Possible, I signed up for notifications from TI.com, I received a couple of emails from them but when I tried to buy, no luck, no stock.
I've had the exact same experience. In some cases I jumped on TI.com within a few minutes of receiving the stock notification only to find the stock gone. It wouldn't surprise me if that's why TI chose to restrict orders to a max of ten LM3886.
Tom
Tom
Excellent suggestion.
Mouser shows >5000 and almost 700 in stock (V and H versions) for U$10.50and 11.50 ... what´s not to like?
Why wait for the Unicorn when a perfectly good workhorse is cheap and abbundant?
Maybe all designers suffering in this thread should switch specified IC (easy peasy) and solve all their problems, specially the one designing for a third party as a consultant.
They also show 333 STA540 at U$6.50 each.
Now I understand why Orange Microterror uses half of a 540 as a power amplifier, leaving other half "wasted" .... even so it´s easier and cheaper than looking for "the proper one"
Personally I think in "black boxes" when designing: signal in > [blackbox] > signal/power out.
Not "married" to any specific type , brand or model, only worried about getting the job done.
Saved my bacon countless times.
LM3886 is a killer amplifier, but if not available ......
And if another can do its job .........
It´s a no brainer.
You are wrong.
TDA7294 can do exactly the same job, if not better.
Its not only about doing the job, its also about quality. I used both but i prefer 3886.
Try(listen) both and share your experience with us. lm3886 has much better inbuilt protection circuitry, stronger output stage, offers insulated package as well as non-insulated type for heavy duty use.
What have those features to do with sound quality?
Amplifier should not distort or color the sound by introducing its own quirks.
If you have done comparison with same music, same pre amp, and just different power amp sections, and same speakers, share you experience... and a photo of your test setup if you have one..
How did you measure and compare the distortion and frequency response?
Or was it just a perception, based on your experience?
@JMF : TIP126G last shipments at OnSemi, ST does not have that issue.
I asked here, a local trader has 3886 and 7294, he said 7294 is one third the price, and sells more than 3886, of which he has a few in warehouse, just for customers who need replacement.
He was a bit surprised when I said 3886 is in shortage, he was like what is all the fuss about 3886, just a chip amp.
Other shops also have 7294 in stock, common item.
Amplifier should not distort or color the sound by introducing its own quirks.
If you have done comparison with same music, same pre amp, and just different power amp sections, and same speakers, share you experience... and a photo of your test setup if you have one..
How did you measure and compare the distortion and frequency response?
Or was it just a perception, based on your experience?
@JMF : TIP126G last shipments at OnSemi, ST does not have that issue.
I asked here, a local trader has 3886 and 7294, he said 7294 is one third the price, and sells more than 3886, of which he has a few in warehouse, just for customers who need replacement.
He was a bit surprised when I said 3886 is in shortage, he was like what is all the fuss about 3886, just a chip amp.
Other shops also have 7294 in stock, common item.
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Do you think a non-insulated package sounds better than insulated package ?!
Don't ask stupid question and read post #247 again. I said 'quality' not 'sound quality'. When i test my amplifiers usually i use a simple opamp gain stage plus FR spkrs & if i compare both 7294 sounds boomy at low end! According to my experience 7294 is more suited to low cost guiter and PA amplifiers, 3886 for hifi stereos, surround sound amplifiers. Anyway if you don't know every amplifier colours the sound, we just try to make it as transparent as possible.
Don't ask stupid question and read post #247 again. I said 'quality' not 'sound quality'. When i test my amplifiers usually i use a simple opamp gain stage plus FR spkrs & if i compare both 7294 sounds boomy at low end! According to my experience 7294 is more suited to low cost guiter and PA amplifiers, 3886 for hifi stereos, surround sound amplifiers. Anyway if you don't know every amplifier colours the sound, we just try to make it as transparent as possible.
Baroda, Gujarat State, India.
100 km South of Ahmedabad, 400 km North of Mumbai.
7294 is INR 160 or so.
3886 is INR 500 or so, only small quantity he keeps.
Lamington Road, Mumbai, and Old Lajpat Rai Market, Delhi may be cheaper. Those are big, many traders.
These are cash prices, taxes and shipping will be extra.
100 km South of Ahmedabad, 400 km North of Mumbai.
7294 is INR 160 or so.
3886 is INR 500 or so, only small quantity he keeps.
Lamington Road, Mumbai, and Old Lajpat Rai Market, Delhi may be cheaper. Those are big, many traders.
These are cash prices, taxes and shipping will be extra.
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'I said 'quality' not 'sound quality'.'
