Amazon Basics 80 Watt Class D Amp Review

[Helicopter]

One of my (wet) dreams is to read a similar serious/comparison between such an amp and one of those audiophile megabucks (upward of $5,000) SET amplifiers Single Ended Triodes) You know, those that routinely present 3% of THD or more at 20 watts... as a feature ...

Too bad they're so heavy or we could send some to Amr to test.

 

[dmac6419]

Good points, and I don't know the answer. I think I could tell an amp with a 66dB S/N from one with 90dB by sticking my ear against a tweeter. Amir reported no subjective listening test. It would be interesting to compare an Amazon basic amp to something with better specs using Hypex/Ice/TPA 3251 and see how much audible difference there is with quality sources and good mainstream speakers.

But I'm a defender of this thing. The fact that an amp does not measure well does not mean that its designers were incompetent. It could just mean that it was not designed to compete with audiophile amps for critical listening. I wish Amazon was more forthcoming about optimal use cases on their product page. On the other hand, they provide quite a bit more info than most $80 amps on Amazon do.

Sounds good to me in my little listening room,plus it was cheap, I'm keeping it and I'm satisfied with it.

 

[GGroch]

Sounds good to me in my little listening room,plus it was cheap,.....

Good on you! Refuse to be spec shamed by panther culture

 

[Bruce Morgen]

Just read some of the Amazon "reviews". This one almost made me weep.

View attachment 116128

That poor Mc 2100. I feel like pressing the "report abuse" button probably as the Mac got thrown in the trash.

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The MC2100 and spiffed-up MC2105 were (very!) heavyweight champions -- and their output autoformers meant that they delivered full power, even into 16 ohms loads.

 

[HiFidFan]

The MC2100 and spiffed-up MC2105 were (very!) heavyweight champions -- and their output autoformers meant that they delivered full power, even into 16 ohms loads.

Now you've done it! Autoformer debate in 3...2...1...

 

[amirm]

It is curious that this amp wound up on clearance site. I wonder if they did a run with dual languages and decided it was a mistake and sold them off wholesale this way.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

Now you've done it! Autoformer debate in 3...2...1...

The dude did some further testing that indicated the autoformer wasn't problematic other than adding a lot of weight and cost -- but if folks want to "debate," by all means carry on.

 

[Jim777]

Are you sure about that? I mean I know for anything you are gonna consume yes, for safety, warnings instructions, sure, but this is quite a reach. Yes, I've seen those stickers for microwave front panel and suff like that and obviously a french keyboard is a must, but you may be right, when strictly applied... Now we must have a bit of common sense... No one is confused if you see "ON" on a switch. That said, I don't dislike this, I find on this amp it works. But if it really had to be done systematically I could see many designers and manufacturers pulling their hairs, especially for tiny portable products.

Québec litteraly has a "language police". The other way to get around this is most companies use pictograms instead of text outside the US. So no need to have dual language on switches. Most noticeable in cars (alerts, etc).

 

[Jim777]

You've lived in "la belle province"... cool. Do you miss our wonderful winters? Altough in the last decade or so, the eastern U.S. has had its fair share of major winter storms and blizzards, even all the way down to Texas this year.

I'm in New England so weather is only slightly better

 

[PeteL]

The MC2100 and spiffed-up MC2105 were (very!) heavyweight champions -- and their output autoformers meant that they delivered full power, even into 16 ohms loads.

That's impressive, great video.

 

[dmac6419]

Good on you! Refuse to be spec shamed by panther culture

I like specs,but I buy what I like,I don't have a castle I live in the city now I don't need to move or fill alot of air,I have next door neighbors

 

[PeteL]

Québec litteraly has a "language police". The other way to get around this is most companies use pictograms instead of text outside the US. So no need to have dual language on switches. Most noticeable in cars (alerts, etc).

Yeah I'm a Quebecer, I just didn't know bill 101 had tenticles that long, surely written that way, but in practice I think they let those kind of things slide. We still need imported products and there is only so much we can do, At some point is do they want to block quite a considerable business sector, or turn a blind eye. Amazon is huge, they can afford this, but certainly not all manufacturers.

 

[beagleman]

No listening impressions?

It very well may have inky black background & highs that are, amazingly, liquid yet crystalline

It seems from what I have gathered, if a component (not a speaker) measures bad in some certain way, there is no listening test at all.

That is the basis of this site apparently.
Measurements determine if things sound good. I am relatively new to the site, but on the fence about how this is done. I have heard mediocre components, that were quite listenable and so on, but Maybe it is a time constraint thing perhaps?

 

[Chrispy]

Such concern over a very basic/inexpensive piece of gear.....but aside from hiss would be interesting how many could pick it out in a proper comparison.

 

[restorer-john]

It seems from what I have gathered, if a component (not a speaker) measures bad in some certain way, there is no listening test at all...
...I have heard mediocre components, that were quite listenable and so on, but Maybe it is a time constraint thing perhaps?

There's more in life than subjecting oneself to poor audio reproduction. Especially when there is a whole world of excellent gear out there to listen to.

Consider, a tube mantle AM radio is 'listenable' and can be extremely enjoyable, but High Fidelity it is not.

 

[PeteL]

Such concern over a very basic/inexpensive piece of gear.....but aside from hiss would be interesting how many could pick it out in a proper comparison.

But that apply to pretty much very affordable gear, that’s the thing, it’s ok, but... aside from the hiss, aside that it handle impedance swing poorly, that it has limited powee, that... Those flaws adds up. I’m sure it’s ok, but it’s not hifi

 

[HiFidFan]

It seems from what I have gathered, if a component (not a speaker) measures bad in some certain way, there is no listening test at all.

That is the basis of this site apparently.
Measurements determine if things sound good. I am relatively new to the site, but on the fence about how this is done. I have heard mediocre components, that were quite listenable and so on, but Maybe it is a time constraint thing perhaps?

Take that post of mine with a large measure of sarcasm

 

[Chrispy]

But that apply to pretty much very affordable gear, that’s the thing, it’s ok, but... aside from the hiss, aside that it handle impedance swing poorly, that it has limited powee, that... Those flaws adds up. I’m sure it’s ok, but it’s not hifi

Was relatively "hifi" not that many years ago, tho You can hear the "handle impedance swing poorly" thing perhaps with some speakers....maybe.

 

[restorer-john]

Was relatively "hifi" not that many years ago, tho

Not even close to relatively HiFi, even 50 years ago.

The THD is absolutely rotten. I don't think I've seen an amplifier with such poor results, even BOTL integrateds from the early 1970s were better in every respect. Bear in mind, a 1kHz THD test is not an indicator. Look at this:

Amplifiers are rated with their THD from 20Hz-20kHz. This thing is a disaster at any freqency above 1kHz and at any power level.

 

[Chrispy]

Not even close to relatively HiFi, even 50 years ago.

The THD is absolutely rotten. I don't think I've seen an amplifier with such poor results, even BOTL integrateds from the early 1970s were better in every respect. Bear in mind, a 1kHz THD test is not an indicator. Look at this:

View attachment 116243
Amplifiers are rated with their THD from 20Hz-20kHz. This thing is a disaster at any freqency above 1kHz and at any power level.

LOL just poking the bears. Sure, it may offend sensibilities, but people still play vinyl, too.