Review on 🔊 Kinter MA170 12V 2 Channel Mini Digital Audio Power Amplifier for Car or MP3 - No Power Supply Included by Cody Nordlund

Very surprised! I've read a lot of bad reviews about Kinter products in general and this little amp in particular. I hesitated to order it, even at the ridiculously low price of ten dollars. First, it's a tiny amplifier. As big as a pack of cigarettes and just as light. So this isn't the kind of amp you need for the living room when entertaining or hosting a party. On the other hand, it's a great amp for background music, your study, office or home office. Perfect for your bedroom. For a garage. Seniors may find this amp more than powerful enough for their needs. I hooked up this Kinter amp to a 20 inch monitor that I don't need. I'm using an old LG DVD player as the music/video source. This LG connects wirelessly to our internet so I can enjoy Pandora, VUDU, YOUTUBE and NETFLIX as well as DVDs and CDs. Good enough for a home office (my little caveman lol). I now have a great sounding AV system for almost no cost. This tiny amp drives a pair of floorstanding speakers with two 6.5" woofers and a 1" soft dome tweeter. Sound? Surprisingly good. I've gone through several genres of music. I set BASS & TREBLE to the middle (flat). I hear a lot of musical details and nuances. The bass is full and extended. Vocals are clean. The stereo separation is excellent. I can't tell a sound. NO hum. NO static. WITHOUT distortion. WITHOUT pruning. Does NOT click when powered on. Just a faint pop when turned off. FYI: I am using an old power supply for this amp. From a smaller Insignia TV that was accidentally damaged. The power supply is rated for 12V DC at 5A, which is perfect for this little amp. I like high fidelity. I built high quality speakers to order. I have a low distortion Yamaha receiver in my living room. I have had many Hi-Fi components in my life. I can attest to the smooth, hi-fi sound quality of this little amp. Of course I don't let the amp play screamingly loud. But at moderate volume levels in a small home office, this Kinter amp belies its size and even more so its price. Many reviews describe this amp as not very well thought out. I do not agree. It wouldn't sound as good if it was so poorly constructed. Technically unsustainable. My ears tell me the sound quality is impressive. Many reviewers compare this amp to the legendary Lepai 2020 T-Amp and state that this amp is no less valuable. I disagree here too. The old Lepai amp was a wonderful piece of equipment. But they are long gone and are no longer produced. Most amps claiming to be similar to T-Amps pale in comparison to the original Lepai in both power output and audio bandwidth. This Kinter amp sounds really good for only $10. Many other so-called better, more powerful amps are now selling for $50 and up. They're not cheap anymore. And all sorts of cheaply sold fake junk from China is junk. They carry brands no one has ever heard of. No workers come (my personal experience). After all, Kinter has been around for a while. And, if I may say so myself, their quality seems to be steadily improving. Oh yeah. LEDs that change color around the volume knob. I honestly don't understand why all the complaints about it. The light is soft, not overly bright like many older mini amps, including the much-hyped Lepai 2020 (the very bright red LED ring around the volume knob was really annoying!). This LED gradually changes color. It's almost imperceptible. But it serves a purpose. You can tell the amp is on from across the room. Buy this amp and look for a decent 12VDC power supply (3A output or more in my opinion). Don't be afraid to hook up this little amp to a pair of larger floorstanding speakers. You may be pleasantly surprised. This amp will push large drivers at low to mid levels. If you have realistic expectations, this Kinter amp will not disappoint. Highly recommended