Please help me find a cheap "chi-fi" amp for my TB 3" TABAQ TL speaker.

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Please help me find a cheap "chi-fi" amp for my TB 3" TABAQ TL speaker.

Hi guys !

I have built a TABAQ TL speaker (sounds really nice!:D) with the help of the helpful people here at the speaker design section and planning to gift it to my pappa!
I need a cheap 2.1 amp from China (I plan to add a sub to help out with reproducing 100hz and lower, later).
My budget is 50 USD:p (can increase further if its worth it) and gonna be using aliexpress or ebay.com. I would love to get a fully built amp but if its just a kit, I can do the soldering and fit it in a case myself too.
The amp would be connected to his CD player and DTH set-top box but multiple input options are not accessory. Just a bare bones amp would be fine.
I'm lost for choice at Aliexpress as there are a lot of 'em. Need your help guys !!
Thanks for reading !
 
Nope - couldn't care about "brands", especially when it comes to "bare" amplifier boards.

A few months ago i got 15 of those tiny mono TPA3118 boards from AliExpress. Two of them i've used in a pair of active surround speakers (see my blog in the signature).

Last week i did a quick test with a guitarist bandmate. With a 4ohm 4x12" guitar cabinet and a 19V laptop brick, one of those amps got up to 117dB or so, at 1m ;D
 
That sounds like a fitting job for one of the many TPA3116 or TPA3118 boards.
I agree.
For a fully assembled Chinese version, the SMSL SA-60 was well regarded ... but sadly no longer available.
"Breeze" and "Nobsound" are still available, but these don't have the same reputation.

if its just a kit, I can do the soldering and fit it in a case myself too.
If you're prepared to assemble an amp yourself, the Sanwu TPA3118 mono boards are a cheap but good option.
A slight step up in quality would be the Allo boards - and possibly a bonus for you since they're based in India.
The basic "Volt" amp board is US$27
Volt AMP
Add their 19V SMPS ($18), a 10k potentiometer, RCA jacks, speaker posts, and some form of case, and you could have a very good amp for under your target $50.

You might be interested to look at Allo's upgraded TPA3118 boards, too;
The "Volt+" is $39
The "Volt+ with stepped attenuator is $69
The "Volt+ D" is $129.
 
That depends entirely on your definition of "interesting". Still, 50$ for two "anonymous" tubes, an unknown amplifier, and with no power supply, sounds worryingly expensive to me.

PS: 12V * 1A = 12W; i wonder where the "30W" comes from. Especially if that's supposed to be 30W per channel.
I guess the tubes are just for the pre-amp stage but yeah, there are a lot of unknowns.
dont get tube amps, just get a Class D amp like TPA3116
Ok, copy !
I agree.
For a fully assembled Chinese version, the SMSL SA-60 was well regarded ... but sadly no longer available.
"Breeze" and "Nobsound" are still available, but these don't have the same reputation.


If you're prepared to assemble an amp yourself, the Sanwu TPA3118 mono boards are a cheap but good option.
A slight step up in quality would be the Allo boards - and possibly a bonus for you since they're based in India.
The basic "Volt" amp board is US$27
Volt AMP
Add their 19V SMPS ($18), a 10k potentiometer, RCA jacks, speaker posts, and some form of case, and you could have a very good amp for under your target $50.

You might be interested to look at Allo's upgraded TPA3118 boards, too;
The "Volt+" is $39
The "Volt+ with stepped attenuator is $69
The "Volt+ D" is $129.

Yes, I have heard about Allo but I didn't know that they produce quality stuff.:tongue:
But still, I'm more into a 2.1 setup and AFAIK, Allo has only 2.0 amps.

Thanks for the suggestion by the way and I might get it if our currency devaluation continues like the way it is now thanks to Turkey and Trump.
 
Ah, I overlooked that you want 2.1. That means a dual-chip TPA3116 board, and it will cost more than a single chip board.
A search on AliExpress for "TPA3116 2.1" will give you many options;
the cheapest a fully boxed version I can find (without power supply) is the Weiliang/Breeze for US$45
Breeze audio DP1 TPA3116 D2 NE5532 * 4 2.1 Digital Amplifier 50W * 2 + 100W / Subwoofer Mini power Amplifier-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

the YJHiFi seems to have a higher quality board, at $55
DC18V to DC24V 2.1 channel 50W + 50W + 100W Bluetooth 4.0 NE5532 op amp AK4490 decode core TPA3116 Class D digital amplifier-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

the FX-Audio seems similar to the HJHiFi, but with different layout, and different component choices, at $70
FX Audio XL 2.1BL TPA3116 High Power 2.1 Channel Bluetooth 4.0 Digital Audio Subwoofer Amplifier Input RCA/AUX/BT 50W*2+100W-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

A particularly good looking board is by Aiyima - nice heatsinks, and very neat layout -
Aiyima 2017 New TPA3116 Subwoofer Amplifier Board 2.1 Channel High Power Bluetooth Audio Amplifier Board DC12V 24V 2*50W+100W-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
$28 board only. I can't find a boxed version.
 
