That's an interesting finding. Clearly, the YJ would be the winner if comparing on price alone to the UCD180. At $15USD it's 6 times less expensive than the UCD180 current USD price of $95! I'm assuming the price is a criteria for some here since we're talking about diminutive amp modules in the $9-15 range. 🙂 I can't compare it to the 180, but I have found the finished YP unit to sound every bit as good as some other class D amps I've built (and bought). For what these little amps cost they certainly provide a very, very good price/performance ratio solution. I guess the intended application is the key to their ultimate success.
Rick
Sorry, you're right, I mean output inductor. Better means better dynamic, better lows with higher voltage, but more harsh, sterile, as I wrote.
A cheap d-amp would always sound cheaper, unless you perform a blind A/B test. 😉
on upgrading red JY board
Working on putting a mouser cart together for an upgrade of the stock 2.0 YJ board.....
since y'all were recently debating decoupling capacitors...Destroyer OS can you put up a PIC of your setup? I'm trying to figure out the difference in the TI spec 220uf 35v ( EEU-FC1V221L Panasonic | Mouser ) and the YJ 1000uf 25v (maybe as a replacement...RFS-25V102MJ8#5 Elna | Mouser or UES1E102MHM Nichicon | Mouser) decoupling caps. I'm trying to understand why JY wouldn't just use TI spec? Perhaps there's some theory behind this I just don't understand.
Also anyone have a specific recommendation for ferrite bead filter...gonna try DUG's suggested IHLP2525CZER100M01 Vishay / Dale | Mouser and want to purchase a ferrite option to audition as well.
Working on putting a mouser cart together for an upgrade of the stock 2.0 YJ board.....
since y'all were recently debating decoupling capacitors...Destroyer OS can you put up a PIC of your setup? I'm trying to figure out the difference in the TI spec 220uf 35v ( EEU-FC1V221L Panasonic | Mouser ) and the YJ 1000uf 25v (maybe as a replacement...RFS-25V102MJ8#5 Elna | Mouser or UES1E102MHM Nichicon | Mouser) decoupling caps. I'm trying to understand why JY wouldn't just use TI spec? Perhaps there's some theory behind this I just don't understand.
Also anyone have a specific recommendation for ferrite bead filter...gonna try DUG's suggested IHLP2525CZER100M01 Vishay / Dale | Mouser and want to purchase a ferrite option to audition as well.
I have the red YJ board and want to get one of the newer, better designs for implementation in a nice rose wood humidor I just picked up. I've been following the thread very closely but I am not sure if people are now leaning towards the new YJ blue board or this green board on Aliexpress: Free Shipping! 1pc TPA3116 Class D digital amplifier 50W +50 W with Silent Sleep Design-in Other Electronic Components from Electronic Components & Supplies on Aliexpress.com
smile2,
Correct if I am wrong, this board can also be configured as mono? I am thinking of order this one after the Chinese New Year shutdown.
Please let us know your feedback. Thanks!
Regards,
This is the precise problem with so much on DIY. Who do you believe and what design do you adopt? The problem with the latter is that the designs will keep coming. And apparently, if one of our members posts a schematic and layout of a new PCB it may quickly be adopted by the Asians as the latest and greatest and copy it, fab it up, manufacturer it and offer it for sale on eBay before we can say howdy doody! But there's no guarantee they used the parts specified and furthermore the parts in the original design may just sound good/better to the designer, and maybe not good to our ears at all. But better than what? Better or just different? And now you have another variation to be modded away with possibly very little - if any - sonic difference. And so the cycles continues. And then we try and compare a $19.95 amp module with something weighing in at a considerably higher price tag! Challenge... Let's stop and listen to the music for awhile before starting up our tweaking engines. There'll be plenty of time for that when the next design hits the webpages of AliExpress.
Rick
TI specs I am sure are better with TI spec'd psu operations. But also they look good on paper, especially with flat impedence loads. But anyways... I assume YJ wants to make up for the fact that they don't choose the PSU also they don't use panasonic FC's like the Ti BOM has. Enginers know how to do most stuff, but some times ears need to ask them to do it though.
What would you want to see with my setup?
Hi guys!
The problem with compressed sound has been solved. Previously I've connected the board's input directly to the sound card output (as I did with other amplifiers). The result was a distorted, compressed sound as I described above. Thereafter I connected the amp to a CD player the problem has totally gone. So be careful with simple sound card. Now i can confirm that it is a true gem. I can't stop listening this amplifier. It sounds smooth, open, dynamic, magical. Now time to build an open baffle monitor...
Best Regards.
The problem with compressed sound has been solved. Previously I've connected the board's input directly to the sound card output (as I did with other amplifiers). The result was a distorted, compressed sound as I described above. Thereafter I connected the amp to a CD player the problem has totally gone. So be careful with simple sound card. Now i can confirm that it is a true gem. I can't stop listening this amplifier. It sounds smooth, open, dynamic, magical. Now time to build an open baffle monitor...
Best Regards.
Me too! But I don't want to change the sound card, although the sound is as you described, distorted.
It seems you are overloading the amp's input, there are two option to solve this:
the best way: change the input gain of the amp (you retain headroom, increase input impedance, and lower overall noise)
the bandaid solution: don't crank the volume too high on your PC (you just solve the distorted sound problem but increase noise)
It seems the 2.1 board's preamp has relatively too low input impedance. (compared to the sound card output)
Hi Rick, points well taken. I should exercise some patience here and read the reviews as they start coming in. It is just that my one and only YJ board is now mating with a preamp out in my garage set up and I miss having it around. Is it safe to assume that the new blue board is at least as good as the standard red board?
If you are putting the amp in a box what difference would the colour of the board make? The boards probably all sound the same, that is probably why they are coloured, just like fishing lures.😉
It seems to me that the boards have different layouts and different components , I don't think they differ only by the colour, and also don't think it's matter of fishing.
And maybe the boards could sound (slighty) different too.
And maybe the boards could sound (slighty) different too.
Hi Doctor J - I'm not sure I would make that literal of an assumption. But I will say, in all likelihood there's probably not much audible difference in the sound between boards. Perhaps the color of the board is important if it comes from the same designer, and denotes version 2.0 or something like that. In that case, the designer may have made more changes than just the color of the board. 🙂 It's hard to tell by just looking. The only way we can really tell, is for someone to get the board, install it in their current setup - KEEPING ALL OTHER VARIABLES THE SAME - and do some critical listening. It would even be better to take some measurements with a scope of the old and new amp. Doing so allows for observing quantifiable differences that cannot be disputed - whether good or bad. And those measurements may not necessarily translate into audible difference you like! But at least you have some empirical evidence, rather than simply a subjective 'feeling' about the sound. Having the schematic of both boards will help too, but those are rarely available from the Asian designers or eBay vendors.
Most of us want to hear a difference and therefore we do. Prejudices - even in the audio realm - are hard to combat. I also understand that simple A/B blind testing doesn't tell the whole story either, but it's the best we have.
Sorry guys, not trying to derail this thread.
Rick