You mean ST makes chips of poorer build quality than TI?
And please tell what test equipment was used, apart from your ears.
You mean ST makes chips of poorer build quality than TI?
And please tell what test equipment was used, apart from your ears.
If you Google their history and search this forum then you will find that National semiconductor (Now TI) was very famous for their audio op-amps, power amplifiers. On the other hand ST makes low cost industry grade audio amplifiers, not as good or as 'hifi' as Natsemi types. Probably that's why lm3886 costs 3x compared to 7294, to get something GOOD you have to PAY for it.
Not everyone has thousands dollar measuring equipments, do you have any?? Before continuing please check their datasheet & let us know what do you think.
Not everyone has thousands dollar measuring equipments, do you have any?? Before continuing please check their datasheet & let us know what do you think.
1) you CAN NOT tell them apart by ear alone. Period.
Don´t "listen with your eyes".
2) "much better inbuilt protection circuitry" Where do you pull that from?
Both have robust short, thermal and overload protection, to boot 7294 has MosFet outputs, which by definition are stronger than bipolars (hint: better SOA)
3) insulated package is a "feature" loved by noobs and cheap manufacturers, it simplifies assembly and saves a few cents ... to the costof heavy degradation in thermal dissipation and power output.
Give me metal backs, mica and grease any day of the week.
Which is the higher quality option of the two.
4)
Nonsense, it has no influence on sound.
It degrades thermal and power performance of course.
5)
Hey, are we getting aggressive and insulting now?
6)
Nonsense/imaginary attribute.
BOTH are very high gain very high NFB power Op Amps, very flat response in the Audio band, very high damping, none can be boomier than the other, which would need either a low frequency peak or low damping ... none of that happens.
7)
So you rely on magic/mojo/perceived prestige .... nothing real or measurable.
LM3886 is very good, but was about the only game in town way back then .... now the new kid in the block is eating its breakfast.
8)
WHICH experience?
Anything you did personally or just lots of Forum reading and lots of YT watching?
"3886 for hifi stereos, surround sound amplifiers" .... you mean 10 years ago, when 3886 was "this wonderful new invention", no competitors (except clumsy expensive STK modules which it partly replaced) ... but then those exact same customers moved AWAY from Class AB, period, into Class D which today rules that market.
TDA7294 has not replaced it not because it´s "worse", quite the contrary, simply because Market changed.
Even more in my favour: LM3886 practically disappeared (this very thread proves so) , obviously it stopped being a good seller, manufacturers lost interest in it.
U$10 or more is too expensive for what it offers, period, they rather switch to Class D.
Even your beloved TI did that, offering a huge array of Class D chipamps..
Yes, there is an ever shrinking market for a few 3886, and even less mad people who will pay $35-300 .... a few swallows don´t make a spring, no serious Manufacturer can base production on that.
On the other side, TDA7294, with high quality, still massive production and reasonable cost can still enjoy a few years of (commercial) life.
DIYers? "Audiophiles"? .... hey, they still sustain a microscopic (should I say picoscopic? 😉 ) market for NOS Telefunken tubes, DHT triodes, etc.
Not significative.
8)
YOU say (or imagine) so, with no solid backing.
9)
Think "Manufacturers NOT INTERESTED" plus "A few will pay anything" and you´ll understand 😉
Marketing 101.
OLD as the hills and obsolete on all counts 2N3055 demands expensive (for what it offers) U$5.50 each at Mouser .... do you think it´s as good or better than modern transistors?
10)
Ok,if you wish so:
LM3886------TDA7294
* Power into 8 ohm @+/-35V
50W------70W
* practical rail voltage:
+/- 35V ------ +/-40V
* PO Output Power (Continuous Average)
Both: THD + N = 0.1% (max) @ 50W RMS
* Noise:
Both: inaudible in normal conditions.
In all, no (significant) difference justifying to pay 3X and wait MONTHS with zero guarantee of future availablity.
In my book: "not recommended for new designs". 😱
1)Of course i CAN, listening experience is the most IMPORTANT thing! Many amplifiers are good only in PAPER but not in REALITY!
2) I have very good memory Mr.fahey & i think you CHANGED your stand! Lol !
3)LM3886 offers BOTH, not only insulated package! The GOOD thing about plastic package is EASE of use, which is an advantage for amateur diy hobbyists.
4) DON'T twist my words, i didn't mean that. I expect much better from you!
5) NO, not at all.
6) I shared my own experience & many shares the SAME. Yours may differ, NO PROBLEM.
