Best Mini Stereo Amplifiers [Small & Compact]

Let’s find out what are some of the best mini stereo amplifiers in the current market.

Recommended Mini Stereo Amps

Our Pick: Fosi Audio BT20A

What we like: Tiny, Impressive clarity, Nice finish

Not so much: Only one input, No extra features

Watts RMS @8ohms: 50w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -Yes, WiFi – No
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set

The Fosi Audio BT20A is a tiny little stereo amplifier that just has one input and output so it’s a great choice for a simple single-use setup like driving your passive speakers for your turntable or computer.

This small stereo amp has a pure sound with deep lows and bouncy highs as well as an acceptable midrange presence. The neutral sound won’t influence your speakers or preset eq too much unless you use the built-in treble and bass controls on the front of the unit.

The face of the BT20A also has a volume knob and an on/off switch with an LED indicator. This is one of the lowest cost amplifiers in our roundup which means it is missing a lot of the features some of the others have but the little that it does do it does well.

Nobsound DZ036 Mini 2-channel Bluetooth Amp

What we like: Bluetooth, Tiny, Nice finish

Not so much: Bluetooth connectivity is the older 4.2 which is not great for home theatre use

Watts RMS @8ohms: 50w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth – Yes, WiFi – No
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA, Bluetooth
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set

You may find the housing of the Nobsound 2 channel Bluetooth amplifier a bit familiar as it appears to come from the same factory as the Fosi Audio housing no it looks nice and is solidly built.

This mini stereo amp does have Bluetooth connectivity but using an older generation than others on our top list. As this amp is not aptX enabled nor does it have Bluetooth 5 it is not suitable to watch films using the Bluetooth connection as there will be a slight lag between audio and video.

Bluetooth 4.2 is perfectly stable enough to listen to music with though so this small unit may be perfect for your needs and at <$100 is significantly cheaper than many other Bluetooth enabled amplifiers.

Amazon Echo Link

What we like: Connectivity with other Echo devices, Decent wired connectivity, Modern minimalist design

Not so much: Flat sound

Watts RMS @8ohms: 60w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -Yes, WiFi – Yes
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA, 1x Optical, 1x Coaxial, Bluetooth
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set, 1x Sub out, 1x Optical, 1x Coaxial, 1x 3.5mm Headphone jack

The Amazon Echo Link is Amazon’s first foray into standalone amplification and follows the introduction of their wireless Echo speakers with built-in amplification.

This small amplifier may be a good choice if you already own Echo speakers or other Alexa enabled devices as the connectivity with those products would be seamless. However, wireless connectivity with other devices could prove to be a little more difficult.

This compact amplifier looks very sleek yet basic with a single control knob and LEDs to indicate volume so this may not be the best choice if you are after physical controls. The Echo link also falls a little flat compared to the competition in terms of sound quality with a less lively listening experience.

Fosi Audio TPA3116

What we like: Simple design, Tiny

Not so much: Not very powerful, No controls

Watts RMS @8ohms: 25w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -No, WiFi – No
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set

Much like the TB20A this amplifier, the Fosi Audio TPA3116 exists for the sole purpose of powering one set of passive speakers through a single RCA input.

This mini stereo amplifier is missing the added bonus of tone controls that the TB20A has and is also rated for lower power output. The lower output may suit your paired speakers better and you may have no use for physical tone controls on your amplifier so this amp may be more suitable than the TB20A as the other internal components are the same.

So you can still expect a low signal to noise ratio and neutral tone but this amplifier is lower on our top list as it does not include the extra features.

