Please let us know how the Elan Z660 works out for you.
Two-Zone Budget Amp For Outdoor Setup?
Hi all. I’m trying to power my outdoor speakers and looking for an Amp. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated! Here’s my setup:
* Zone 1 (20’ x 15’ Garden): Klipsch AW-650’s
* Zone 2 (10’ x 8’ Patio): (Open to outdoor speaker recos too. See bottom.)
* Rasperry Pi 4 streaming Roon via USB connected to two USB DACS. Each DAC will be setup as a separate zone in Roon, so I can enable one, or both zones.
* Volume controlled via Roon
I have a $150 ($200 max) for a power amp, most likely used. Tiny budget, big challenge. It would either be a single multi-zone amp (using only four channels) or a set of 2-channels. Each set of inputs must be dedicated to a set of outputs, so that i can operate them independently via Roon zones. Hypothetically this would also allow streaming different music to each zone. I’m looking for a minimum of 60-80 W RMS @ 1% THD. Even though we could get away with less, and the Klipsch’s are sensitive, when we have a bunch of people over we’ll need some power.
Some contenders so far:
- Elan Z-660 (readily available, and apparently pretty well-made for an off-brand)
- Topping PA3 (x 2) (seems to have QC issues)
- Adcom GFA-2535 (tough to find at my budget)
If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears!
Thank you.
PS: If you have outdoor speaker recos, I’m looking for either a pair or a single speaker running mono for a small patio. The Polk Atriums are the default for outdoor buget speakers, but don’t seem to have a lot of bass. I may end up springing for another pair of Klipsch AW-650’s, but seems overkill for a 10’ x 8’ patio.
* Zone 1 (20’ x 15’ Garden): Klipsch AW-650’s
* Zone 2 (10’ x 8’ Patio): (Open to outdoor speaker recos too. See bottom.)
* Rasperry Pi 4 streaming Roon via USB connected to two USB DACS. Each DAC will be setup as a separate zone in Roon, so I can enable one, or both zones.
* Volume controlled via Roon
I have a $150 ($200 max) for a power amp, most likely used. Tiny budget, big challenge. It would either be a single multi-zone amp (using only four channels) or a set of 2-channels. Each set of inputs must be dedicated to a set of outputs, so that i can operate them independently via Roon zones. Hypothetically this would also allow streaming different music to each zone. I’m looking for a minimum of 60-80 W RMS @ 1% THD. Even though we could get away with less, and the Klipsch’s are sensitive, when we have a bunch of people over we’ll need some power.
Some contenders so far:
- Elan Z-660 (readily available, and apparently pretty well-made for an off-brand)
- Topping PA3 (x 2) (seems to have QC issues)
- Adcom GFA-2535 (tough to find at my budget)
If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears!
Thank you.
PS: If you have outdoor speaker recos, I’m looking for either a pair or a single speaker running mono for a small patio. The Polk Atriums are the default for outdoor buget speakers, but don’t seem to have a lot of bass. I may end up springing for another pair of Klipsch AW-650’s, but seems overkill for a 10’ x 8’ patio.
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An used Denon AVR-4310 for $175 on Ebay should meet your needs. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-AVR-4310CI-Surround-Sound-AV-Receiver-HDMI-Bundle-w-Manual-and-Remote... |
Well, it looks like I'm going with the Elan Z660. It really has it all, and I just scored a pristine looking copy for $65 shipped! It also gets pretty high marks for it's internals and build quality. I'm now planning to run four speakers in mono, distributed around, so i don't really have to worry about separation and placement. With that, this versatile amp can run one at 120WPC bridged, and the rest at 60WPC. I'm pretty stoked. And it looks like my second pair of speakers will be the OSD 650's, which scored high marks on Wirecutter. I don't trust them for real audio gear, but these are outdoor speakers after all. Anyway, thank you again for your input! |
I use this AudioSource to power my outdoor speakers! https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Source-AMP100VS-Channel-Amplifier/dp/B00ZSEFU94/ref=pd_lpo_23_img_0/145-3047434-1291355?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00ZSEFU94&pd_rd_r=cd2b761b-f642-4270-add5-ca99d724a0a6&pd_rd_w=UhXvA&pd_rd_wg=d2GSL&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=Z599KKHX8HF9YH6NCWM4&psc=1&refRID=Z599KKHX8HF9YH6NCWM4 |