DIY power amp recommendations

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Ptownkid

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 1, 2005
Messages
4,256
Location
Ajax, Ontario, Canada
I need to power a set of speakers for quick and dirty gear/mixer testing. The speakers are 100W 8ohm, but I'm sure i need nowhere close to 100W to know that a signal is being passed properly through the mixer. Any leads?
 
My first thoughts are that it will likely be much cheaper to find a second hand power amp of some type vs a DIY build unless you have the OT and/or power iron already in hand.  There's lots of nice small wattage simple SE  or PP tube amps you could do that wouldn't be terribly expensive but from scratch they'd likely be more than a second hand amp. I guess it depends on how much you wish to spend and what level of fidelity/distortion you require.

Used intercom gear is a good place to look for bargains. TOA makes some good amps that nobody really cares about as does Dukane. Low power Radio Shack PA amps are a pretty common find on the cheap too.
 
I assume it takes 2 for stereo...

I realize that I can pick up some cheap old amp, but I want something small and simple and i have a building addiction to feed.
 
I watch the curbs on trash night for component stereos.  As well we have the town "dump" with an electronics graveyard.  I see component receivers there every time I go.  I also go to thrift shops when I need a generic power amp.  Garage and yard sales too.
Usually any of this junk has a dirty volume knob that needs a schpritz to get it whole.  Currently I have two McIntosh monoblocks in my bench rack that I found on the curb.
I know it's not DIY, but life is short.
Mike
 

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