[sumone]

People keep recommending this amp. Why?

I'll play devil's advocate and hope you people correct me where I'm blatantly wrong:

5 watts is nothing!

You can't go deaf with only 5 watts (if you truly wanted to provide ear-piercing music). And how can any subwoofer give any decent output with only 5 watts unless this "sub" was a 3" driver or something??? 5 watts a channel is only good if you live in a cardboard box!

I'm still trying to either buy or put together a nice system that has the ability to actually sound good at very low volumes & very high volumes (with a budget of $200), yet I see this amp recommended time and time again and no-one explains why they recommend it!. It must be the current internet boner for amps or something.

Help me understand WHY!!!

 

[terrymx]

i agree the amp is lacking somewhat in the lows, if it has more current and voltage intakes the bass could be tighter and stronger. dont know why one would think of using this amp to connect to subwoofer though. dont think it was meant for, unless ofcourse one cant afford something better.

they recommend it because the forum doesnt have a rule to disallow recommending it yet.

i had one, two more just came into the mail today. i love sonic t-amp.

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumone You can't go deaf with only 5 watts (if you truly wanted to provide ear-piercing music).

5 watts with suitably efficient speakers will rupture your eardrums. Just a single watt with high efficiency speakers will cause permanent hearing damage.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumone P5 watts a channel is only good if you live in a cardboard box!

Or if you have carboard speakers.

[I do by the way in case that wasnt clear.

]

 

[sumone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerius 5 watts with suitably efficient speakers will rupture your eardrums. Just a single watt with high efficiency speakers will cause permanent hearing damage.

Okay, but at what distance...1 meter?

Suitably efficient could be 200dB. But what speakers on the market are that efficient & actually sound decent? I'd guess and say most are between 88-100dB?? I don't know a lot about home-audio speakers however, which is my whole reason for asking these questions.


And about money...recommending it cause it's cheap. Let's say someone recommended a $1000 amp that only did 5 watts. That's what I'm trying to get at.

 

[sumone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox Or if you have carboard speakers. [I do by the way in case that wasnt clear. ]

Is that a shot at car audio? If so, yes, I guess I'm poisoned. I've got 160watts going to my components in my car. That's loud enough for me, then again a car is a small enclosed space. If I were to put those same speakers, with the same amp in my room, I'm guessing it wouldn't be as loud. So how can 5 watts be decent?

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumone Is that a shot at car audio?

No, I actually have cardboard speakers hooked up to the T-amp on my computer rig. Do a google search for 'nxt soundpax speakers' for more info. They actually don't sound bad.

 

[Sovkiller]

People here is mainly recommneding this amp to be used with the K-1000, but for speaker setup, 5 watts will be enough only with very efficient speakers....

 

[sumone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox No, I actually have cardboard speakers hooked up to the T-amp on my computer rig. Do a google search for 'nxt soundpax speakers' for more info. They actually don't sound bad.

oh, ok. didn't wanna do this but...what speakers sound good with the ability to deafen with only 5 watts powering them?

If you could put a number on the efficiency, what should it be greater than?

My gut is telling me, I'll find out the answers to my questions once I buy & try, but I don't wanna do that at all.

Or, I could just say scrap the whole put-together-from-scratch & grab the klipsch promedias. It's hard being a wannabe audiophile & a 20yr old that parties at the same time.

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumone oh, ok. didn't wanna do this but...what speakers sound good with the ability to deafen with only 5 watts powering them? If you could put a number on the efficiency, what should it be greater than? My gut is telling me, I'll find out the answers to my questions once I buy & try, but I don't wanna do that at all. Or, I could just say scrap the whole put-together-from-scratch & grab the klipsch promedias.

Why are you so eager to be deaf??? Good sound does not equal to loudness at all.....

 

[sumone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller Why are you so eager to be deaf??? Good sound does not equal to loudness at all.....

I'm exaggerating a bit when I mention the word deaf...

I guess what I'm looking for is this:

1. low volumes = good sound & clarity
2. medium volumes = good sound & clarity
3. high volumes = non-distorted loudness, with "ok" sound.

 

[Fidelity]

One of the most common ways to damage a set of speakers is through using a under powered amplifier at high volumes.

 

[sumone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fidelity One of the most common ways to damage a set of speakers is through using a under powered amplifier at high volumes.

Exactly. My whole thing is if I grab the t-amp that I'll be heavy on the volume. I've seen the T-amp's chart of THD x Output_Power, which is why it only provides 5 good watts. I don't wanna be susceptible & unsatisfied by buying an amp which can't provide the loudness I'm looking for.

 

[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumone Okay, but at what distance...1 meter? Suitably efficient could be 200dB. But what speakers on the market are that efficient & actually sound decent? I'd guess and say most are between 88-100dB?? I don't know a lot about home-audio speakers however, which is my whole reason for asking these questions.

Speakers rated at ~97dB will cause permanent hearing damage with a couple watts in a typical room at a distance of around 3 meters. The efficiency of the average speaker is around 88dB, not good if you want to crank it on 5 watts, you'll need something in the mid 90's for that.

 

[sumone]

So I need some mid-90s (or higher) efficient speakers. Recommendations? Also any recommendations for powered/self-amplified subwoofer packages? Budget is $150-ish altogether.