Looking for cheap ready made chip amps...

[RockysDad]

I'm looking for a small decent sounding stereo system for my daughters room am having a hard time deciding on what to do. Should I make something or just go out and by one? If I do make one, I already have an idea on which speakers I want (full range) and will use a PCD as a source. But I need and amp that is fairly cheap. I read somewhere that Target sells something like a chip amp but couldn't find any information on it. Other then that I think I could buy the kits available here but being rather lazy it might be easier to buy one already made.

Either that or just get her a boom box. Are there any good sounding boom boxes that come with these chip amps? These speakers might not sound too good but at lease the sources and amps are already there.

My budget is around $100-150 or so. Humm... maybe a good used receiver might be a better idea. But that wouldn't be any fun...

Just thinking out loud...

[Franz G]

My budget is around $100-150 or so. Humm... maybe a good used receiver might be a better idea. But that wouldn't be any fun...

Any fun? For you?

I think, the good used receiver is THE choice: Fun for your daughters and maybe for you too, when the youngsters are happy with it?

Franz

[ofb]

franz has a good point. why not look around at "retro" -- gear that is not yet 'classic' and expensive. have your fun cruising the used stores, and perhaps fixing minor things like cleaning the pot and replacing lamps.

i've noticed that my younger friends (about 30 and down) like the seventies gear a lot more than i do. they like the feel of the weighted tuning knob, the novelty of the glass-faced analog display, the 'thunk' of the toggle switches, the meters, and the wood panels. this is new to them after all the buttons and led displays.

just thinking out loud too, of course. i don't know you or your daughter, but i'm thinking if you're in the bay area you should have a fair selection of shops. what you might do is take your audio experience through these and find a good deal in solid older gear. you can always upgrade later. either inside the unit itself, or with some better deal that comes along.

the old recievers are not small, but they're a convenient size. they give a good area to place the pcd and open cd cases on top, and they're just a little taller than cd's for placing in a shelf system. and if she has a computer, they have a good height and heft to support the monitor.

i have an old sa200 doing that right now. it's the central support for my monitor shelf. this puts the computer's amplification at my fingertips, with good space on both sides for music and data cds.

[purplepeople]

Most of those older receivers and amps have heat vents on the top cover. Not so good for putting CDs or monitors, because they get warm. Not so much hot, but lots of heat energy.

I know, I am one of those 30-somethings with a Marantz 1530.

:)ensen.

EDIT: Here's a thread that's running now on your Target amp.
$30 amp upgraded

[hitsware]

http://support.radioshack.com/suppor.../doc8/8410.htm

try to find one of these (new at RadioShack)
Muy Elegante amplificador ..........

[ofb]

Originally posted by purplepeople
Most of those older receivers and amps have heat vents on the top cover. Not so good for putting CDs or monitors, because they get warm. Not so much hot, but lots of heat energy.

yup, usually the back half of the top is grille. that leaves the front half, plus the grille isn't exactly hot to touch so a little overlap will hurt no one.

and yes indeed, don't close the exhaust vent. make a small space with a couple of wood blocks for that shelf. 1/2 inch is plenty. 1/4 will be adequate for most of these amps as long as the air can rise out the front and back. mine is hardly warm. figure that the cool air is coming in past the little feet to the bottom vents then expands with heating, so you want a little more than their height.

sorry i wasn't that specific before, but i thought these details would be self evident. an amp that uses the whole top for vent, like possibly your marantz, clearly wouldn't do as a pcd couch.

few pics here is if anyone would like to look at the variety of venting styles of the retro era
http://www.oaktreeent.com/Stereo_Receivers.htm