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First, a note: I’m loving this server!! Blistering speed and stability! Woo.

So I bought these computer speakers a while back just so my computer could make sound, and recently I’ve been fed up with their horrible sound quality. It’s just a cheap 2.1 channel system from Creative, so I didn’t really expect much, but still, I was disappointed. On the off chance that it might sound better, I decided to switch out its two crappy little speakers with my KLH 911B bookshelf speakers (using the amplifier built into the Creative subwoofer).

Needless to say, the quality was still horrible. No stereo separation, bad frequency response, flat sound… the amplifier was probably finely (or unfinely) tuned to the speakers that came with it. With that in mind, I ordered the Sonic Impact T-Amp from Thinkgeek ($30) to improve the setup.

This little amp is simply amazing. ‘Nuff said. Read on for more thoughts.

I think that’s enough to say about it, considering there are plenty of other reviews out there. I’ll just say I agree with them, since my speakers aren’t nearly good enough to really give it a good test; but I just can’t stop listening to this setup! The T-Amp makes these mediocre speakers remarkably listenable and powerful; I can only imagine how it would sound with better ones. The sound is clear, pure, and undistorted (at all but the loudest volume) and gives a sense of fullness to the music. I like it a lot. Honestly, if you didn’t know better, you’d think there was a big $500 stereo amplifier under my desk, when it’s actually a little $30 thing that looks and feels like a toy.

Power is a slight problem—it doesn’t come with an AC adaptor, but it does have a jack. The first time I tried one I almost fried it, so be careful with polarity. Otherwise, it’s very portable and uses 8 AA batteries. The speaker connections are also very small and of the spring-loaded type, so they won’t fit anything but bare wire. The volume knob is smooth and silky—I actually quite like it.

If you have a nice pair of bookshelf speakers (or any speakers for that matter) in need of some good amplification, I highly reccomend this incredible little device. I’m enjoying my music infinitely more than before, and I’m happy I finally have some respectable sound coming out of my computer.