Speakers&Amps by stefan @ 2013-03-27
Scythe have finally released their latest amplifier iteration, which can provide more power and takes two 5,25 inch bays if we decide to install it inside our computer. The product is also shipped with a very useful remote, which permits us to switch between the inputs, adjust the Equalizer and more.
At first I would like to thank Scythe and eTonix Media PR for sending a sample of the newly released Kama Bay Amp Pro along wiht the Kro Craft Speakers (Rev. B) for testing and reviewing.
"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.
Sythe 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!"
Desktop Monitor Speaker System
The tuned refined version of Scythe's first traditional stereo speaker system for people who would like to have true stereo system for an affordable price.
New Magnet
Woofer magnet has been enlarged for this new model in order to achieve stronger electromagnetic circuit. This improvement results in crystal clear midrange, tighter and accurate bass!
Gold Plated Connectors and Quality Cables
Scythe Kro Craft Speaker Rev.B uses standard Hi-Fi connectors for direct cable connection and also gives the possibility to use „Banana Connectors“. All connectors are gold plated to provide pure audio enjoyment.
Flow Guided Bass-Reflex Structure
Flow Guided Bass-Reflex Structure (FGBS) directs the cabinet´s airflow towards the bass-reflex port resulting in efficient low frequency reproduction.
Model Name:
Kro Craft Speaker Rev.B
Model Number:
SCBKS-1100
Frequency:
58 Hz - 20 kHz (85 dBA)
Impedance:
8 Ω
Maximum Input:
20 W
Tweeter:
25 mm Soft Dome Tweeter
Woofer:
100 mm Concave Woofer
System:
Flow Guided Bass-Reflex Structure
Dimensions:
144 x 250 x 210 mm / 5.67 x 9.84 x 8.27 in
Weight:
3.1 kg / 6.83 lb per Speaker
Scope of delivery:
2 x Kro Craft Speaker, 2 x 2 m Speaker Cable
Scythe has recently released its new and revised amplifier, with the SDAR-3000 codename or Kama Bay Amp Pro. The amplifier has double the height compared with the SDAR-2000 and also features a very useful remote for the first time. The packaging is fully covered with information regarding the main features of the product:
On the back side we will get some extra views of the amplifier, connectivity options and more:
The box is also provided with a handle, to aid transport:
The amplifier is surrounded by foam protective material and the bundle is located in a separate compartment:
The items are also individually packed in plastic bags:
As with the previous amplifier, the SDAR-3000 ships with an USB Relay cable, audio cables (3.5 mm Stereo Mini – RCA/RCA – RCA/Stereo Mini – Stereo Mini), 2x PCI Bracket, 4-pin Peripheral Adapter, the Power lead for the adapter and cables for speakers:
The power supply that ships with the product is rated on the output 19.5V, 3000mA:
The included remote is really easy to use and it allows us to power On/Off the amplifier, mute the audio completely, Reset the EQ to the default values, adjust the LED display color, choose the audio channel input, and adjust the Volume along with the Bass/Treble:
On the back side of the remote we have the battery compartment:
The remote is powered by a single CR2025 3V Lithium battery:
The amplifier sports a very clean, professional design with the two decibel meters in the center:
On the left side we have one audio output jack and a second jack for the fourth input:
The lower left corner is equipped with an USB power connector and nearby we also have the LEDs which represent the currently active audio input:
Further to the right, we can find a Select button for switching between the inputs, a LED button for choosing the display color, one Default button for resetting the EQ and also one IR sensor:
The Treble, Bass and Volume dials are also present here:
On the right side we have the Power and Mute buttons:
On each lateral side of the amplifier, we have removable plastic covers, each held with 4 black screws:
The unit has also a warranty sticker which prevents opening it further to expose the internals:
On the back side of the amplifier we can find the first three inputs and the golden connectors for the speakers. The analog decibel meters function can be switch on either input or output and nearby we will also find the DC-IN port along with an USB header:
The SDAR-3000 is equipped with 4 rubber feet on the bottom:
To expose the unit internals, we will have to remove some extra screws from the top cover:
The amplifier components are split on three different PCBs:
On the left side we will find 4 Omron g6S-2-y 5VDC relays; nearby we have the headers for the inputs and the USB from the back:
Near the relays we see a Princeton Technology Corp PT2314E, which is an audio processor which includes 4 stereo input selectors with adjustable gain, master volume control, speaker output attenuator and tone control:
The small PCB in the back holds the USB header, the DC-IN and the Analog input/output switch:
The PCB also comes with two MAXIM MAX98400 ICs, which are meant to amplify the analog input signal by making use of the PWM method. The SDAR-3000 amplifier can deliver a continuous maximum output of 24W+24W (48W total) on 8ohm:
On the daughterboard which holds the analog decibel meters, we will find a STC 10F04XE microcontroller:
We have tested the amplifier with the help of the Kro Kraft Speakers, also from Scythe, which come in a compact packaging. The cardboard box contains plenty of information regarding the product:
The manufacturer instructs us from the beginning on how to correctly connect the cables to the amplifier, in order not to damage the sound system:
On the other side of the box we will learn about the FGBS (Flow Guided Bass-Reflex Structure) feature of the speakers, which directs the cabinets’ airflow towards the bass-reflex port, resulting in efficient low-frequency reproduction:
Compared to the previous speaker version, which looked practically identical on the outside, now we get larger woofer magnets for an overall improvement of the frequency response:
Scythe also guides us on how we should position the speakers to achieve the best sound quality:
The packaging is fully sealed with a circular transparent plastic sticker:
Inside the box, we will find a foam material mold, which successfully protects the speakers from damages:
The speakers are also wrapped inside individual plastic bags:
Along with the speakers, we will also get connectivity cables:
The Kro Kraft Rev. B look like studio monitors and at the front we have one 100mm mid-range bronze-colored woofer along with a tweeter for handling high frequency ranges:
In the back we can find the bass port, a central sticker and also the golden speaker cable connectors:
The speakers are not very wide or tall but are quite long:
We have tested the Kama Bay Amp Pro while connected to multiple sound sources at once: first input was populated by the Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 on USB, the second output by the PS3 and at the fourth by the mobile phone, which we connected in front with a stereo cable. Thanks to the new remote, we can switch between the inputs with ease, but also adjust the Bass/Treble settings. The analog displays have been also modified so now we have multiple LED colors and, if needed, we can turn off the light completely.
Kama Bay Amp Pro is now using a MAXIM MAX 98400A IC so the amplifier power has been increased to a total of 48W (24W on each channel) at 8 Ohms. The whole amp chassis can be also installed in two 5.25’’ bays and all necessary connectivity cables to do so are included with it.
The Kro Craft Rev. B speakers look practically identical to the previous Rev. A, the big change being the woofer magnet, which has been enlarged in order to achieve a stronger electromagnetic circuit so now we will get better results at low frequencies. We have tested the speakers to play Youtube videos, games, some movies and documentaries and we were impressed that they can deliver quite a punch, considering that they are only 2x10W. Their appearance is decent, but we would have liked the manufacturer to also include some covers, in order not to damage the speakers accidentally.
The speakers can be found online for about 43 Euros, while the new amplifier can be had for about 103 Euros, which is almost double the price of the Kama Bay AMP 2000 Rev. B. When the Kama Bay Amp Pro price will drop a little bit, we feel that this combo will become a very good deal.
We would like to thank again to Scythe and eTonix Media PR for making this review possible!