Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately, the same thing happens regardless of tone control switch on or off. Therefore, I am suspecting one of the output schottky diodes could be the cultprit.
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I'd like to add one small LED to this unit. It will be for an external VU meter and needs to be switched.
Is there an easy way I can tap into the amp to power this LED? I'm not adept enough to swap caps and whatnot, so would prefer not to touch the board. Can I tap into the on/off switch perhaps?
Is there an easy way I can tap into the amp to power this LED? I'm not adept enough to swap caps and whatnot, so would prefer not to touch the board. Can I tap into the on/off switch perhaps?
Problem solved... Switter was right. It is due to the tone control switch. Some switch lubricant / cleaner does the trick.
input impedance measurement
Hi All, I just made an experiment to test and measure the input impedance of this little baby, input source are sine wave @ 1KHz, 110 mv amplitude, when I start the measuring, I found when I turn more up the T-amp's volume knob, it's impedance gets more higher, while when I lower down the volume, the impedance decrease until almost 0. This is strange as I never have this experience on other amplifier when testing the input impedance. Would any expert in this forum helps to explain this, or may be this is a internal character if TA2020 itself ( but I have check the chip datasheet, and there's no page addresses about this)
Hi All, I just made an experiment to test and measure the input impedance of this little baby, input source are sine wave @ 1KHz, 110 mv amplitude, when I start the measuring, I found when I turn more up the T-amp's volume knob, it's impedance gets more higher, while when I lower down the volume, the impedance decrease until almost 0. This is strange as I never have this experience on other amplifier when testing the input impedance. Would any expert in this forum helps to explain this, or may be this is a internal character if TA2020 itself ( but I have check the chip datasheet, and there's no page addresses about this)
Audio sensing switch
I have seen a few people mention that the amp has a Sleep pin. What I would like to do is hook this up to a Raspberry Pi running AirPi and a USB sound card and a set of bookshelf speakers (AirPi – AirPlay audio with Raspberry | trouch.com)
If this works I would like to use this as a poor mans Sonos to extend my audio system beyond my main receiver (hooked up to AppleTv). I want to be able to turn zones on an off, so I would like the amp to go into Standby/Sleep (avoid buzz in the speakers for instance) when the amp isn't getting an audio signal. Is there some easy circuit I could add to do this? If this works I might build a couple of these Raspberry Pi's + Lepai + Standby circuit for other rooms.
Any thoughts welcome.
I have seen a few people mention that the amp has a Sleep pin. What I would like to do is hook this up to a Raspberry Pi running AirPi and a USB sound card and a set of bookshelf speakers (AirPi – AirPlay audio with Raspberry | trouch.com)
If this works I would like to use this as a poor mans Sonos to extend my audio system beyond my main receiver (hooked up to AppleTv). I want to be able to turn zones on an off, so I would like the amp to go into Standby/Sleep (avoid buzz in the speakers for instance) when the amp isn't getting an audio signal. Is there some easy circuit I could add to do this? If this works I might build a couple of these Raspberry Pi's + Lepai + Standby circuit for other rooms.
Any thoughts welcome.
"The SLEEP pin is a 5V logic input that when pulled high (>3.5V) puts the part into a low quiescent current mode. This pin is internally clamped by a zener diode to approximately 6V thus allowing the pin to be pulled up through a large valued resistor (1MΩ recommended, 100KΩ minimum) to VDD. To disable SLEEP mode, the sleep pin should be grounded."
Pin 17 will be connected to ground on the PCB. Cut the trace to pin 17 and connect to a digital out of the Pi via a 100Kohm resistor. Write a small routine for the Pi to drive the line high when your desired standby condition is achieved.
Pin 17 will be connected to ground on the PCB. Cut the trace to pin 17 and connect to a digital out of the Pi via a 100Kohm resistor. Write a small routine for the Pi to drive the line high when your desired standby condition is achieved.
The TA2020 and the tripath ics in general has a reputation of beeing very fragile, to the extent that giving them a line level signal when unpowered literally fries the input stage inside.
You do not get a second chance if you miswire one of these, like you get with say a hypex module as ppl have reportedly reverse polarized the psu and still had the module survive and work flawlessly when corrected.
You do not get a second chance if you miswire one of these, like you get with say a hypex module as ppl have reportedly reverse polarized the psu and still had the module survive and work flawlessly when corrected.
Hi all, just got one of these amps for my first ever DIY speaker project. Was just wondering if this little amp can power a GRS 8FR-8 8" 8ohm full range driver? (GRS 8FR-8 Full-Range 8" Speaker Pioneer Type B20FU20-51FW 292-430) If not, have I got any other 8" full range options?
Apologies if it's a silly question, bit of a novice.
