By BHT Staff
January 2021
If you’re in the market for an inexpensive speaker amplifier, you’ve come to the right place.
Judging by the number of products and the frequency of release of new product, it’s a hot market segment these days. It’s easy to see why. Enabled by the advent of inexpensive digital amplifiers and their relatively tiny footprint, these little dynamos are replacing full-size receivers and integrated amps. Suddenly, it’s possible to have dynamic, full-range sound in a small speaker setup, with a 2-channel amp at the heart of it, sitting on a nightstand or next to a PC on a desktop.
Best Cheap Integrated Amp
Pyle Compact Bluetooth Stereo Amplifier
Best Cheap USB Amp
Nobsound Mini Bluetooth Power Amplifier
Best Entry-level Speaker Amp
Fosi TB10A 2-Channel Stereo Audio Amplifier Receiver
Best Basic Bluetooth Amp
Fosi BT20A Bluetooth 5.0 Stereo Audio 2 Channel Amplifier
Best Inexpensive Audiophile Amp
Kinter K2020A+ Limited Edition Original Tripath TA2020-020 Amplifier
Best Affordable Tube Amp
Dayton Audio HTA20BT Hybrid Stereo Tube Amplifier
Guide to Using Small Affordable Speaker Amps
The potential range of uses for these tiny amps is wide and varied.
- Desktop speaker system connected to a PC via USB
- Small bedroom system with bookshelf-sized speakers
- DIY applications, such as speaker building and testing
- Home music studio
- Small 2-channel home theater system
- An office system fed by mobile device connected via Bluetooth
Strictly speaking, all these amplifiers are integrated amplifiers, meaning they accept an input source or sources — such as a Bluetooth signal, a CD player, or a PC connected via USB — and add gain to the signal in order to drive a pair of unpowered speakers.
If you’re looking for an amplifier to drive a set of powered speakers, you need to look for an affordable preamp. None of the amplifiers in this ranking will be suitable, as none of them has line-level outputs. All the amplifiers in this ranking have speaker wire terminals as outputs. You connect one end of the speaker wires to the amplifier’s speaker wire binding posts (or in some cases, spring clip terminals), and the other ends to the terminals on the back of your speakers, making sure to match left and right, and the (+) and (-) terminals from the amp to the speaker.
If you want to connect a PC, Mac, or laptop, you want an amplifier with a USB input. There are many such examples in this ranking.
If you want to stream music from your smart phone or laptop, look for an amplifier with Bluetooth. Bluetooth 5.0 in particular supports higher data transfer rates, which can mean higher audio quality.
If you want to connect a CD player or turntable with line-level outputs, look for an amplifier with RCA inputs. Most of the amplifiers in this ranking have RCA inputs.
If you want to be able to connect your headphones or earbuds, look for an amplifier with a headphone jack.
If you want to be able to customize the sound, look for a basic amplifier with tone controls.
If you want to be able to control the amp from across the room, you need an amplifier with a remote control or support for an app.
An integrated amplifier with build-in FM (or AM/FM) tuner is typically referred to as an audio receiver. or simply a receiver. These is one such example in this ranking. When other products use the term “receiver,” they’re often referring to a built-in bluetooth receiver.
About this Ranking
For this ranking, we chose the most highly-rated home stereo amps under $120 (most are well under $100, with a few coming in under $50), and we tried to select amps from a variety of manufacturers and products offering a range of features. Note that many of these affordable 2-channel amps are marketed under a variety of brand names. Models found under the names Fosi, Pyle, and Dayton Audio, however, tend to be unique to those brands. It’s worth doing your homework to find the feature set you desire in an inexpensive stereo amplifier.
To be honest, there are some amazing features to be found even at this cheap price point – features like Bluetooth 5.0, subwoofer line outputs, headphone jacks, and tube preamp sections. A few offer a remote control and/or control via app. Many of these amps offer USB inputs, making them a superb choice for a quality-sounding and inexpensive two-channel system connected to a PC or laptop.
1. Pyle Compact Bluetooth Stereo Amplifier – Desktop Audio Power Amp Receiver with FM Radio, MP3/USB/SD Readers, Digital LCD Display
Returning in our #1 spot, the Pyle is a do-it-all cheap 2-channel amp, and it’s the only stereo amp in this ranking that offers mic inputs (two 1/4″ microphone jacks) and control via app. It has a staggering number of inputs, as it allows you to play your music via conventional stereo RCA inputs, USB, SD card, or 3.5mm auxiliary input. There’s no subwoofer output and no headphone jack. But this model has so many options for expansion. I could easily see it being the heart of a satisfying and small desktop computer audio system, with lots of room to grow and play.
