Both powerful and versatile, the AudioSource Amp 300 high-current stereo power amplifier offers 150 watts RMS per channel x 2 or, in bridged mono mode, up to an amazing 470 watts x 1 (into 8-ohm speakers in both cases). Now you can scale your listening to match your budget: use either 1 amplifier or 2 for stereo sound or 5 or more in concert for full-blown home-theater excitement--perfect for your DVDs, multichannel DTV broadcasts, or high-resolution audio formats like DVD-Audio and SACD.
Keep in mind that this is an amplifier only, with no volume control or onboard surround processing (though it does offer independent adjustable output controls for each channel). It's designed for use with a stereo preamplifier or a surround receiver offering preamplifier outputs.
Making the move from 5.1- to 6.1- or 7.1-channel surround sound? If your receiver has preamp outputs for all channels, there's no need to replace your 5.1 surround receiver. Just feed the additional center or surround signals to a strategically positioned Amp 300.
Connections consist of a choice of RCA (line-level) or clip-type (speaker-level) inputs and banana-plug-friendly binding-post speaker terminals for outputs. There's also set of stereo (left/right) RCA passthrough jacks for use in a daisy-chain setup.
The amp works with 12-volt power-on/-off circuitry and also features a signal-sensing circuit for automatic power-on/-off, making it as ideal for custom installers as for end users. Its A and B speaker outputs let you power speakers in your main room, a second room, or both rooms simultaneously. The amplifier's toroidal power supply keeps distortion extremely low (less than 0.04 percent).
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and CriticismThe review indicating a reviewer's "10 year" satisfaction with this product is misleading. The AudioSource Amp 300 replaced the venerable Audio Source Model Four in roughly 2005, so the reviews from those who claim to have had the product for about 18 months to two years are more "on target". I have owned both the older Model Four and the newer Amp 300. In many ways, the Model Four is a better product. For one thing, it sports two large power-output meters on the front chassis while the Model 300 lacks the meters and sports a more austere design. Both have the same output characteristics and both are "bridgeable". Where the Model Four also meets expectations is that, for me at least, the one and only unit I have ever owned is still operating perfectly, while my first Model 300 was dead-on-arrival and its replacement has now failed after only about 15 months of light use. This is truly unfortunate in that the other Audio Souce products I own, an older equalizer and pre-amp, have, like the Model Four, performed flawlessly since purchase. One can only speculate that, perhaps, the company has experienced difficulty with the redesign from the Model Four to the Amp 300, and that, also, quality may be an issue since the company was acquired at about the same time as the new models were introduced. I've contacted the warranty and sales department at Audio Source, and, hopefully, will have good news to report from that front if I can get satisfaction regarding repair or replacement.
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