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Post by AudioHTIT on May 4, 2021 10:31:07 GMT -5
I’m looking for a ‘simple’ Class D stereo integrated amp to use with my guitar system. I want Class D for lower weight, smaller size, less power consumption, and less heat; I see a fair number of traditional AB integrateds, but few D’s.
By ‘simple’ I mean I don’t need a lot of features:
* Volume & Tone Controls (bass & treble)
* Around 50 Watts per channel
* Two pair of analog unbalanced inputs
* Banana style outputs
Optional
* USB Input (nice to have)
* Coax or TOSLink S/PDIF Input (meh)
* SpeakON or 1/4” TS phone outputs (yeah, right)
I don’t need phono, tuner, displays, or other premium features — fans are a non starter. I’ll also be driving it with the stereo output of my foot pedal and/or mixer, so I don’t need a high gain / high impedance input that a guitar would typically plug directly into. I don’t want ‘monoblocks’, Vox makes a mono amp similar to what I’m describing, but it needs to be stereo. I also don’t need the amp to be part of the instrument, that is, most guitar amps are desirable because of their sound (usually tubes), in this case however the ‘sound’ (timbre, tone) will be created by the guitar and effects pedal, so the amp can be clean and flat, I don’t plan on overdriving it. I don’t have a price range, but it seems like something that should sell for maybe $500, $1000 seems high and it probably has too much baggage.
Anyone seen an amp like this?
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Post by MusicHead on May 4, 2021 10:50:07 GMT -5
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Post by MusicHead on May 4, 2021 11:01:26 GMT -5
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 4, 2021 11:49:38 GMT -5
Hey, nice finds MusicHead ! For $50 I have to try the Pyle as it has the extra analog and USB (the foot pedal also has a USB output, though I’ve only used it for recording), even if it’s not perfect it will give me an idea what I might want different. The NAD is nice, though for that price I’d probably want USB, but certainly good product and probably sounds great. Thanks for the suggestions! (I probably should add headphone output to the list). |
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Post by MusicHead on May 4, 2021 13:38:12 GMT -5
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 4, 2021 16:21:51 GMT -5
You are welcome. Check on the USB, though, it is not clear to me if it is actually an input or just for charging. … I think you’re right, on another model it says the USB is for charging, thinking more about it I doubt I’d use it. I think I’m going to start very basic and do a proof of concept, this model just has a single pair of line inputs, Bluetooth, and banana outs; it should give me a better idea what I really need or want. At $50 it’s a cheap experiment. The SVS and NAD look very nice, maybe I’ll end up with one of those. Thanks again for putting me on to these, btw, what’s the guitar in your profile pic? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTG73J3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3PAV43I12A2F0&psc=1 |
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Post by MusicHead on May 4, 2021 21:43:18 GMT -5
You are welcome. Check on the USB, though, it is not clear to me if it is actually an input or just for charging. … I think you’re right, on another model it says the USB is for charging, thinking more about it I doubt I’d use it. I think I’m going to start very basic and do a proof of concept, this model just has a single pair of line inputs, Bluetooth, and banana outs; it should give me a better idea what I really need or want. At $50 it’s a cheap experiment. The SVS and NAD look very nice, maybe I’ll end up with one of those. Thanks again for putting me on to these, btw, what’s the guitar in your profile pic? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTG73J3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3PAV43I12A2F0&psc=1The Pyle looks very similar to the Fosi I had found. $50 is definitely worth the experiment. The guitar is an Epiphone SG Prophecy Custom EX. Gorgeous black patterned finish, with EMG 81/85 pickups. My oldest daughter saved money and purchased it when she was a teenager, about 10 years ago. Now she is married and took it with her. She can shred how you would not believe it 🤟🏻. Luckily, between myself and youngest son we still have plenty of guitars (and two basses) at home. Just few weeks ago the boy got a Fender Stratocaster Limited Edition with HSS pickups. He works part time and "invests" part of his money in musical instruments. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 4, 2021 22:56:53 GMT -5
