good looks

amp specs not true

garbage pure garbage.in my system there were 3 amp ones.my friend is an electrical engineer/he tested all the rated specs of all 3 using top of the line test equipment only to find that they are not genuine.power meters were not accurate,distortion level ratings were not true,they all ran hot even with adequate ventilation,power meter lights blew out 2 times on all 3!!!!!!!!cheap and hard to get to rear speaker terminals,power meter lights tend to pulse with the amp up loud.bottom line......untrue specs/absolutly filthy output transisters,garbage amps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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several different amps over the years

Price

It clips and cuts off pushing my DVC 12 in bridged mode

Good for stereo but I don't like it as a sub amp.

Clean sound, excellent soundstaging, adequate power (using 4 ohm speakers), VU meters

Heats up significantly after heavy use, unreliable VU meters, cheap connections

I purchased this amp used from Ebay to go with my low-cost sound system using Adire Kit281s (DIY speakers). I have not used any other amplifiers with them, but I have not noticed any faults with it. I've tested it up to pretty insane volume levels (at which the VU meter says about 6 watts).

First, one of my VU meters is a bit unreliable, it tends to get 'stuck' above 0.2 watts. The lights also flicker during loud passages. I know they're very cheaply built, but they're just a gimmick (a very cool one at that) and it's not that important. My money paid for the sound, not the VU meters.

The sound is excellent, very natural sounding. Music retains its 'brilliance' and soundstaging even at low levels, but sounds much more clear and well-seperated when cranked to a significant volume (near halfway). I have noticed some harshness, but I assume it is due to my speakers still breaking in (others who have my speakers have also agreed they are harsh before break-in).

I apologize for not being able to seperate the characteristics of the amplifier from my speakers, but this is not a large investment and it works perfectly. I'm very happy with it.

While some parts of it may be cheaply built, and the VU meters are unreliable, this amplifier provides very good sound quality with ample power, on a budget. I recommend it for a low-cost stereo system which may not even need a preamplifier (I don't have one, I connect it directly to a Denon DCD-1520 CD player).

System:
Audiosource Amp One (1994)
Denon DCD-1520 (1989)
Adire Kit281V (new, DIY)
Cheap homemade cables

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None

Clean sound. Price. Bridgeabliity.

Bass output could be better

I bought the Amp one/A to use with a yamaha c-60 preamp i picked up on ebay, until I have enough money saved up to get a new B&K. For the price, I don't think there is a better amp out there in this range. Suprisingly very clean sounding for a lower cost amp. I'd recommend it to those who want good sound, with a budget to keep

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Old Pioneer amp.

Lots of RMS power

really have to turn the volume knobs up, no bass or treb settings. Gets very hot when bridged and played for a long time at high volumes.

Very clean amp! I use it bridged into my 12" subwoofer for my 2ch system. 2 ohm stable and rocks pretty loud and clear. Once in a while you will notice the power light dim at high volumes bridged but other than that, I love it. I actually traded an AMD K-5 133mhz computer I built from scrap to a guy that owned an audio store, brand new with warranty. You really have to watch this amp though, I haven't had it kick off yet but you can really start to smell the amp heating up inside, I am on the quest of finding a way to rig up a cooling fan for it. Thanks for reading my review. -Jack

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Sansui Integrated

2 gains on the front for direct use with source component

Will not crank out the heavy metal or other demanding program material at high volumes.

I was not in the market for an amp, but I could not pass the Audio Source Amp1 at the price that was being asked. Call me a sucker for a bargin, but this amp was not a bad purchase by any strech. I am using it with my computer and a set of Paradigm Titans and it preforms nicely at moderate volumes, but tends to run out of juice when you crank it up past 6 watts or so. It was rated at 80 watts rms, but my PA2100 which is rated at 65 watts rms has much more punch. I would guess that is has to do with the small power supply and filter caps. The meters on the front are a nice touch and a red area starting at 60 watts lets you know when you are cliping the amp, which is not all that hard to do with this amp. Thruth be told this amp sounds great at low volumes, but it might fail some listeners who love it loud. This is not a refference piece by any means, but none the less if you can pick one up for less than 200 dollars, do it.

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A few in my day.

small size, gain adjustments in front

for the price--none at all!

For all the years I've been involved in audio, my equipment list has been a revolving door. There are always good deals out there and I've found myself constantly buying and selling. The Audiosource Amp1 has been the one constant in my system. I just recently bought a used pair of B&W 801's and have been shopping around for an amp. In the meantime, I've been using the 80watt Audiource to power the 801'a and they've done a great job. Nevertheless, I just keep telling myself I need more power thinking the 801's need gobs of power to truly hear them at their best. Therefore, I took home a Rotel 991 amp to demo the other night. The Rotel is rated at 200watts per channel. The Rotel obviously played louder, but I was testing at volume levels I never listen to. At the volume level I prefer--which is still very loud--I preferred the Audiosource. It never has run out of gas and truly emits great sound.

I do believe you must hook it up to a good preamp. I tried the CD direct and was disappointed, but it is a wonderful stereo amp with lost of flexibility. I don't want to give people the wrong impression. It won't compete against a high-end tube amp, but it will compete against any solid state amp around the $1000 price range. I cannot think of a better bargain in all of audio than the Audiosource Amp1 or Amp 2 or even the Amp3.

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Rotal, Parasound, VTL

Low THD, stable into 2 ohms, Inexpensive

hmm. I can't list any at the moment. . .

It's kind of odd that this amp currently only has 4 out of 5 stars when the Audio Source Amp 2 has a 4.92 out of 5 rating. These two amps are EXACTLY the same amp, less a direct CD input and a few frilly things. Also I haven't seen the Amp One with meters on it. Mine doesn't have any meters. Maybe there are different versions of it. Anyway, this power amp is a heck of a product for $225. Sounds really nice and doesn't take up too much space. I don't think I can find anything under $1000 that would sound better than the Amp One.

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adcom and harmon kardon

Low THD, stable into 2 ohms, Inexpensive

hmm. I can't list any at the moment. . .

It's kind of odd that this amp currently only has 4 out of 5 stars when the Audio Source Amp 2 has a 4.92 out of 5 rating. These two amps are EXACTLY the same amp, less a direct CD input and a few frilly things. Also I haven't seen the Amp One with meters on it. Mine doesn't have any meters. Maybe there are different versions of it. Anyway, this power amp is a heck of a product for $225. Sounds really nice and doesn't take up too much space. I don't think I can find anything under $1000 that would sound better than the Amp One.

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adcom and harmon kardon

After reading a recommendation on the goodsound web page: http://www.goodsound.com/other.html
I bought a used AmpOne for about $150 to replace a Denon integrated amp. I use it to drive two pairs of speakers in seperate rooms (thus eliminating a Niles speaker switch also).
I immediately kicked myself for having lived with the Denon for so long without trying something new! I used to get a headache after listening with the volume turned anywhere higher than normal conversation - even without the impedance correction of the speaker selector. The AmpOne has a much smoother and deeper sound that makes you want to turn up the volume to catch the extra detail in the music. No more listening fatigue!
Most people seem to get these amps for home theater, but for music it sure beats the mass market stuff out there - for a better price! I give it 5 stars due to the price/performance. I can't say that this will hold for folks with better gear though. . .