I'm not implying anything. I'm saying that the quality of a power cable has no effect as long as it is as good as the miles of low quality cable that went before it.
Your example is the opposite. In the VC or PCB wiring example the thin presumably also lower quality wire is extremely short compared to rest of wiring from the output transistors to the VC.
In the power cable it's the opposite. Here you have miles of low quality cables between your local power plant and the wall socket, if indeed your local power plant is the lowest bidder of electricity at the time you use it otherwise it could come from hundreds of miles away. Any power cable that isn't of worse quality than the cabling used in the rest of the house and the miles of cabling before it reached your house will not adversely affect sound quality. Any cable of significantly better quality is a waste of money.
Saturnus,
I agree with what you say - really no need for fancy cables as long as the power is delivered. But power utility cables are often high tension so they can transmit more power over thinner cables and longer distances. It is about the power or P=IV. So not easy to compare the 25 mm dia aluminum clad steel cable on the 400 kV power line (from lowest bidder) with 120V and under cable we use around the amp and inside the house. We are way OT here so I am going to try to get us back talking about the TPA3118D2 amp...
I agree with what you say - really no need for fancy cables as long as the power is delivered. But power utility cables are often high tension so they can transmit more power over thinner cables and longer distances. It is about the power or P=IV. So not easy to compare the 25 mm dia aluminum clad steel cable on the 400 kV power line (from lowest bidder) with 120V and under cable we use around the amp and inside the house. We are way OT here so I am going to try to get us back talking about the TPA3118D2 amp...
High tension? You're saying that you still have power cables above ground in the US? It's at least 20 years ago the last of those disappeared here except for the ultra high voltage cable lines of which a few are still above ground. Power cables here are just installation cables of a naturally much higher diameter but the dielectric is just PVC as in ordinary installation cables.
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On the subject of the TPA3118D2 (or really TPA3116D2 as I find that much more interesting).
The datasheet mentions a 27V overvoltage protection. Does anyone know what the tolerance of this is?
Has anyone seen any measurement comparison between BD and 1PSW modulation modes? And better still, any listening test experience with both?
The datasheet mentions a 27V overvoltage protection. Does anyone know what the tolerance of this is?
Has anyone seen any measurement comparison between BD and 1PSW modulation modes? And better still, any listening test experience with both?
It isn't really necessary to use fat power cords with fairly powerful SS amplifiers. It merely improves the sound. Kick drums sound like kick drums instead of recordings of kick drums. Attack and dynamic slam are things that are most noticed. I like the effect but most people probably don't care about high fidelity.
Those chips probably sound very close at similar power levels. The external components are the same as well as same spec sheet for the series. Probably only difference is switching mosfet current rating.
Well, you might be right but I doubt that TI would care since TI is not a company that makes a living in design and sell amplifier. The reference design circuit is mainly to showcase the capability of their chips. As long as the chips sell like hot cakes, I do not believe TI would care whether the chips are used in amplifiers that used their reference design.
I agree with you that the purpose of the "free samples" are to encourage people to uiltise them in different applications/circuits.
I thought SMDs were developed to minimise cost in manufacturing and facilitate packaging. If a circuit design is basically sound, why would a "thru hole" equivalent not work?
Regards,
TPA3116D2 build begining
I just started my build of the higher power 3116 sibling on a real pcb and it is much faster than I could have hoped for! I am doing caps and resistors first while waiting for 3116 ic to arrive.
I have to say that once you are used to smd it is faster than thru hole soldering. No leads to thread or trim, uses less solder, parts can be manipulated with tweezers and are all rectangular blocks.
I just started my build of the higher power 3116 sibling on a real pcb and it is much faster than I could have hoped for! I am doing caps and resistors first while waiting for 3116 ic to arrive.
I have to say that once you are used to smd it is faster than thru hole soldering. No leads to thread or trim, uses less solder, parts can be manipulated with tweezers and are all rectangular blocks.
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Please keep us posted. I am interested in your opinion on the differences between the two chips/circuits. By the way, where did you get the PCB for the 3116d2 amp?
Regards,
It may not be a fair comparison as one is built dead bug on a foam core while other is properly designed pcb. Although, the 3118 deadbug sounds really good so maybe really comes down to the IC and good bypass cap design? The circuits both have 3 kinds of capacitors right next to supply pins to effectively bypass any noise or oscillations.
