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Amazon Basics 80 Watt Class D Amp Review

Helicopter

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This thing is so bad. There is no point in listening to it or even making it. You are way better off spending $20 on an old AVR.
 

Steve Dallas

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It seems the treble and bass are adjustable by screwdriver on the back panel. Why? Wouldn't it have been just as easy to install knobs on the front for a more practical adjustment?

The true audiophiles in the market for this amp are too good for tone controls. But if they must be used to tame something messing up the cork sniffery, they may be used. With appropriate difficulty.

Anyway, this thing is worse than virtually any AVR ever made. Buy a used AVR for the same price and come out ahead.
 
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restorer-john

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LOL just poking the bears.

It's such a funny saying. I mean, who actually did poke bears to find out it was a really bad idea? Was it a circus thing/caged bear thing?

1614906666788.png


I think of the first guy who just walked up and poked a bear and got mauled to death. LOL
 

Chrispy

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It's such a funny saying. I mean, who actually did poke bears to find out it was a really bad idea? Was it a circus thing/caged bear thing?

View attachment 116245

I think of the first guy who just walked up and poked a bear and got mauled to death. LOL

Well I've had bears get in my house, have met them many times on the trails....but I'd only poke the audiophile type bears :)
 

Mashcky

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Autoformer debate in 3...2...1...
I’m glad we’re still talking about this. My understanding of the “debate” is that you get the same power at every impedance in exchange for weight, cost, and low damping factor?

After returning home from work I was able to dig up the Audio Classic measurements that came with my MC2100 repair. THD was measured at spec of 105w to be .07%, .03%, and .15% at 20hz, 2khz, and 20khz, respectively (not exactly an AP analyzer readout). Max output at 1%THD at 2khz exceeded spec at 120w/channel.

Things were pretty okay in 1973!
 

SoundsGood2Me

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Amirm -

I bought DCA AEons because of your test -

Thank You
 

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restorer-john

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I’m glad we’re still talking about this. My understanding of the “debate” is that you get the same power at every impedance in exchange for weight, cost, and low damping factor?

After returning home from work I was able to dig up the Audio Classic measurements that came with my MC2100 repair. THD was measured at spec of 105w to be .07%, .03%, and .15% at 20hz, 2khz, and 20khz, respectively (not exactly an AP analyzer readout). Max output at 1%THD at 2khz exceeded spec at 120w/channel.

Things were pretty okay in 1973!

Post a picture of the report if you get the chance. :)
 

GGroch

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.......The THD is absolutely rotten. I don't think I've seen an amplifier with such poor results,....
John, I must be missing something, the THD is relatively poor, but on Amir's THD+N for power amp chart I see 17 models rated worse.

These include the Anthem MRX 520 ($1400), The Sony UDA-1 ($800) and the SMSL AD-18 ($140). I will never own the Anthem or Amazon, but I did own a UDA-1 and AD-18 and neither sounded horrible. The AD-18 was extremely popular with lots of happy, (clueless?) owners reviews on Amazon. What am I missing that makes the Amazon Basics so much worse as a power amp?
 

GGroch

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It seems this amp is not an Amazon design, it has been sold on Amazon since Jan 2017 as the OSD XM100. More specs on the Outdoor Speaker Depot website. OSD is I am sure, not the manufacturer. Its not a HiFi product, but as I suspected aimed at the low end home integration/ DIY market for use primarily with in wall, ceiling, or outdoor speakers. The tone controls are hidden on the back so it can be adjusted initially by the installer and then not messed with. The Amazon Basics version has been available for about a year.
 
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So in conclusion: For an (audio) engineer this is without a doubt a very faulty piece of equipment. But since most people listen with their ears and most people have average hearing, for a 99% of customers this is an affordable and feature rich amp and in a blind test with something like the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 >90% of customers would never hear a difference between this and something that measures much better.
 

Helicopter

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Bas
So in conclusion: For an (audio) engineer this is without a doubt a very faulty piece of equipment. But since most people listen with their ears and most people have average hearing, for a 99% of customers this is an affordable and feature rich amp and in a blind test with something like the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 >90% of customers would never hear a difference between this and something that measures much better.
Basically all audio electronics except transducers meet your very low bar. I agree with the relative importance of features and looks overall. However this is really bad design, and I would never consider it. It is also feature poor and ugly. I might pay $17 for a backup/toy, but not $80.

Edit: OK it has decent features.
 
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welsh

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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).
Orange guitar amplifiers have for decades used pictograms for volume, gain, tone and reverb controls. I find them more difficult to use than text...
 

GGroch

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.......However this is really bad design, and I would never consider it. It is also feature poor....
If you do not like it, certainly don't consider it, but it is remarkably feature rich for the home/office integrator market that OSD indicates it was designed for. Features mostly missing in sub $150 power amps reviewed by ASR in the last 2 years:
  • Left/Right Balance Control
  • Bass/Treble Tone Control (located in the rear so that integrators can set them and forget them)
  • 2 input sources
  • Ability to connect & switch 2 pairs of speakers and to safely play 4 speakers simultaneously
  • Bridgeable Mono Option doubles the power
  • Real speaker binding posts, not spring clips
  • Auto Input selection/Prioritizing (allows source to be switched remotely amp to be hidden away,
  • Auto On/Auto Off power circuit
  • 12 V trigger
 
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Jim777

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Orange guitar amplifiers have for decades used pictograms for volume, gain, tone and reverb controls. I find them more difficult to use than text...
It's widely known that some products use pictograms everywhere in the world except the US, where customers prefer text. (At least this is something I've heard a gazillion times)
 

beagleman

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Bas

Basically all audio electronics except transducers meet your very low bar. I agree with the relative importance of features and looks overall. However this is really bad design, and I would never consider it. It is also feature poor and ugly. I might pay $17 for a backup/toy, but not $80.

Edit: OK it has decent features.


But you are calling it a "Really bad design" based on being TOLD it is, via measurements.

Are you that certain you would realize that based on not knowing the measurements, but simply listening to it?
Not an attack, but I keep seeing a few bash anything that measures mediocre, but with no actual listening having being done to the unit.

I am NOT saying it is great, but just feel it is one of the things that gives this site a bad rep on many other audio forums. The bashing of stuff, based Solely on measurements, and usually with no actual listening done, or even first hand listening.

Not meaning this in a mean way, but it reinforces what many find as a negative thing of the site.

I really value the measurements and do not get me wrong. I probably AGREE with you, but it sounds like you are saying it "Sounds bad" without having ever heard it.......giving fuel to those that talk crap about this site....

I would value and find it more informative to hear that something sounded blah and bad, and then the measurements backed it up. Rather than it just measured blah and it must sound blah also, but with no listening done.
 

beagleman

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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.

I am not sure how to take your comments.
You say it sounds "Poor",. but there was no listening done by you or Amir?

So, Poor based on your expectations, based on Amir's measurements?

Do you not see the the issue with that also....;)
 
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