Audio Amplifier Recommendations

[gamepimp]

Hi all. I built some custom enclosures into my monitor housing to accommodate some smaller woofers and tweeters. I've been powering them using a full sized receiver. However, I would like to power them using a dedicated amplifier that would take the output from my motherboard and give me up to 50 watts per speaker. Something that could be mounted within the monitor housing and would power on when the rest of the system fires up. Does anyone have any recommendations? I think ideally the amp would accept 110/120volts. But I was thinking I might be able to use a car audio amp that would take 12volts from my computers PSU. I'm def open to suggestions...

[WindDrake]

Both of my cabs are using 100w/channel (RMS) 2-Channel car audio amps. I just use the PC's 12v supply for power. The cabs even use car 5 1/4" 3-Way speakers.

If you don't want to hack up a set of decent (Logitech/Altec Lansing/whatever) speaker setups, car audio gear is cheap and easy to work with.

[divemaster127]

There is a amp that happ sells just for jukeboxes.  I have used it in mine & so have several friends jukeboxes...it really works good.  I think I have 1 available
dm

[gamepimp]

I think I will have to look more closely at the car audio amps. My only concern would be the current draw from the PSU. But for the watts I need to power my speakers, I don't think that should be too much of an issue.

WindDrake, what brand of amp r u running?

[stigzler]

Using car stereo in mine. Few considerations: Amps and 2x12V supply on stereos:

https://sites.google.com/site/alienarcade74/sub-projects/sub-woofer (amps stuff - ignore sub stuff)


http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,133227.msg1371345.html#msg1371345 (supply)

Good luck!

[michelevit]

i've used these amps for several projects and they work great.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=300-385

don't the small size fool you. they are plenty loud.

They run off 12vdc.

[WindDrake]

I'm using Soundstorm amps.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SOUNDSTORM-SSL-EV2200-200W-2-CH-CAR-AUDIO-AMPLIFIER-AMP-2-CHANNEL-EV2-200-/300905317263?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item460f5ac38f

That one in particular.

[gamepimp]

Thx for the suggestions guys!

[lilshawn]

give me up to 50 watts per speaker.

 I was thinking I might be able to use a car audio amp that would take 12volts from my computers PSU.

2x 50 watts (100 watts total) at 100% efficiency at 12 volts is 8 amps of draw. most amps are only about 80% efficient. so bump that up to about 10 amps. add into that that most 12 volt rails arent regulated and you will likely see somewhere in the neigborhood of 11 volts once you load it down... so throw in another ampere for a total of 11 amps.

You are going to have a tough time finding an acceptable power supply to feed it. i would also not run it off the same power supply as a computer regardless of how powerful the rail is. The voltage drops will play havoc on your system.

This is why home stereos amps have huge ass transformers in them. gives you lots of nice clean power.

check out local pawnshops and get yourself a nice  older hitachi amp. you'll get probably 250 watts and 4 channels for next to nothing. and because it's older, it would be easy to unsolder the volume pot and mount it someplace else like the back or side if you wish

[paigeoliver]

If you are going with some seriously powerful audio then keep the speakers outside of the cabinet, those vibrations are brutal on hard drives.

I have the amp off a set of $10 PC speakers wired up to a pair of 4" speakers in my main cabinet and I can't even begin to max that out without my wife telling me to turn it down.

[gryhnd]

Granted this is probably overkill for your purpose, but you can scan my juke thread for how I integrated a 400W car audio amp. You won't need the power and over engineering I put into it, but it should give you ideas on how to proceed.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,104021.msg1100839.html#msg1100839

[gamepimp]

Thx again all for the input!