Need help choosing my first amp for my first speakers

 posted this in the wrong conversation

To get listening, while you search for a good deal, $135. amazon 30 day return, a no risk trial

120 wpc/4ohms

has dac

has sub out, to self powered sub(s), takes the bass load away from your inefficient mains

fosi dac 2120

find a good deal on something you really want: watch hifishark ’first seen, new first’ check every day, bang!

keep fosi for garage system .... give it away.

btw: listen; buy a returnable sub(s): which sounds better? keep or return sub(s).

I never knew it existed, certainly not heard one, a surprising review.

fosi review

@jcjcjcjcjcjcjcjcjcjcjcjc 

An audio chain usually consists of a source (turntable, digital DAC, FM tuner, tape), preamplifier (sometimes optional), amplifier, speakers.  An “integrated” amp has both a preamp+amp, and sometimes includes a DAC, streamer, phono stage (phono preamp).   If a digital source, you’ll need a streamer, a DAC, and a digital file source (CD/SACD disc, Tidal, Qobuz).  Analog you’ll need a turntable, tonearm, cartridge, and a phono preamp.  

Cabling we’d usually suggest at least replacing stock power cords with quality cabling at least to the level from Blue Jeans or Audio Envy, but may be outside of your budget.

Speaker efficiency determines the amount of amplification required by the amplifier.  Each 3db of change means a doubling of sound pressure. You can learn more about it here.  Average speakers are somewhat 87-low90s db, and efficient ones above that.   Unfortunately your speakers are less efficient and thus requires more power to drive which may include ample current needs also.

$500 is a very small amount, not much available at this price point, doubtful if you can get beyond box store sonics.  TAS (The Absolute Sound) annual list starts at $800 and goes to $150,000.  I doubt at this budget you’d get anything high end sounding.  Quality internal parts cost money, especially quality transformers.  Maybe if you can get your budget up something like a used Hegel integrated so you can hear what your speakers can do with quality amplification.

+1 the book “The Complete Guide to High/End Audio” by Robert Harley (editor in chief for The Absolute Sound magazine.  It’s like an illustrated detailed encyclopedia - no other publication comes close

Thank you all for your kind expertise on this matter. I am glad that I asked here so that I don't do anything to damage the speakers (I would rather wait then to damage them). I will look into all of the options posted in the thread.

I will listen 90% from streaming and 10% from LP. My room size is 16’ x 10’ - and one of the 10’ walls is an open side to the kitchen for another 10’ x 12'. I will not be blasting music, since I have neighbors in my apartment building.

One question I have for amplifier powers is that some provide the same wattage for both 4 and 8 ohms, for example, NAD C 3050's power says

• 100 watts x 2 channels into 8 or 4 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.03% THD

Would anything like this not work on my speakers because it is only 100w for 4 ohms? This is over my budget, but I still want to understand and learn.

As per the username, it came from a place of frustration when everything I tried was already taken (a generic name I have), so I just typed my initial 12 times. Nothing religious or meaningful. But someone did comment on this thread earlier about it not being serious enough for people to comment on my questions, but you all did and I appreciate y'all looking past the 24 letters of my username:)

100 watts x 2 channels into 8 or 4 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.03% THD.  Would anything like this not work on my speakers because it is only 100w for 4 ohms? This is over my budget, but I still want to understand and learn.

It will work but it’s still underpowered for your speakers.  Something like this would likely be a better match for your speakers both sonically and because it puts out 150/270Wpc into 8/4 Ohms, respectively.  This is an amp that will let your speakers give you much more of what they’re capable of and that you could probably live with pretty happily until you can afford something significantly better.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/285792371714

jc,

For your educational purpose only here, I cannot give you any recommendations for really inexpensive amplifiers.

Watts are not the only thing that need to be taken into consideration with amplifiers in general. Amps being delivered is also very important, as it allows for drops in impedance and "head room" for how music is actually delivered.....reserve power if you will. In some cases I would also say that amps are more important than watts, but most manufacturers don't post maximum current delivery.

Amplifiers with high current capability will usually be rated at 8 ohms (say 100 watts), and into 4 ohms (say 200 watts), and sometimes into 2 ohms (say 400 watts)......usually double, or nearly double the previous spec.

Amplifiers that cannot do that, usually are incapable of delivering high current. All watts are not created equally, or "watts are not just watts"; current delivery is also very important. 

Also note that higher current delivery, can generally be associated with more expensive gear (though no always). And please know, these are just generalities....there are always exceptions to the rule.