Home Audio Power Amplifier System - 2X120W Mini Dual Channel Mixer Sound Stereo Receiver Box w/ RCA, AUX, Mic Input - For Amplified Speakers, PA, CD Player, Theater, Studio Use - Pyle PTA4 Black

I use this in my ham radio setup. The amp is resistant to RF interference and the headphone jack mutes the speakers. The sound is good and turn-on thump is well controlled. Great value. This is the ONLY amp I've found that combines: 1. Reasonable cost. 2. Headphone jack 3. Tape out jack 4. Good performance

I'm using this amplifier primarily for a cassette deck connected to powered speakers, as the speakers couldn't get very loud with the RCA cable straight from the deck. Bought one of these as open box for $30 and it has been the perfect boost to the sound that I needed.Unlike the newer model of it, this unit has volume dB meters, and there are several inputs for flexibility and potentially connecting multiple devices. Three RCA inputs, an RCA output labeled Recording, one 3.5mm aux input, a 1/4" microphone input, and finally, a 1/4" headphones output. I'm using that last option to connect to my powered speakers with an adapter to 3.5mm. I have Bluetooth capability with my powered speakers, and that already played quite loudly, so I haven't tested Bluetooth functionality on the amplifier.Newer models seem to reduce the number of corded input options and took away the volume meters, so that's why I stuck with this older model. One downside to this model is it does not come with remote, something I was aware of, but I'm happy using the tactile knob. What I do find strange is the knobs have a tactile middle-position where you'd assume they should be pointing straight up, but they're actually tilted a bit when they fall into that middle-position notch.My only grievance is now with my cassette deck as the meters on it read higher, or even max out during playback using the amplifier. I found this odd since my setup is deck -> amplifier -> speakers, and I didn't expect the deck would be affected. The deck doesn't have an output adjustment, but it's only for recording that I need to care about the levels on the deck, and I do have an adjustment knob for input recording level.Making up for the deck meters now being too sensitive, the PTA4 amplifier has its own volume meters, and those seem to work well during playback, though the amplifier's volume control has to be balanced with the volume control on the powered speakers to get the right dB readings. If you set a low volume on the speakers, you can crank up the amplifier volume dial and max out the amp's meters with ease. With the speakers set to a very high volume, you can also keep the amplifier volume very low to the point where the meters won't light up.Without powered speakers, I assume you'd need a deck with output level control to be able to "calibrate" the amp's level meter to match the deck, if the accuracy of these meters is important to you. I haven't yet tested non-powered-speakers to see how high or low those meters register when connected through speaker wire. If you're using a device where you can set the volume at the source, such as powered speakers or a mobile phone, then don't even worry about that.

Details to my music system:My house has ceiling speakers in every room for background music. For several years it has been running on a low-end home theater system rated at 30 watts per channel @ 4-ohms; Music provided by its over-the-air FM stereo function. It works well but it's time to upgrade to a more advanced solution that has internet capabilities. For example, internet radio access and media playback from my NAS drive.So I DiY assembled a media player using a Raspberry Pi micro computer, Volumio software, and a HiFi I2S DAC board (total cost about $90). This needs a power amp and the specs for the Pyle PTA4 looked like a good choice.Start of Product Review:To my surprise I found a Pyle PTAU45 unit inside the factory sealed PTA4 box. For some mysterious reason I received the upgraded model with USB media port (which I don't need). Since all the important specifications are the same, I decided to keep it. Here's what I found inside the box:Pyle MINI 2X120 WATT STEREO POWER (PTAU45)The metal cased amplifier is small and attractive, but surprisingly heavy. Its beefy weight is because the amplifier has an old-school linear power supply instead of a modern switching supply. That's not a bad thing, just an explanation for the heavy weight.Installation was easy, but I encountered a small problem. During speaker wire installation one of the spring loaded jacks fell apart (this issue has been reported in other reviews). I reassembled the jack and finished the installation.Sound quality is good. But the maximum distortion-free audio level is dramatically less than my previous amp, which was rated at 30W per channel (RMS). As others have observed, there's no way that the Pyle amp has 120W per channel. Based on my observed results I think 25W RMS per channel is more realistic.Overall I am satisfied with the Pyle amp. It was the final piece needed to create my new music system. Now my home has internet radio, a NAS music server with hundreds of my albums, smartphone control, and a compact sized amplifier box. The best part is that the overall cost was amazingly low.BTW, if you are interested in making your own internet capable media player then here's a summary of the parts needed:Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+: ELEMENT Element14 Raspberry Pi 3 B+ MotherboardHiFi I2S DAC: SainSmart HIFI DAC Audio Sound Card Module I2S interface for Raspberry pi B+ 2Software: Search the web for Volumio Audiophile Music PlayerMisc Parts: SD card, 5V/2.5A USB Power Supply, suitable case, etc. (typical Raspberry Pi Project parts).Review Summary:Pros: Low cost, compact size.Cons: Speaker clips are fragile. Output Watts much less than stated.