TA amp and 12V power supply - update and thanks

[David WE Roberts]

Got my TA2020 amp at the second attempt. Now have a Stonetronics 12V 5A PSU (block like a laptop PSU). I have the amp powered up and connected to a couple of 6 ohm Akai SR-570 speakers which are all that is left of an old midi system. [I do have another complete Akai system which was running with 4 speakers, but I stole 2 back.]

Given that the amp was £20 and the PSU about the same, I am gobsmacked at the quality of the sound. The Akai speakers sound far better than they have ever done before and they also sound better than our other midi system. Both midi systems were selected after a lot of careful listening and are better sounding than most.

Next challenge is to connect the amp up to some real 8 ohm speakers and see how good it sounds with those.

Currently listening to Radio 2 streamed ove t'Internet via my Samsung Galaxy S3 and it is souding pretty good.

So all that is left is to get the ceiling speakers and the kitchen system is all sorted (although I expect the fi to become low using the ceiling systems).

I am now wondering how choked I will be if I buy the CD/Amp/speakers package intended for the main room and budgeted at £200 per component and find no increase in audio performance.

Cheers

Dave R

[John Rumm]

At that price point it would makes sense to find a proper audio shop with listening rooms. Try before you buy etc. (take along your lashup jobbie as well and compare!)

[RJH]

Quite - and i'd guess you'd spend more than half your budget on speakers that way.

Rob

[Bill Wright]

You can make your own speakers, and they are just as good.

Bill

[Huge]

Which is what you should do.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Likely to cost as much as buying ready made.

Better to buy secondhand if cost matters. Only the very best hold their value on the used market. Run of the mill but ok stuff doesn't.

[news.virginmedia.com]

If you want "real" speakers (transmission lines with that smooth extra bottom octave), it really comes down to build or second-hand, unless your budget's in the B&W Nautilus bracket! And how do you park a cuppa on one of those?

I myself prefer the "English speakers" sound - I've yet to hear any from Japan / the US that are actually flat(ish), most sound to me like they're imitiating a cheap PA system in a pub (plenty of boom and tizz), Euro speakers I've heard seem to be more about visual aesthetics than the sound...

I've a pair of B&W DM2 (3-way with folded transmission line bass cabinet), ex Radio 3's monitoring room (by a long and tortuous path), if you can find a pair second-hand (they are from the 70's, after all) I can recommend 'em (or the 801 - a bit pricier though) apart from the physical size, although the total power handling's quite low (rated for 30W) they seem pretty efficient and the bass has a proper bottom octave to it instead of the one-note bass that seems to come with reflex cabinets. They're loud enough for parties when driven by an oldish Arcam Alpha amplifier, according to mates they wish nightclubs had sound that good. They have to sign that, though :)

Re your ceiling speakers - no reason they shouldn't sound good, paricularly if you can slip a small cabinet in between the joists, have a look at the yahoo quarter-wave group, all kinds of interesting DIY designs to be found, along with recommendations for smalish coaxial-tweeter drivers.

Dave H.(the other one)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Eww.

[David WE Roberts]

There is a certain temptaion to turn up with a £40 lash up and say "beat that" :-)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ceiling speakers as bought usually have a rather low compliance driver which isn't designed to be mounted in a small sealed box. The ceiling itself acts as an infinite baffle and they'll sound ok with just that.

[Muddymike]

Is that as per Ebay item 251180557265?

If so I may buy one for my Land Rover. The radio/tape player in it died recently and all I need is something to plug the MP3 player into.

Mike

[tony sayer]

In article , news.virginmedia.com scribeth thus

Umm you mean lack of sound of their own of course;)...

If there the ones that use the KEF B139 bass units then do check the cone suspension isn't torn..

[David WE Roberts]

One word of warning - a lot of these are shipped from China and routed through postal addresses near to Heathrow. So it pays to check out the seller (ignore all the 5* reviews) and make sure you can find a business address and a reasonable track record for the web site.

I had to reclaim my money (via Amazon) when the first one didn't turn up.

Given that, that amp should be right for an MP3 player - choice of jack plug or stereo plug input and spring clamps for the speaker wires.

Cheers

Dave R