Introduction

Scythe is pushing into a new market with the release of the Kama Bay Amp. This little class D amplifier is aimed at PC users who want to use a pair of ordinary speakers with their PC. What is special about this small speaker amplifier is that it is made to fit in a 5.25" drive day. It can also be used with basically any set of high sensitivity passive speakers, like for instance the Travagan's Mini Speakers that we recently reviewed. With an output capability of around 10 watts into 8 Ohms which is quite a lot considering the size of the thing. It is a small amp with only the very basic features, it has one set of RCA input and speaker outlets and one headphone out.
With an efficiency rating of a whopping 88% this amplifier is definitely not the biggest power consumer amongst the small desktop amplifiers. It is built around a Yamaha designed amplifier circuitry which has a signal to noise ratio of -103 dB which is pretty good.

Specifications

• Model Number: SDA-1000
• Dimension: 152 x 113 x 41mm (W x D x H) / 59.84 x 44.49 x 16.14 inch
• Output: Speaker x 2 Channel, Headphone x 1 Channel
• Input: RCA Connecter x 2 Channel
• Power IC: YAMAHA YDA138(D-3) Digital Power Amplifier
• Number of Channels: 2 Channels
• Continuous Max. Output: 10W x 2 Channel
• Max. Efficiency: 88%(8O/10W)
• SN Ratio: 103dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion Rate: 0.02%(1KHz/8O)
• Headphone Amplifier: 50mW x 2 Channel, SN Ratio: 95dB
• Power Source: DC 12V (4-Pin from PC Power Supply) or AC Adapter
• Weight: 480g / 1.06lb

The Package

The Kama Bay Amp came in a big package filled to the rim with goodies. One of the main features of the Kama Bay Amp is that despite its size it packs a decent punch due to the fact that it employs a much more efficient topology than normal amplifiers.


When it comes to power, the Scythe Kama Bay Amp can both be fed 12V from a Molex connector or you can hook it up to a 220V power line and power it through a brick type power supply. If you have a PSU with surplus power you can hook it up via the 12V adapter. With only one input this amp is not that versatile in normal speaker amplifier applications because you cannot switch between sources easily.


To be frank I was not expecting a great deal of accessories with this product due to its low price, but surprise. Scythe ships the Kama Bay Amps with both a mini jack to RCA cable and an RCA to RCA interconnect cable. Besides that you also get two thin gouge speaker cables. The cables are not the best available but a good start, they are built just like any other relatively cheap OEM RCA cables on the market. Scythe has succeeded to provide a good bundle that does not hold you back, they have even been so kind as to provide a PCI cover with a part drilled out so that you can pass the cables from the outside of the computer to the front panel.