7) 8) Ha ha ha... Agree, the technology is changing just like YOU !!
9) Ridiculous! You are comparing a venerable age old 60's transistor with a much more modern integrated circuit. If you want to.. compare in same category.
10) Now you're contradicting your own words! Anyway according to their datasheet tda7294 has a peak current capability of 10ampere, whereas 11.5 ampere for lm3886 !!
[THD vs OUTPUT POWER]
TDA7294_____
LM3886____
See, there is a DIFFERENCE!!
Now it's time for a drink
and please i don't want to continue anymore, tnx in advance
2) I have very good memory Mr.fahey & i think you CHANGED your stand! Lol !
3)LM3886 offers BOTH, not only insulated package! The GOOD thing about plastic package is EASE of use, which is an advantage for amateur diy hobbyists.
4) DON'T twist my words, i didn't mean that. I expect much better from you!
5) NO, not at all.
6) I shared my own experience & many shares the SAME. Yours may differ, NO PROBLEM.
7) 8) Ha ha ha... Agree, the technology is changing just like YOU !!
9) Ridiculous! You are comparing a venerable age old 60's transistor with a much more modern integrated circuit. If you want to.. compare in same category.
10) Now you're contradicting your own words! Anyway according to their datasheet tda7294 has a peak current capability of 10ampere, whereas 11.5 ampere for lm3886 !!
[THD vs OUTPUT POWER]
TDA7294_____
LM3886____
See, there is a DIFFERENCE!!
Now it's time for a drink
and please i don't want to continue anymore, tnx in advance
For cheap chip sources for the TDA series, go to your local value village or sallyann... and and grab the larger dead logitech subs for computer surround systems.
they'll have six or seven TDA 7293 or TDA7296 chips in them. with a suitable high amperage transformer to go along with it and some 10,000uf 50 volt caps, to get it up and running for testing. Probably $10. and a pair of nice heatsinks (similar looking to the horizontal sinks on mid-70's sansui integrateds) , to boot.
Here's what a logitech z-680 board (middle image)... looks like seven TDA7293 chips. they also have an approx 250-300VA suitable transformer. the transformers are usually not to be counted on, though. the mounts were too thin, foam wise... and inside the sub, so they vibrate themselves to shorting their windings due to pressures of the bad mounting/winding job. It takes longer than the warranty to happen, generally.. so it's never been a concern for logitech. Point is, almost every logitech powered sub/surround box I've opened up has a transformer that is either bad, or close to it.
botom Image/w black heatsinks, is a Z-5300, with 7 TDA7296 chips (2x 35v/10kuf caps). top image is a z-2300, with a lousy 4 tda-7296 chips. (rectifier up top) (50v/10kuf caps)(saxmon, my favorite reliable capacitor brand! egad!)
That number of parts for approx $10 is nothing to sneeze at.
they'll have six or seven TDA 7293 or TDA7296 chips in them. with a suitable high amperage transformer to go along with it and some 10,000uf 50 volt caps, to get it up and running for testing. Probably $10. and a pair of nice heatsinks (similar looking to the horizontal sinks on mid-70's sansui integrateds) , to boot.
Here's what a logitech z-680 board (middle image)... looks like seven TDA7293 chips. they also have an approx 250-300VA suitable transformer. the transformers are usually not to be counted on, though. the mounts were too thin, foam wise... and inside the sub, so they vibrate themselves to shorting their windings due to pressures of the bad mounting/winding job. It takes longer than the warranty to happen, generally.. so it's never been a concern for logitech. Point is, almost every logitech powered sub/surround box I've opened up has a transformer that is either bad, or close to it.
botom Image/w black heatsinks, is a Z-5300, with 7 TDA7296 chips (2x 35v/10kuf caps). top image is a z-2300, with a lousy 4 tda-7296 chips. (rectifier up top) (50v/10kuf caps)(saxmon, my favorite reliable capacitor brand! egad!)
That number of parts for approx $10 is nothing to sneeze at.
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I’ve heard ‘boomy bass’ and uninsulated package as reasons not to use the STM chip. Both nonsense. If there are chip failures, I’d look at the application.
Please don't start again! I didn't say STM makes BAD parts, Tda2030/50 was among my favourite Audio ic's. Tda7294 is also good but not as good as lm3886. Accept it and move on.
Best Regards!
Edit: Oh i see, you're from Europe. So it's hard for you to digest the truth. Sorry i can't help. Truth hurts!
Best Regards!
Edit: Oh i see, you're from Europe. So it's hard for you to digest the truth. Sorry i can't help. Truth hurts!
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