a cleaner amplification.
In theory, all amps should sound exactly the same. If they amplify a signal without adding anything of their own, then the output should be identical. And you're not likely to hear the difference between two decent amps.
People who can hear differences have spent years training their ears to listen for certain audio signatures - and even they would have a hard time telling two good amps apart (based on the dreaded double blind tests that I won't mention here).
If you want the best sounding system, start with speakers. If you like your speakers, then buy a good amp - like those I mentioned before - Marantz/Sansui. If you're lucky you can find an old solid state Marantz or Pioneer power amp.
Example of Marantz power amp:
My biggest question..... For my "stereo" (i.e. inbetween my computer which is the source, and the speakers) should I consider a preamp or is an amp perfectly fine? Hell, why bother with preamps anyway if you don't need phono??It will work fine without a preamp. You can take the analog sound card output (green colored jack) and run a cable from it straight into a power amp. But this means the computer is now controlling the volume digitally. This is okay, but you'll need to be careful. Before turning on your music, be sure to check the Windows volume control to make sure it hasn't been turned all the way up. Otherwise the sound could blast and blow your speakers. It's not a problem, but it's just that a software volume control is subject to being tweaked without your knowledge by ill-behaved software (like if you just installed updated sound card drivers for example). This may not ever happen in practice, but better to be safe than sorry.
As someone else suggested, the Sonic Impact is great, although I don't think the 9 usable watts will be loud enough for your speakers.Scour craigslist for old Marantz and Sansui receivers. Those amps from the 70s were well-built and sound great. Look at garage sales and thrift stores too. Old Yamahas aren't bad either but don't have the same nostaglia surrounding them as Marantz/Sansui.
Now about those speakers from a micro-stereo... Speakers are the most important part of your system. You're better off buying a nice pair of used Klipsch and a Sonic Impact and listening at lower levels. Keep in mind, however, that the Sonic Impacts are NOT loud and its loudness is even less with inefficient speakers, which yours probably are.
and want to be really cheap.
...this amplifier looks like it has the functionality you're looking for and is in your price range.
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