Amp deal of the century....

[soundboy]

....according to the below 4 page thread at Club Polk Audio

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51953

Based on the link in the original post, looks like the amp is still available in various Radio Shack stores. I think I will swing by my local Shack and see if I can pick one up. Hey, it's cheaper than a brand-new CD :D

[Dave W S]

Hey, it's cheaper than a brand-new CD :D

And probably sounds better!

[LesPaul666]

For fifteen bucks, it worth getting just as some kind of spare. It would be funny if it actually sounds good.

[SamS]

Thanks for the headsup. I called around, no Radio Shack in my area has them in stock :shake:

[Manic Mechanic]

I thought this was an audiophile forum?

[soundboy]

The amp may be an excellent buy for a computer audio amp.

Off to a RS to find one. I have tracked down several locations in my area that may have them....based on the RS website's inventory tally.

[LesPaul666]

We have them around here.:D

[tommy-thewho]

I will check this weekend a couple stores where it supposedly is in stock.

[soundboy]

Click on the below link as it appears on Radio Shack's website....

http://www.radioshack.com/product/inStoreAvail.jsp?productId=2049804

Type in your zip code and see if your local RS has the amp in stock

[4_everyman]

I thought this was an audiophile forum?

Well, yeah, mostly, but sometimes things like this happen:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=2238254&postcount=1 :laugh:

For a DIYer (do-it-yourselfer), these amps are indeed a steal at this price. I'll be snagging a few of these for some mid-fi applications i've got around the house.

[www.records]

I searched the RS zip codes and called the local stores. None to be had. The main RS looked on his computer and it showed they haven't had them in stock for 3 years.

[DrJ]

4_everyman posted:

Originally Posted by Manic Mechanic
I thought this was an audiophile forum?

Well, yeah, mostly, but sometimes things like this happen:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...54&postcount=1

Funny stuff, Pete...thanks for providing a much needed chuckle at the end of a busy day! :laugh:

[fxsuperglide]

Just went to two different Rat Shacks and bought the last two. First one was around $11 and the second was actually less than that. Apparently, they were having a percentage off the already marked down price. Can't beat that. They're even selling powered speakers (requires sender $30/set) as well as powered "center channel/single speaker" ones that don't require a sender ($40/ea spkr), making the latter item "less of a deal". I'll play around with these amps, and if they prove worthwhile, I may consider the lower priced powered speakers as well.

[ex_mixer]

My Local RS had one left, with the 30% additional discount, the grand total was $11.21 with tax!! I will apply the mod this weekend and report back.
Thanks for this tip! I'm going to use this as an outdoor and vacation system.
cheers.

[fxsuperglide]

I can't believe it! It works! I just disconnected the two plugs and removed the circuit board per instruction (on the http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51953
see photos for details). Then I simply connected my source in (phono preamp) into the LINE OUT (which has now become the LINE IN), and sure enough, it works! Not bad for a cheap $11 amp.

[Sean Keane]

What I don't get is that- if they're able to make a little powerful amp like this for cheap- then why do so many portable CD player/radios have almost no power? A friend of mine had one that cost him a hundred bucks and the thing had almost zero juice.

[fxsuperglide]

What I don't get is that- if they're able to make a little powerful amp like this for cheap- then why do so many portable CD player/radios have almost no power? A friend of mine had one that cost him a hundred bucks and the thing had almost zero juice.

Actually, these amps are "closeout" specials, and the main reason these amps are so cheap is because they require a proprietary tranmitter sender unit to function (and the "sender unit" is no longer available "as new", therefore making these amps useless to the average person). Of course, someone figured out how to bypass the "receiver" unit, so it can be connected directly via the RCA outputs (which become the inputs when the receiver unit is removed). Otherwise, Rat Shack would be selling these for a bit more money. Of course, by performing these mods, I (and anyone who did) voided any warranty that these amps might have come with (but for $11 a piece, who cares?, the price was cheap enough and it's well worth the minimal risk). My thoughts.

[Dave W S]

Radio shack has these in stock nearby. But isn't it just going to be more crap sitting around that my girlfriend is going to complain about? I'm not sure I'd have a use for it.

[MikeyH]

I just got one for the $11 and a bit. Last one in the area, I'm guessing. I needed the staff's help to find it, it was hidden on the 'closeout/manager special' table.

Clue: Its bigger than you'd think, the box is blue/magenta and it's heavier than you'd expect too. I haven't opened the thing yet. I may go on another search at the week-end. I'm thinking bi-amping.

[-=Rudy=-]

Looks like customers have rated it low on reliability--check out the reviews, as some of these units have failed. Looks like heat may be an issue. Maybe for $15, and a few bucks more for a cooling fan (or judicious use of a drill :D ), it might be worth checking out.

[4_everyman]

I picked up a couple of these on the way home for $10.48/each. I opened one up, did the mods, and have been running it for four hours now.

It's a pretty sweat deal for less than $11.

The guys at the Radio Shack where i bought mine couldn't understand what i wanted them for if i didn't have the transmitter. :whistle:

[Russ]

I'm thinking bi-amping.

I was thinkin' the same thing. There are several in my area.

Thanks for the post and the links.

[fxsuperglide]

Looks like customers have rated it low on reliability--check out the reviews, as some of these units have failed. Looks like heat may be an issue. Maybe for $15, and a few bucks more for a cooling fan (or judicious use of a drill :D ), it might be worth checking out.

Definitely something I am considering. Even though there's an external heat sink on the back, it seems there's no venting on the top (where it's probably most critical), and only limited venting on the sides.

[fxsuperglide]

Here's a photo of the added venting. I simply used an old Meccano (Erector) set strip to trace the holes using a marker, then I drilled the marks. Though it's not perfect, it's far better than no venting at all. After all, for $11 and a few drill holes, it's definitely well worth a try.

[fxsuperglide]

Oh, and at the last minute, I decided to also drill a series of holes over the transformer (since it is also a potential heat source). This way if the amp is sensitive to excessive heat, it is now well vented (unlike before). Now that I drilled the covers, I reinstalled them and now both amps are officially finished and functioning perfectly.