Bare: I picked up one of the YJ TPA3116 DIY kits a while back - same one Bob has, I think? Not harsh / shrill at all, and much more dynamic / transparent than my decade old Kingrex T20 - so as with virtually any component in an audio system, implementation is key.
At the current list price of $95 USD plus shipping, etc, I think it's a steal . Try to put together all the little mechanical parts (chassis, jacks, switch, volume knob etc) and see how quickly the project budget can escalate .
At the other end of the scale, the Audio Sector integrated (3875) amp that sold for a brief while as a kit is a very nice piece, more than $95 in parts in the chassis alone, though
At the current list price of $95 USD plus shipping, etc, I think it's a steal . Try to put together all the little mechanical parts (chassis, jacks, switch, volume knob etc) and see how quickly the project budget can escalate .
At the other end of the scale, the Audio Sector integrated (3875) amp that sold for a brief while as a kit is a very nice piece, more than $95 in parts in the chassis alone, though
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
interesting and perhaps telling
The Tpa 3116 amp board I recently tried on a lark, proved to be less than pleasing. Sounding Harsh & Shrill.
Even had ugly/worrying Turn On noises. Not acceptable, let alone good.
Curiously a same make Chi Fi (YJ) ta2020 chip amp performs flawlessly.
Dead silent, with good bass, decent presence and highs.
No untoward noises on power on Or off.. Albeit about 1/2 the output power .
Who knows.. possibly a lucky assembly of Fake parts on the TA one. Likely that, or some variant of that reason?
Well implemented TPA3118D2 and TPA3116D2's are made by SMSL.
Top quality components and decent layout.
Model SA-36A Pro for TPA3118D2 (same as 3116 chip but uses the PCB as the heatsink so good for ~15 watts).
Model SA-60 is the 3116 with proper heat sink and good for probably 40 watts (they claim 60, but below 40 is 0.1% HD)
These sound very good.
I personally have the 36A and like it, and I have heard good reviews of the SA-60. The SA60 has an annoying digital volume knob (and associated op amp) though so if you power it off, it resets to zero volume. The 36A is all mechanical pot and more purist.
However, the best sounding TPA3118D2 is by Gmarsh in the group buy called the "Weiner". Lately, the new breed of class D amp from TI is the TPA3152 and great work on that is being done by folks like DrMord, DUG, 5th Element, and Gmarsh et al.
I am looking for Chinese copies of 3152's to come from this forum soon. Then prices will drop and modding can begin.
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Like I said earlier, I have an SMSL SA-60 and have absolutely no complaints about it. It is a very nice sounding little amp, and it only costs $79 US. I've used it with my Proac 2.5 clones, my FH A7.3 and on a daily basis now with my Lance in my office. People come to my office to listen now.
It doesn't reset to zero, it resets to low. On an office desktop system that's fine, on a room filling system it may sound like zero.
It doesn't reset to zero, it resets to low. On an office desktop system that's fine, on a room filling system it may sound like zero.
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Fostex FF165wk Mets
I stared with Jim Shearer's design for the Fostex FF165wk Mets and after fiddling with the dimensions in Mathcad concluded that the design was very tolerant of minor adjustments. A few tweaks were made to make the aesthetics fit the room and I finally settled on the following dimensions:
L - 60"
Ao - 2.5" x 1.6"
Ai - 10" x 6"
Z - 30"
Port - 3" dia x 4.5" long
The birch plywood finally arrived and so the parts were cut using a CNC router this afternoon. The assembly will follow as time allows over the next few weeks.
I stared with Jim Shearer's design for the Fostex FF165wk Mets and after fiddling with the dimensions in Mathcad concluded that the design was very tolerant of minor adjustments. A few tweaks were made to make the aesthetics fit the room and I finally settled on the following dimensions:
L - 60"
Ao - 2.5" x 1.6"
Ai - 10" x 6"
Z - 30"
Port - 3" dia x 4.5" long
The birch plywood finally arrived and so the parts were cut using a CNC router this afternoon. The assembly will follow as time allows over the next few weeks.
Attachments
![IMG_20151125_144539045[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/465/465775-61918b88c07cbeddb2b33ac863eedd24.jpg)
FF165 Mets complete and going through breaking in and testing. Sounding good already but a little bit harsh in the top end - think this is mostly the amp though. I've not done anything to the drivers yet but will add duct seal between the magnet and frame soon. Damping is 6mm foam carpet underlay over the whole of the back and light stuffing above the driver.
