TI just made publicity release of this interesting headphone amp:
TPA6130 http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tpa6130a2.pdf
Decent specs inc. 0.005% or better THD+noise at 1/2 power.
TPA6130 http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tpa6130a2.pdf
Decent specs inc. 0.005% or better THD+noise at 1/2 power.
Would make a neat chipamp buffer, with digital volume control and some stereo mono controls etc... with minimum parts count.
TPA6120a2 TPA6130a2 Texas Headphones amplifier
1st October 2006, I did have a look at another
High Fidelity Stereo Headphone Driver: TPA6120a2
Did some general comment on headphones amps data, as well as did some other clever guys.
See topic:
diyAudio: TPA6120 Power Requirements
*********************************************
I wonder if not TPA6120a2 is the better one in quality.
While TPA6130a2 has got some additional built in feature, like volume control.
Though I must say, THD 0.005 % really is MORE than HIFI anybody should need.
TPA6120A2 - High Fidelity Stereo Headphone Driver
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tpa6120a2.html
TPA6130A2 - DirectPath(TM) Stereo Headphone Amplifier with I2C Volume Control
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tpa6130a2.html
All Texas HeadPhones Amplifiers overview, with parameters for compare:
Texas HeadPhones Amp Chips, Overview List
For eventual more opinions / info on HIFI chip TPA6120 you should search forum.
Keywords: TPA6120 or TPA6120A2
Regards
lineup
Lineup Lab Discrete Class A HeadPhones Amplifiers
http://lineup.awardspace.com/
FastEddy said:
1st October 2006, I did have a look at another
High Fidelity Stereo Headphone Driver: TPA6120a2
Did some general comment on headphones amps data, as well as did some other clever guys.
See topic:
diyAudio: TPA6120 Power Requirements
*********************************************
I wonder if not TPA6120a2 is the better one in quality.
While TPA6130a2 has got some additional built in feature, like volume control.
Though I must say, THD 0.005 % really is MORE than HIFI anybody should need.
TPA6120A2 - High Fidelity Stereo Headphone Driver
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tpa6120a2.html
TPA6130A2 - DirectPath(TM) Stereo Headphone Amplifier with I2C Volume Control
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tpa6130a2.html
All Texas HeadPhones Amplifiers overview, with parameters for compare:
Texas HeadPhones Amp Chips, Overview List
For eventual more opinions / info on HIFI chip TPA6120 you should search forum.
Keywords: TPA6120 or TPA6120A2
Regards
lineup
Lineup Lab Discrete Class A HeadPhones Amplifiers
http://lineup.awardspace.com/
Nordic: " ... Would make a neat chipamp buffer, with digital volume control and some stereo mono controls etc ..."
This was my thought too ... and it might make an interesting remote "line receiver" / pre-amp for the back bedroom ... or just a good quality small footprint dorm room power amp front end.
Lineup, you seem to be right on top of these newer TI releases ... " ... I wonder if not TPA6120a2 is the better one in quality. While TPA6130a2 has got some additional built in feature, like volume control. Though I must say, THD 0.005 % really is MORE than HIFI anybody should need. ..."
I'm not sure how much we should trust that number.TI can do some very interesting things with relatively low quality parts ... but fail to include these tricks in their reference designs. I would bet that the drive to quality here is just that, however = a better sounding version of previous designs. (There are many here that will feel that 0.005% is not as good as it can get, nor stopping at 0.005% being "MORE than HIFI anybody should need". ... but I don't trust that 0.005% number until I can see it.)
" ... There's always a faster gun ... " http://www.hgwt.com/HGWT19.jpg
This was my thought too ... and it might make an interesting remote "line receiver" / pre-amp for the back bedroom ... or just a good quality small footprint dorm room power amp front end.
Lineup, you seem to be right on top of these newer TI releases ... " ... I wonder if not TPA6120a2 is the better one in quality. While TPA6130a2 has got some additional built in feature, like volume control. Though I must say, THD 0.005 % really is MORE than HIFI anybody should need. ..."
I'm not sure how much we should trust that number.TI can do some very interesting things with relatively low quality parts ... but fail to include these tricks in their reference designs. I would bet that the drive to quality here is just that, however = a better sounding version of previous designs. (There are many here that will feel that 0.005% is not as good as it can get, nor stopping at 0.005% being "MORE than HIFI anybody should need". ... but I don't trust that 0.005% number until I can see it.)
" ... There's always a faster gun ... " http://www.hgwt.com/HGWT19.jpg
The TPA6120A2 has a higher power supply range (+/- 5 to 15), so will definitely be superior driving higher-impedance headphones. My Sennheisers are 300 ohms. TPA6130 is +5V max.
Also, TI specs the TPA6120A2 at 0.00014% THD + N. For what it's worth. Less features, though: no volume control, needs op amps on its inputs unless driven from a low-impedance source.
