looking for real cheap AMP need ideas

[Cr0nJ0b]

So in my home setup, I have two bookshelf speakers that are mounted to the wall and I want to use these as my PC speakers. I can hook them up to the soundcard, but as you might have guessed, there isn't much volume...I need an amp.

Does anyone have experience with a good cheap amp for this application? I've thought about using a powered speaker setup, but they usually are all hard wired and I'm looking to do this for less than $30...$10 would be best.

thanks for the help

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Sonic t-amp is pretty much the cheapest new amp you can get I think.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-952
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/6cd8/

It's battery powered though...

Other than this, I would look to ebay for a cheap used receiver / integrated amp. I don't think you're going to find anything good for under $30 shipped though.

 

[phisrow]

People say very good things about the T Amp. It isn't the best out there, by any means; but by all accounts it is very, very good for the money.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&Partnumber=300-952

Runs on 12 volts or batteries, so it can be connected to a cheap line lump adapter, or a computer PSU, decent power, decent quality.

Your other option is to try and score a secondhand receiver. You won't need much for your application, just a stereo receiver will do. Those can sometimes be had cheap.

 

[Zepper]

If you have a pair of speakers, what did you have them hooked to before? Some kind of stereo system? Does it have an Aux or Tape or CD input? If so, just connect the line out from your sound card to the available input (probably need and adapter to get from the RCA female pair on the stereo unit to the 1/8" stereo jack on the card) and let that act as your amplifier.

.bh.

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0bI can hook them up to the soundcard, but as you might have guessed, there isn't much volume...

Is there any volume?

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Do your speakers have bare wire ends or what? I guess I'm kind of confused how you're hooking them up to a PC and how you'd hook them up to an amp.

If you're feeling lucky, you might try a pawn shop and see if they have and cheap receivers / amps that might suit you.

Anything is going to be significantly more powerful than whatever your soundcard can put out.

 

[Zepper]

If you do hit pawn shops/ebay etc. you don't want an amp that is more than 3 or 4 years old if you want to get another 3 or 4 years out of it. Electrolytic caps go bad somewhere 7 - 10 years and amps are full of them.

.bh..

 

[CSMR]

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0b
thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

I'm sure you can power it through a wall-wart if you find the right one.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: CSMR

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0b
thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

I'm sure you can power it through a wall-wart if you find the right one.

Yeah, you can get one (partsexpress even has a good one linked to right on the page I think). If you have to buy one though, that's adding like another $20 to the cost.

 

[Zepper]

www.bgmicro.com has good prices on wall-warts.

.bh.

 

[phisrow]

I've shopped from these fellows before, and they have an AC adapter that should do the trick quite cheaply.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15908

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: CSMR

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0b
thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

I'm sure you can power it through a wall-wart if you find the right one.

Yeah, you can get one (partsexpress even has a good one linked to right on the page I think). If you have to buy one though, that's adding like another $20 to the cost.

Since when has $20 seemed like a significant amount to you?

I was gonna say "Sure, the T-Amp can be battery powered, but most use it with an ac adapter or with a SLA battery".

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: CSMR

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0b
thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

I'm sure you can power it through a wall-wart if you find the right one.

Yeah, you can get one (partsexpress even has a good one linked to right on the page I think). If you have to buy one though, that's adding like another $20 to the cost.

Since when has $20 seemed like a significant amount to you?

I was gonna say "Sure, the T-Amp can be battery powered, but most use it with an ac adapter or with a SLA battery".

Not to me, but when I see a budget of $30 and I suggest something that's $30 + shipping and then he's going to have to basically pay another ~$20, I've kind of blown his budget.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: CSMR

Originally posted by: Cr0nJ0b
thanks for the replies. I looked at the T-Amp, and was seriously thinking about it...the battery thing got me a little scared.

I used to have an amp, but I'm looking to decrease my overall power footprint in the house. I was thinking that there was a radioshack amp out there or some other really small cheap thing. I can't believe this is so hard to find.

By the way, I do get some sound out of the sound card with the speakers, but with Vol set to 10 it sounds like it's set at 4.

I'm sure you can power it through a wall-wart if you find the right one.

Yeah, you can get one (partsexpress even has a good one linked to right on the page I think). If you have to buy one though, that's adding like another $20 to the cost.

Since when has $20 seemed like a significant amount to you?

I was gonna say "Sure, the T-Amp can be battery powered, but most use it with an ac adapter or with a SLA battery".

Not to me, but when I see a budget of $30 and I suggest something that's $30 + shipping and then he's going to have to basically pay another ~$20, I've kind of blown his budget.

lol, screw his budget. Hell, a lot of folks run their T-Amps with any wallwart they can find that outputs ~12-14V DC and up to 2A (Ive heard of some using 1A or even a bit less). He might already have one that would work.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
lol, screw his budget.

:Q