Lepai T-Amp with TA2020

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Wow,

Opamps are in sockets and no heatsink on the 2024 chip. Very interesting.

I've recently been checking the data sheets for 2020, 2021, 2024. The 2024 is spec'd at max supply voltage of 13.2V, the other two 14.6V, presumably because the only dissipation for the 2024 is to the PCB (nothing stopping one cementing a heat-sink to the chip itself, I guess).

I just started a thread on the subject of safe supply volts to TA2020/TA2021, still something of a mystery to me.

Do these chips have any kind of clamping or other protection against over-volting?
 
No... I accidentally fried one with around 14 volts. Seems like the maximum it will take is between 13.5 to 13.8 volts.

Hi KO!

Was that a Lepai? If so, are you sure it was the chip itself that died?

Data sheets for 2020/2021/2024 clearly state that they should be able to take 16V (presumably briefly and/or while quiescent), and run continuously on either 13.2V (2024) or 14.6V (2020/2021).

The SMSL SA-S3 (TA2021) actually has it's DC jack labelled as 14V!

like I said - still unclear for me.
 
Hi KO!

Was that a Lepai? If so, are you sure it was the chip itself that died?

Data sheets for 2020/2021/2024 clearly state that they should be able to take 16V (presumably briefly and/or while quiescent), and run continuously on either 13.2V (2024) or 14.6V (2020/2021).

The SMSL SA-S3 (TA2021) actually has it's DC jack labelled as 14V!

like I said - still unclear for me.

Yes, I replaced the Tripath 2020 and it works again. TA2021 requires higher voltage to perform well. That's why most amp manufacturers pair it with a 14 volts supply.
 
hadaak: It's an old chip, since long been replaced by Texas Instrument, Maxim Integrated, ST etc. modern chips. All ebay boards I've seen are not worth buying even if they are cheap. It's not easy to find (half)decent quality ones but if you definitely want a TA2020 amplifier think your best bet is a Arjen Helder board.
This store sells it, have not bought anything so can't comment on store quality:
Kistradio en Kratradio Specialist - 12V versterkers

KopiOkaya: When 41hz.com was active they used to sell a model based on TA2020-020 called AMP6 with onboard regulated PS, one of the settings was 14,6V and it worked fine. Think you had a faulty chip if it fried at that voltage.
www.kafka.elektroda.eu/pdf/tripath/AI_AMP6.pdf
 
KopiOkaya: When 41hz.com was active they used to sell a model based on TA2020-020 called AMP6 with onboard regulated PS, one of the settings was 14,6V and it worked fine. Think you had a faulty chip if it fried at that voltage.
www.kafka.elektroda.eu/pdf/tripath/AI_AMP6.pdf

Maybe... Or maybe I exceeded 14.6 volts. I remember it was around 14-something volts. But serious, I won't push my luck. 12 volts is still the safest in my opinion.
 
hadaak: It's an old chip, since long been replaced by Texas Instrument, Maxim Integrated, ST etc. modern chips. All ebay boards I've seen are not worth buying even if they are cheap. It's not easy to find (half)decent quality ones but if you definitely want a TA2020 amplifier think your best bet is a Arjen Helder board.
This store sells it, have not bought anything so can't comment on store quality:
Kistradio en Kratradio Specialist - 12V versterkers

Thanks. In fact my goal is this: I made a passive mixer to have 2 audio sources in and one audio output to my car amplifier. The mixer works but the volume is a bit low. I wanted to add the lepai before the car amp and remove the mixer since the lepai has 2 audio inputs but I'm not sure it is a good idea. I'm now looking for a headphone amp to add before the car amp to get the volume up a little bit. Which way would you go?
 
In case there was a misunderstanding:
I don't want to get more output from the amp. I just want to increase the adjustable range of the volume pot. So if you play some silent tracks, you can increase the amplification to compensate the lower input signal.

I'd like to increase the maximum volume of my Lepai LP-2020A.
Basically I am satisfied with the output that it can produce, but some songs on my MP3 player are very silent. Or if I attach my phone to the amp, the maximum volume is limited as well.

Can I use some kind of preamp or modify the volume pot somehow?

I tried normalizing my MP3's and increased their gain, but the player tends to clip then.
 
Needed to order some parts from Mouser so I thought that I'd add the Wurth coils to the order just to see what all the talk is about concerning using these to replace the four output coils. I stripped off the shrink tubing to see what it looked like in comparison to the stock coils used in version 3 boards. Looks to be the sane size wire in both. Less wire in the Wurth coil and the Wurth coil is a smaller iron bobbin. Just thought that I would attach photos for those that are curious.
 

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Needed to order some parts from Mouser so I thought that I'd add the Wurth coils to the order just to see what all the talk is about concerning using these to replace the four output coils. I stripped off the shrink tubing to see what it looked like in comparison to the stock coils used in version 3 boards. Looks to be the sane size wire in both. Less wire in the Wurth coil and the Wurth coil is a smaller iron bobbin. Just thought that I would attach photos for those that are curious.

How many ampere are these Wurth coils rated? The ones used in Lepai are 3.15A.
 
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Well I thought it would be appropriate to keep it all tripath ?

Tripaths sound better preamped in any case although the preamp needs to be up to it.

I was using a Cmoy as a Preamp with the Tripaths which worked pretty well actually although a headphone amplifier.

So is approx 10 watts per a channel devided by two attached 2020's bi amped undoable and if so why ?
 
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Yeah that was the initial idea to build a dual Cmoy preamp with the gain reduced by about half board each for each tripath amp ��

The only reason I thought a pre amp could work With a 2020 is up to about 40% 2020 is distortion free battery driven it would be ok given I am using it for bi amping two amptastics ?

I like the smsl sound I got from the 36A valve like indeed from stock. amptastics are transparent by comparison ��
 
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