Best inexpensive receiver to use with computer

November 29, 2006 8:47 PM

I have a pair of stereo speakers that I want to use with my computer. My old receiver broke, so unless there's some way to hook stereo speakers directly up to a computer, I'll need a new one. I want to find an inexpensive receiver that can turn on automatically when it gets a signal. I don't want to have to walk over and turn it on every time I want to play an MP3 or have to remember to turn it off. (I think my old one broke because I'd just leave it on all the time.) The only other thing I'd use it for is playing DVD audio, so it should work with that as well. What's the best receiver to use for computer audio that will detect a signal and turn on by itself? Or should I just lose the stereo speakers and get a pair of computer speakers?
posted by lsemel to Technology (9 answers total)

How about a T-Amp?
posted by rbs at 9:02 PM on November 29, 2006

I think my old one broke because I'd just leave it on all the time.

Shouldn't, at least not for years and years. I've had my $200 Kenwood receiver on more or less continuously since 2000, turning it off only for weeks-long trips and particularly nasty thunderstorms, and it's fine.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:16 PM on November 29, 2006

People seem to be really satisfied with Harmon Kardon Soundsticks II and JBL Creature II multimedia speakers. They both seem to be designed to be left powered on and are amplified. If you're still satisfied with your old speakers, you can try a Sonic Technologies T-Amp with the essential AC power adapter.
posted by plokent at 9:32 PM on November 29, 2006

Get the T amp that was featured on digg.com several times its like 25$ can run off batteries and a/c power there are also really amazing mods u can do to it as well

I think this was the digg article http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/6cd8/
Goodluck im having stereo problems at the moment as well :'(
posted by Chamunks at 10:08 PM on November 29, 2006

I'd just walk down to your local Salvation Army / Goodwill Store, or failing that, pawn shop, and pick yourself up the simplest receiver you can find. Anything made from the 60s to last week ought to be fine, and as long as it doesn't have tubes (on older ones look that it's advertised "solid state") I don't think you'll have that many problems running it continuously. If it dies, you can just get a new one.

Radio Shack used to make these totally decent little amps that looked like a large, ugly, faux-wood brick that took a line-level input on 2 RCA jacks and drove pretty much anything you wanted to hang off the outputs. You can often find them in yard sales and salvage stores, because most people don't know what to do with 'em (since they don't have a radio).

I haven't seen any (affordable) amps that turn themselves on in response to a signal; that seems more like home theater gear to me. I'd say it's overkill; the leakage current in a small amp is probably less than the standby power consumed by some big piece of gear that's constantly looking for a signal to turn itself on.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:17 PM on November 29, 2006

Leaving the receiver on all the time shouldn't cause problems (I do it) unless -- do you keep your gear in a spot where it gets enough air circulation? Heat buildup can seriously impact electronics longevity.

If you can pull the DVD audio out of the analog L/R jacks instead of the digital output, Kadin2048's Goodwill suggestion sounds like the way to go. Really any amp should do it as long as it has a volume knob and 2 sets of RCA inputs besides phono (inputs tagged CD/Tape/Aux. are all essentially interchangable for your purposes, but turntable inputs are designed to work with a lower-level signal and also add equalization you don't want.)

The T-Amp sounds pretty neat, but unless I'm reading the specs wrong you'll need some kind of audio switching device to allow it to take a signal from either the TV or DVD - if you go that way you'll need to get an audio switching device (a/k/a A/B switch.) You can find those at Radio Shack or similar but make sure the one you pick up switches audio and not just video. Also you'll probably need a bunch of cable adaptors to make the thing work so it might be tough to keep it neat.
posted by Opposite George at 7:46 AM on November 30, 2006

Oh duh. s/TV/Computer/ That's what I get for posting before the coffee kicks in.

Also, if you're playing DVD audio straight out of the computer (is this what you mean?) then you don't need a switching device - a T-Amp with a straight mini-plug cable going to the computer's audio-out jack should do it, or a 2nd-hand amp with a volume knob and an aux/CD/tape input and a mini-plug to 2 RCA plug (L/R) cable.
posted by Opposite George at 7:50 AM on November 30, 2006

Response by poster: Just to clarify, I'm playing the DVD audio from the DVD player, and the computer audio from the computer. So I'm looking for a receiver that'll work for both. My old receiver was an Kenwood that I'd leave on all the time. I had it in a TV stand with only about 1-inch of space above it, that might not have been enough circulation.

I also imagine that part of the problem was that it was just old--I bought it in 1987.
posted by lsemel at 4:16 PM on December 1, 2006

The Black JBL Creature II is now on sale with free shipping. You can solve the dual input problem with a game system or A/V selector box/switch.
posted by plokent at 1:15 PM on December 2, 2006