Thanks in advance.
Apologies if it's a silly question, bit of a novice.
Thanks in advance.
You will deeply regret paying for this lepai garbage.
The Lepai amplifiers are made with the cheapest/lowest quality components available and the board is very poorly laid out, the layout is barely good enough for a mediocre performance class AB amplifier, let alone a class D amplifier.
If i were you, i would throw the lepai garbage in the trash and get a AMP6 or similar that uses high quality brand components and a board laid out to the Tripath specifications.
The Lepai amplifiers are made with the cheapest/lowest quality components available and the board is very poorly laid out, the layout is barely good enough for a mediocre performance class AB amplifier, let alone a class D amplifier.
If i were you, i would throw the lepai garbage in the trash and get a AMP6 or similar that uses high quality brand components and a board laid out to the Tripath specifications.
Those of you who are not good with soldering and assembling but prefer a high quality Tripath TA2020 amp can consider the SMSL SA-36A.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
You can try Googling for one. I have both Lepai versions 2 and 3. Personally, even they sound different.
Great! So would you say for a fact that SMSL SA-36A definitely sounds better than any of the Lepai versions? I am only interested with the Lepai because of number of positive reviews about it. Also as a starting point in DIY. I am a complete n00b in the audio arena, I was thinking to mod the Lepai a little bit, replacing some capacitors here and there looks easy enough, however not having to MOD the amp gives me some more time to concentrate on the other components of my project.
Are you kidding me? The Lepai stuff is PURE CRAP!!! Bad layout literally opposite to the recommendations by Tripath and the component selection is even worse, the cheapest crap components you can find on this planet. The TA2020 ic in the lepai amps are with 99.9% gurantee the cheap fake ones.
STAY AWAY from anything with the "Lepai" brand on it, it is TRASH and nothing else!!!
STAY AWAY from anything with the "Lepai" brand on it, it is TRASH and nothing else!!!
Anything Lepai will just make you disappointed.
There is no such thing as dirt cheap hi-fi, only thing that comese remotely close is good quality brand stereo system at a yard sale where the guy selling has no clue what hes selling and is just looking at getting rid of the stuff.
If you want good sound that will please your ears for a long time you will have to spend some money, ATLEAST as much as for a SMSL SA-36A and even that is a bit toward the too cheap end but atleast it uses quality brand component throughout and uses a board layout in spec with recommendations by Tripath.
There is no such thing as dirt cheap hi-fi, only thing that comese remotely close is good quality brand stereo system at a yard sale where the guy selling has no clue what hes selling and is just looking at getting rid of the stuff.
If you want good sound that will please your ears for a long time you will have to spend some money, ATLEAST as much as for a SMSL SA-36A and even that is a bit toward the too cheap end but atleast it uses quality brand component throughout and uses a board layout in spec with recommendations by Tripath.
Sorry bro... But I think you are being a bit too harsh on Lepai. At least they make "near-audiophile-quality" sound affordable. Personally, I find the Lepai rivals my Exposure 2010S integrated amp and it definitely sounds better than many amps that costs twenty times more.
Yes, I do agree that its components are kind of crappy but at least their latest version uses both Nichicon and Panasonic caps instead of the usual Chinese caps. I have modified ALL my Lepais with Elna Silmic II, Nichicon Fine Gold Wima caps and shielded inductors. I must say it sounds very very different from stock. Much more refined I must say.
By the way, SMSL SA-36A costs about 3.5 times more than Lepai, so definitely the parts are of better quality.
I too think Lepai is made very cheaply, and while it may sound better than my 20wpc stereo amp I had in the 60's, that's hardly an endorsement. I bought one of these and quickly decided it wasn't even worth bothering with. I gave it to my son, and he didn't want it either. 
I think it's sitting on a shelf somewhere in my shop in the original box. Anyone want it for postage? PM me and it's yours.
If your goal is to buy the cheapest, gut the insides and then replace half the parts, why bother? I understand about budgets and amps, but I think even the cheapest and poorest among us can do better than a Lepai - for a few more $. I mean, is anyone really using their modded Lepai as their main amp for listening to music in a serious way? And if it isn't, why did you bother modding it in the first place?! Maybe in a garage rig.
Rick
I think it's sitting on a shelf somewhere in my shop in the original box. Anyone want it for postage? PM me and it's yours.If your goal is to buy the cheapest, gut the insides and then replace half the parts, why bother? I understand about budgets and amps, but I think even the cheapest and poorest among us can do better than a Lepai - for a few more $. I mean, is anyone really using their modded Lepai as their main amp for listening to music in a serious way? And if it isn't, why did you bother modding it in the first place?! Maybe in a garage rig.
Rick
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