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$1.75 LM386 Amplifier Module — Parallax Forums

$1.75 LM386 Amplifier Module

ercoerco Posts: 20,257
edited 2014-06-22 17:27 in General Discussion
5-12V, 200X amplifier includes connectors and volume pot. At that price, why even fire up the soldering iron to build your own? I ordered two.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LM386-Audio-Amplifier-Module-200-Times-Input-10K-Adjustable-Resistance-5V-12V-/281234894699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417ae7ef6b

Edit: That sale ended, but here's the next best price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LM386-Audio-Amplifier-Module-200-Times-5V-12V-Input-10K-Adjustable-Resistance-/140894919328

Comments

  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2014-06-21 17:55
    Curse you, Erco!!! :frown:
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,257
    edited 2014-06-21 19:39
    Just send me the buck for my twins' college fund, order your amps, and let's all get on with our lives.

    EDIT: Rick, whatever you do, DON'T buy this 2500-resistor assortment for $10. I forbid it.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/330876118094
  • CuriousOneCuriousOne Posts: 931
    edited 2014-06-22 00:46
    Recently bought 5x PAM8403 amplifier modules on ebay. None worked, seller refused to refund, even negative does not helps, take care:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/360887348130?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-06-22 03:38
    200x amplification may seem like quite a bit, but the majority of my audio pre-amp projects deliver 1000x of high fidelity.

    And 0.125 watts of audio output power is just a mouse fart to me.

    I really believe that more can be done for low voltage audio with one power darlington transistor, like a TIP120. And if you don't want any distortion for something like digital audio output, a bit more than this is going to be required.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,257
    edited 2014-06-22 07:20
    Will advise upon receipt, fellas. I haven't used this exact module yet, but I've built & used my share of lm386 in DIP packages. Never been disappointed. Radio Shack's little beige amplified speaker is 386-based. I bet most people here have used one of those at some point. The Shack can't be wrong! :)

    PS: Can you say "mouse f**t" on TV?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-06-22 11:12
    Why couldn't you say mouse foot on TV? How odd.

    Sorry but I want my audio output watts in whole integer values. An eighth of a watt is just not manly.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2014-06-22 14:24
    Yeah this is more about taking an earphone / headphone only signal, such as most phones and computers output, and bumping it a bit so that it can drive a real speaker so you don't have to stick something in your ear, but not necessarily filling the house with sound so you can rock out.

    My actual stereo is only rated for 30 watts and when one of the ca. 1988 speakers blew Radio Shack was the only place where I could find a reasonably priced and rated replacement -- and the new ones were 1/8 the size of the small-furniture like pair they replaced and sound better. And if I crank the volume knob up much past 2/10 it gets uncomfortably loud to my hearing at least.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-22 17:18
    uncomfortably loud
    Is that anything like being "Comfortably Numb"?
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2014-06-22 17:27
    I find earphones annoying at the very least. I find wearing them uncomfortable and a tangle of wires to be managed. But I don't think the average room inside the average home requires more than 15 watts for a full audio experience and 3 to 5 watts is often adequate.... which is about all you get from a set of computer speakers.

    It is just that we seem to go to such extremes... either a 50 to 100 watts of audio in the confined space of a car or fractional watts and ear buds.

    Outside and at public events there are occasions where more is needed and useful. You just can't build everything in electronics around miniature, no more than you can build a nice home from cardboard and duct tape.
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