Desktop Stereo Amplifiers - same quality as new small headphone amps

[Lord Bobbymort]

Hey, everyone.

We've obviously hit a wave of amazing desktop headphone amplifiers that are small but measure way beyond their price. Does anyone have anything in the stereo amplifier world that I could use at work to drive some bookshelfs for my desk? Same idea, best price/performance as possible, like how the JDS Atom and Grace SDAC and the like have taken over as the budget headphone kings.

Thanks!

 

[bigx5murf]

This forum is still looking for what you've described. The closets devices right now are probably the ICEPower based devices, or the Klipsch powergate.

Personally, I've decided to go with a vintage integrated with good specs from the early 80s for the time being, in the same role.

 

[M00ndancer]

You might try the pragmatic approach and get a Behringer A800
Lots of power for the price and dirt cheap. Probably "good enough" for most applications unless you need more power.
But as you might realize, there is still no "giant killer" amp so far. @bigx5murf is on the right track too. So most of us have different favorites. My current solution is even cheaper and worse, an old 5.1 all-in-one system used as a 2.1 with the front speakers replaced. All in my signature.
My plan is to use my unused Fluid Audio F5 and an old H&K 10 inch active sub. Line out from my HAD-1 and routed thru a miniDSP 2x4 with a UMIK-1 mic.

 

[Cahudson42]

Personally, I've decided to go with a vintage integrated with good specs from the early 80s for the time being, in the same role.

We could really use a list of these..There are tons of '90s non-HDMI stuff loaded with obsolete composite/s-video junk - but also compromised in stereo because of a pile of junk secondary amplifiers - you do have to go back earlier it seems for inexpensive but good performing simple stereos..One series often mentioned here is the Yamaha AX series - 396, 496, 596. And the higher end RX-596 - reviewed by Amir. I have a 50w RX-396. It's missing 'pure direct' but works great as a TV "sound bar" driving a pair of Dayton 652 AIRs..

 

[Koeitje]

I just bought a second hand Denon PMA-510AE, its fine for my desktop speakers (some pretty mediocore Tangent Evo 5's). Looking at the specs it isn't great, but I mostly hear my speakers failing .

 

[bigx5murf]

To give you an idea, this is what I'm using. Specs are THD 0.004%, SNR 100 db. I have one tape out going to a JDS O2, and the second going to my Behringer umc inputs. Let's me easily digitize my phono. The built in headphone amp isn't bad either, not as clean as o2, but plenty of power.

We could really use a list of these..There are tons of '90s non-HDMI stuff loaded with obsolete composite/s-video junk - but also compromised in stereo because of a pile of junk secondary amplifiers - you do have to go back earlier it seems for inexpensive but good performing simple stereos..One series often mentioned here is the Yamaha AX series - 396, 496, 596. And the higher end RX-596 - reviewed by Amir. I have a 50w RX-396. It's missing 'pure direct' but works great as a TV "sound bar" driving a pair of Dayton 652 AIRs..

That list would probably number more devices than everything measured on this forum combined. Just scan your local classifieds and lookup the specs on hifiengine. I would think anything with a THD of less than 0.1% and SNR of greater than 96db should be audibly transparent.

 

[bigx5murf]

I just bought a second hand Denon PMA-510AE, its fine for my desktop speakers (some pretty mediocore Tangent Evo 5's). Looking at the specs it isn't great, but I mostly hear my speakers failing .

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/denon/pma-510ae.shtml

It's low on power, but THD and SNR are actually excellent.

 

[Berwhale]

The Yamaha wxa-50 has an Icepower module, measures fairly well and has lots of functionality...

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...urements-of-yamaha-wxa-50-streaming-amp.7964/

 

[Koeitje]

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/denon/pma-510ae.shtml

It's low on power, but THD and SNR are actually excellent.

Listening distance is about a meter so power is not an issue. I mean the specs are quite bad compared to my PM-16 ( https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/marantz/pm-16.shtml ). No unexpected because the MSRP of the Marantz is like 10x that of the Denon. But its mostly the speakers that suck for my desktop setup. They try to push too much bass from a way too small speaker.

 

[GeorgeWalk]

This forum is still looking for what you've described. The closets devices right now are probably the ICEPower based devices, or the Klipsch powergate.

Personally, I've decided to go with a vintage integrated with good specs from the early 80s for the time being, in the same role.

I have a Nikko Alpha III power amp that I bought in 1979. It still runs and sounds great. Like any vintage amp, you should replace the electrolytic caps in it (especially on the big ones on the power supply). I re-capped mine and it was well worth it. My other (new) amp is a Parasound New Classic 275. I can't tell the sound of them apart.

