Hmm ... well the TP 22 arriving this morning and sits awaiting a return collection .
Had been sent from a seller on Amazon without the manufacturer's protective box and was just loose in a plastic bag ! Loads of damage to the casework and a crack in the plastic shell of the psu.
Seriously unimpressed with the seller so i've just destroyed their 100 % positive feedback ,beyond belief that an item that is packaged in foam and a sturdy box by the manufacturer for a reason is removed and shipped without it. The seller was Juntop Global .
I did fire it up and give it a couple of hours listening and to be honest it wasn't inspiring . Dull, lifeless and a huge channel imbalance whatever the volume.The psu is as light as a feather and didn't inspire any confidence in build or reliability . Of course its quite possible that the amp had been damaged on its way to me but compared to the failed SA 36 that preceded it based on sound quality alone the SA 36 beats it hands down.
So where to go from here ? I'm not competent enough to build my own amp ( i know this is a D.I.Y forum but i joined simply because of the wealth of knowledge available here ) beyond very simple mods.
I have just put a deposit on a Musical Fidelity X Ray cd player ( original model ) that i spotted on the shelf of a local " junk " shop . Gave it a once over and all works fine so i need an amp that will make the most of its capabilities either class D or Tripath but within a 100 GBP budget , not a lot to ask... is it?
Suggestions welcome.
Had been sent from a seller on Amazon without the manufacturer's protective box and was just loose in a plastic bag ! Loads of damage to the casework and a crack in the plastic shell of the psu.
Seriously unimpressed with the seller so i've just destroyed their 100 % positive feedback ,beyond belief that an item that is packaged in foam and a sturdy box by the manufacturer for a reason is removed and shipped without it. The seller was Juntop Global .
I did fire it up and give it a couple of hours listening and to be honest it wasn't inspiring . Dull, lifeless and a huge channel imbalance whatever the volume.The psu is as light as a feather and didn't inspire any confidence in build or reliability . Of course its quite possible that the amp had been damaged on its way to me but compared to the failed SA 36 that preceded it based on sound quality alone the SA 36 beats it hands down.
So where to go from here ? I'm not competent enough to build my own amp ( i know this is a D.I.Y forum but i joined simply because of the wealth of knowledge available here ) beyond very simple mods.
I have just put a deposit on a Musical Fidelity X Ray cd player ( original model ) that i spotted on the shelf of a local " junk " shop . Gave it a once over and all works fine so i need an amp that will make the most of its capabilities either class D or Tripath but within a 100 GBP budget , not a lot to ask... is it?
Suggestions welcome.
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO A3i STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER, PLAYING WELL, | eBay
With some reading on this forum and some care it will be within budget and good.
With some reading on this forum and some care it will be within budget and good.
Thanks for the suggestion but not a fan of Cambridge to be honest plus that amp looks abused and over priced in my opinion in that condition . It may well be ok with some TLC but i want something new and working out of the box. It may sound crazy trying to match a £800 ( when new ) cd player with an under £100 amp but i'm sure that somewhere theres a Class D / Tripath that will make the most of it's ultra revealing presentation and keep it musical
The local second hand shops here have a huge number of Cambridge amps btw there being a Richer Sounds nearby problem is their kit hasn't got much of a good reputation for reliability and having owned a few over the years i agree .
Ideally i'd like an Amptastic mini 1 but they only do small production runs a couple of times a year and nothing available for almost three months now . I did email Erol Rickitts @ NSMT about his modified Lapai but with import duty and postage etc cost prohibitive .... the search continues ... thanks for taking the time to reply though .
i assume you mean by Cambridge being made in the same country as the various chip amps available that it, as a brand, is no different where reliability is concerned.
The big difference being the majority of " name " brand products have in house employees from their native countrys on site to prevent issues like quality fade creeping in to production.
With products designed ,components sourced from and assembled there and very little in the way of quality control you can't really compare a brand like Cambridge with say Kentiger,Lapai or SMSL.
With all these cheap amps its a gamble some are great and long lasting others arrive lifeless.
My remark regarding Cambridge was based on experience and a close relationship with people that actually sell them and knowing the high failure rate.Although built to a higher standard than the indigenous products the parent company that owns the brand attempt to make the product significantly cheaper than its competitors. Bottom line for achieving this is to use inferior parts so for a time yes their amp may sound as good as its nearest competitor that costs a fair bit more but which one will still be working in 5 years ?
Update well i have decided to give S.M.S.L one more chance and have placed an order for the SA 50 as this seems to get mostly positive feedback and more than enough power.
Have also ordered a CWT 24 v 5 amp psu that costs half as much as the amp itself but the power supplies that come with all these mini amps scare me :/
Watch this space .......
well i have decided to give S.M.S.L one more chance and have placed an order for the SA 50 as this seems to get mostly positive feedback and more than enough power. Have also ordered a CWT 24 v 5 amp psu that costs half as much as the amp itself but the power supplies that come with all these mini amps scare me :/
Watch this space .......
Look for TDA7498 - black ones for $11 with 24v supply sound excellent even stock.
Online Shop Excellent Quality TDA7498 100W+100W Class D Amplifier Board High Power Amplifier Board Hot Sale Easy To Install|Aliexpress Mobile
Online Shop Excellent Quality TDA7498 100W+100W Class D Amplifier Board High Power Amplifier Board Hot Sale Easy To Install|Aliexpress Mobile
I did consider the SA 98 e by S.M.S.L but many people seem to prefer the SA 50 sound quality overall . With regard to Ali i deleted my account last year after to many issues with faulty gear and bad / zero communication with sellers.
