First amp advice

[cogitech]

Extremely thorough and useful feedback, Daniel! Thanks very much!

I've purchased 5 of them.

 

[pamantea]

Hi,
Very nice amp..
Your first build ??
Phil.

Very first build!

 

[pamantea]

The range is approximately normal for a remote control. It is typically 10ft (3m) to 20ft (6m), depending on the phone or tablet. The range for a laptop may be less.

The power supply used may alter the mid-range and treble tone slightly (just like you'd expect for anything audio), so you might want to try a couple different phone chargers. Generally, I thought it was laid back, open and clear.
Or you could go wild and try a 5v reg chip for a more "fresh" CD player tonality (I didn't find that necessary but am reporting that the option exists).

In my comparison, the X-Fi and M-audio, audiophile sound cards were partially defeated when running on that dirty power inside any computer; however, the little bluetooth dac can run on clean power instead. That bit is educational too!
Therefore, I wish I had purchased the little bluetooth dac BEFORE buying expensive sources (as a point of comparison, so I'd know what spendy sources to keep or return--specifically Return anything that can't beat the bluetooth dac's performance). So, as a point of comparison, I think the little bluetooth dac is highly valuable.

Unlike most modern sources, the little bluetooth dac can hit the bottom octaves clearly. The amplitude is neither too little nor too much--not disproportional at all; however, that "bass slam" dynamic is present. In this respect, it beats my wolfson dac thoroughly, but is otherwise very similar.

Initial setup--When using it for the first time, you may need to unplug/replug the bluetooth dac from power, several tries (to make it broadcast) while initially pairing it with your phone; however, after the first time, regular usage is typically easier.

For my next project, I wouldnt mind transforming this amp into an enclosure with an LCD screen and remote control. Would that change the quality of audio at all? And what would you recommend?

 

[danielwritesbac]

For my next project, I wouldnt mind transforming this amp into an enclosure with an LCD screen and remote control. Would that change the quality of audio at all? And what would you recommend?

A low-parts-count style, non-inverting, gainclone kit, is excellent for extra-clear vocals on tv and movie soundtracks.
So, the control that I would suggest for it is a "smart power strip" http://www.amazon.com/BITs-Smart-St...1427411136&sr=1-56&keywords=smart+power+strip
And, in this case, you'd plug the TV into the "master" outlet, then plug the amp into one of the switched outlets.
Now, the tv remote will conveniently turn the amp on and off as well.

P.S.
Or, you could use an lcd remote source selector kit. And will it change the sound? Yes, any change will also change the sound. But, only very slightly.
What will have a bigger effect on the sound is if you used a different enclosure, thereby also different layout, and layout does have a much larger effect, audibly.
So, maybe it would be good to consider leaving the amp un-modified, if you happen to like its performance. And then line level stuff, like preamp, lcd source selector, buffer, dac, digituners, and similar line level items can get their own box.