[madmaxmedia]

I have almost the exact same set up now as OP, I even got the $6-7 LCD power supply. Only difference is I have the Apple brand dock (with line out.) My total price came out to about $120 or so.

So far so good, it's in my office so I have not been able to play at even reasonable sound volumes yet. But I couldn't pass up the Pioneers the other day, open box Best Buy at the current sale price minus 10%. Eventually they'll get put to better use.

The only problem I am finding is that at low volume, the sound levels are unbalanced (left speaker is louder than right.)

[Peter_S]

I'm really liking the pair of powered studio monitors I just got from monoprice for $132.  They have a 5" woofer, silk dome tweeter, bi-amped, sound natural, musical, flat.  Great near field.  Require about $10 worth of monoprice "premium" cabling to work.

[FredT300B]

I'm really liking the pair of powered studio monitors I just got from monoprice for $132.  They have a 5" woofer, silk dome tweeter, bi-amped, sound natural, musical, flat.  Great near field.  Require about $10 worth of monoprice "premium" cabling to work.

That cabling would be a deal breaker for me. I refuse to buy expensive cables. 

[wushuliu]

How about a ~$150? I know some folks are big on the Lepai but unless there has been a big jump in quality in the past 2 years there are IMO much, much better options for only a little more money. The new kid on the block are the TPA-based amps of which the much regarded TBI Millenia is based. There are also brand new diy amps based on the newest TPA chips now available. I have owned several TPA-based amps and they are head and shoulders and then some above Tripath in sound quality. The TBI MIllenia (using the TPA 3100D2), considered a giant killer itself, of course has superior design and parts quality but to my ears these amps get you pretty close.

And don't forget the Parts Express $10 amp which I personally think is a low-power giant killer - or at least Hagrid sized.

TPA3123 50wx2 $46

http://www.ebay.com/itm/xy-TPA3123D-2pcs-NE5532-50Wx2-Amplifier-speaker-protection-6-/190789433630?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item2c6befb91e




http://www.ebay.com/itm/xy-TPA3123-stereo-25W-25W-amplifier-board-2-/200884877691?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item2ec5abf97b

The new TPA3116 100W + 50W + 50W

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-1-TPA3116-Class-D-Digital-Amplifier-Board-100W-50W-50W-50mA-/221270119224?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item3384ba1338

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PC-TPA3116-Class-D-2-50W-Amp-kit-Amplifier-DIY-Assembled-Board/321162541546?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D261%26meid%3D757964966028170985%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D221270119224%26

Low Power Parts Express TPA3110
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=320-329

[Thomas0322]

The power supply for the Guanzo unit is purchased separately.  I don't see any specs for the power supply except that it must be operated at 19-20 volts.  There is nothing about amp requirements that I see.  I have had better sound using a non-switching power supply on the T amps.  Does anyone have a PS recommendation on this unit?  Links are appreciated.

[wushuliu]

The power supply for the Guanzo unit is purchased separately.  I don't see any specs for the power supply except that it must be operated at 19-20 volts.  There is nothing about amp requirements that I see.  I have had better sound using a non-switching power supply on the T amps.  Does anyone have a PS recommendation on this unit?  Links are appreciated.

Ah, missed that. The ones with PS incl. bump cost to ~65 and up. but I did find a few that were cheaper.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-M50-EX-TPA3123-T-Amp-2x50W-Mini-Amplifier-w-Power-Supply-Black-Silver-/190773969906?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item2c6b03c3f2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20WX2-Hi-Fi-TPA3123-Digital-T-Amp-Audio-Class-T-HiFi-Amp-Stereo-Amplifier-DC-24V-/190826843330?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6e2a8cc2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSE-M50-Amp-Audio-EX-TPA3123-T-Amp-Stereo-Amplifier-50W-RMS-Power-Supply-/370717404722?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item56507aae32

To hit 50w will require a couple of amps minimum. The TPA3123 has a wide range from 12-25v so a 12v linear PS like the popular Pyramid would work if you are okay with the lower wattage. A 50w capabe non-switching PS greater than 12v will be expensive or a diy project. Personally I have found *high quality* SMPS like Meanwells to sound excellent with these amps and just as good as standard linear power supply to my ears.

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2104225_-1

Anyhoos, improving PS quickly bumps up cost so that's a sacrifice to be made for a $132 (okay more like $165 w/ my links) system.

[Thomas0322]

I decided to go with a 3116 50 watt per channel amp board linked above.  The spec for the PS was 18 - 24 volts.  I found a Cosel unit on eBay that looks well built and has an output of 24 volts.  From another source, it looks like the output amperage is about 11.5 amps.  Also from another source, the PS should provide good isolation. The cost with shipping for the PS was $51.  With some luck, the PS can be around for some time and serve in other configurations. 

