with a tpa 3116 you might be surprised!
in general I hate this kind of "thing", but here I was frankly pleasantly
surprised and all for less than 30 € including shipping
this "thing"
Amazon.com: Nobsound Mini TPA3116 Audio HIFI 2.0 Channel Stereo Output Digital Power Amplifier 50WX2 DIY: Home Audio & Theater
in general I hate this kind of "thing", but here I was frankly pleasantly
surprised and all for less than 30 € including shipping
this "thing"
Amazon.com: Nobsound Mini TPA3116 Audio HIFI 2.0 Channel Stereo Output Digital Power Amplifier 50WX2 DIY: Home Audio & Theater
That's interesting. I was just looking at an electronics store website, wondering how the lower end power amps would sound. When I was a kid I put a Radio Shack (= cheapo) power amp in my wheels (an old Volvo wagon). It really added to the sound (had homemade stereo speakers in the back...).
I am always willing to try out cheaper solutions because sometimes you are pleasantly surprised, and I don't want to get caught up in the top-end buying game, when a lot of the time it's just a name and vendors pushing what they like or have in stock.
However, I would probably want to buy where I could return with no shipping costs, just in case the purchase didn't sit right.
It's sort of sad but the big electronic stores are wiping out the small stereo shops. And I'm a participant, I guess. Society/stores/etc. have changed a lot in Toronto since I was a kid!
me, it cost me my job in brussels, and a few years later, when my boss wanted to sell his store, nobody bought it and yet we sold well and beautiful system, but it is the law of evolution: /
Yes, well I guess so. I am sorry you lost your job! I bought my NAD in a stereo shop where you could go down to the basement and listen to whatever you were interested in before buying. Nowadays, you buy it, listen at home, and pack it all up for a return if you don't like it. We had a Canadian superstore that was good but a US one bought it out. Just as good but I liked the Canadian presence. Actually, to be honest the US one is a bit better because the Canadian salespersons were paid only on commision. So they came at you like sharks. Very unpleasant.
Not much love lost with the demise of Future Shop.. Best Buys sales practices are better but their sales types are far less informed/knowledgeable.
One step forward.. one step back.
3116 amps were v poor sounding (spare me!) Have had a few of the Horrid things... just now fired up a few years old one I kept as best of breed ..it's Awfull!
The Tripath 'Clones' ? see 3116 comments.
Although an ..Original.. Tripath was a passably decent chip amp.
But currently 13 yrs extinct.. good luck finding a still operable (fragile) OEM chip.
Lm 3886 can be a pleasing mid quality amp, when in a decent circuit (many aren't)
Those who claim no audible differences between some amps are simply Beyond my comprehension..
Pretty well anyone can hear differences betwixt some (most?) amps.. Readily.
Assuming their rest of system is operable a BIG factor imo.
Wonder why so Many amps/designs ?
Would designers/ manufacturers even bother IF there were no audible differences? a simple packaging job would be far cheaper.
A curious avoidance of harmonics discussions in this.
One step forward.. one step back.
3116 amps were v poor sounding (spare me!) Have had a few of the Horrid things... just now fired up a few years old one I kept as best of breed ..it's Awfull!
The Tripath 'Clones' ? see 3116 comments.
Although an ..Original.. Tripath was a passably decent chip amp.
But currently 13 yrs extinct.. good luck finding a still operable (fragile) OEM chip.
Lm 3886 can be a pleasing mid quality amp, when in a decent circuit (many aren't)
Those who claim no audible differences between some amps are simply Beyond my comprehension..
Pretty well anyone can hear differences betwixt some (most?) amps.. Readily.
Assuming their rest of system is operable
a BIG factor imo.Wonder why so Many amps/designs ?
Would designers/ manufacturers even bother IF there were no audible differences? a simple packaging job would be far cheaper.
A curious avoidance of harmonics discussions in this.
I think the debate should move towards "MidFi or HiFi"
because a lot of old or modern apparatus should not have
the name HiFi and I think they only because they come back
in the standard 20Hz / 20KHz.
this is the case of most amps based on 3116, it's good MidFi
but no more and above all it is to take as such, for something cheap
and acceptable.
because a lot of old or modern apparatus should not have
the name HiFi and I think they only because they come back
in the standard 20Hz / 20KHz.
this is the case of most amps based on 3116, it's good MidFi
but no more and above all it is to take as such, for something cheap
and acceptable.
@ Bare - When I used my Radio Shack power booster I was aware of the distortion, but because the speakers were in the back of a car it sounded okay. I guess the car interior acted as a big speaker cabinet and toned it down / shaped the sound. But yeah, low end amps... I wouldn't expect too much and probably would use them in basements or other secondary listening places.
As for people who can't hear the difference among amps. I don't know. I get the feeling that they're more interested in - or maybe appreciative of - schematics instead of sound.
@huggygood - Also the source is so lousy in some streaming situations. I recently compared a streaming service to a CD. No comparison. And the CD wasn't even that great a source (an old 60s band not remastered = AAD). However, one good thing about streaming, other than the choice, is the Dolby Atmos EQ that came with my low-end Lenovo tablet. The tablet itself cost about as much as buying the EQ thru Windows 10! So sometimes cheap is good.
As for people who can't hear the difference among amps. I don't know. I get the feeling that they're more interested in - or maybe appreciative of - schematics instead of sound.
@huggygood - Also the source is so lousy in some streaming situations. I recently compared a streaming service to a CD. No comparison. And the CD wasn't even that great a source (an old 60s band not remastered = AAD). However, one good thing about streaming, other than the choice, is the Dolby Atmos EQ that came with my low-end Lenovo tablet. The tablet itself cost about as much as buying the EQ thru Windows 10! So sometimes cheap is good.
we must recognize that some listen to their system or even the design of their system rather than music.
You must never neglect the psychological side of design
Yep. I can get caught up in it so understand what you are saying. An interesting point came up at Reaper.fm, which is a music production workstation. Talking about mixing/mastering music, one guy in the forum (rightly) said that if you simply turn your head a tiny bit the acoustics all change and it sounds different.
The discussion there about mastering your own music gets even more intense than here. Or maybe about the same. They talk about "treating your room" and a whole lot of other things.
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