User comments:
“Solid sound quality for the price, easy installation, multiple inputs, plenty of features to try, great looking display.”
“This thing is unbelievable.”
Price: $60
Model: PDA6BU.5
Inputs: (7) two RCA, two 1/4″ microphone; USB, SD card, 3.5mm aux
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
Tone controls: Bass and Treble
Headphone jack: No
Remote: Yes
App: Yes
Output: 200 watts total
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: March 14, 2019
2. Fosi Audio 2 Channel Stereo Audio Amplifier Receiver Mini Hi-Fi Class D Integrated Amp 2.0CH for Home Speakers 100W x 2 with Bass and Treble Control
This is a bare-bones, powerful, and affordable 2-channel amp. It’s one of only two in this ranking (the other is a Fosi as well) that publishes output power for 4- and 6-ohm speakers, something you’ll want to consider if your speakers’ impedance rating is lower than 8 ohms (and many are). For $70 you get bass and treble tone controls, stereo RCA inputs (no USB or Bluetooth), and a solid user rating.
User comments:
“Great amplifier if you’re looking for small and unobtrusive with a ton of sound!”
“So impressed I bought a second one.”
Price: $70
Model: TB10A
Inputs: Stereo RCA
DAC: No
Bluetooth: No
Tone controls: Bass and Treble
Headphone jack: No
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 100 WPC @ 4 ohms; 200 WPC @ 6 ohms; 300 WPC @ 8 ohms
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: October 22, 2017
3. Fosi BT20A Bluetooth 5.0 Stereo Audio 2 Channel Amplifier Receiver Mini Hi-Fi Class D Integrated Amp 2.0CH for Home Speakers 100W x 2 with Bass and Treble Control
This one’s similar to the TB10A, but for $10 more, you get Bluetooth 5.0. Unlike many in this ranking of small speaker amps, it doesn’t offer a USB input. But Bluetooth 5.0 offers such an improvement in audio quality over earlier versions of Bluetooth, that if your measure is largely sound quality, you may opt for Bluetooth and not even bother with USB connections any longer. If you’re like me, and often feel like you’re in hard-wired hell, the evolution toward wireless could be a welcome thing.
User comments:
“The sound coming out of this greatly exceeded my expectations.”
“This amp makes my speakers sound better than my Onkyo amp.”
Price: $80
Model: TPA3116 / BT20A
Inputs: One (stereo RCA jacks)
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
Tone controls: Bass and Treble
Headphone jack: No
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 100 WPC @ 4 ohms; 200 WPC @ 6 ohms; 300 WPC @ 8 ohms
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: March 26, 2018
4. Nobsound Mini Bluetooth Power Amplifier; Stereo Hi-Fi Digital Amp 2.0 Channel 50W×2 with AUX/USB/Bluetooth Input; Wireless Audio Receiver
The Fosi BT20A barely nudged this one out of the #3 spot in our ranking of inexpensive stereo amplifiers, due to its lack of tone controls. But in many ways, it’s a toss-up. The Nobosound NS-01G Pro offers RCA aux, USB input, and Bluetooth 5.0, whereas the Fosi does not. Both received user ratings of 4.5. The Fosi is about a year newer. But at $36, you could hardly go wrong with the Nobosound NS-01G Pro.
User comments:
“I use this to drive some 160W Pioneer reflex loudspeakers and it does a good job.”
“Stunning, amazing sound and performance for the price.”
Price: $36
Model: NS-01G Pro
Inputs: Bluetooth 5.0, USB
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
Tone controls: No
Headphone jack: No
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 50 WPC
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: April 11, 2017
5. Nobsound 100W Mini Bluetooth 5.0 Power Amplifier Hi-Fi Stereo Class D Audio Amp 2.0 Channel Wireless Receiver and Lossless Music Player
In our ranking of cheap amplifiers for home use, we gave the Nobosound NS-01G Pro (#4, above) an edge over this one, the Douk Audio SE, due to its slightly lower price. But if you want a cheap stereo amp that supports U-disk/TF card, this is the one to choose, as it’s the only in the ranking that does so. And it’s housed in a great-looking chassis, to boot.
User comments:
“I needed a small, easy to hide amplifier to run a set of rock speakers for a hideaway backyard movie theater project.”
