What bluetooth amplifier should I buy?

Ok… I’ve figured out that I don’t need an 8 channel amplifier.

Could still use some help here though.

I would suggest you don’t buy one with Bluetooth. A good amplifier should last 30 years or more. The current Bluetooth version will be dead in 3–5 years.

You would be much wiser to buy a good analogue amp and a separate Bluetooth receiver that attaches via standard RCA connectors.

Additionally, I would personalty suggest you buy a good DAC and connect via usb instead of Bluetooth. The sound will be much nicer than the cheap DAC they put into most Bluetooth systems.

@Melonking Thanks! Got any cheap analogue amps you could link me to that meet the specs for those speakers?

They seem to be marine speakers from what I can see, so are you using them on a boat?
http://www.clarion.com/us/en/products-personal/marine/CMG1622R/index.html

If it were a home amp, something like a Pioneer A-10 is a good entry level system that will last many years. http://www.hifihut.ie/hifi-store-dublin/amplifiers/pioneer-a10-stereo-amplifier-black.html

If its a boat then you’d be looking at something like a car amp, that’s out of my knowledge though. Note, car amps are often more about power over quality since you cant really hear detailed sound in a car and just need it to be loud. On a boat you might want something better for quiet moments at sea :P

All that matters is that it does 50–100 watts at 4 ohms which most amps do. Car amps can sometimes be more powerful, so read the specs if you go that way.

If you have an iPhone you can consider AirPlay devices as well as Bluetooth for the receiver. Here is a very basic Bluetooth receiver. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Streaming-Wireless-Receiver-Speakers/dp/B01CZVCYU0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501720149&sr=8-4&keywords=bluetooth+receiver

If you go the DAC rout, this is a great low cost one, it uses the USB device for power so no extra plugs needed regardless of where its used. http://www.schiit.com/products/modi-2

Finally if your techy, you can connect a Raspberry Pi to the DAC and use it as an AirPlay receiver so you get the best of both worlds!

They are marine speakers, but no not going on a boat. They’re being installed into an outdoor table that will be exposed to weather and a nearby firepit. Thought it’d probably be best if they were waterproof. I live in San Diego, but it still rained once. lol

Prior to now, I was using this little guy to power 2 of the speakers. https://www.amazon.com/Kinter-MA170-Channel-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B007TUSXEY/ref=pd_sim_422_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=0WDMPYSRKX80S42SHGD5

I just plug into the aux port with my phone. I was hoping for something similarly simple that could do 4 speakers. Bluetooth as well, but your 1st comment has me second guessing now.

Thanks for all your help man! Sorry I’m such a noob!!

The Pioneer is basically a big version of that, and it will do 4 speakers, most classic style amps like that have 4 speaker connectors with buttons to select the active ones.

I recommend the DAC allot, its basically identical to plugging into the aux port on your phone, but you plug in via the USB/Lightning port.

If your unfamiliar with what a DAC is, its the Digital to Analogue Converter. All digital audio has to be put through one. So its really the birth of the sound as it were, after that the amp just makes it louder. Your phone has a tiny chip that does it (It makes the sound in your headphone port), but a tiny chip just does not compete with having a dedicated device doing it.

You do get allot of rubbish and snobbery when it comes to hifi stuff, but in my experience a good DAC is one of the few things that actually makes a noticeable difference.

Id recommend an amp like that because, it sounds good, it will last years but also its expandable. You can just plug in your phone, or Bluetooth, or someday you might want to add a record player, or a radio, or change your speakers, or add some big VU meter LEDs :P. Itll always just be there and just work. That’s not something you can say for many bits of tech today.

The best US match I can see is this: https://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-A-9010-Integrated-Stereo-Amplifier/dp/B00SY20TE8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501775883&sr=8-3&keywords=integrated+amplifier
Its defiantly a bit more than the $9 one you have now though, if cost is an issue you can actually get some very good ones second hand online or at thrift stores.

Anyway, its supposed to be about enjoyment, so go with what ever you find the most fun to work with at the level of quality that makes you happy.

Had a very fortunate night out drinking yesterday. I ran into a friend who’s all about this stuff. Builds speakers as a hobby.

He gave me a crash course that I think brought me slightly up to speed.

1st off, I should apologize. This is a bit of a strange project I’m working on and I think, in my lack of explanation, your suggestions have been more geared towards a standard home entertainment system or the like. Something I might want to alter/augment, add/change speakers and control options for to down the line. That’s not really the case here. These speakers are going to be part of an outdoor table which I eventually intend to sell. The speakers and amplifier will be packed underneath the table and are meant to be as hands off as possible. Think of a firepit table. You have to get underneath it to turn the gas on, then that’s it. Likewise, I want a customer to be under the table just to flip the power switch on, and that’s it.
As such, I’ve been looking for something much more simple that the recommendations I’ve been receiving (from other forums as well). A turnkey product that is setup to run as is. Honestly… If I knew more about this stuff, I’d go the route of buying an amp board, building a housing, and wiring that to necessary components, as that seems to be the cheapest route. I may go that way one day, but today I just want to see the whole thing assembled and working as intended, for as little money as I can get away with while still maintaining some air of quality.
Hope that helps clear things up a bit. Sorry for the confusion! If you got any suggestions considering this more elaborate explanation, or any opinions on my find below, I’d love to hear em!

With all that said…

This morning I arrived at this.

I’m thinking if I wire the speakers in series (2 each), then that’ll give me 80 watts RMS (200 watt peak) at 8 ohms.

The power output specs for that amplifier are as follows:
2×160 watts into 4 ohms
2×120 watts into 6 ohms
2×100 watts into 8 ohms <—This is the one I’ll be utilizing given that wiring scheme.

I know you said to stay away from Bluetooth, but for $100 I really don’t mind the possibility of this being obsolete in a couple years. I figure I’ll get an RC to aux adapter cable to test the sound quality difference between wireless and wired audio input.

I guess my main question with this setup would be… Since my watt peak is 2x higher than the channel can provide, will my speakers be under-utilized?