I think you’re right, on another model it says the USB is for charging, thinking more about it I doubt I’d use it. I think I’m going to start very basic and do a proof of concept, this model just has a single pair of line inputs, Bluetooth, and banana outs; it should give me a better idea what I really need or want. At $50 it’s a cheap experiment. The SVS and NAD look very nice, maybe I’ll end up with one of those. Thanks again for putting me on to these, btw, what’s the guitar in your profile pic? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTG73J3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3PAV43I12A2F0&psc=1The Pyle looks very similar to the Fosi I had found. $50 is definitely worth the experiment. The guitar is an Epiphone SG Prophecy Custom EX. Gorgeous black patterned finish, with EMG 81/85 pickups. My oldest daughter saved money and purchased it when she was a teenager, about 10 years ago. Now she is married and took it with her. She can shred how you would not believe it 🤟🏻. Luckily, between myself and youngest son we still have plenty of guitars (and two basses) at home. Just few weeks ago the boy got a Fender Stratocaster Limited Edition with HSS pickups. He works part time and "invests" part of his money in musical instruments. You’re right, I forgot about the Fosi which looks a bit nicer, but already ordered the Pyle which should be close. I have several guitars myself, including a 65 Strat I bought new when I was in the 8th grade, it’s my fave but looking at a MIM player Strat in the new Fender Vintera series, a second bass as well. Really been hoping to find a nice used Gibson 335 w/Bigsby, but have only seen a couple pricy ones. Sounds like guitaring is a family affair for you. 🙂 |
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Post by MusicHead on May 5, 2021 8:16:43 GMT -5
The Pyle looks very similar to the Fosi I had found. $50 is definitely worth the experiment. The guitar is an Epiphone SG Prophecy Custom EX. Gorgeous black patterned finish, with EMG 81/85 pickups. My oldest daughter saved money and purchased it when she was a teenager, about 10 years ago. Now she is married and took it with her. She can shred how you would not believe it 🤟🏻. Luckily, between myself and youngest son we still have plenty of guitars (and two basses) at home. Just few weeks ago the boy got a Fender Stratocaster Limited Edition with HSS pickups. He works part time and "invests" part of his money in musical instruments. You’re right, I forgot about the Fosi which looks a bit nicer, but already ordered the Pyle which should be close. I have several guitars myself, including a 65 Strat I bought new when I was in the 8th grade, it’s my fave but looking at a MIM player Strat in the new Fender Vintera series, a second bass as well. Really been hoping to find a nice used Gibson 335 w/Bigsby, but have only seen a couple pricy ones. Sounds like guitaring is a family affair for you. 🙂 I bet the boards in the Pyle and Fosi are the same, it must be one of those ODM designs sold under different brands. Please do report how it sounds! As for the guitars and instruments in general, you got a very nice bunch of instruments there. The Strat my son got is a MIM of the Player series, pretty good for the price. Never had a semi-hollow guitars, perhaps our next purchase??? The Gibson 335 looks sweet! All of my three kids started to take piano lesson as five years old. My oldest daughter and youngest son are the family musicians, they have an incredible talent for it and play multiple instruments. I taught both of them the basics of guitar playing in their early teenage years and from then they left me in the dust  . In addition to the Strat and the two basses, we have a Telecaster, a Starcaster, two Acoustic Electric (6 and 12 string), two ukuleles and a very old (35yr+) classical guitar, Italian made. On top of that: a drum set, a MIDI pad controller, a synth, a keyboard, a piano, two violins and a viola and of course a bunch of amps, microphones, cables, MIDI and PC interfaces and all sort of music-related software... If I had a spare room I could set up a recording studio!  |
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Post by JKCashin on May 5, 2021 15:26:29 GMT -5
I have the Fosi BT20A and find its gain is a little too high.... audio from my computer through my standaline monoprice DAC needs to be a about 70% or I will get distortion.
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Post by housetech on May 22, 2021 16:33:07 GMT -5
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Post by leonski on May 28, 2021 0:37:36 GMT -5
You could DIY something using a pair of the PA-1 amps....not unfortunately discontinued.
Use a passive input level control....
But NO tone controls unless you get some kind of preamp? that's the kicker, here.