“I was highly skeptical of this mini powerhouse. But figured what the heck, for $50 I’ll give it a shot. Boy, was I surprised.”
Price: $47
Model: Douk Audio SE
Inputs: Bluetooth 5.0, USB, Aux (3.5mm stereo jack), Aux (stereo RCA), U-disk/TF card Supporting Format: MP3, WAV, APE, FLAC
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 5.0
Tone controls: No
Headphone jack: No
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 50 WPC @ 4 ohms
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: April 11, 2017
6. Kinter K2020A+ Limited Edition Original Tripath TA2020-020 Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier
This cheap speaker amp offers tone controls but no Bluetooth. But then again, it’s the only class-T amp in this ranking, sporting the highly-regarded (now discontinued) Tripath TA2020-02 chipset. It’s certainly one of the smallest speaker amps in our roundup, at a mere 4.72 x 5.79 x 1.65 inches. It’s also one of the few that offers cheaper spring-clip terminals, as compared to others like the Fosi and Nobosound, which offer the typically more solid binding posts. But at this price point, it’s hard to be too picky about that.
User comments:
“The imagining and soundstage this little unit … simply amazing!
“Better than the original LP2020A+.”
Price: $45
Model: K2020A+
Inputs: Stereo RCA, 3.5mm mp3
Built-in DAC: No
Bluetooth: No
Tone controls: Bass and Treble
Headphone jack: No
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 200 watts total
Subwoofer out: No
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: Dec 7, 2017
7. Dayton Audio HTA20BT Hybrid Stereo Tube Amplifier with Bluetooth 4.2 USB Aux in Headphone Sub Out
Here’s a nifty cheap little tube amp from popular DIY brand Dayton Audio. The only tubed amp in this ranking of best cheap speaker amps actually only uses vacuum tubes in the pre-amp stage; the amp stage proper is of the class-D variety. And really, it’s like your grandfather’s tube amp in looks alone. Not only does it offer support for Bluetooth 4.2, it also boasts a USB input, so it’s great for connecting to a PC or laptop. We’re a bit surprised that it only offers Bluetooth 4.2, rather than the more modern Bluetooth 5.0. But heck, at this price ($117), it’s worth a look for anyone interested in trying out tubes.
User comments:
“I chose this amp because it looks cool, gets great reviews and I need a simple system to output sound from my computing station.”
“It has a very unique look to it that I like on my desk. The blue ‘Tuby Goodness’ glow from the amp is appealing.”
Price: $117
Model: HTA20BT
Inputs: Bluetooth 4.2, RCA aux (2 pair), USB
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Tone controls: No
Headphone jack: Yes (3.5mm)
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 12 WPC into 4 ohms
Subwoofer out: Yes
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: January 24, 2019
8. SUCA 2 Channel Home Stereo Audio Amplifier, Ansten 2.0CH Bluetooth 5.0 Mini Hi-Fi Class D Integrated Amp Receiver for Home Desktop Speakers 160W x 2 with Bass Treble and USB Port
This is one of the higher-priced digital amps in our roundup of cheap amps for speakers, but it boasts a subwoofer output (line only, so you need a powered sub), a robust 160 watts per channel, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
User comments:
“Incredible value not just for the money.”
“Surprising power in such a small package.”
Price: $80
Model: HTA20BT
Inputs: Bluetooth 5.0, USB, RCA stereo aux
Built-in DAC: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Tone controls: Yes
Headphone jack: Yes (3.5mm)
Remote: No
App: No
Output: 160 WPC
Subwoofer out: Yes
User rating: 4.5 out of 5
Release date: November 1, 2019
Related:
How to Stream Music on Your Older Stereo or Home Theater Surround System
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2019 Rankings of Cheap 2-Channel Amplifiers
Below is a list of the top 10 budget stereo amplifiers from our prior ranking.
1. Pyle Wireless Bluetooth Power Amplifier System
2. Facmongu F900 Mini Receiver
3. Pyle Mini Home Audio Power Amplifier System
4. Fosi Audio 2-Channel Stereo Class D Amplifier
5. Power Home HiFi Receiver
6. AudioSource Analog Amplifier
7. Pyle Upgraded Premium Bluetooth Receiver
8. Pyle Home Audio Power Amplifier System
9. Fosi Audio 2-Channel Stereo Audio Amplifier
10. Pyle Professional Powered Amplified and Bluetooth Receiver System
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