SMSL Q5 Pro Digital Amplifier 2-50W USB/Coaxial/Optical with Remote Control - Black

The reason for buying this amp was to build a better sound system for music to be used with my iMac computer. My older Klipsch computer speaker setup stopped working, and my goal was to step away from speakers specifically designed for the computer and create a much bigger and better sound. I ordered the SMSL Q5 Pro from Amazon and a set of factory refurbished Polk Audio TSi100 bookshelf speakers straight from Polk. I held off on ordering a sub, but chose this amp in part because of the dedicated sub out. The amp is compact and appears to be very nicely built. Sturdy aluminum case. Very easy to use and work your way through the input options. Treble and bass settings are not on separate knobs, but are easily accessed with a click in of the volume. Bass and treble then appear on the lcd screen and are adjusted by turning the volume knob. Sound reproduction is very nice. The Polk speakers I am using are 8ohm. The amp delivers 45 watts per channel when using 8ohm speakers. The end result, thus far, is very very good. Plenty of power to really push the speakers if you like to listen at higher volumes. Amp delivers a good amount of low end....even without a sub. I have both the bass and treble set at +7 (+9 is max). Music is crisp with punchy lows. I didn't find a bunch of reviews of folks using this just for computer setups....so I wanted to give my opinion on using it for this purpose only. Have only had it hooked up for a short period of time, but so far....I very much would recommend it. Of course, your choice of quality speakers make a huge difference as well. I will update when/if something changes or when I add a powered sub into the mix. UPDATE: Added a super compact powered sub into the system. Came across the 300 watt Polk Audio PSW111 8" powered sub on Craigslist locally. Couldn't pass up the price on a mint condition piece. Using the dedicated sub out on the SMSL into the LFE input on the sub, I added it into the mix. Let me just say...straight away I was pleasantly surprised with the output from the amp. I was able to dial the bass down to 2 and let the Polk TSi100 bookshelf speakers handle primarily the mids and highs while the sub handles the low end. I'm still hooked up only to the iMac using the USB connection, and the sound is now what I would consider audiophile great. Plenty of power to drive the speakers and more than enough for the sub. I ran it hard for well over an hour to test and really explore the capabilities. One thing that I read in other reviews was how warm the amp got. I must say that mine got just a little warm to the touch, but not close to what I would call hot. Much cooler than I really expected. My big Denon network receiver used for surround sound gets down right hot when pushed hard for that long. So.....in summary, using the SMSL Q5 Pro with Polk Audio TSi100 bookshelf speakers and a Polk Audio PSW111 compact powered subwoofer connected to my iMac using the USB connection....could not be happier. Crisp and punchy with power to spare. I would highly recommend.

I wanted more of a stereo type of system for my TV listening rather than a sound bar for my bedroom setup. I originally had an LG sound bar with a wireless sub that I put underneath the bed. I really liked the sound bar in my living room but when I changed it out for a Vizio, the LG just sounded totally different in the bedroom. That's when I started to look for something else. I really like T-amps but I needed something with an optical input and this fit the bill. I was concerned when I started seeing some of the reviews of previous versions that would cut out or the remote wouldn't work at certain angles. I have a Logitech Harmony 650 and it works just fine. I would recommend it to anyone who is having problems with the remote. The EQ and volume settings remain the same until I change them, so I must have gotten the latest version that the other reviewers comment about. Right now I have it connected to some Polk Audio Monitor 30's and a PSW10 sub. This little guy powers them with no problem and the sound is powerful and spacious. The dialogue is clear with good mid-range with nice treble. The bass is good but the sub handles the lows anyhow. I haven't really "cranked" the volume but haven't really needed to. A much better upgrade from the sound bar.

This thing is really small. Wasnt expecting it to be so small but no complaints on that. I picked it up to power a set of Overnight Sensations I built. Wow this thing sounds great. I also have a Native instruments Audio 6 I was using as an interface for my powered monitors so it only made sense to me at first to run my 3/4 outputs of that to the SMSL. However a little later i was trying other inputs on the SMSL and the optical is odd, it doesnt always work and has a hiss to it when it does work. I also tried the digital input on it but couldnt get it to work with anything. My audio 6 has the SPDIF outputs on it and i tried hooking it to that but it has a In and an Out that need to be hooked up for clocking. The SMSL only has an input so that doesnt work. Then i plugged the USB directly into my mac and that works extremely well, no drivers needed. The only issue i have with it thats bugging me now is once the unit has been on for a while ( i have it set up on my desk where i do my homework/ ideas for projects around the house or pricing for sidework) the system starts distorting a little. Its odd though because the highs will still be crisp as can be but it makes the mids/lows sound funky. I havent played with it to switch it back to the Audio 6 once i notice it to see if its the built in DAC over heating because the unit does get quite warm. Although its a pretty good unit. Currently im pricing out a setup with an external DAC and a different amp to explore options.

Seit einiger Zeit habe ich schon diesen Verstärker und er erfüllt seinen Zweck, er ist klein, simple zu bedienen und kann auch mal lauter Musik wiedergeben. -Das war es leider schon mit dem Lob. Die Fernbedienung funktioniert nur schlecht, die Qualität der Verstärkung ist mittelmäßig und die Logitech Harmonie lässt sich nicht ordentlich auf das Gerät einstellen. Man muss also jedes mal aufstehen um die Lautstärke zu verändern.

Can't believe that little thing successfully replace my Harman Kardon AVR144!! I use it with 2 Paradigm Monitor 7 speakers and the sound I get is amazing! If you do not have a full 5.1 system to power this is a no brainer.

Remote eats a battery in 3 days.

Vor der Bestellung war ich mir nicht sicher, ob dieser kleine "Verstärker" meine Magnat 909 bespielen kann. Ich wurde angenehm überrascht. Der Kleine spielt munter auf und die Auflösung der Musik einfach toll. Klar, ab einer bestimmten Lautstärke wird sich der Klirrfaktor bemerkbar machen. Für den normalen Musikgenuss ist dieser Kleine nur zu empfehlen, vor allem weil er Digitalanschlüsse hat.

This stereo amp can sit in the palm of your hand, but has some serious power - more than enough for an average size living room and for the neighbours to call the police! (I'm a retired sound engineer - TV and radio - so quite picky about sound.) The best part is having an optical input to take TV sound (lots of smart TVs no longer have analogue outputs). You'll need your own optical cable though. There's also a 3.5mm analogue input for a record deck etc. Our amp is driving some classic 1970s Wharfdale Linton 4ohm stereo speakers, and they sound great. TV sound is so much better than a soundbar - dialogue in movies is much more clear rather than being lost in the music and sound effects which tends to happen with soundbars (and of course you don't get much stereo separation from soundbars, whereas you can place your speakers far apart). There are 7 EQ presets, plus very good bass and treble controls - it really thumps warm bass into the Wharfdales. Treble is bright and crisp. This is all done from the remote, but you can select settings by pushing in the volume knob on the unit if you lose the remote. We like our rock music, with heavy bass, and now our favourite bass players really stand out as opposed to being lost in the soundbar. The only slight thing to get used to is that the TV remote cannot control the amp's volume, (optical output from the TV is at a fixed level) so you have to get used to having an extra remote on the coffee table - but a small price to pay for the quality at this price. We've only had it for a week, so can't comment on longevity, but so far, thrilled to bits.