Crazy Cheap Amps Make it Easy to be an Audiophile!

Cheap Chinese amps are here to stay and It's Making Everything Better... stop crying! These amps have changed the industry forever!

[turbomustang]

My living room is only slightly bigger than a couple of phone booths So my Aiyima amps are enough to scare the neighbors.

[editorjuno]

Some personal testimony about the reliability of decent TPA3255 "chip amps": I bought a pair of Aiyima A07s four(!) years ago and they still perform flawlessly after running them on 48VDC pretty nearly 24/7 for most of those years. The TPA3255 is a revolutionary device in terms of price/performance ratio for audio amplification and, in its latest incarnations -- like the Fosi V3 Mono -- it can deliver all the quiet, low-distortion power most home stereo systems will ever need.

[aartvermeire]

A few months ago, after 3 years, I’ve sold my PS Audio Sprout 100 and bought me an older Rotel RA10. Waw, finally found the sound I love! (Found back the sound I remember from my youth, I’m 61.) And Andy, I love your specific approach of all things hifi! Thanks also for the humour.

[johnd]

Love your channel! I purchased the SMSL AO200 and DO200 MKII last year, and they are hooked up to Q Acoustic Concept 20 speakers that I purchased for $250, and the Jamo 10” sub. I can easily get clean sound at 100 decibels (6 feet away) using a Cayin CD player and it sounds clear and controlled. I usually listen between 70 and 84 decibels, but it will crank without any noticeable distortion. For my home theater, I am running a Yamaha Aventage A8A and Emotiva BasX 3 with Monitor Audio speakers, so I have a higher-end reference when it comes to power, speakers, and DAC.

[aeon]

Keep doing what you're doing, I'm getting into this thing because you made it so fun and exciting about hifi stuff, in a kind of funny way.

[atomnetton]

I picked up an Aiyima T9 pro on your recommendation for £50 on eBay, upgraded the tubes and bought some speakers from a retro store near me that turned out to be Wharfdale Diamond mk1s, made in England in 1982. I've thrown in an old raspberry pi with ropieexl for Spotify streaming via DAC. For under £100 all in I have the best home audio I've had in years and I'm rediscovering music again, I can't get enough of it.

These amps are pretty amazing, just having affordable but good home hifi again for the first time in 20+ years is wonderful.

[jeffreymoorbeck]

Agree with you Randy. Also, love the Triumph T-shirt.

[chrisveltman]

Randy, thanks for entertaining us. You seem to be a good person who is just trying to figure out what brings you joy. And it has been fun witnessing your journey (that’s why I’ve watched so much)!

Ironically, this channel has taught me an important hifi lesson, “I’m too poor to buy cheap hifi.” All the ‘cheap’ stuff I’ve bought (based on recommendations from this channel) has either been bad, gone to a thrift store, or ended up in the trash.

You get what you pay for, hifi is no exception. Except for friendship, I’m never paying a dime for true friends.

[Fidelity_Sound]

Great video!!! I do have a bunch of aiyima gear as well as SMSL. I’m running the ao7 pro max in mono, and they are good for what they are. However, they will not be replacing my Yamaha a-s2200. Part of this hobby for me is looks. I need my gear to look good as well. lol. But these class d amps are great!! My Willsenton R8 is one of the best sounding amps with my speakers that I have ever heard. It also looks and feels great. Another thing I do. When I spend a decent amount for a ChiFi product from Amazon, I add the protection plans. They are totally worth it and have saved me a couple of times.

[davidmmontgomery]

I started with a Fosi V3 and a pair of Q Acoustics 3010is. Not even a year later I've upgraded to the Wharfedale Lintons. Expensive hobby, but I'm enjoying it.

[kittykatking]

All I can say is, thank you. You introduced me to aiyima a07. You then showed me how to change the op amps. In two years I have gone from, I hope it sounds OK, to one of the best systems I have ever heard. My music surrounds me to about 190 degrees, song dependant of course. It's depth puts the back of the orchestra 15 feet through the wall into my backyard. Height wasn't a thing, now the music flows freely around the room. Nothing I've ever owned gave me that before. I love this trip through hifi. So far, 500 bucks, lol.

