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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
The Op Amp is a LM386-N High Gain National Semiconductor Op Amp Which is Good For driving an 8-16 ohm speaker.
I know a large amount of Stormtroopers who use this for trooping events. I keep two of these underneath my chestplate for a good full sound. They sound distorted enough to give an accurate TK sound, unlike the Newton amplifier, which is way too clean sounding. For the Legion, TD-2243
from Pembroke Pines, FL on 6/23/2008
It's a mono amplifier... both the output and input jacks are mono so if you use headphones it only outputs to one ear.
Made of off-the-shelf components. Fits nice in the small case. Can't find any documentation on the op-amp used though. Looking for one with a similar amount of gain but less distortion.
At the moment I use it as a micro guitar amp, works wonderfully, except suffering at battery life. Nice distortion for guitar purpose. However to repurpose it into a talkbox seems unlikely.
Wish that the jacks were stereo, but joint amplified.
it is so good
I love these, I have 4 of them, I use them for sports events, music and so on
from Ohio on 4/23/2008
Handy inexpensive amp to check audio as well as can drive a horn for gear checks.
from Athens,Greece on 2/12/2008
It works great with guitar too!
perfect for carrying it arround!
It has some nice worm overdrive if you crank it!!
This amplifier works great with a crystal radio.
The amplifier has a 5k ohm imput impedance which is the same as a pair of Hi-Z headphones.
The clarity of the sound is amazing, great for any homebrew projects.
This is a Great product.
from Jackson Michigan on 2/8/2008
This thing is GREAT!!! I bought it for my PSP (Playstation Portable) cause the PSP is not very loud when I watch movies on it. This is a almost perfect solution for that or any problems of tiny sound cause this thing is LOUD!!! The sound quality is as to be expected from a mono speaker but... it's got input and output, so that means plug a mic into it for a PA or use it as a amplifier for external speaker system. This this is simply brilliant! A GREAT BUY AT A GREAT VALUE!
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from Denver, Colorado on 2/4/2008
We connected this mini amplifier to a dynamic microphone and animatronic mouth motion control board. As the off stage Actor spoke into the microphone, the onstage animatronic character's mouth moved from the attached control board and the mini audio amplifier provided sound ouput as if it was coming from the animatronic character directly. The mini audio amplifier was very easy to hide within the onstage animatronic character chest area and easily connected to the controller board and microphone by audio extension cables.
from Atlanta, Georgia. on 1/29/2008
IT DOES NOT WORK.
I don't know how many people have gotten this item and actually have it work, but this is my third time purchasing this mini-audio amp from a RadioShack brand label. It does NOT work(Even with use of RadioShack brand batteries and 9v AC adapter).
The first box I got, I was barely able to speak into the mic and hear my own voice from the speaker before it never responded again.
The 2nd box I got, same thing-- except the microphone test didn't even work.
Exact same thing with the 3rd.
Now, if this mini-audio amplifier requires RadioShack brand accessories to operate them, then RadioShack did a horrible job of mentioning so.
I'm so fed up with trying to get the darn thing to work, that i've given up on trying to get a refund on it.
Enjoy your money, RadioShack.
from Pelham, NH on 1/4/2008
An outstanding value! Small footprint - with Big Sound. I'm a mobile sales professional who uses mapping on my laptop to more efficiently plan my sales calls.
My laptop speakers are weak, and the mini amplified speaker is perfect for making sure my turn-by-turn directions are heard loud and clear.
Plug one end of a dual end MP3 cable (also available at Radio Shack) into your laptop headphones jack and the other into the input jack on the speaker and you're good to go.
Great for amplifying sound for presentations and listening to music in the hotel room.
from Plains, Pa on 11/5/2007
Recently aquired a 42 inch LCD TV. Was able to connect via RCA Type plug to the TV with a length of zip cord to the Mini Amp located at a table next to my chair. Able to turn volume on TV down to zero and use the unit for private listening with the speaker or earphones, without disturbing others. Great for anyone with a hearing problem.
When I first looked into getting this, I thought there was no way something so tiny would work. I took the plunge and I'm very surprised at how powerfull it is. I have two computer speakers that I tried using with my CD player, but they were pretty weak. When I hooked it up to this amplifier, it was VERY loud! The sound quality isn't the highest, but this isn't some sort of high powered stereo set-up. It's small, so it can fit in your jacket pocket if you're traveling and want something light to hook up to a Mp3 player or what-not. I'll be keeping this for sure!
In the cons I mentioned it didn't have on/off markings. I know that this isn't really necessary and is usually pretty intutive. Someone not paying attention however could possibly over tweak it the wrong way and ruin the adjustment knob. But that's a small matter.
Extreamly handy. A must have for anyone trouble shooting audio circuits.
I too used this little gem to make a game caller. I use it for Coyote and Crow. I also baught a Radio Shack 30 watt PA Speaker and hooked that to the output, the result was a very loud and long ranging caller. I was using a portable CD player for the Input, but now switched to a MP3 Player. Sound quality in the output was surprisingly good for such an inexpensive item.
[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
I bought this little amp to build a Home made electric coyote caller. It worked very well. I loved it. I hooked it to a CD player and a speaker to get my sound out there. It over powered my old Computer speakers. WOW what power
I bought one of these guys not too long ago. I wish it had stereo, but I found out that plugging in headphones to the input will turn them into a microphone.
It is awesome! Except, they should have one that does stereo sound and not just mono.
This is the Nth generation of this product that RS has been selling for years. For the price it is an excellent little trouble shooting item to keep in your electronics toolbox. My most recent use was tracking down a problem with my car engine! Turns out modern cars have a 'Knock Sensor' which is designed to detect pinging and this sensor is -- a microphone attached to the engine block! I was able to connect this amp up at the ECU's terminals for this sensor, and actually hear the sound picked up by the microphone. It allowed me to determine that the sensor was working perfectly, even though the car's computer threw a code for it. Like I said -- a handy little device which can prove useful in unexpected places.