Speakers&Amps by stefan @ 2011-07-27
The Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev. B Amplifier from Scythe comes with no less than 4 different inputs, two decibel meters that give the product a professional look, dials for modifying Bass/Treble settings and an USB port for charging our devices; the product can be installed in a spare 5.25'' bay or outside our computer, all bundle necessary for both types of installations being offered in the box.
At first I would like to thank Scythe for sending in their Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev. B for testing and reviewing.
"Selected PC Parts for DIY PC Experts
Scythe Co., Ltd., (Registered and incorporated in Tokyo Japan) originally started its business operation in Japan's famous "Akihabara Electric Town" located in the metropolitan Tokyo, where visitors can find a variety of products from the latest computer parts to the world's most advanced high-tech electric devices.
Scythe Co., Ltd., began its operation and business since November, 2002 as a distributor and the manufacturer of passive and low-noise PC parts. Since then, the company has established the R&D facility in Taiwan & China for production and quality control, and the USA office (in Los Angeles, California) & European office (in Hamburg, Germany) for customer care and sales support.
At Scythe, we believe that the best ideas for product come simply from knowing customers' needs and their expectations. Based on this philosophy, the PC enthusiasts working at Scythe know what to develop because that is exactly what we would like to have for ourselves too! We offer products with 100% quality assurance and total pride, and if the product has the Scythe name on it, you can rest assure that its quality will be up to the "Zero Tolerance" standards!"
High Quality Performance YAMAHA IC Chip
In order to create high quality sound and not to compromise in sound quality, YAMAHA YDA138 chip and a completely new PCB design is build into this amplifier for pure audio enjoyment.
Function variety
The Kama Bay AMP 2000 has a variety of input connections (3 x RCA connector, 1 x 3.5 mm Stereo-Mini (jack) connector). Users can switch between the four available channels and are able to adjust the volume, treble, and bass levels individually at anytime.
Universal usage
The Kama Bay Amp 2000 fits perfectly into a standard 13.34 cm (5.25 inches) internal bay. USB devices can be recharged using the build-in front USB power supply.
INPUT/OUTPUT Switch
By selecting the knob to “Output“ position the indicator shows the output of the amplifier. By selecting to “Input“ position, the indicator shows the strength of the device connected to the amplifier.
Model Name:
Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev.B
Model Number:
SDAR-2100
Output:
2 x Speaker Channels
1 x Headphone
Input:
3 x RCA
1 x 3.5 mm Stereo-Mini
Power IC:
YAMAHA YDA138(D-3)
Number of Channels:
2 Stereo Channels
Maximum Output Continuous Current:
10 W x 2 Channels
Maximum Efficiency:
88% (8 Ω / 10 W)
S/N Ratio:
103 dB / 95dB (Headphone)
Harmonic Distortion Rate:
0,02% (1 KHz / 8 Ω)
Headphone:
50 mW x 2 Channels
Dimensions:
152 x 113 x 41 mm / 5.95 x 2.01 x 7.24 in
#When side-panels and insulators attached.
Capability of Connecting:
1 x USB-Relay Cable
1 x USB-Power Connector
Weight:
760 g / 26.81 oz.
Scope of delivery:
AC Adapter, Cable for Speaker, Installation Manual, Audio Cable (3.5 mm Stereo Mini - RCA / RCA - RCA / Stereo Mini - Stereo Mini), 2x PCI Bracket, PCI Bracket Screws, Unit Mounting Screws, 4-Pin Peripheral Adapter, USB-Relay Cable(5-Pin ↔ 4-Pin / 5-Pin ↔ USB-A)
The Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev. B from Scythe is shipped inside a medium sized box, with a lot of extra information on the outside; the frontal side lets us know about the main product highlights, the applications where this product can be used and a photo with the amplifier in operation:
On one of the sides we can find words regarding product warranty outside Japan and some warnings:
Also on the package we can find some information regarding the included amplifier IC, golden terminals and the USB power connector:
The opposite side reveals information regarding the installation possibilities, insulator suports and power supply compatibility:
On the bottom, we can find the product components explained, technical specifications and the box contents listed:
After opening the box, we can discover that the amplifier is protected separately inside a foam material box; near it there is the rest of the bundle:
Plenty of cables and connectivity options are offered as bundle: cables for speakers, audio cables (3.5 mm Stereo Mini – RCA/RCA – RCA/Stereo Mini – Stereo Mini), 2x PCI Bracket, PCI Bracket Screws, Unit Mounting Screws, 4-pin Peripheral Adapter, USB-Relay Cable (5-pin ←> 4-pin /5-pin ↔ USB A):
Here is how the PCI Bracket that we must use in case we choose to supply power to the amplifier via the included power brick:
The power adapter is rated on the output 12V, 3A:
In the same foam material enclosure, besides the amplifier wrapped inside a plastic bag, we can also find the Installation Manual:
Inside the manual, we can read anything we need to know regarding the product installation and operation:
There is a visible difference in size between the first launched amplifier, Kama Bay AMP Kro and the latest version of the AMP 2000:
The AMP Kro had in front only the power button, an amplification level dial, one amplified headphone jack connector and a mute button; AMP 2000 Rev. B comes with extra dials for adjusting the treble/bass levels, two decibel meters with light up when the device is turned on, one dial to select the input source, the fourth input jack and an USB power port (which, by the way, works perfectly to charge our favourite Apple device):
Both sides of the amplifier have black plastic covers on them, which are held with 4 screws:
In the back of the amp, we can find three audio inputs, left/right speaker connectors, DC-IN and USB power ports and a very useful analog meter switch from which we can choose input or output signal for the decibel meters:
On the bottom we can find preinstalled 4 stylish rubber feet:
In the case we would like to install the amplifier inside a spare 5.25'' bay, we need to remove the plastic covers from the laterals:
The left side also holds a sticker which covers one of the screws; if this sticker gets damaged, the warranty will be voided:
To see what is inside the amplifier, besides the two screws on each side, we also have to remove four from the top:
The interior of the amplifier is slightly modified compared to the first AMP 2000 revision, by including better capacitors and a larger transistor:
As the Kama AMP Kro, the AMP 2000 holds the same IC, a Stereo Digital Audio Power Amplifier; it has a maximum output power of 10W (for two channels) or 20W (for a single channel):
Some of the dials are placed on a daughterboard:
When sitting the Kama Bay AMP Kro next to the new Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev. B, we can see lots of improvements like no less than 4 different inputs, two decibel meters that give the product a professional look, dials for modifying Bass/Treble settings and an USB port for charging our devices. The Bass/Treble dials are useful because we can customize the sound quality right from the amplifier, without the need of using separate software applications (in case we are using the amp along with a PC).
The product comes with lots of connectivity options and cables for connecting to the speakers; as the Kama Bay AMP Kro, the AMP 2000 can be installed inside our PC (spare 5.25'' bay), powered from the internal power supply, or we can use the supplied power brick. As improvements for the next amp versions, we could suggest the ability to turn off the LED backlight for the decibel meters, or even choosing different LED colors/light intensity.
When purchasing, make sure that on the box it is written "Rev. B", because this updated model contains along small fixes a switch in the back from which we can select the source for the decibel meters (Input or Output). This switch was necessary because a lot of people reported on the previous revision (which only had the possibility of Output source for the meters), that the needles were barely moving.
The Kama Bay AMD 2000 Rev. B can be found in stores for about 49 Euros.
I would like to thank again to Scythe for making this review possible.