Dumb amplifier to feed speaker from earphone socket

[IanMayo]

Hi all, I want to install a pair of speakers in our en-suite so that we can continue to hear what's on the TV in the main bedroom.

I've established that my freeview box (NetGem) continue to send sound out via SCART when there's an earpiece in use.

I guess I need some kind of amplifier between the earpiece socket & the speakers. It doesn't seem worth a traditional hi-fi type amplifier just for a couple of ~4" speakers. I could purchase a couple of "Active" speakers intended for PC/mp3-player use, but I'd quite like to fit embedded wall-speakers.

Can anybody please: a) confirm my intended approach is valid b) tell me what the mini-amplifier I'm after is called c) suggest a suitable candidate

All advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Ian.

[Owain]

Zoning and IP factors apply, as does Part Pee :-)

It might be cheaper to cannibalise some second-hand PC speakers or even pick up a "hi-fi" amp or midi system from a charity shop for a fiver.

Yes, you could use an amplifier from either the SCART output or an earpiece socket. Alternatively, does your telly have speaker-outs?

a small amplifier

Preassembled modules from Maplin - N75AW 1.5W/channel stereo amp £7.99. More powerful at

Home > Toys & Kits > Projects > Pre-Assembled Audio Modules

Owain

[Rob Morley]

Still a cheap source of a small amplifier though.

[Mike Barnes]

If you can live with the size, an old-fashioned but perfectly good hi-fi amplifier costs next to nothing from eBay. Otherwise, depending on your constructional skills, you could knock something together quite cheaply using the IC modules available from CPC, Maplin, etc.

Questions you might consider include: Do you want stereo? Do you want an independent volume control?

[Adrian C]

Cheap car stereo with an auxilary audio input, small DC power supply (maybe an old laptop power supply?)

[Roly]

I did exactly what you describe in my kitchen and bedroom.

I used small 12 Volt amplifiers intended for boosting car stereos. The speakers were car speakers fitted into the false ceiling. The 12 V power comes from a ready made power supply bought from a surplus shop ( Maplins sell similar ). The amplifiers and speakers came from a boot sale - very cheaply indeed.

I fitted a 10K log stereo potentiometer to act as a volume control. The top & bottom terminals are wired to the SCART audio ( L & R accordingly ), while the input to the amplifier is taken from the slider and bottom terminal. A built-in switch turns on the power supply when it's needed.

The pot is built into a blanking plate and looks very neat. The speakers sound surprisingly good.