[tmdillon]

Randy is right on 100% here. I'll add two things. First, if you're into 2 channels over home theater I think the sound on the Fosi and probably others absolutely destroys what they're selling at Best Buy for quite a bit more. To me, a $500 to $600 HT receiver from there has maybe $50 worth of parts and the rest goes to all the levels of distribution, advertising, shareholders, etc. I have a $750 Yamaha HT receiver and in 2-channel mode, my V3 sounds better. I think that means that someone can put more money into their turntable, DAC, etc. rather than pay for a poorly built big-name big box receiver. Secondly, there is a lot of gatekeeping in the audiophile world, and that spills into ChiFi. I have components from several higher-end manufacturers and I'm in those FB groups and they are an extremely insular community. They don't even like high-end outsiders like Devon Turnbull even if his stuff sounds utterly amazing. John Devore did a whole video on that aspect of audiophilia. There are guys, and yes it's always guys, who won't consider any class D amp no matter the maker. Even the ones that cost 5 figures because their mind will only lump them with disposable Pyle products. Thanks again Randy for running the best hi-fi channel on YouTube.

[edwardkane]

Thanks to CheapAudioMan, I’ve purchased three Aiyima T-9’s for three separate systems. I am so happy with these little amps. I use a T-9 to drive my 2.1 video system with B&W 683 tower speakers and LOVE the theater-like sound. And, my spouse loves the sound, too. Bonus points.

[KajottR]

Another great video! Thank you very much! You can also get good AB amplifiers for little money. I'm thinking of Rega io, for example. 4 months old second hand for 340€. It's based on the circuit from John Linsley Hood 1969 (Class A sound), made entirely in Great Britain with the best components, 2 x 30 watts, more than sufficient for 8 Ohm speakers. I sold my Accuphase E-211 for it and don't miss a thing. I also replaced the fine-wire fuse with an audiophile one, which was a big improvement. Greetings from Bavaria (Aschaffenburg)😁

[bergnercast]

Thank you for another great video Randy! Preach brother, I am the middle age person you describe. Your video on the reisong a10 got me started again using the link in your video to buy it and i love it daily and tube roll... and yes, now I am down the rabbit hole, went to Axpona and saw your presentation etc. And yes, I want more traditional high end stuff now dammit. 😂

Ps. Minor edit at 5:51 it shows the cambridge but I believe it should show the yamaha. Anyway, thanks for what u do!

Ps2.. wharfedale 12.2 and paris a10 classic are on the dream board now.

[adsph]

First off Randy you are smart. Darko is too. You have influenced me to purchase a SMSL SU-1 and a Fosi BT 20 A Pro. Great value products. Had the Fosi running my 5 K Bryston loudspeakers to 95 db +. Sounded good enough that my wife said why did you spend big money on a Hegel. All the best Randy.

[billdoran]

Thanks Randy! As always, great stuff. I am currently using 3 modded (Sparkos OP amps) ZA3's to power L/R/C Klipsch RP600's, and Emotiva BasX amps powering DefTech ProMonitors 1000's for surrounds. I also have an Outlaw 2220 monoblock that isn't plugged in. I know what you're thinking. "How could you have an idle A/B monoblock sitting doing nothing when you have a crappy class D amp powering your CC?" Well, I'll tell you why. It sounds better to me. Period. It may not sound better to you, but it does to me. Will it last as long as an Outlaw? We'll see. But for now, the ZA3's are singing quite nicely.

[michaelwright]

These cheap amps are one of the best things that have happened in years for the audio community. Driving a pair of Magnepans with a single ZA3, and it sounds good, and does not even get warm. I hope the rest of the industry is listening.

[JR-iejc]

Cheap class d amplifiers have changed my life contrary to what you say in that now I can justify having a stereo in every room and they are a pleasure listen to without breaking the bank. AND fact that you wearing a Triumph motorcycle shirt has just elevated your status. I love my Tiger 1050

[raddad]

Good morning Randy☕️☕️☕️, at 62yrs I’ve dug out / dusted off my old Pioneer VSX 5400 system. After a 25+ year absence wanting to jump back in, not knowing whats out there in the universe of HiFi and should I go with a NOS (?) TurnTable and Speakers or something new. I haven’t made those decisions yet as I’m having as much fun in the discovery faze of what’s out there and the “ who’s, who in this zoo”. I’ve binged watched most of your vids which has sent me down many rabbit holes. I will say that with all this information it’s becoming more and more difficult to Mack a decision, so it might just come down to the tried and true “ rock-paper-scissors” method of choice, either way I win. Thanks for the knowledge and entertainment packaged together. Love it and your channel.
Blessing to you my YT friend.
BTW, my wife of 37 years says you’ve got a sexy voice, sounding like Magnum PI. may want to though in a few “ Higgens” easter eggs for those of us who remember the good ol days.