Also, TI specs the TPA6120A2 at 0.00014% THD + N. For what it's worth. Less features, though: no volume control, needs op amps on its inputs unless driven from a low-impedance source.
paulb: " ... TI specs the TPA6120A2 at 0.00014% THD + N. For what it's worth. Less features, though: no volume control, needs op amps on its inputs unless driven from a low-impedance source. ..."
It may not get any better than this for headphones in the near future ... it would be a shame to put mechanical variable resistors in front for gain control ( noisier than a hen house ) =
0.0002% is less than any of my equipment can measure ... I guess its time to upgrade the shop ...
It may not get any better than this for headphones in the near future ... it would be a shame to put mechanical variable resistors in front for gain control ( noisier than a hen house ) =
0.0002% is less than any of my equipment can measure ... I guess its time to upgrade the shop ...
alfiax said:
QFN packages aren't as horrid as you might think. I've done a bunch.
The trick for hand assembly is to treat the center and outside pins seperately. Put a little solder paste on the center pin, place the component, then warm the whole board to reflow it (I generally use a high-zoot vapour phase oven, but have used a simple hotplate a couple of times). Once the middle is done, the outside pins can be soldered using a very fine soldering iron, with lots of flux.
One of my workmates has a board where (rather than using lots of small vias in the middle pad) he used one large plated through hole. He soldered the outside pads first, then put solder through to the large middle pad from the back. Made it so he could do the whole thing completely with a soldering iron.
Here's one of my boards:
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/sjackson/SoC_test_board.jpg
The two large chips on either side are QFNs (56 on the left and 72 on the right) The one in the middle is a 256 pin BGA (no good trying to do these with hand tools - it's reflow oven or don't bother). The smaller ones on the bottom left are DFN voltage regulators.
Cheers,
Suzy
I've had traces thin enough for SSOP on a home made PCB, using the toner transfer method. I'd guess it's even easier if you use photosensitive board.
IC cases chip size packages SMD DIP TO92 SO8 SOT89 SOT223
🙂
For IC, the smallest I would consider is SO8
This still gives me a fair chance of doing
Hard Wire - direct solder by Hand
I usually never make any pcb
I use lab experiment cards most 98% of my actually constructions.
Not only for prototype - THE PROTOTYPE is my ONLY one - My Main Circuit.
I always look for chips / transistors
that are
at least like
5 x 5 millimeter
in size
A good little Magnifying Glass is also handy!
I always have one at my electronics working table.
--------------------------------------
For ICs: DIP, SO8, DIL
For transistors: TO92, of course!
Also SOT89 and SOT223 ... SMD ...
but in size alright to handle with your fingers.
And there are a number of other BIGGER SMD, too.
There is no end how many different flat surface mount packages there are.
Luckily they have good support with images
so you can see what actually size it is.
( Still sizes are given BOTH in MilliMeters and Inches )
lineup 🙂 give his practical considerations, when DIY Constructing Building
🙂
For IC, the smallest I would consider is SO8
This still gives me a fair chance of doing
Hard Wire - direct solder by Hand
I usually never make any pcb
I use lab experiment cards most 98% of my actually constructions.
Not only for prototype - THE PROTOTYPE is my ONLY one - My Main Circuit.
I always look for chips / transistors
that are
at least like
5 x 5 millimeter
in size
A good little Magnifying Glass is also handy!
I always have one at my electronics working table.
--------------------------------------
For ICs: DIP, SO8, DIL
For transistors: TO92, of course!
Also SOT89 and SOT223 ... SMD ...
but in size alright to handle with your fingers.
And there are a number of other BIGGER SMD, too.
There is no end how many different flat surface mount packages there are.
Luckily they have good support with images
so you can see what actually size it is.
( Still sizes are given BOTH in MilliMeters and Inches )
lineup 🙂 give his practical considerations, when DIY Constructing Building
Lineup: " ... I always look for chips / transistors that are at least like 5 x 5 millimeter in size ... A good little Magnifying Glass is also handy! I always have one at my electronics working table. ..."
🙁 .... I can't even work that small anymore = too far sighted (or not near sighted enough) = too old and in the way ...
🙁 .... I can't even work that small anymore = too far sighted (or not near sighted enough) = too old and in the way ...
FastEddy said:
Same here - my eyes are not as sharp as my brains, anymore.
( wonder if my brains even like when I was younger 😀
my body certainly is not what it was .... far from ...)
My room is full of different reading glasses.
As well as some other helps for my eyes.
I use a very small 'lupp', magnifying glass, of this type:
It is my best friend, when trying to read small letters
on chip and transistors, when back-engineering (try to copy circuits for my own use)
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
To buy:
www.elfa.se
lineup 🙂 still not blind
yes,
I have seen those 'hands-free' stuff
I guess it works quite nice.