Anyway apologises to all for hi-jacking this thread which is meant to be about the SA 36 so having looked on Amazon this morning i noticed a long time regular seller of S.M.S.L gear has a new listing ( no stock for a few weeks ) for the 36 . The description has changed yet again having previously been listed as the PE version it's now a mix of all three :/ Title S.M.S.L SA 36 - picture shows a silver front with no Pro designation just SA 36 -12 v psu included - power ratings shown at 12 v and 15 v - power requirements 9 -14 v - chip Tripath 3118-along with a line from the old pro " 24 volt can solve bursting " .
Total mess .
On another note is S.M.S.L going " high end " just noticed the prices of the new Sanskrit Panda suit stack :O @ GBP 900
TDA7492PE V3.5 board capacitors
I just picked up a SA36A-pro which has the TDA7492PE installed. The board is V3.5. It only has one large 16v 5600uF capacitor across J1/J2.
I am a complete novice when it comes to modifying an amp, but am quite handy at soldering.
My question is what would be the best capacitor upgrade? Should I try putting 3 capacitors in place of the single larger one (I am assuming that the C13 and C28 positions are all wired in parallel with J1/J2), if so would it be best to have 3 identical ones, or would a mix of types give a better sound?
I was considering nichicon 2200uF 16v. space not really an issue as I am placing the whole board in a new housing.
Many thanks in advance for your help. Mark
I just picked up a SA36A-pro which has the TDA7492PE installed. The board is V3.5. It only has one large 16v 5600uF capacitor across J1/J2.
I am a complete novice when it comes to modifying an amp, but am quite handy at soldering.
My question is what would be the best capacitor upgrade? Should I try putting 3 capacitors in place of the single larger one (I am assuming that the C13 and C28 positions are all wired in parallel with J1/J2), if so would it be best to have 3 identical ones, or would a mix of types give a better sound?
I was considering nichicon 2200uF 16v. space not really an issue as I am placing the whole board in a new housing.
Many thanks in advance for your help. Mark
Looks like SMSL is changing versions like babies change diapers. I ordered two this week from Amazon. First came in wrong color. I took a look inside and it was ver 3.2 with 2 capacitors. The replacement unit that arriver is ver 3.5 with 1 capacitor in the center. So they went from totally different looking "Pro" TI version 2.x to TDA7492PE in version 3.x and then go back and forth with the number of caps in the center. Weird.
As a newbie that doesn't know much about amps, should I keep versions 3.2 with the 2 caps or keep ver 3.5 with the single cap? BTW - both were incorrectly listed on Amazon as TI units.
Also, I was considering at times powering the amp with a 4S LiPo pack which when fully charged is 16.8v. Given the 15v rating on these newer units, is 16.8v still safe to use?
As a newbie that doesn't know much about amps, should I keep versions 3.2 with the 2 caps or keep ver 3.5 with the single cap? BTW - both were incorrectly listed on Amazon as TI units.
Also, I was considering at times powering the amp with a 4S LiPo pack which when fully charged is 16.8v. Given the 15v rating on these newer units, is 16.8v still safe to use?
Attachments
Hi!
I just purchased a used SMSL 36-a pro with TDA7492PE, while still aware of the issues. I already had used the TPA3118D2 version, and was pretty pleased with that (But unfortunately its locked away in another country right now).
Im unsure of the exact internal layout until it arrives.
What are the best mods/upgrades to ensure non-breakdown for the amp? Will upgrading the capacitors to Nichicon 2200uF 25V help reduce potential problems? Also, in the SMSL SA-S3 Pro which I believe has the same chip, the capacitors near the volume knob(C4 and C17) look to be bigger better ones. Not sure what role they play, but will an upgrade in those help as well?
This will be my first attempt at modding an amp. I'll practise some soldering outside, but I really want to try doing the cap upgrades.
Also, as of now, I will be getting the power brick supplied by SMSL. Since Im on a very tight budget, whats the best replacement brick thats not too expensive but will still give a safe upgrade?
Thanks!
I just purchased a used SMSL 36-a pro with TDA7492PE, while still aware of the issues. I already had used the TPA3118D2 version, and was pretty pleased with that (But unfortunately its locked away in another country right now).
Im unsure of the exact internal layout until it arrives.
What are the best mods/upgrades to ensure non-breakdown for the amp? Will upgrading the capacitors to Nichicon 2200uF 25V help reduce potential problems? Also, in the SMSL SA-S3 Pro which I believe has the same chip, the capacitors near the volume knob(C4 and C17) look to be bigger better ones. Not sure what role they play, but will an upgrade in those help as well?
This will be my first attempt at modding an amp. I'll practise some soldering outside, but I really want to try doing the cap upgrades.
Also, as of now, I will be getting the power brick supplied by SMSL. Since Im on a very tight budget, whats the best replacement brick thats not too expensive but will still give a safe upgrade?
Thanks!
Upgrading to 25v caps certainly doesn't hurt. It just allows for potential spikes in voltage. The voltage on capacitors is essentially headroom, it can handle up to the voltage listed.
I saw a pretty nice change in sound when I change the caps, was much more dynamic and not as tinny sounding.
As for a quality power supply, I really recommend the astron supplies. I got mine used on eBay for only $30, but the difference in sound is night and day.
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
Yes?
Honestly I would experiment with both. Swap the capacitors on each with different caps and see which one sounds best. Panasonic makes some great caps.
Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk
I played around with both and the one with the 2 capacitors seemed to have a tighter bass and simply "sounded better" to me. I didn't have a bias one way or the other. Not sure if it makes any sense from an electronics position for one to sound better than the other or not. But since in my mind the one with the 2 sounded better, I decided to keep that one and return the other one.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.