TPA3116D2 Amp

Thanks;
Photo attached, it IS stock really doesn't show much .. I think.
Also evident that I had fitted an NOS Japan made Alps 100k pot to this one not the blue box one 😱
Currently stuff the PS brick into a stamped tin cookie can.. helps the RF noticeably, but not completely.
Speakers are Mark Audio full rangers and Tannoy GRF's (briefly)
Sadly 'Decoupling caps' is undecipherable to me.. Where/how? if you have the patience .. please??
Source, as in the CD player I've been using with it might be a suspect, a good point actually.. will explore that.
 

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Thanks;
Photo attached, it IS stock really doesn't show much .. I think.
Also evident that I had fitted an NOS Japan made Alps 100k pot to this one not the blue box one 😱
Currently stuff the PS brick into a stamped tin cookie can.. helps the RF noticeably, but not completely.
Speakers are Mark Audio full rangers and Tannoy GRF's (briefly)
Sadly 'Decoupling caps' is undecipherable to me.. Where/how? if you have the patience .. please??
Source, as in the CD player I've been using with it might be a suspect, a good point actually.. will explore that.

Attach a wire from board ground to the case (metal part) of the pot.

These amps can pick up a bit of noise if the input is not low impedance.
 
Ceramic caps on YJ BB for psu decoupling. TI has a maximum distances layout example for same power and same die according to TI support forum. They suggest 100nF and 1uF for that chip and maximum distance for the 100nF parts is 2mm from chippins. In this thread you can find scopepictures ripple supply lines I remember, that poster had YJ BB and only got rid of/reduced ripple by using two 1uF's on each side, I mentioned 100nF and 10uF each side seems to work for me, 100nF and 2uF might also work. But you start with first ceramic < 2mm close to chippins. 100nF=104. Picture is YJ BB, not "official version" copy that isn't sold by YJ. YJ isn't quality reference, but pcbtraces differ between the two lookalikes.
 

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Uhhh Guys! Just Now fitted my old YJ Ta2020 amp where the YJ 3116 was.
NO (Zero/Nada) changes except for the Amp board gizmo.
Ta 2020 is WAYYY better sounding.
More Bass, Lovely Sweet Highs (none of the harsh tizzy highs from the 3116 board)
ALSO NO Turn on unpleasant 'Scooortch' noises and NO RF noises.. (audible in the 3116 gizmo, both with CD turned off or on).
Sorry People.... But from this simple stoopid comparison.
The Ta2020 is the Unquestionably Superior contraption.
Without any Shadow of a doubt in MY ears.
AND... this Chi Fi YJ ta 2020 is audibly inferior to the (now dead) 41Hz.com Amp 6 unit. Think on that for a moment.
Emporer's Clothes... Does come to mind.
 
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What IC is on the "YJ Ta2020"?

Allegedly 🙄 tripath ta 2020 (Fakes Were endemic though, I have 3 different Fake ta 2020 bare chips in my collection, as digressive example)
Applying the cold logic of a decent night's sleep..I redid the A/B test yet again.. moments ago.
Results seemed as even more striking than last nights.
Major audible differences; ta2020 one is Much more listenable, (poor descriptor Pleasant sounding may be a better one?) with deeper more solid dynamics/bass,
Sweet clear highs
Plus the Bonus benefits of: No power up noises.. None!
No Rf noises... it's dead silent.. period.
The 3116 board sounds quite Harsh and Tinny.. unpleasant.. in direct comparison.. No other descriptor seems as succinct /accurate.

Bit of a surprise actually, I guess I had adapted to it's sound signature.
Ta board is notably down on pure DB power though, If that matters.
Doesn't for my needs.. But?

Again this YJ Ta2020 board is (Was) Markedly inferior to My 41hz.com
Amp 6 board (which used ALL OEM parts) But as tripath chips were notoriously fragile, I killed mine when I shorted a Speaker wire. Ergo my collection of Fake Ta chips, results of searching for a Genuine OEM one.
Still annoyed at myself for killing it.

Just My 2 cents.
 
