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Cheap little integrated amp kit

mv213

mv213

Active Member
I had been looking for a preamp kit with tone controls just for a fun DIY project. Ran across this little integrated amp that’s dirt cheap and looks kinda interesting. Uses an IC for the power output section. The power supply appears to be unregulated but what do you expect for under $20? :p

I might order one just for grins and to have another project for the long wet* winter months here in the Pacific Northwest. It appears to not have a heat sink. Definitely does not include a power transformer as that depends on your choice of output chip.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/STK-4191-100W-Stereo-Power-Amplifier-DIY-kit-with-NE5532-Pre-Amp-Tone-Ctrl-PCB/262935943873

*We’ve received over 3 inches of rain this week. Supposed to be nicer next week.
 
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Well it was too cheap to resist....I went ahead and ordered the kit. I also have a couple of cheap preamp kits coming so I will need to get busy and order some transformers. I asked for the STK 4161 chip, we’ll see see what I actually get.
 
Neat litle kit. The heat sink might cost more than the kit though. :D Ive built a few cheap preamp kits that worked out pretty well.
 
Lavane said:
Neat litle kit. The heat sink might cost more than the kit though. :D Ive built a few cheap preamp kits that worked out pretty well.
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The heat sink, transformer, and enclosure (if any) will for sure cost more than the kit! Same way with the great little variable regulated power supply kit I built. Also shipping is literally “slow boat from China”. No problem, not in any hurry.
 
Being on the west coast like me, it shouldn't take too long unless its coming from deep in the interior of China. Heck, ive gotten things from Hong Kong faster than others here in the states.
 
Interesting. I'd like to see some basic measurements (background hum/hiss, freq response, distortion) made on this. Are you set up to do that?
 
Lavane said:
Being on the west coast like me, it shouldn't take too long unless its coming from deep in the interior of China. Heck, ive gotten things from Hong Kong faster than others here in the states.
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I've noticed this as well. It's odd to get something from China so quick but they seem to have their stuff together when it comes to exporting.

That looks like a fun little project. I recently bought a Quant Asylum distortion analyzer much like the one Alan here uses so this might be a fun project to learn about how to work it.
 
The issue is the STK-4191 being totally fake. They are non IMST constructed, they are simply a thin PCB with SMD components all potted up in a 4191 looking case.

By all means build one and test it, but having cut open enough of these Chinese STKs, I wouldn't touch the STK-4191 in that kit with a 20ft barge pole.

Those 5532s are also fakes.
 
mv213 said:
Well it was too cheap to resist....I went ahead and ordered the kit. I also have a couple of cheap preamp kits coming so I will need to get busy and order some transformers. I asked for the STK 4161 chip, we’ll see see what I actually get.
Click to expand...

A couple of months ago I was looking for some kind of an inexpensive project just to build something. I came across a headphone amplifier kit and bought one. It was around $15 shipped. I got it and enjoyed building it but the completed project was a piece of junk. It works but has a lot of noise and I'm not interested in figuring out what's wrong. Now it just sits in a drawer. I'll never use it.

In looking at the preamp kit you bought I may just get one my self because I still really like building things. For $20 it can be cheap thrills.
 
kaplang said:
A couple of months ago I was looking for some kind of an inexpensive project just to build something. I came across a headphone amplifier kit and bought one. It was around $15 shipped. I got it and enjoyed building it but the completed project was a piece of junk. It works but has a lot of noise and I'm not interested in figuring out what's wrong. Now it just sits in a drawer. I'll never use it.

In looking at the preamp kit you bought I may just get one my self because I still really like building things. For $20 it can be cheap thrills.
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I kind of expect this to be the case here as well. But, for under $20 it’s a few hours of fun.
 
restorer-john said:
The issue is the STK-4191 being totally fake. They are non IMST constructed, they are simply a thin PCB with SMD components all potted up in a 4191 looking case.

By all means build one and test it, but having cut open enough of these Chinese STKs, I wouldn't touch the STK-4191 in that kit with a 20ft barge pole.

Those 5532s are also fakes.
Click to expand...

I suspected something along those lines. The bar of my expectations for this kit keeps going lower and lower! :eek:
 
Brickbat said:
Interesting. I'd like to see some basic measurements (background hum/hiss, freq response, distortion) made on this. Are you set up to do that?
Click to expand...

No, I’m not. Since the IC’s are all apparently fakes I don’t expect much. I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised but I doubt that will happen. I have three different cheapo kits coming, if I’m not happy with any of them I’ll have to step up to a nicer one. My goal is to build a ST-70 or ST-120 one of these days, probably the Latino version.
 
Thanks JP. I ordered the preamp-only version. I'll pop some real NE5532's in it and see how it checks out...
 
OK, I understand the need to build/solder stuff, especially with a clean slate. But with the hidden costs, fake components etc... I was wondering if
maybe a better option would be to buy a cheap pre/integrated or whatever. Maybe a NAD3140, Marantz 1030 or better, the list is almost endless.
OK, you will need to refurb and probably fix it, but it's all part of the learning experiance. And if you break it, so what. Importantly you will get AK support
and maybe a nice sounding amp at the end of it. 2c
 
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