AudioSource Amp One/A 160-Watt Stereo Power Amplifier with Internal Bridging (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

First, there is nothing wrong with this amp. However, with today's speaker design, it is a bit much for the discreet seven channel home theater system unless you are trying to outfit it for a gymnasium sized room. I bought three of these because the price was right, and they work fine, but at the settings I'm using, at one quarter power, it's like putting a Hemi 427 V8 in a Volkswagen Beetle. The 100 watt version @ 50 watts per channel would have done fine. I also purchased the 100 watt version for the center channel speaker and it is more than adequate.

We purchased this amplifier to drive a 5-ohm load based on the manufacturers claim of a low impedance 4-ohm capability. The unit arrived dead out of the box. Amazon promptly credited us and provided a return label. We purchased an identical amplifier locally because of time constraints. When connected to the 5-ohm load it worked but got extremely hot and we shut it down. We double checked the ohm load and it was 5-ohms. We returned the amp and purchased a completely different amp in slightly higher price range from a different manufacturer. The new amp worked fine. The audiosource is OK for a basic, small 8-ohm load and does not have the low impedance characteristics advertised by the manufacturer.

For the budget price tag this amp carries, its features are excellent. I cannot find another amp in this price range that will provide switchable bridging, real-world power output, decent damping, and a nice look, to boot. I have used this amplifier both as a dedicated subwoofer amp, and as a full-range unit, and it has performed flawlessly in either situation. Don't hesitate to invest in this unit, as it will grant you a proper return on your investment. There are amps that cost more and do more, but I can't think of any amp that costs as much, let alone less, and does as much, let alone more. If it fits what you're projecting on paper, go for it, as it delivers those paper specs (and sometimes better) in actual use.

as far as the quality of the sound, its as others say. its decent for the price. however, the amp cuts out when the music volume is too low which can be extremely annoying. its particularly bad for classical music and annoyed me so much just now that it inspired me to write this review. i've read on forums that others have experienced this same issue. i'd spend the extra and get a better stereo amp somewhere else.

I have looked for a while for a affordable mono amp that was not short on power. This amp provided the solution through it's bridging switch. The stereo mode is 80 watts per channel. This amp has 200 watts at 8 ohms bridged this allowed me to put a effective amp for my sixth and rear speaker. I am running kef iq's speakers and they demand good clean power and if you don't put enough power into them you can clip them. Clipping occurs when you turn up a speaker and the amp cannot provide the power they need. So running a speaker with not enough power is a far greater risk to it than having a more powerful amplifier run a speaker. I am using a Sunfire amp to run the other five speakers and that is a expensive 5 channel amp. Still Audio Source should be applauded for giving people a inexpensive amp that performs very well as a mono amp with 200 watts power. A buyer at this price cannot complain that the amp doesn't have internal circuits that detect and turn on and off the amp when a signal comes in like a high grade amp either. You must manually turn on the amp and set a baaic volume control on the right control knob. You don't have to set the volume control everytime however. It depends on how loud you want your speaker. But that's a small price to pay for a great little amp that can run a kef center speaker and do it well for this price. I wouldn't be afraid to run a much more expensive speaker that needs 200 watts or less on this amp either. However if you have a speaker that needs more than 200 watts then I think you are better served with a higher wattage amp. Audio Source has a few of these at decent prices. And if you have big bucks you can go for a high grade amp but In these troubled economic times many of us may not be able to spend alot on amps anymore; so this may be a good solution for your home theater mono amp needs. I do not recommend using any but a much more powerful amp on a 4 ohm speaker. Most speakers are run at 8 ohms but some aren't so I would check your speaker first before buying this amp.

I have been an audiophile since I was a teen (over 20 years), having owned some truly high end amplifiers like Bryston, Audio Research, and currently in my main system, a McIntosh MC162. All phenomenal amps. I also happen to own an AudioSource AmpTwo and an AmpOne, both superb amps for the money. The only difference with the AmpTwo, is that it has left and right channel lit VU meters that measure watts output and 'headroom' in db units. Very cool indeed! Other than this, the AmpOne is identical to the AmpTwo. The AmpOne is set up in my home office connected to higher end equipment like Parasound and a Denon HDCD player. My speakers are the very venerable and respected bookshelf horn speakers, the JBL HLS-610, which is very well balanced and revealing of source material and equipment. And lastly, I run fairly expensive 'StraightWire' interconnect cables between my components. That said, I have been blown away by the quality and neutral sound of this amplifier! The amp sounds detailed, accurate, warm, sweet, and powerful - attributes usually found in more expensive high end amplifiers as mentioned above, usually costing thousands of dollars! Quite an amazing feat for this solid little affordable AudioSource that satisfies even high demand audiophile ears like mine. Moreover, I have tested the AmpOne and AmpTwo while driving difficult power hungry loads, such as Magneplanar 4 ohm speakers, and they performed beyond my expectations. Kudos to AudioSource for providing one of the truly 'best bang for the buck' deals in stereo amplification out there! I highly, HIGHLY recommend this product.