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

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 14/12/2012 19:59, David WE Roberts wrote:
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.

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!)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 14/12/2012 23:48, John Rumm wrote:
On 14/12/2012 19:59, David WE Roberts wrote:
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.

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!)


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

Rob

RJH wrote:

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

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

Bill

In article ,
Bill Wright wrote:
Quite - and i'd guess you'd spend more than half your budget on
speakers that way.

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

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.

--
*(on a baby-size shirt) "Party -- my crib -- two a.m

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote...

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

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

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.


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)

On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:48:17 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

(take along your lashup jobbie!)

Eww.

"Grimly Curmudgeon" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 14 Dec 2012 23:48:17 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:

(take along your lashup jobbie!)

Eww.

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

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

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.

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

"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

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.

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.


Yep- that's the one.

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


--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")