Do I need an amp for this?

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 10:36

Sis in law's hifi has died and she wants to use the speakers to connect to the pc. (just left and right, no surround.)

They're bare-end cables, so I'm presuming I can just buy a stereo connector and solder them.

Will I need an amp to connect them to the soundcard on the pc, as I presume the sc doesn't do any amplification?

Sorry if that's a noob question, but I know nowt bout speakers and amps etc!

Mansize_tissue · 27 Jul 2007 at 10:40

I, too, know very little in this area but i can try.. :rolleyes:

Your sound card probably does provide some amplification, although i doubt it'd be enough to drive those speakers. So, yeah, i'm guessing you'll need an amplifier. Do you know what the impedence is on those speakers?

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 12:30

Nope, but they're standard hifi speakers so I'd imagine 4 or 8 ohms. It's an old Aiwa system.

Might be easier then just to line-out from the pc to the hifi? (the amp and radio still works, it's the CD player that's dead) Then just have the speakers plugged into the hifi as normal. I'm sure I've already got cables for that.

Would prefer to have less kit though, as she's not got a lot of room where the pc is.

squiffy · 27 Jul 2007 at 12:47

Yes you need a amplifier. "Stereo integrated amplifier"

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 13:03

squiffy said:
Yes you need a amplifier. "Stereo integrated amplifier"

Ta.

Think I'll tell her to keep the hifi then and just run line-out to it from the PC. Seems much easier.

Cheers guys.

squiffy · 27 Jul 2007 at 13:07

CF93 said:
Ta.

Think I'll tell her to keep the hifi then and just run line-out to it from the PC. Seems much easier.

Cheers guys.

eh? What will that achieve? You need a amplifier, if you send audio to a dead amp nothing will happen.

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 13:44

squiffy said:
eh? What will that achieve? You need a amplifier, if you send audio to a dead amp nothing will happen.

Nah, the amp itself in the hifi still works, it's just the CD player that's stuffed. It still works for radio, just not CDs - which is all she used it for. She didn't see much point in keeping it for something it was never used for so was just going to bin it.

PhillyDee · 27 Jul 2007 at 13:59

Our workplace is full of hifis where the cd's dont work. Loads of systems. Seems its the first thing to break.

squiffy · 27 Jul 2007 at 14:01

PhillyDee said:
Our workplace is full of hifis where the cd's dont work. Loads of systems. Seems its the first thing to break.

It's Aiwa, dying Aiwa/Kenwood lasers is common.

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 14:45

squiffy said:
It's Aiwa, dying Aiwa/Kenwood lasers is common.

Funny my own system is also an Aiwa, and all CDs skip a lot now, and eventually stop playing. Used a cleaner loads of times, makes no difference.

But then it is ten years old now (almost.)

Never heard of that problem before. Squiffy, do you know if it's possible to repair/replace the problem? My hifi cost a grand and I'd rather repair just the laser than spend another grand on a new system sicne it's only the CD on its way out.

Cheers.

squiffy · 27 Jul 2007 at 14:49

It could also be CD tracking, usually there's a adjustment on the pickup. But it means opening it up.

If the "Hifi" has aux inputs I would just buy a cheap stand alone CD player.

CF93 · 27 Jul 2007 at 15:32

squiffy said:
It could also be CD tracking, usually there's a adjustment on the pickup. But it means opening it up.

Got no problems opening it up. Opened up my sis-in-laws to see if that could be sorted. Gave it a good clean and that helped for a few days, but then it went funny again.

Never knew they could be adjusted internally for tracking. Google here we come!

Cheers!