I wanted to upgrade the sound quality of the TV in my office, but I didn't want to blow a bunch of money on a soundbar. So, I threw together a small sound system for less than $25. It ain't perfect, but it gets the job done.

I've got a small TV in my office that I use to stream sitcoms and watch the local news. It's an old, thick flat-screen, so the sound quality is better than that of newer and thinner TVs, but it ain't great. I have trouble understanding dialog, and the audio distorts at medium-high volumes.

A cheap soundbar is better than nothing. Still, I don't want to spend $100 on a small soundbar that will only be used a few times a week. And, if possible, I'd like to put my money toward something that's easy to repurpose or resell in the future.

So, instead of buying a soundbar, I chose to grab a pair of passive speakers and a cheap amplifier. The speakers can be reused for other projects and will always be worth some money, so long as they're in working order. This should also be true of the amplifier, especially if I get a small digital amp—a large analog amp or a modern AVR would take up too much space and use up too much electricity.

My local Salvation Army had a pair of Technics SB-SB16s for $6—I figured that the 30-watt 3.5-inch drivers would be more than loud enough for my needs, so I took the plunge. I could've grabbed a cheap amplifier from the thrift store, too, but I wanted something small, digital, and easy to repurpose. The Kinter MA170+ 18-watt stereo amplifier, which appears to be made for arcade cabinets, fit the bill and only ran me $18.