which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

[jhw]

SURE (DYI component amp board) 320-300

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=320-300

Audiosource amp100 302-601

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=302-601

Looking for best value or lowest cost for the quality.

I'm not a DYI amp builder but something tells me that the Sure will end up costing much more than the Audiosource$100. Will it sound that much better? Also, I'm curious: Do people usually make enclosures for amp boards or do they buy them made up. Is there a PE match for the Sure?

btw I usually never exceed 25 watts in listening to music


thanks

[bkeane1259]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

With the Sure kit, you need a PS and a volume control and that will put you right at $100 easily. Then you need an enclosure and a few hours of your time to put everything together.

If you're not looking for a DIY project, then skip the Sure and get the AudioSource.

You may also consider the DTA-100 Class-T amp which is super efficient, awesome-sounding and very tiny. It suits your (power) level of listening as well.

[jhw]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

Thanks for the recommendation. Dayton looks like good candidate though wish it and the Sure had balance control.

Now I'm wondering, how much of a practicle listining improvement is there going from .1% thd all the way down to .005% etc. My conclusion jumping tells me anything less than 1% isn't a big deal. True or far from it?

thanks again

[bkeane1259]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

Thanks for the recommendation. Dayton looks like good candidate though wish it and the Sure had balance control.

Now I'm wondering, how much of a practicle listining improvement is there going from .1% thd all the way down to .005% etc. My conclusion jumping tells me anything less than 1% isn't a big deal. True or far from it?

Well....the THD stats are only one piece of the puzzle. You need to know the wattage and the load + the resulting THD to get a real picture of what the amp is capable of.

The three amps in question are similar in their abilities to deliver a decent amount of power at low distortion, so now it becomes a matter of preference really, and I think you already answered your own question. If you really want a balance control, the AudioSource amp is your ticket. I think you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the AMP100 and the DTA-100. I only threw the DTA-100 out there because it's super small, but a solid performer, and it's very easily mobile. Obviously the AMP100 is more of a rack component.

Good luck.


EDIT- The DTA-100 is also a headphone amp -- in case that makes a difference.

[JimHRB]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

For a little more you can get the APA150, currently $128 on sale. Has a bit more power plus can be used as a sub amp with its low pass crossover and can be bridged to mono.

[[email protected]]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

I use the Audiosourse. Sits under my monitor real well.

[Taterworks]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

I own both the DTA-100 and the APA150. The DTA-100 sounds very good driving the speakers I use at my PC desk (my own power-loving Taterworks Audio Whetstones design) and has no trouble driving them to distortion (very loud), but I'd expect the APA150 to have even more punch for larger rooms. The APA150 is a very good amp, with a high-current power supply, so it's leaps and bounds better with bass and better at driving big, low impedance speakers. Tonal balance wise, the APA150 is warmer, with big, bodacious bass but less of a sense of control. The APA150 also has heaps of gain; at full honk the APA150 has more to give than the DTA-100, but the noise floor is also noticeably higher at those levels. I think there's probably a hint of extra clarity (or maybe that's upper-midrange glare, depending on how your speakers are voiced) in the DTA-100. Both amps are very close to $1/watt, but I'd call the APA150 the slightly better value, if you're just looking for a 2-channel amp on the cheap and particularly if you have a larger space to fill. (The Emotiva Mini-X A-100 is another amp to look at, but it isn't quite the value the APA150 is.) If you want something to use at the PC, with headphone amp capability, the DTA-100 is the better choice.

Amps all sound the same, my ***.

[donkt88]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

If your interested, I have an AudioSource Amp One for sale. This one has the dual meters in front, and is 80 watts per channel. It's been sitting in a closet for a while, and was going to be used as a backup. I had it running the other day and all was fine. No issues, perfect condition, with manual and original shipping box. You can have it for $80 + shipping. My area code is 92057, and my e-mail address is [email protected]
Don

[scottq]

Re: which stereo home amp is better between PE's...

Amps all sound the same, my ***.

LOL. Love it.

Bang for buck, the APA150 on sale @ $128 is one of your best options I should think. If you can swing it, I'd go for the Emotiva Mini-X. It's a jump in price, no doubt, but would be well worth the money spent. I feel the Emotiva is better bang for buck (notably more buck but A LOT more bang - metaphorically, great sounding, not like its a powerhouse or anything), but you have to have the buck to get it.

The DIY Sure route will be more expensive than you think. Enclosures are expensive, and all the little do-dads add up fast (wire, terminal blocks, binding posts, RCAs, power switches, fuse holder, IEC receptacle, standoffs, and on and on...). Bang for buck, it's probably not the best route.