Q: I’m downsizing to a condo and have sold my hi-fi components. I would like help selecting an amplifier that will connect directly to streaming music sources and Amazon Alexa. My budget would be around $500, and I don’t need a lot of power because I’m using older Klipsch speakers with horn drivers. I have no need for playing CDs or AM/FM.
A: The $379 WiiM Amp Pro would be perfect for you. This compact streaming amplifier is highly regarded by both reviewers and consumers. It incorporates a 60-watt amplifier with impressive specifications and ample, clean power. It has a Wi-Fi connection for streaming as well as RCA analog, USB-A, optical digital and HDMI-ARC inputs. It will perform well with your Klipsch speakers, and anyone can pair it with quality speakers to form the basis of a great-sounding, affordable hi-fi system. (wiimhome.com)
A step up
Over the past few years I have written about the Ryobi One+ 18V cordless high-pressure inflators. With their digital readouts and automatic operation they are extremely useful to have in your car and around home.
I gave three of them as gifts, and one has been used twice for nearly flat car tires and many times to inflate bicycle tires. Seeing its usefulness, the recipient gave one to her daughter, who used it sometime later to inflate a flat tire on a cold winter night in Detroit. One of my recipients was a mechanic friend, who told me a year later how handy it is and that he uses it all the time.
The small Ryobi compressor comes in a kit with a rechargeable battery and a charger for a list price of $89.97, and sometimes goes on sale for $69.97. I am glad I gave them as gifts years ago, but if I were buying today, I have found something better.
The Wolfbox 3000A Jump Starter with Air Compressor is almost like having roadside assistance in a compact, rugged carrying case. Not only is it a fast, powerful automatic compressor with enough battery capacity to inflate many pickup truck tires between charges, it also is a portable jump box with enough rated power to jump-start an 8-liter gasoline engine or a 6-liter diesel engine. (This is extremely impressive. I worked at a car dealership years ago, and remember how some jump boxes struggled to deliver enough current to effectively crank even a smallish 4-cylinder.)
The Wolfbox integrates a powerful flashlight with multiple modes and recharges by USB-C, so you don’t need to detach and recharge the battery separately with a dedicated charger. The Wolfbox 3000A lists for $189.99 and typically sells for $139.99 on Amazon. Currently there is a $20 checkbox coupon, and the coupon code WOLFBOX40 reduces it another $40 to only $79.99.
Given the capabilities and current low price this is a much better option than a mere compressor, and had it been available for $79.99 when I was buying gifts for my friends, I surely would have purchased it. Twice in the past year I have been approached to help jump-start a car, and using the box makes it a lot easier than maneuvering long cables between two vehicles with batteries located in odd places under the hood, especially when one vehicle can’t be moved.
