The ask Tin about audio thread
I figured Id start this thread to help the people out here, give them advice on how to restore, modify, set up, and shop for audio equipment as well as room treatments and calibration. Most of you know my main hobby is stereo. Nothing fancy on my end…just 2 speakers, an amp, and some good music. I dont know everything about this stuff, but what I do know, Id like to assist those here. If its your dads old Marantz system, your grandpas Silvertone hifi console, or even those cute little cube speakers your wife made you buy because the good stuff was "too big and ugly to have in the livingroom", I feel I can offer sound advice on how to make the most of what you have or intend on purchasing. Feel free to ask...this isnt just my hobby, its my passion.
Good sound for your computer
There are plenty of smaller desktop amps out there that are perfect for computer sound. Myself, I run a t-amp. A t-amp is a very power efficient chip, that sounds as close to tubes as you can get without having a space heater sitting on your desk. They dont cost much at all, I bought a 15W Muse EX2 t-amp for $50, and drive a $50 pair of bookshelf speakers with it, perfect for the desktop. T-amps are very common, youll usually find them in flat panel televisions, but you wont notice much in the way of sound quality, as TV speakers usually arent very good. When hooked up to a more worthy speaker, theres lots of good sound to be had...and its cheap. Most t-amps out there run for under $100, and arent any larger than a couple packs of cigarettes. The Dayton DTA-100a is a fine example, pushing 50W of clean power from a small package: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-383 It can power a wide range of speakers. Hell, you could even use it as a more minimalist system if you dont want to have a large clumsy receiver in the way. If you need something with better fidelity, the Topping TP30 seen here: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=310-312 is a very nice alternative. Its perfect for the computer, as it has a USB DAC (digital to analog converter), keeping all sound processing outside of the computer environment. The Topping also has a better headphone amp, so if you have a nice pair of cans, theyll jam pretty good. As a bonus, the Topping has user-swappable opamps (operational amplifiers, used to buffer the signal at the output) so you can tailor the sound to your taste. The Topping is only 15WPC, but in a nearfield environment, wattage shouldnt be too much of a concern. Something rated over 87dB 1W/m should suit it nicely. You can read many reviews of t-amps on the web, some are extraordinary performers for the price of a tank full of gas. Many people have even abandoned tubes for them...they really do sound that good. If youre after some good computer audio, look no further. Youve found it here.
Heres a pic of mine sitting right under my monitor. Small, and out of the way :)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...925_231742.jpg