 

[Blur]

A couple or reasons not to go with vintage amps. First, the caps are probably on their last lags and you will be lucky to get one without hiss. There may be some degraded adhesive that has inductance interfering with the signal. This typically occurs on older gear after the adhesive has flowed due to age and heat into caps and resistors. It then adds to the inductance and can have negative effects. Second, often headphone implementation on larger amps are usually an afterthought. You are rarely going to receive the lowest noise and highest voltage swing on those outputs. The output impedance can be higher than a good dedicated headphone amp.

In the end, objectively, the only way is to measure it and find out.

 

[NTomokawa]

Vintage stuff is fun to play with since one could get equipment that once cost very much at derisory prices. When they're done with it, simply flip at the same derisory price and get another unit. Performance, however, is another issue.

I got fed up with looking for inexpensive amplifiers to drive passive speakers so I went the active studio monitor route.

 

[bigx5murf]

A couple or reasons not to go with vintage amps. First, the caps are probably on their last lags and you will be lucky to get one without hiss. There may be some degraded adhesive that has inductance interfering with the signal. This typically occurs on older gear after the adhesive has flowed due to age and heat into caps and resistors. It then adds to the inductance and can have negative effects. Second, often headphone implementation on larger amps are usually an afterthought. You are rarely going to receive the lowest noise and highest voltage swing on those outputs. The output impedance can be higher than a good dedicated headphone amp.

In the end, objectively, the only way is to measure it and find out.

I'd have to disagree with this. I've owned over 100 vintage amps and receivers bought from mostly thrift stores and local classifieds. I've never had one with any significant hiss, unless you turned it up to max volume or near it. All have had less hiss than a pair of JBL LSR305 I had. Also less hiss than the topping and smsl mini amps I own. Out of all of these vintage amps, I've had major issues with 5 of them. Most of the other ones work fine after thorough deoxit on all controls. Look at the vintage amps Amir had measured. Sure they might not be performing optimally due to deterioration. But so far looks like all of them measured within stated specs (these were likely conservatively stated back then). They might not get anywhere near SOTA performance. But they've all been above average so far. Plus the value they offer is so high, you can afford to gamble and buy a few of them even if there are issues, and still spend less than a new modern equivalent.

 

[0bs3rv3r]

I think the cheap class D, especially Tripath type, amplifiers do an excellent job on the desktop driving bookshelf speakers. They have more power than you need, so even inefficient bookshelf speakers are OK.

 

[JRG]

I'm agree with you, bigx5murf.

But vintage gear is not for all people. We have to assume that there is no guarantee and that it can be damaged at any time.
I think also that for people with electronics knowledge is an interesting hobby, because if something fails we can repair it, replace the bad capacitors, ...

The last purchase I made is a Sansui AU-D22 for € 59 shipping included. And after disassemble it, clean it inside (and outside),... and remove the protection relay to clean the contacts,.. it works FINE. So well that I think it is not possible to buy a product with that quality in the new market.

I have measured distortion with REW and my modest lab gear and I get measurements below 0.004% at 5W over 8 ohms. More than enough for a second system and to entertain myself for a while with gear.

 

[Doodski]

Vintage stuff is fun to play with since one could get equipment that once cost very much at derisory prices. When they're done with it, simply flip at the same derisory price and get another unit. Performance, however, is another issue.

I got fed up with looking for inexpensive amplifiers to drive passive speakers so I went the active studio monitor route.

What active studio monitor did you buy?

 

[NTomokawa]

What active studio monitor did you buy?

Yamaha HS8.

 

[raistlin65]

I have this ICEpower ICE125ASX2 that I got from Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Finished-I...5ASX2-SE-Digital-power-amplifier/132638888405

Sounds great to me. I got it because of how that ICEpower module had been measured here in other amps. Using it with JDS Labs Atom and Topping D50S with PSB Imagine XB.

 

[Doodski]

Yamaha HS8.

That HS8I White looks appealing.

 

[MrPotatoHead]

I've been using a Topping TP10 Mk4 driving my old Klipsch kg2 speakers which has been fine for non-critical listening but after I bought a Dragonfly Cobalt and couldn't hear any improvement over the original Dragonfly (pre-Black), I bought an ICE125ASX2 (like @raistlin65 above) on ebay and a Ghent Audio enclosure. I haven't assembled it yet so I can't comment on its sound. Even if I still can't tell the Cobalt is better, I always love having a project going.