NAD D 3045

What we like: Feature-rich, Many input types for a small unit, Great dynamics and timing

Not so much: Lacking a little liveliness

Watts RMS @8ohms: 80w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -Yes, WiFi – No
Inputs: 1x Phono RCA, 1x Line level RCA, 1x Coaxial, 2x Optical,1x USB-B,1x HDMI, 1 x 3.5mm AUX, Bluetooth
Outputs: 1x set of speaker terminals, 1x SUB out, 2.5mm Headphone jack

The NAD D 3045 (as explained in full review) is perfect for a sound enthusiast that wants a small and versatile unit for their home theatre and hi-fi setup. This compact stereo amplifier is capable of doing it all thanks to its many different input types including HDMI for your home theatre and a phono input for your turntable and pretty much everything in between. This amplifier also has an inbuilt DAC that is capable of playing back MQA and DSD files making it perfect for streaming digital music.

The D 3045 comes with an awesome listening experience to accompany its versatility with a neutral tone, spacious soundscape, and agile dynamics. The sound has a good signal to noise ratio of >100dB through its preamp out and even less through the headphone output and is powered by an 80w power stage when plugged into 8ohm speakers.

Sonos Amp AMPG1US1BLK

What we like: Wide soundstage, Punchy dynamics, Stackable

Not so much: No Hi-Res capabilities

Watts RMS @8ohms: 125w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth – No, WiFi – Yes, Apple Airplay
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set, 1x Sub out 1x Ethernet

The Sonos amp (AMPG1US1BLK) is perfectly suited for someone who would like to have a connected hi-fi experience for their entire home. This is due to the WiFi capabilities and ethernet in/out of these amplifiers making them perfect for networking your audio. This can be achieved by connecting several Sonos amps or other Sonos products such as the Sonos Beam.

The sound you get out of the Sonos amp is a solid, punchy, and engaging tone. This sound coupled with the HDMI input makes it a great choice for an atmospheric and captivating listening experience as part of a home theatre setup.

When paired with Sonos wireless speakers the Sonos amp is capable of using Sonos Trueplay which automatically tunes the EQ to your room which is a nice addition if you’re new to hi-fi and are not sure how to get the most out of your system.

Yamaha WXA-50

What we like: Networking capabilities, Alexa enabled (sold separately), Good connections for a small unit

Not so much: Restrained sound

Watts RMS @8ohms: 55w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -Yes, WiFi – Yes
Inputs: 1x Line level RCA, 1x Optical, 1x USB, 1x Ethernet, 1x Remote in, 1x Control in, Bluetooth, Wifi
Outputs: 1 x Speaker terminal set, 1x Sub out, 1x Control out, Bluetooth, Wifi

Much like the Sonos Amp, the Yamaha WXA-50 amplifiers’ main strength is its networking capabilities for a connected household.

This mini stereo amp comes with MusicCast which is Yamahas casting service making it possible to cast music between any enabled devices in the house that are connected to the same WiFi or Bluetooth connection. So, if you already own any other devices that are MusicCast enabled the WXA-50 is the obvious choice due to this function.

The sound from this device is of high quality as you would expect from Yamaha amplifiers. The sound is lively and will suit your home theatre perfectly. However, the overall soundstage to be a little restrained when compared to our top picks.

Pyle Audio PDA6BU.5

What we like: Completely integrated unit, Many physical controls, Bluetooth

Not so much: Face is very busy looking, No optical or coaxial inputs, No subwoofer out

Watts RMS @8ohms: 100w
Digital Music Features: Bluetooth -Yes, WiFi – No
Inputs: 2x Line level RCA, 1x 3.5mm AUX, 1x USB reader, 1x SD card reader 2x Microphone inputs, 1x AM/FM Radio
Outputs: 1x Speaker terminal set, 1x Line level RCA

The Pyle Audio PDA6BU.5 is a small stereo amp that looks like it has jammed in as many bells and whistles as possible which makes it kind of look like an aftermarket car stereo from the early 2010s.

While it may not be the most attractive unit on the market it does have a lot of extra features that may suit your specific needs such as microphone inputs for karaoke nights or a USB and SD card reader to listen to music from extra unconventional sources.

The 100w of power is enough to power most speakers to a decent volume and would suit a home theatre but we think it is strange it doesn’t have a dedicated subwoofer output with all its other features it feels like it missed out on an important one there.

Last update on 2022-03-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API