I will keep you guys posted with progress but could be spotty as time is hard to find.
I will keep you guys posted with progress but could be spotty as time is hard to find.
Yes! Hey X, yes, please fill us in on where you got the circuit board.
And do you have a bill of materials and sources for the parts?
Be sure to post some photos of the new build!
Off topic:
#1 Hey, by the way, thanks for showing me the photo of your magnifying glasses!
#2 Did I tell you I got the Jerry's Amp to my satisfaction? No more snap. Just a deeper, more acceptable "ka thunk" when you turn it on. All I did was get a better power supply for it.
Mark
And do you have a bill of materials and sources for the parts?
Be sure to post some photos of the new build!
Off topic:
#1 Hey, by the way, thanks for showing me the photo of your magnifying glasses!
#2 Did I tell you I got the Jerry's Amp to my satisfaction? No more snap. Just a deeper, more acceptable "ka thunk" when you turn it on. All I did was get a better power supply for it.
Mark
Sound clips from Foam Core Amp
I have been listening to this new amp for a few days now and I like it more and more everytime I put a new CD in. It has a very nice open sound stage and has really allowed me to hear a couple of CDs in a way I have not heard before. I am listening to them through my own folded-tapped-horn-rear-facing-mouth diy speaker design using a relatively cheap $12 Vifa TC9FD driver but the sound is fantastic. The recording doesn't capture the effect of the bass as well as listening in person but gives you the impression of the amp and speakers overall. These are played from a CD through the headphone out which is then connected to the line in on the amp (I can control volume this way). The recording is made with a Zoom H4 in mp3 mode and trimmed to fit in the 1 MB upload limit.
I have been listening to this new amp for a few days now and I like it more and more everytime I put a new CD in.
It has a very nice open sound stage and has really allowed me to hear a couple of CDs in a way I have not heard before. I am listening to them through my own folded-tapped-horn-rear-facing-mouth diy speaker design using a relatively cheap $12 Vifa TC9FD driver but the sound is fantastic. The recording doesn't capture the effect of the bass as well as listening in person but gives you the impression of the amp and speakers overall. These are played from a CD through the headphone out which is then connected to the line in on the amp (I can control volume this way). The recording is made with a Zoom H4 in mp3 mode and trimmed to fit in the 1 MB upload limit.
I got the PCB through the generosity of another diyAudio member who happened to have a spare from his builds - so no, you can't buy them unfortunately. I will check to see if he will make his design available for others to order PCB's with. However, the design is straight off of the TI circuit schematic. I am providing my Digikey BOM in the attachments (not including connectors or the IC). Also some photos of the PCB with the parts soldered on. I put the inductors (thru - hole) on the bottom side to leave room on top for the soldering of the IC. I got better as I went along so some of the first parts are kind of messy looking (started on right and went left). Board is about 2.25 in x 3 in size - very compact.
Attachments
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I have been listening to this new amp for a few days now and I like it more and more everytime I put a new CD in.
You may need to rename extension to .rar if it doesn't open.
I may have to redo the clips, the archiver I was using seems to not be working.
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Yup, ....., I recognise those board. It was this particular amp that got me interested in trying out Class d amps.
Enjoy!
Regards
Thanks Ken. Are you into building amps? I wasn't until I did this one - it's a lot of fun - almost as fun as making speakers. One nice thing is it doesn't take much space and is a lot less mess than cutting and gluing stuff. I like both though. Now I just need to make a foam core CD player and I will be set! Seriously, I have an old portable CD player from early 1990's that has been sitting in a box collecting dust. I just need to liberate it from its ugly plastic case and put in a white foam core base with open top to see the disc spinning like a vinyl turntable - would be kind of cool. Then mount all of this on a foam core stereo stand/pedestal! Ha ha ha!
One nice thing is it doesn't take much space and is a lot less mess than cutting and gluing stuff. I like both though. Now I just need to make a foam core CD player and I will be set! Seriously, I have an old portable CD player from early 1990's that has been sitting in a box collecting dust. I just need to liberate it from its ugly plastic case and put in a white foam core base with open top to see the disc spinning like a vinyl turntable - would be kind of cool. Then mount all of this on a foam core stereo stand/pedestal! Ha ha ha!