Bare you might be right about the comparison of the two amps you have but I would guess it's a combination of having one crappy TPA3116 and one excellent Tripath 2020. I have both along with some other excellent amps and can't fault my 3116 as being anything other than beautifully musical and I don't mean just for the price.
 
You bought soldering fun board, Bare. Not anything close to good (3116) amp.

Possibly can be wonderous, or not 🙂
Not arguing that possibility all. Mine is clearly Not.
Been there, Done all the Chi Fi chip amp board modding I want to.
Don't want to revisit that adventure.
Having spent a couple of years modding /altering and even scratchbuilding Ta2020 Amps..
I learned that Most of the Mods, (which when I did them, seemed as Better than Sex improvements 😉
Bespoke Coils, Ceramic outputs, All new caps .. Same stuff that's being tried on the 3116 boards.. seems much like recycled ideas too.
In honesty, these actually achieved ..Not much at all.. when revisited after a years' absence.
I have a collection of V good amps. More than a Sane person needs.
The YJ tpa3116 board thing was an impulse buy.. Hey! 15$ to my door.
However, Box Stock it is far less pleasing than a Box Stock YJ ta2020 chip Amp
Food fer thought?
 
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LOL you need to solder, don't replace capacitors, just move them closer to chip🙂 gvdd decoupling next to inputsocket is totally useless, ~20mm closer to chip you already have pcb hole left by resistor you removed, other leg you just solder on neighbouring resistor, you need to do something befor you trash YJ BB 🙂
 
Ya, those TA2020/TA2024 aren't that bad, even the cheapest chinese boards.

Measured without load:

MAX9709 filterless SSM (spread-spectrum-mode):
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TPA3132D2 filterless:
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TA2024 with filter (Delta-Sigma-Modulator at ~900kHz):
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TA2024 1W 8R load:
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TA2024 is this one:
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😉
 

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Possibly can be wonderous, or not 🙂
Not arguing that possibility all. Mine is clearly Not.
Been there, Done all the Chi Fi chip amp board modding I want to.
Don't want to revisit that adventure.
Having spent a couple of years modding /altering and even scratchbuilding Ta2020 Amps..
I learned that Most of the Mods, (which when I did them, seemed as Better than Sex improvements 😉
Bespoke Coils, Ceramic outputs, All new caps .. Same stuff that's being tried on the 3116 boards.. seems much like recycled ideas too.
In honesty, these actually achieved ..Not much at all.. when revisited after a years' absence.
I have a collection of V good amps. More than a Sane person needs.
The YJ tpa3116 board thing was an impulse buy.. Hey! 15$ to my door.
However, Box Stock it is far less pleasing than a Box Stock YJ ta2020 chip Amp
Food fer thought?

Thank you for sharing with us your bad experience with your YJ 3116 amp board. I do not doubt that "your TA2020 sounded much better".

I bought one of those blue/black 3116 and after 5 minute of listening, I just put it away. It sound so flat and "lifeless" as compared to my other 3 3116 boards and I did not even bother to mod it. Of the 3, two of them I enjoy more than the 3rd one. My personal experience with these cheap 3116 boards basically tell me that it all depend on which board from which vendor you are getting it from. This is almost like rolling the dice since there are so many vendors selling these cheap boards now. That's nothing new and have been reported by quite a number of people frequent this thread.

As Irribeo pointed out, simply swapping components do not necessary get you better sound. The PCB design is the foundation of a good amp. Doctormord and others has posted on this aspect already. To have a better idea what this 3116 chip can deliver, I suggest get one of those board offered by DUG (just PCB) or gmarsh (completed amp board). IMHO, these boards are properly designed (following the guidelines suggested by TI). People who bought gmarsh's board from the GB have nothing but good thing to say about board. Same applies to the amps built from the board that DUG offered. And I believe some of these board owners own some very good amps too. May be after listening to those good 3116 amps, if you have a chance, you do not even need sex anymore😀
 
SMSL SA60 is one of the best if you need a ready made full package (power supply included) and has the benefit of two inputs. Not saying it's the ultimate TPA3116 but it's what I've recommended to friends who have no interest in DIY and just want good audio. (This and a pair of Andrew Jones new Elac speakers offers a great bang for the buck entry level kit for music lovers who would never dream of building their own).