I could not verify if the Cosel was a switching or non-switching power supply.  I just made a guess and went with it.  The T-amp that I linked above did benefit from a Pyramid non-switching PS.  In that case, I thought that the sonic improvement over the switching PS that I bought with the unit was evident.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260561525715?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[charmerci]

I've got a PS if anyone wants to send five bucks plus shipping my way. (I bought one of those Chinese amp/Dac's that doesn't work - makes loud popping noises  when playing music. It's got multiple plugs and switches voltages so one will fit your amp.  (You can have the amp/DAC too if you want at no extra cost. Iirc, it'll play non-digital sources without pops.)

[wushuliu]

I decided to go with a 3116 50 watt per channel amp board linked above.  The spec for the PS was 18 - 24 volts.  I found a Cosel unit on eBay that looks well built and has an output of 24 volts.  From another source, it looks like the output amperage is about 11.5 amps.  Also from another source, the PS should provide good isolation. The cost with shipping for the PS was $51.  With some luck, the PS can be around for some time and serve in other configurations. 

I could not verify if the Cosel was a switching or non-switching power supply.  I just made a guess and went with it.  The T-amp that I linked above did benefit from a Pyramid non-switching PS.  In that case, I thought that the sonic improvement over the switching PS that I bought with the unit was evident.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260561525715?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

that looks like a I switch mode power supply to me not familiar with that brand but looks very robust however so good deal all around

[JLM]

But if you really want to impress the non-geek, non-audiophiles with good sound you also have to make it attractive and simple (like B*se).  The easiest way is with a 'all-in-one' speaker (pre-amp, DAC, and power amp included).  Think $550/pair Vanatoo Transparent One in real cherry veneer (plus Airport Express and iDevice) as an affordable solution.  Of course better (but not suited for this circle) solutions also exist.

[wushuliu]

Got my TPA3116 amp up and running and so far very promising - when will someone else besides TBI catch on to these chips? The instrument separation, depth, smoothness and clarity is ridiculous for the money. Makes the CDA/SDS amps sound like mud in comparison (to my ears).

[Thomas0322]

I have my 3116 amp up and going.  My initial reaction is also positive.  I'll put some hours on it and then compare it to the T-amp with the 2024 chip, which I linked above in this thread.  I don't know if the power supply that I am running on the 3116 is or is not a switching power supply.  For now, I will take it that it is a switching PS; I also linked the PS above in this thread. 

So, it looks like I will be comparing a 3116 based amp with a 2024 based amp, and the 2024 will have the advantage of a non-switching power supply.  I may put a switching PS on the 2024, although that will likely not be as good as the 24 volt Cosel PS now running on the 3116.  The T-amp uses a 12 volt PS.

Also a player in the cheap amp sweepstakes is a 3886 amplifier for about $46 with power supply.  I will include a link below.  I wonder how it will fare against the present competition.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/280951831107?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

************

Note: That amp + PS is still incomplete.  It requires a transformer and 2 heat sinks.  Using parts I saw on eBay, it puts the total at about $165 plus any shipping. 

[FredT300B]

"...keep this in mind: The target demographic for this system has never heard of Audio Circle, Stereophile, high end audio, or even the concept of sitting in the sweet spot. He downloads all his music in MP3 format, and never buys CD's. He believes Bose is the best brand. If you told him how much you have invested in your system he wouldn't believe that's possible. He is a music lover with little money to spend on audio equipment. He currently listens to music through his iPod ear buds or the cheap speakers that are integrated into his flat screen monitor. Compared to those "systems", the $132 system will sound Fantastic!"

I'm now using the system with my computer. At the Sept 21 Houston Audio Society meeting we'll compare the system to the speakers in my flatscreen monitor using this as the test media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Oc1UE7SS4

The significance of the $132 system is that it can serve as an gateway into high end audio for a young person who is now clueless about the subject. If he continues to listen to his earbuds or computer speakers he will never graduate to a good sounding system. But the sound of the $132 system will let him know that the music he loves can sound much better than he ever imagined he would hear outside of a live music event. Eventually, as his finances improve, he may upgrade to a better quality mass market system, and ultimately to a high end system. I do agree the weak link of the system is the amplifier, not because it sounds bad, but because it doesn't appear to be reliable. Some of the alternatives that raise the price only $20-$30 are a better choice if they are more reliable, but they must be plug and play options. The target buyer doesn't have the knowledge needed to combine power supplies, amplifier boards, etc to create a working system.

