[Fordy314]

I'm considering getting these
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SS-B1000-8-Inch-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B000OG88KY/ref=pd_sim_e_5
and I need an amp to power them.
 
I was originally considering this
http://www.amazon.com/Lepai-Tripath-Class-T-Amplifier-Supply/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1333922948&sr=1-1
because the price was right and I've seen in recommended before.
However, I read a review that less than about 40wpc for the sony's would cause them to sound pretty bad and cause tweeter burn out. I don't know much about amps but I liked that the lepai had a 3.5mm input for a mobile device, however that's not a deal breaker for me. I need some recommendations for a pretty cheap amp (again $25 for the lepai was why I was considering it) for around $50 or less.
 
I don't know if it matters at this point, but I'm probably going to look to add a subwoofer later on, but it would be self powered.
 
Thanks.

 

[trog]

Actually peeps have had great sucess pairing the TA2020 with the bigger brother of those Sonys i.e the SS-B3000 and to hook up to an active sub you'd route speaker out of amp to high level/speaker in on the sub and attach speakers to the speaker out on the sub? $50 in the used market might land you a less than current coax/optical AVR so that might interest you if you have plans to expand to 5.1, etc

 

[Fordy314]

Quote:

Actually peeps have had great sucess pairing the TA2020 with the bigger brother of those Sonys i.e the SS-B3000 and to hook up to an active sub you'd route speaker out of amp to high level/speaker in on the sub and attach speakers to the speaker out on the sub? $50 in the used market might land you a less than current coax/optical AVR so that might interest you if you have plans to expand to 5.1, etc

So you don't think 20wpc will underpower the speakers? As far as an avr, space is an issue, but my friend has an old, small kenwood receiver he could give me, but then I might have to worry about over powering, I'm not quite sure what it's rated for. The kenwood speakers that they came with were 60w each and the sony speakers have a max power of 120w. Is that per channel or total? Thanks.

 

[trog]

Nope but with lower powered T-Amps you'd be better off mating with more efficient speakers ^^

 

[estreeter]

NuForce has a somewhat patchy reputation here, but for the money I dont know that you can ignore their Icon Amp - note that this doesnt have a headphone amp. The original Icon got surprisingly good reviews for its ability to drive speakers, and this one has more power. Some here have had issues with Nuforce quality control, but I dont see too many speaker amps out there for < $200 ..... 
 
http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/iconamp/index.php
 
 

Specifications

1. Input: RCA analog maximum 2Vrms
2. Output: Peak power: 30W x 2 (4 Ohm)
3. Output power at 1% THD+N, A-weighted: 24W x 2 (4 Ohm), 18W x 2 (8 Ohm)
4. Gain: 22.2 dB
5. THD+N: 0.02%
6. Frequency Response: 20 to 20kHz +/- 1dB
7. SNR > 90dB A-weighted
8. DC requirement: 12-15V, up to 60W; 100-240VAC worldwide voltages. 60W PSU is included with Icon Amp.
9. Idle power consumption: 0.5W
10. Dimension: 6" x 4 1/2" x 1"
11. Weight: 1 lb

 

 

[estreeter]

Fantastic - I cant find a single review of thousand dollar+ Chinese speakers I've been looking at, but your $50 Sonys have an online review ....
 
http://hometheaterreview.com/sony-ss-b1000-bookshelf-loudspeaker-reviewed/
 
Sound
The SS-B1000 presents a nominal 8 ohm load with an 87dB efficiency. The speaker needed better quality power to perform its best, but squeezed out enough good sound to represent a more than good enough match with entry-level receivers and amplifiers.

The SS-B1000 sounded lively and crisp, but needed warmth and heft. The soundstage had a surprising amount of depth and width, but imaged a bit fuzzy overall. The top end veered towards a little edginess on rock and electronic tracks, but presented classical and jazz with a more neutral balance. This quality also moved into the midrange, with an overall lightweight and shallow tonal balance that needed warmth and body on most material. The SS-B1000 sounded like its size in these areas. The bass didn't warm things up enough, and the 1000 moved away from the 3000 in this area. The bigger model tended to sound big but flabby, whereas the smaller model lacked fullness and weight. But, like the 3000, the 1000 held together wonderfully throughout, presenting a solid coherence and musicality that masked its flaws rather than exposing them. The lightweight tonal balance made things tighter, minimizing the lack of weight and instead exposing the quick pacing and peppery bass. The SS-B1000 also didn't like playing loudly as much as did the 3000. Against a wall, things remained status quo, with the balance remaining lightweight overall (the front porting probably didn't help matters here). In individual areas, the SS-B1000's performance comes up short in varying degrees. But the speaker still sounds good overall, and, of course, when factoring in its absurb price (which you must do), the decision is made.