John, thanks for the information on that Motorola HT product! I was ready to buy a Chinese 3020 board and add an analog supply to it. This seems like a much better and easier way. I assume that you once gutted one of these units and made a hi-fi amp from it?
Mind if I ask a few questions?
1) Does each of the 5 channels have it's own separate PCB?
2) If each channel is a separate PCB, I assume that Motorola used the suggested layout that Tripath publishes, or something similar?
3) The power supply seems rather massive...sounds like it's good to go - just reuse it! Is the supply a switch-mode type, or an big analog type with torroidal transformer?
Thank you very much!
1) Does each of the 5 channels have it's own separate PCB?
No, all on one PCB
2) If each channel is a separate PCB, I assume that Motorola used the suggested layout that Tripath publishes, or something similar?
All on one PCB but from what I remember, a good following of the datasheet - it worked great.
3) The power supply seems rather massive...sounds like it's good to go - just reuse it! Is the supply a switch-mode type, or an big analog type with torroidal transformer?
Big toroidal transformer. Around 500 - 600VA type...
No, all on one PCB
2) If each channel is a separate PCB, I assume that Motorola used the suggested layout that Tripath publishes, or something similar?
All on one PCB but from what I remember, a good following of the datasheet - it worked great.
3) The power supply seems rather massive...sounds like it's good to go - just reuse it! Is the supply a switch-mode type, or an big analog type with torroidal transformer?
Big toroidal transformer. Around 500 - 600VA type...
Ha, makes me sad...reading thru this old Motorola DCP thread, I remember when I bought a bazillion more shares of Tripath when it fell to .13 a share...oh well like I said, it all came back to me thru Cirrus Logic...back to the Motorola...see that 33 pages of this thread. Fellow DIY'er Anonymous1 was the one who really figured everything out...
motorola dcp501
motorola dcp501
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John, thanks for your response! Are you still using your re-cased 3020? What do you think about it after all these years?
I've been reading through the original 35-page thread regarding the Motorola unit, trying to extract just the essential information I need to strip and re-house in another case - as you did. I am most definitely going to buy one and go this route. It will serve me in two very valuable ways:
1) I always wanted to try a high-power Tripath stereo implementation, since I love my little TA2020 (Amp6) so much. Plus, I have some inefficient, alternate speakers laying around that could benefit from more power.
2) I'm assembling a home theater setup in my music listening room. I've got an EMOTIVA, stand-alone Dolby/DTS processor, but need 3 more power amp channels to run the center and two surrounds. BINGO!...I can either use the full 5 channels of the Moto, or use whatever different "amp of the week club" I have in line for the stereo and use the Moto to add the remaining 3 channels.
I bought a 41Hz AMP9 (4 channels @ 25 W/pc) a long time ago for eventual HT use, but it is still unbuilt. The Moto project will accomplish so much more with that 5th channel onboard!
I might have a couple of questions for you with regards to what gets tossed out and what gets kept when re-housing. But let me first get a unit, test that it works as stock OK...then I'll start tearing into it.
This is one very pleasant surprise! Thanks again.
Regards,
Two big things I remembered - from years ago...there is a smd resistor that you need to solder another one top of it to get the OVERLOAD to set to higher power, and there was a trick to get the whole shebang to work by connecting a couple wire connections...all in the crazy thread, and follow Anonymous1's posts...he did all the work...I sold my re-cased 5 channel as I did not need it back then...a few years back to someone on this site...
I am surprised not to have seen the TEAC AL700P mentioned here. A cute little 3 channel power amp in a small form factor case. It actually had 2 x 2 channel boards that one could modify to make a 4 channel or remove one board to give the SMPS an easier time just powering 2 channels.
They were peanuts at one point with various sellers offering at big discount. I picked one up s/h here in thr UK on Ebay for £35iirc.
Nice little amp. Mine is still in standard form. Apparently a lot of tweaks possible. I listen to tpa3255 everyday through my main system that also does the TV. I shall be removing that from the system to box up properly and shall use the Teac as the amp.....will be an interesting comparo and one that I shall comment on here.
They were peanuts at one point with various sellers offering at big discount. I picked one up s/h here in thr UK on Ebay for £35iirc.
Nice little amp. Mine is still in standard form. Apparently a lot of tweaks possible. I listen to tpa3255 everyday through my main system that also does the TV. I shall be removing that from the system to box up properly and shall use the Teac as the amp.....will be an interesting comparo and one that I shall comment on here.
What are you using for amp(s) these days, Michael? I'm merely being curious, since you loved the Tripath sound so much back in the day...
I'm still with single-ended tube amps, but continue to love that Tripath sound!
I had an TA3020 from connex that I bought long time ago but had problems with it and
it ended up in smoke and it ended up in wardrobe.
Then came TPA3118 and other small amps and I forgot it.
Now I looked closer whats the problem was and find the capacitor load after the trafo smoked so I just bypassed it and music came!
How this old sucker sound?
Well, pretty damn good compared to my TPA3118 Volt+!
Better low bottom and better HF!
Not as harsch at all!?
More noise and not as black as Volt+ but WTF!
Have I missed this amp for another hype when this is better?
it ended up in smoke and it ended up in wardrobe.
Then came TPA3118 and other small amps and I forgot it.
Now I looked closer whats the problem was and find the capacitor load after the trafo smoked so I just bypassed it and music came!
How this old sucker sound?
Well, pretty damn good compared to my TPA3118 Volt+!
Better low bottom and better HF!
Not as harsch at all!?
More noise and not as black as Volt+ but WTF!
Have I missed this amp for another hype when this is better?
Your impressions of Tripath sound quality are very similar to others on this thread. Many people have tried "newer technology" and the "latest and greatest" Class D amplifiers - but when they go back to Tripath, they find music quality is excellent and second to none.
I have 94 db/W/m efficient speakers and do not hear ANY noise from my Tripath TA2020 amplifier even with my ear to the speaker...it is BLACK in the silent passages.
I dont hype Tripath in anyway just amazed that is sounded so good.
But the old Class-D have much heating problems that the new ones don't have.
Dont know how many TA2020 chips I have blown and my TA3020 is very hot even in very low listening.
Never happend for me with the TPA3118 so the new chips runs more effective now with less heating problems.
A class T chip (from Tripath) runs at considerably higher switching frequencies (not constant) such that switching losses are considerably higher. The semiconductor technology may also have improved a little since the days of Tripath. But, at least Tripath supplied generous cooling pads for their chips and prepared their chips for mounting on a heatsink. If you have ever seen the cooling pad on a TDA7498E....
.If you are blowing Tripath chips, and/or they are running hot...something else is wrong, my friend! My TA2020s ( I have two of them) both run ice cold - even into low efficiency speakers at high volume. Plus, ALL Tripath chips have over-current and over-temperature protection that shuts them down if they get too warm.
I've auditioned a lot of different Tripath amplifiers...and they ALL ran ice cold.
Perhaps your 2020 and 3020 are not properly implemented with heatsinks as Tripath specifies?
A friend of mine made his own TA2022 amplifier with a much over dimensioned power supply. It sounded terrific, far less distortion than my current amplifier(s) and runs very cool. I am looking towards Purifi but I do not think that Tripath is outdated, on the contrary, I think it is still very competitive today.