[Thomas0322]

The target group that you identify is also not reading this thread.  Sure, only a stereo geek is going to buy a amplifier on a circuit board and then go find an appropriate power supply.  That, of course, would include me.  At the beginning of this thread, I suggested that it would be appropriate to limit the discussion to products that one can go out and buy rather than have a discussion about the great second hand bargain that was found.  I'd suggest that we are exploring the best bang for the buck products that we as stereo cognoscente may recommend to one of the unwashed masses.  The amp that exists only as a circuit board today may soon be available as a complete functional amplifier.  I was thinking earlier about starting a thread about these cheap little amps that sound so good for the money.

[OzarkTom]

Couple of months ago, my buddy Rex and I had a shootout with a couple of $80 amps that we bought off of Ebay. Rex had the Indeed tripath amp and I had the TPA  3123 amp shown here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50Wx2-WH502A-digital-Amplifier-TPA3123-x-2-NE5532-x2-HiFi-stereo-amp-BLACK-/290851545183?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Amplifiers&hash=item43b81a605f

The TPA definitely was more open and fuller sounding than the tripath. This TPA is not the TI recent chips, but it easily beat the tripath.

It was not as good as the TBI amp, but well worth the 80 bucks. What floored Rex and I both was when we hooked all of these amps to a Ten Tec 937 PSU. The Ten Tec is selling on Ebay for about $40-50 used, well worth the improvement when you run any of these amps. The Ten Tec is a 12v power supply and it was better than a $400 King Rex PSU that we compared. The Ten Tec was even better than the battery.

One company from Canada has taken note of these TPA chip amps is Tri-Art Audio. They formally came out with tripath chip amps but now using the TPA chips from TI. It will be interesting if anyone else picks up on these as wushuilu notes. Well worth the bucks.

[OzarkTom]

Couple of months ago, my buddy Rex and I had a shootout with a couple of $80 amps that we bought off of Ebay. Rex had the Indeed tripath amp and I had the TPA  3123 amp shown here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50Wx2-WH502A-digital-Amplifier-TPA3123-x-2-NE5532-x2-HiFi-stereo-amp-BLACK-/290851545183?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Amplifiers&hash=item43b81a605f

The TPA definitely was more open and fuller sounding than the tripath. This TPA is not the TI recent chips, but it easily beat the tripath.

It was not as good as the TBI amp, but well worth the 80 bucks. What floored Rex and I both was when we hooked all of these amps to a Ten Tec 937 PSU. The Ten Tec is selling on Ebay for about $40-50 used, well worth the improvement when you run any of these amps. The Ten Tec is a 12v power supply and it was better than a $400 King Rex PSU that we compared. The Ten Tec was even better than the battery.

One company from Canada has taken note of these TPA chip amps is Tri-Art Audio. They formally came out with tripath chip amps but now using the TPA chips from TI. It will be interesting if anyone else picks up on these as wushuilu notes. Well worth the bucks.

Opps, I forgot. We were using these same Pioneer speakers with a used $130 Oppo CD player. The sound was superb for the bucks.

[RCduck7]

Are there also TPA based monoblocs available??

[RCduck7]

Or any other Class D or Class T monos that are cheap and cheerful!?

[FredT300B]

The target group that you identify is also not reading this thread. 

True. The target group is all the non-audiophiles who come to your house, hear your system, like the sound of their favorite music on it, and ask "If you don't mind my asking, how much does a stereo like this cost"? A good answer would be "It's expensive, but I can recommend a system that cost less than $150 that will knock your socks off. Want to hear it"?

If you say this and they bite, you have created another potential audiophile who may someday go on to buy a legitimate high end system. If you don't, and instead tell then what you system actually cost, they will say "forgetaboutit", and high end audio will continue its slow and painful demise into oblivion. 

So the object of the $132 exercise isn't to make it better and/or more expensive. It's for all of us to use this silly cheap system, or a comparable one, to get more real-world people, who love music but don't have much discretionary income, interested in good sound.

[Todd Willhoit]

As a visitor to the HAS meeting today I was able to hear Fred's system which coincidentally, was my first opportunity to hear the Pioneers.  (Thank you Fred for your hospitality.)  The sound was really great for an "intro" system.  Several of us were asking if a small sub was in the room.  I expect I will be purchasing a pair of these speakers in the near future to go with the Lepai I have in a box in my office and another set for my mom.  I might even put a system in my garage.

I also fully support the plug-and-play factor.  The "target group" probably had a friend connect their PC for them (if they have anything more than a laptop), and is accustomed to the simple connectivity of an iPod and ear buds.  Plug-and-play makes it easy for them to take a step forward in the hifi realm.  Sometimes things don't need to be fancy, the just need to work.

Another thing I would do is to find a few tracks that the general population would like and put them on an iPod in both the lossless format as well as 128 kbps.  Let them demo both and tell you which they prefer.  Cost:  $0