From the "I Guess I'm channeling bd tonight..." Dept:
![](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/?action=dlattach;attach=866700;image)
After 2 afternoons spent reverse-engineering the "THX Certified" amplifier in this subwoofer to get it to turn on without the "special speaker", I get it working and discover 3 of the 4 non-bridged outputs are just distorted as hell, even after isolating the final amp ICs from the rest of the tone control & compensation circuitry.
![Banging Head |O](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/bangheadonwall.gif.pagespeed.ce.8iLbFYV4Bc.gif)
In disgust I throw all the bits back in the speaker box (after yoinking the 15V/4A SMPS board to atone for its sins
![Angry >:(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xangry.gif.pagespeed.ic.0w4zhwjvDw.png)
) and set it aside.
30 minutes work and I knock this little electron-agitator together out of stuff I have lying around. Okay; technically the 99¢ PAM8403 digital amplifier dev board is one of a handful bought expressly to have "lying around" for "just such an occasion", but I really didn't MEAN to pack it in my single small shoebox bin of essential quadcopter bits. They appear to have just gravitated in there while I was separating out what was going into the trailer for long-term storage.
![ThumbsUp :-+](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/icon_smile_thumbsup.gif.pagespeed.ce._JElyJQqdB.gif)
3W + 3W isn't earth-shattering, and certainly not the sound quality I was hoping for out of that sub & speakers; but it's plenty to hear my Linus videeozz & stream Amazon at sane volumes while I inconvenience electrons in here.
![Wink ;)](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xwink.gif.pagespeed.ic.cldandycH0.png)
And yes, this is what my once-glorious marble-countertopped workbench has been reduced to: One toolbox and a Amazon carton over the kitchen table.
![Face Palm :palm:](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/xfacepalm.gif.pagespeed.ic.EBDwh1hCfo.png)
mnem
I SO-O-O miss my MetCal... the T12 OLED station makes me fucking WORK for it. ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif.pagespeed.ce._hfWAz_QHO.gif)