Probably been asked a bazillion times before but I was wondering if anything out there sounds better than the old TA2020 or 20204?
I have a TA2020 running a set of XTZ 99.26 Mkii speakers and it sounds pretty good, a little noisy, but still very good for the cost etc...
SO, seeing as this is about 6 years old and there are lots of other chip amps out there is there anything that sounds better?
ive been looking at this
http://store3.sure-electronics.com/2-x-50-watt-4-ohm-class-d-audio-amplifier-board-tpa3116-2044
anyway open to some suggestions.
regards onis
I have a TA2020 running a set of XTZ 99.26 Mkii speakers and it sounds pretty good, a little noisy, but still very good for the cost etc...
SO, seeing as this is about 6 years old and there are lots of other chip amps out there is there anything that sounds better?
ive been looking at this
http://store3.sure-electronics.com/2-x-50-watt-4-ohm-class-d-audio-amplifier-board-tpa3116-2044
anyway open to some suggestions.
regards onis
I built my Tripath TA3020 based amp some years ago and have tweaked it to an outstanding level of clarity. Far superior to what I was getting from a pair of Audio Research classic 120 tube monoblocks which it replaced. I don't know what may be better than your Tripath, but I found the following implementation details to significantly improve the sound of my Tripath.
1) Configure a pair of stereo modules each in bridged mono mode.
2) Utilize double-metalized polypropylene capacitors in the output low pass filters.
3) The quality of the input coupling capacitor is audible, so utilize the best that will fit the PCB footprint. I use small BlackGate 'N' non-polars on my board, which eaily beat a pair of Clarity film caps. I had been using for input coupling.
1) Configure a pair of stereo modules each in bridged mono mode.
2) Utilize double-metalized polypropylene capacitors in the output low pass filters.
3) The quality of the input coupling capacitor is audible, so utilize the best that will fit the PCB footprint. I use small BlackGate 'N' non-polars on my board, which eaily beat a pair of Clarity film caps. I had been using for input coupling.
I haven't tried bi-amping my Tripath. However, what I meant was to configure a pair of amplifier channels as a mono differential bridge, where each channel moves in anti-phase and drives the same loudspeaker from opposing ends.
Stereo bi-amping results in four independent amplifier channels, each powering seperate loudspeaker drivers, or groups of drivers. Two drivers or groups of drivers within each loudspeaker.
Stereo bi-amping results in four independent amplifier channels, each powering seperate loudspeaker drivers, or groups of drivers. Two drivers or groups of drivers within each loudspeaker.
Yeah it is a marketing trick for naive's.Output 400W@3ohm 44V DC THD+N 10% 211W@3ohm 44V DC THD+N 1% it means about 150w in 4 ohms it means about 100w in 8 ohms .
In the case of Sure Electronics' webstore 2 x 50 Watt 4 Ohm Class D Audio Amplifier Board - TPA3116 it means 50W@4Ohm 21V DC THD+N 10%
36W@4Ohm 21V DC THD+N 1% it means about 30w in 4 ohms with 0.1%thd and it means about 20w in 8 ohm with same THD.
Pure marketing trick.
I looked at the data sheet for the TA2020 and found that it is already based on a differential bridge output, so there's no need to configure it for that. The TA3020 features single-ended outputs, and so, must be purposely configured to produce a bridged output.
Just a quick update, I tried two small el cheapo TA2024 amps and used one on each speaker in a bi-amp configuration, the result was........... meh!
It was louder for sure but i'd just doubled the output so that was expected.
I was hoping for more stereo separation and possibly better bass.
The result (to my ears) was a slightly flatter sound and not as "inviting"...back to the drawing board.
I then purchased the sure electronics 2 x 50 Watt 4 Ohm Class D Audio Amplifier Board - TPA3116.
The difference was like night and day, the bass response was exactly what I wanted, much punchier mids and very nice low end output. The stereo separation was also improved and I think i'll be running with this amp for my build now as i'm happy with how it sounds. (there is an electrical noise that my tv has always output but ill start another thread for that.)
Thanks folks onis
It was louder for sure but i'd just doubled the output so that was expected.
I was hoping for more stereo separation and possibly better bass.
The result (to my ears) was a slightly flatter sound and not as "inviting"...back to the drawing board.
I then purchased the sure electronics 2 x 50 Watt 4 Ohm Class D Audio Amplifier Board - TPA3116.
The difference was like night and day, the bass response was exactly what I wanted, much punchier mids and very nice low end output. The stereo separation was also improved and I think i'll be running with this amp for my build now as i'm happy with how it sounds. (there is an electrical noise that my tv has always output but ill start another thread for that.)
Thanks folks onis
Even analog amplifiers are also can be thought as modulators, they modulate DC (power supply) with the input signal and feed it to speaker.
What? are you guys on about?
Tripath went ..extinct.. over 11 years ago.
Any hoarded Tripath chips disappeared ~a decade ago.
Cheap badly made Fakes are the only ones available.
Not surprisngly sounding Nothing like a genuine chip.
Typically, half their dies are 'not there'. Explaining the Wide sound differences.
Fakes are horrible noisy frequency limited things, that is when they don't immediately fry.
A real TA chip was surprisingly good sounding.
They earned their reputation for Reason.
Tripath went ..extinct.. over 11 years ago.
Any hoarded Tripath chips disappeared ~a decade ago.
Cheap badly made Fakes are the only ones available.
Not surprisngly sounding Nothing like a genuine chip.
Typically, half their dies are 'not there'. Explaining the Wide sound differences.
Fakes are horrible noisy frequency limited things, that is when they don't immediately fry.
A real TA chip was surprisingly good sounding.
They earned their reputation for Reason.
Last edited:
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.