I have such an help were I can attach things,
but not with the lens.
Sometimes when soldering, we can run out of hands.
Two of them are not enough ...
Christmas Everybody!
I have seen those 'hands-free' stuff
I guess it works quite nice.
I have such an help were I can attach things,
but not with the lens.
Sometimes when soldering, we can run out of hands.
Two of them are not enough ...
Christmas Everybody! Oh no,
don't rave about a certain THD number, please!
That THD+N of 0.00014 isn't applicable here anyway!
Or does anyone use 600 Ohm headphones and listens at 80mW?
At more realistic loads (most modern headphones are below 100Ohm), the distortion of the TPA6120 certainly is still very good (I roughly read a THD+N of about 0.002 with headphones of 32 to 64 ohms at 1mW) , but if you look at the THS6012, which is basically the same chip, you see that at 100kHz (unfortunately, the graph doesn't go below) the 3rd harmonic is even worse than the 2nd!
So then I wonder if regarding the higher (and definitely more disturbing!) harmonics, there aren't some other chips to beat that famous TPA6120/THS6012...
(I've some to try here, but didn't have the time yet...)
Regarding SMD:
I'm using those magnifying glasses to wear like ordinary glasses. That's very nice to work with, except most of them are cheap and not great quality...
QFN packages:
Isn't that center pad on most chips for cooling and doesn't require an electrical connection?
I'm not sure of that (will have to reread some datasheets), but I imagined to glue those chips with heat-condictive (damn, I guess that isn't the usual name) glue to the board...
Cheers,
Dominique
don't rave about a certain THD number, please!
That THD+N of 0.00014 isn't applicable here anyway!
Or does anyone use 600 Ohm headphones and listens at 80mW?
At more realistic loads (most modern headphones are below 100Ohm), the distortion of the TPA6120 certainly is still very good (I roughly read a THD+N of about 0.002 with headphones of 32 to 64 ohms at 1mW) , but if you look at the THS6012, which is basically the same chip, you see that at 100kHz (unfortunately, the graph doesn't go below) the 3rd harmonic is even worse than the 2nd!
So then I wonder if regarding the higher (and definitely more disturbing!) harmonics, there aren't some other chips to beat that famous TPA6120/THS6012...
(I've some to try here, but didn't have the time yet...)
Regarding SMD:
I'm using those magnifying glasses to wear like ordinary glasses. That's very nice to work with, except most of them are cheap and not great quality...
QFN packages:
Isn't that center pad on most chips for cooling and doesn't require an electrical connection?
I'm not sure of that (will have to reread some datasheets), but I imagined to glue those chips with heat-condictive (damn, I guess that isn't the usual name) glue to the board...
Cheers,
Dominique
Dominique said:
This reminds me of former member amplifierguru.
When he stated his micro numbers of anything
... probably from only simulations or very ideal tests in prefect test situation.
It is nice to rave about, and some people are figures addicted.
They judge any amplifier with more than 0.01% THD as NOT Wanted.
===============================
I can't guarantee very good numbers of my SE Class A Headphone Amplifier.
But I can tell it has got not bad data, at all.
You can't go too much wrong, if building in TRUE Class A.
But if you get anything close to the sound of my own build of this,
than you will be pleased. This I can guarantee.
My brother did order me to build him a copy, after one listening 😎
And he has got Sennheiser 600 phones
( by my recommendation - he has got the money - I have the knowledge )
while I have Philips Headphones, who were used when he listened at my place.
FastEddy, check this - a pure Lineup Audio Lab design:
Discrete Headphones ClassA amplifier - New version
- easy to find parts - easy to build power supply - 12 VDC single rail -
Also some layout suggestions and many details.
If you read all posts and follow link in my first post
you will even see some pictures of my amplifier circuit!
lineup - headphones amp expert
they are suitable projects for all - beginners as more experienced Leolabs said:
I'd rather think that the soldering was a bit harder to do.
Even on my very first self-made test PCB where I tested several exposure times (of the uv light), the 0.3mm structures look pretty good while the 0.2mm still usable I think, so you should be able to do that too, I'm definitely no magician...
(used an inkjet printer and transparent inkjet foil)
Cheers,
Dominique
Dominique said:
Having more energy in the third harmonic than the second isn't anything to get upset about. Rather, it indicates good design, where even harmonics are suppressed through use of differential stages, for example.
I'd wager quite a decent amount that you wouldn't be able to hear kilowatts of sound energy at 300KHz.
It's the overall level of the harmonics that count, at frequencies that people's ears are actually sensitive to. Except of course with mediocre amplifiers with >1% THD, where higher order harmonics really are audible, and sound bad.
As regards magnifers, I can heartily recommend the Luxo "maggylamp" series:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I've got one on my bench at work, and it's nice. It's only rarely that I need more magnification, and then a microscope is necessary.
Regards,
Suzy
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