Any opinions on a TDA7498 vs an STA508/TC2001 combination for someone who likes 70s/tubey sound? This will be for a temporary cheap backup amp for a system with a 1990s NAD preamp and a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers, but eventually it might be powering a pair of Polk Monitor 5s so I need a few extra watts of power.
I've read the long TDA7498 thread so understand the options on the former, for the latter I'm looking at something like this:
STA508 Amplifier Board Class D 2 Channel 80W+80W for Car Amplifier Free Shipping | eBay
instead of the pricier Shure models.
I've read the long TDA7498 thread so understand the options on the former, for the latter I'm looking at something like this:
STA508 Amplifier Board Class D 2 Channel 80W+80W for Car Amplifier Free Shipping | eBay
instead of the pricier Shure models.
I have a TC2001/STA508 combination board and it just sounds great. A small problem, however, is cooling of the STA508 where my heatsink, more or less the same size as the one shown in the advertisement, is insufficient. TC2001 operates with a varying and quite high switching frequency which causes quite some power loss in the STA508 with higher supply voltages. I rebuild my heatsink but that was not straight forward because it was glued to the chip.
I also have a TDA7498E board which sounds very fine as well. Tripath sound (class T) is probably the most 70's.
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Thanks for the reply. Do you think the heat would be a problem running at only 19v? I've destroyed lots of electronics over the years trying to remove heat sinks, probably I'd go for a fan instead if necessary, but I hate to create another potential source of noise.
At the price I suppose I should just get both (and maybe a couple of the $2 TDA8932 boards) and see which I prefer, but I hate the waste if/when one ends up in my big box of unused electronics.
That would be the red guy with the fan? Probably more power than I need, but I suppose the gain can be cut.
At the price I suppose I should just get both (and maybe a couple of the $2 TDA8932 boards) and see which I prefer, but I hate the waste if/when one ends up in my big box of unused electronics.
I tested my TC2001/STA508 with 30-36V. With 19V, it will be considerably less heating. I bought a very low-noise 12V fan (large diameter computer cabinet fan) and run it at 6V. I really have to put my ear to the fan to hear the hiss.
Yes, it is the red guy with the fan. You do not reduce power (limit) by reducing the gain, you reduce the supply voltage.
The small blue Sanwu TDA8932 boards need more "mods" because at that price they are really basic. The potential of TDA8932 is enormous.
Yes, it is the red guy with the fan. You do not reduce power (limit) by reducing the gain, you reduce the supply voltage.
The small blue Sanwu TDA8932 boards need more "mods" because at that price they are really basic. The potential of TDA8932 is enormous.
Sorry to revive a zombie thread, but I put together the amp not long after my last post above, with the STA508/TC2001 combination. When I tested it on a system (not the intended application) with inefficient Wharfedale speakers, I was disappointed with the result; it sounded thin to me, and I stuck it into storage. However, last week I had to use it as originally intended, as an emergency substitute on our main legacy system with the Klipsch speakers; it sounded great. I'm powering it with a 24V LED power supply, it is not getting hot at all.
Thanks again for the advice. This is a great backup for the minimal investment.
Thanks again for the advice. This is a great backup for the minimal investment.
I have two STA508/TC2001 amplifiers. One I paid around 11$ for. Both sound great to me. With my 31V supply, one gets pretty hot as the carrier frequency is variable (class T) and may go higher than usual. At 24V supply, it is much better and I do not need much power.