Cabinets are 18mm birch ply with Meranti edges and top. The sides are biscuit jointed to the edges and everything was routed flush and rounded over. Finish is danish oil, 2 coats so far but will get a few more. I made an error i the dimensions I posted above - height is 56" not 60" otherwise correct.
Cabinets are 18mm birch ply with Meranti edges and top. The sides are biscuit jointed to the edges and everything was routed flush and rounded over. Finish is danish oil, 2 coats so far but will get a few more. I made an error i the dimensions I posted above - height is 56" not 60" otherwise correct.
Attachments
Probably. FWIW, the older FFxxxK series drivers I had actually didn't require much break in. They were however very much garbage, in garbage out. The sound was fantastic with my various tube amps, and clean solid state, but rather horrendously bad when hooked up to a high power 'audiophile' mosfet amp. I'd assume the FF165WK shares this family trait to some extent.
That said, I'd advise taking a measurement to see if the freq response is reasonable. Don't be afraid to use a BSC filter if needed.
Bit late back
Agree absolutely!
Cheap junk Chi Fi purchases, I've (foolishly?) made were pure experiment simply wanting to see what ALL the Forum babbles were about..hopeful that these were diamonds in the rough . Mine proved not, unsurprisingly to be as expected. More Hype than reality.
Does make one wonder at the reason for posted claims.
Possibly I keep receiving the worst possible examples?
Only plausible explanation imo.. are there others?
I do own a quality (US sourced/designed/made) Lm3886 amp, it is Very good
Certainly wasn't bottom feeder cheap ...yet remains as a Very satisfying 'buy' worth every cent paid.
Buy Cheap= Buy twice... Or if dim; repeatedly. Trite, but clearly accurate.
Bare - I have varied experience with this class of amps myself - a recent purchase of "Cheap Chinese" TPA3116 that is by no means junk, listening to several Lepai and similar Tripath types that definitely were , and a several years old now (8 or so) Kingrex T20 /T20U and PSU which is very nice, but by today's standards a bit dated and certainly overpriced.
A well executed LM chip amp (such as AudioSector 3875, etc ) would certainly outclass the ~$100 bargain units, but at several times the final cost, which for some of the more frugal among us is a big factor.
Another delight, albeit as low in "rated" power as many of the SET tube amps in by collection, would be Nelson Pass' ACA - in my case the DIY AudioStore complete kit - currently @ $299 US.
And definitely have to agree with Greg about the GIGO on the Fostex - the little ACA and FF85 or 105WK are very satisfying, except in terms of maximum SPL, and gonad shaking bass.
A well executed LM chip amp (such as AudioSector 3875, etc ) would certainly outclass the ~$100 bargain units, but at several times the final cost, which for some of the more frugal among us is a big factor.
Another delight, albeit as low in "rated" power as many of the SET tube amps in by collection, would be Nelson Pass' ACA - in my case the DIY AudioStore complete kit - currently @ $299 US.
And definitely have to agree with Greg about the GIGO on the Fostex - the little ACA and FF85 or 105WK are very satisfying, except in terms of maximum SPL, and gonad shaking bass.
I've had a large variety of amplifiers, inclusive mega $$$'s, and in the end I've found a setup with the Fostex FE167e and a EL84 SE to be the most satisfying. Oversized UL OPT and mains transformers were fundamental to success. Together with an iPod Touch Gen5 and the Onkyo player / Equalizer it gives a near holographic image, better than anything else I've had. (and this also included highly rated $$$'s speakers before the FE167e....)
PS settings for the EQ were figured out using a computer, foobar and Mathaudio room EQ. All software is available for free.
PS settings for the EQ were figured out using a computer, foobar and Mathaudio room EQ. All software is available for free.
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Yeah, I've periodically posted from numerous 'encounters' and NP elaborated a bit on one time IIRC that high power amps in general and fractional average power speaker requirements are pretty much mutually exclusive if the amp isn't pre-loaded to get it up off its noise floor into its class A 'sweet spot'. That, or find either an old Carver with the option to make it 'tube-like' or an old Altec 94444/SA studio reference amp in tip top shape that's designed to cater to very efficient horn systems.
In short, use an amp suitable for the app with 3-6 dB [2-4x power required] extra to ensure it won't go non-linear and/or hit the limiters before the speakers distort too much to continue.
GM
Pass F5. Sony disc player, modified Adcom GFP-565 preamp, Technics TT with DL-103.