Ah, I overlooked that you want 2.1. That means a dual-chip TPA3116 board, and it will cost more than a single chip board.
A search on AliExpress for "TPA3116 2.1" will give you many options;
the cheapest a fully boxed version I can find (without power supply) is the Weiliang/Breeze for US$45
Breeze audio DP1 TPA3116 D2 NE5532 * 4 2.1 Digital Amplifier 50W * 2 + 100W / Subwoofer Mini power Amplifier-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

the YJHiFi seems to have a higher quality board, at $55
DC18V to DC24V 2.1 channel 50W + 50W + 100W Bluetooth 4.0 NE5532 op amp AK4490 decode core TPA3116 Class D digital amplifier-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

the FX-Audio seems similar to the HJHiFi, but with different layout, and different component choices, at $70
FX Audio XL 2.1BL TPA3116 High Power 2.1 Channel Bluetooth 4.0 Digital Audio Subwoofer Amplifier Input RCA/AUX/BT 50W*2+100W-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

A particularly good looking board is by Aiyima - nice heatsinks, and very neat layout -
Aiyima 2017 New TPA3116 Subwoofer Amplifier Board 2.1 Channel High Power Bluetooth Audio Amplifier Board DC12V 24V 2*50W+100W-in Amplifier from Consumer Electronics on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group
$28 board only. I can't find a boxed version.

Thanks a ton !
Really appreciate it :)

I might go for the first one as I don't need Bluetooth......or may be I need Bluetooth as I have a lot of tracks on my phone.
Let me think !!

EDIT:

By the way, do these little things match the mainstream amps like a Yamaha AS-500 ?
 
Last edited:
By the way, do these little things match the mainstream amps like a Yamaha AS-500 ?
The AS-500 is a commercial class-AB amplifier, and it's not exactly cheap. Comparing this with an entry-level chi-fi amplifier is not a fair comparison. It would be a more meaningful comparison if the TPA3116/TPA3118 amplifier was one of the premium models, with a good power supply.
Then it's still a case of apples vs oranges, and I think it would come down to speaker matching. With inefficient speakers, I suspect the AS-500 might win. With good fullrange speakers, the TPA3116 may win ...
... and your speakers are nice fullrange units - that's why we recommended the TPA3116 in the first place ;)
 
The AS-500 is a commercial class-AB amplifier, and it's not exactly cheap. Comparing this with an entry-level chi-fi amplifier is not a fair comparison. It would be a more meaningful comparison if the TPA3116/TPA3118 amplifier was one of the premium models, with a good power supply.
Then it's still a case of apples vs oranges, and I think it would come down to speaker matching. With inefficient speakers, I suspect the AS-500 might win. With good fullrange speakers, the TPA3116 may win ...
... and your speakers are nice fullrange units - that's why we recommended the TPA3116 in the first place ;)
TABAQ is not very efficient, it's like 85db/w.

Would let you know the results for sure.
 
I don't really know how to interpret speaker sensitivity specs.
I'm really referring to the difference between driving a fullrange speaker - which small D-amps seem to do well - compared to driving a multi-way speaker. Small D-amps can come up short when driving some multi-ways. This was certainly the case with my old Tripath TA2020. Might be related to the crossovers? I don't know.

Why not ask some other TABAQ owners? Jump over to the TABAQ thread
TABAQ TL for Tang Band
Ask for their opinions about driving your speakers with a TPA3116 amp. I suspect you will find many TABAQ owners already using a TPA3116 amp.
 
I don't really know how to interpret speaker sensitivity specs.
I'm really referring to the difference between driving a fullrange speaker - which small D-amps seem to do well - compared to driving a multi-way speaker. Small D-amps can come up short when driving some multi-ways. This was certainly the case with my old Tripath TA2020. Might be related to the crossovers? I don't know.

Why not ask some other TABAQ owners? Jump over to the TABAQ thread
TABAQ TL for Tang Band
Ask for their opinions about driving your speakers with a TPA3116 amp. I suspect you will find many TABAQ owners already using a TPA3116 amp.
Yeah, lets see what they have to say.

By the way, I'm OK with purchasing used amps from forum members too but only if is comparable to the level of the TPA 3116 amps or better.

And yeah, I have some important stuff coming up that needs my full attention. I would be making the purchase only by the end of this month.
So, if anyone have an amp to sell, hit me up but please note that I'm from India and shipping stuff might be very costly.
 
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