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Budget desktop amp rec for newbie?

Sickamali

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Jan 28, 2023
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Hi!

First time getting into this space, I just ordered a KEF Q350 and Kube 10" and am looking for an amp to run them both in a small room. Budget under $300
I've mainly looked for amps that have a sub out and that was really my only criteria, only now am I starting to think about power, distortion, crossover, etc.
I've widdled it down to:

SMSL A300
Fosi DA2120C
LOXJIE A30
AIYIMA A08 PRO
AIYIMA D03

1. I don't think any of these has the ability to adjust the crossover for the sub, and to my understanding, I can't use the crossover on the Kube if I use LFE. Is there a configuration around this? Is it even worth it?
2. Should I prefer higher powered amps? It's only a small room desk setup, but my thinking is higher power gives me more headroom/less stress on the amp, makes me lean towards the SMSL or and the A08 Pro. Does it matter?

Any opinions would be much appreciated :) I've read great things about the A30 but it's not as powerful, Fosi and Aiyima seem like good deals with questionable QC, and the A300 has little info on youtube but here I've read its a decent clinical sounding amp.
 

Joe Smith

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I think the SMSL A300 would be my pick. I use and love the Aiyima A07, but it is not ideal if you plan to use a SW. I have the little brother of the A300, the SMSL AO100, and I've been quite pleased with it. The BT connection was spotty for a while but then that seems to have improved and be stable now.

For a smaller room, I don't think power should be a main concern, unless you intend to listen at an extremely high volume level...
 

TonyJZX

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there should be enough reviews on this forum alone to make a decision

further the manuals are available for just about every one of these so for stuff like Xover its all in there

everyone has their own preferences... i dislike external psus... but some people love the psu rolling thing

to me i'm not super interested in network or dac or BT so you can remove all that from my criteria but that may be important to you either
 
OP
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Sickamali

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I think the SMSL A300 would be my pick. I use and love the Aiyima A07, but it is not ideal if you plan to use a SW. I have the little brother of the A300, the SMSL AO100, and I've been quite pleased with it. The BT connection was spotty for a while but then that seems to have improved and be stable now.

For a smaller room, I don't think power should be a main concern, unless you intend to listen at an extremely high volume level...
Thank you that's really helpful :) I think it'll be the one I get too, and glad you were able to solve ur BT

there should be enough reviews on this forum alone to make a decision

further the manuals are available for just about every one of these so for stuff like Xover its all in there

everyone has their own preferences... i dislike external psus... but some people love the psu rolling thing

to me i'm not super interested in network or dac or BT so you can remove all that from my criteria but that may be important to you either
Totally fair, and I did skim through all the manuals of those mentioned but it still kinda confused me xD I'm just used to my DAP+IEM setup
I just needed something to power the speakers. Like you, won't use network much. DAC wise, I can just LO from my DAP. Just power, if I need a lot of it, and if there's such thing as bad power
 
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