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Post by leonski on May 29, 2021 21:27:46 GMT -5
Several years ago ONKYO made a class 'D' integrated which meets ALL your needs but no internal DAC section. Many favorabble reviews and even stereophile liked it@ A9555 www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/907onk/index.htmlMight be available on the used market.... |
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 30, 2021 0:16:42 GMT -5
No monoblocks, no kits, didn’t realize there were so many inexpensive options, I bought this Pyle MusicHead put me on to above: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BTG73J3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3PAV43I12A2F0&psc=1It pretty much does what I want, but as I wring out this configuration I might figure out something different, a cheap experiment. Here’s a photo, the integrated is the little box sitting on the left side of the Bandmaster. The guitar signal goes into the Bandmaster and back out the parallel input, then to the foot pedal input, out the stereo outs and into the Pyle, and from there to my twin JBL D-131 cabinets (one seen underneath, I built them in 1970). Another unusual part of the setup is that the Bandmaster has a pair of 8” Jensens built in, so I get mono ‘dry’ guitar sound, and stereo effects in parallel.  |
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Post by MusicHead on May 30, 2021 7:39:05 GMT -5
Sweet setup you got there. Really digging that Boss multi-effect board 😃.
How does the little Pyle sound in this application?
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 30, 2021 10:18:10 GMT -5
Sweet setup you got there. Really digging that Boss multi-effect board 😃. How does the little Pyle sound in this application? It sounds pretty good, though using the 2nd BMR input to drive the Boss cuts the gain quite a bit. I need to spend more time with it, but outdoor projects are keeping me busy and wearing me out. I’ve only tried the Strat so far, need to try the rest of these guys, stay tuned! (ha, guitar pun 😁)  |
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Post by MusicHead on May 30, 2021 11:13:27 GMT -5
Sweet setup you got there. Really digging that Boss multi-effect board 😃. How does the little Pyle sound in this application? It sounds pretty good, though using the 2nd BMR input to drive the Boss cuts the gain quite a bit. I need to spend more time with it, but outdoor projects are keeping me busy and wearing me out. I’ve only tried the Strat so far, need to try the rest of these guys, stay tuned! (ha, guitar pun 😁) View AttachmentI hear you, better not get high strung about it 😂. Silly puns aside, look at all those beauties on the wall. And I thought we had too many guitars! (Although, really, there ISN'T such a thing as "too many guitars"...) |
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Post by AudioHTIT on May 30, 2021 11:49:55 GMT -5
It sounds pretty good, though using the 2nd BMR input to drive the Boss cuts the gain quite a bit. I need to spend more time with it, but outdoor projects are keeping me busy and wearing me out. I’ve only tried the Strat so far, need to try the rest of these guys, stay tuned! (ha, guitar pun 😁) View AttachmentI hear you, better not get high strung about it 😂. Silly puns aside, look at all those beauties on the wall. And I thought we had too many guitars! (Although, really, there ISN'T such a thing as "too many guitars"...) Ha, good one! 😆 and thanks! Always room for one more 🎸 Here are the acoustics, less a Taylor that’s downstairs.  … and this sums up guitar quantity pretty well … 😁  |
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Post by Zombie on May 30, 2021 12:05:25 GMT -5
I hear you, better not get high strung about it 😂. Silly puns aside, look at all those beauties on the wall. And I thought we had too many guitars! (Although, really, there ISN'T such a thing as "too many guitars"...) Ha, good one! 😆 and thanks! Always room for one more 🎸 Here are the acoustics, less a Taylor that’s downstairs. View Attachment… and this sums up guitar quantity pretty well … 😁 View AttachmentWhile I play drums, I’ve got a bunch of signed guitars hanging in my loft. Unfortunately, a few years ago my other house in AZ got burglarized and had five signed guitars stolen. They’ve never been recovered. 😠 |
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Post by MusicHead on May 30, 2021 20:11:08 GMT -5
Ha, good one! 😆 and thanks! Always room for one more 🎸 Here are the acoustics, less a Taylor that’s downstairs. View Attachment… and this sums up guitar quantity pretty well … 😁 View AttachmentWhile I play drums, I’ve got a bunch of signed guitars hanging in my loft. Unfortunately, a few years ago my other house in AZ got burglarized and had five signed guitars stolen. They’ve never been recovered. 😠 Yikes!! So sorry about that. Never happened to me and hope it will never happen. The thought of someone invading my home and stealing my stuff would turn my stomach inside out. Nice drum set in your avatar. My son has a Pearl set with Zildjian cymbals. |
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. In addition to the Strat and the two basses, we have a Telecaster, a Starcaster, two Acoustic Electric (6 and 12 string), two ukuleles and a very old (35yr+) classical guitar, Italian made. On top of that: a drum set, a MIDI pad controller, a synth, a keyboard, a piano, two violins and a viola and of course a bunch of amps, microphones, cables, MIDI and PC interfaces and all sort of music-related software... If I had a spare room I could set up a recording studio! 
