Some years ago I picked up a Lepai Tripath 2020A+ amp, for powering a pair of small HiVi B3N speakers - cheap, and perfectly adequate for the kitchen.
I'm building another pair of these speakers, so want to get another amp, but it looks not to be widely available. From my searching, what I've found out so far is:
Does anyone know more about this, and from where (in the UK) I might get another Lepai 2020A+ (preferably with a PSU)?
I'm building another pair of these speakers, so want to get another amp, but it looks not to be widely available. From my searching, what I've found out so far is:
- They're now called Lepai, and it's the 2020A (not "+")
- Tripath/Lepai went bust, and Parts Express now own the Lepai brand
- The Lepy 2020A is the same as the Lepai 2020A+
- The Lepy 2020A is not the same as the Lepai 2020A+ (the former is using a Yamaha chip): see Lepai 2020A vs 2020A+ ? - Techtalk Speaker Building, Audio, Video Discussion Forum
- The 2024A is the newer/better version of the 2020A
- The 2024A is an older/inferior spec to the 2020A
- The "+" in 2020A just means it was packaged with a power supply
Does anyone know more about this, and from where (in the UK) I might get another Lepai 2020A+ (preferably with a PSU)?
I own both. The Lepy needs more input level to get the same level of output as the Lepai. The Lepy input is attenuated more than the Lepai..
IMO, the Lepy sounds better than the Lepai. Standardized line levels can cause the Lepai to go into distortion easily at high volume. Not so with the Lepy..
I believe the "+" on the Lepai is a notice for the upgrade of the anti-pop relay.
IMO, the Lepy sounds better than the Lepai. Standardized line levels can cause the Lepai to go into distortion easily at high volume. Not so with the Lepy..
I believe the "+" on the Lepai is a notice for the upgrade of the anti-pop relay.
Erm... Tripath ceased operation / was bought out by Cirrus Logic in ~2006 ?
Lepai is Chinese Junk-fi, nothing whatsoever to do with Tripath and their 'tripath' chips are diy efforts.
Not like they can buy Genuine product
Which (when /if you can actually find a survivor) is Markedly better sounding.
G'luck
Lepai is Chinese Junk-fi, nothing whatsoever to do with Tripath and their 'tripath' chips are diy efforts.
Not like they can buy Genuine product
Which (when /if you can actually find a survivor) is Markedly better sounding.
G'luck
I was digging for detailed specs when I found this post.
My take is the "+" indicates it's an actual Tripath chip.
The "+" models all say "Class-T" and the rest say "Class-D".
IIRC Class-T = Tripath only as it's a Trademark thing.
The 2020A is a Yamaha chip
The 2020A+ is the Tripath chip.
The new 2020TI has a TI chip. (And much better SNR than either of the others.)
The 2024A+ is also a Tripath chip but it appears to be a 'lesser' chip than the 2020A+.
In WRITTEN specs: 2020A+ @ 2x20w / 2024A+ @ 2x15w.
Lapai, Lepy and Lvpin are apparently all the SAME company with Lepy being the newest name.
And they are ALL "Chinese Junk" as Bare says.
Based on Youtube videos that open them up and look at PCB level they (all) often use used (salvaged) parts.
Thus difference from one unit to another has nothing to do with the name stamped on it, it is more dependent on where they got their parts that week.
Sounds like I'm talking them down. - NOT!
For the cost these are great little amps.
Just be advised that it's good idea to check the board and recap and/or resolder if needed.
On paper the 2020TI is best but until some 3rd party reviews on it come out the 2020A+ is probably the best choice. (And the 2020A second).
.
My take is the "+" indicates it's an actual Tripath chip.
The "+" models all say "Class-T" and the rest say "Class-D".
IIRC Class-T = Tripath only as it's a Trademark thing.
The 2020A is a Yamaha chip
The 2020A+ is the Tripath chip.
The new 2020TI has a TI chip. (And much better SNR than either of the others.)
The 2024A+ is also a Tripath chip but it appears to be a 'lesser' chip than the 2020A+.
In WRITTEN specs: 2020A+ @ 2x20w / 2024A+ @ 2x15w.
Lapai, Lepy and Lvpin are apparently all the SAME company with Lepy being the newest name.
And they are ALL "Chinese Junk" as Bare says.
Based on Youtube videos that open them up and look at PCB level they (all) often use used (salvaged) parts.
Thus difference from one unit to another has nothing to do with the name stamped on it, it is more dependent on where they got their parts that week.
Sounds like I'm talking them down. - NOT!
For the cost these are great little amps.
Just be advised that it's good idea to check the board and recap and/or resolder if needed.
On paper the 2020TI is best but until some 3rd party reviews on it come out the 2020A+ is probably the best choice. (And the 2020A second).
.
I have bought a few Lapai/Lepy amps over the last few years ( via Amazon ) 2024 and 2020 + models.
The + used to indicate start up delay avoiding pop .
Up until about late 2015 they came with made in Korea Tripath branded chips. I'm pretty sure these were genuine as Tripath shifted production there under licence before going under . Later models both use chinese branded chips and the newer 2020 A doesn't have soft start anymore .
Lepy is the american market brand name btw but they are all one company including LV pin .
The newer stuff is no where as good as the original gear and as someone said they seem to be made from whatever scavenged parts they have at any given time .
It's a shame because a few years ago GBP 20 or so bought a jaw dropping sound with well matched speakers .
The + used to indicate start up delay avoiding pop .
Up until about late 2015 they came with made in Korea Tripath branded chips. I'm pretty sure these were genuine as Tripath shifted production there under licence before going under . Later models both use chinese branded chips and the newer 2020 A doesn't have soft start anymore .
Lepy is the american market brand name btw but they are all one company including LV pin .
The newer stuff is no where as good as the original gear and as someone said they seem to be made from whatever scavenged parts they have at any given time .
It's a shame because a few years ago GBP 20 or so bought a jaw dropping sound with well matched speakers .
For a ready built amp using a genuine Tripath 2020 this is the best implementation i have ever come across.
The company started by modding the original 2020 based Smsl sa 36 then developed their own from the ground up .
They do a couple of production runs a year and sell out fast , the latest batch will be available any day now.
Not cheap £99 but you are getting a product designed and built with care by enthusiasts with warranty and after sales backup .
https://www.amptastic.com/
Disclaimer - i have no affiliation or otherwise just enthusiasm for an excellent product .
Going back to the Lepy's and power/ sound . The 2020 puts out about 9 clean watts into 8 ohm maybe 10 with a 14 v supply and the 2024 about 6 watts into 8 ohm with 12 v . the supplied psu s are rubbish and should be chucked . I use 12 v 5 amp Chennel Well power supplies for both.
Quoted power of all the lepai /lepy range is at 10 % thd into 4 ohm .
Sound wise the 2024 is slightly more analytical and detailed than the 2020 ( + models ) i haven't tried the new version .
The company started by modding the original 2020 based Smsl sa 36 then developed their own from the ground up .
They do a couple of production runs a year and sell out fast , the latest batch will be available any day now.
Not cheap £99 but you are getting a product designed and built with care by enthusiasts with warranty and after sales backup .
https://www.amptastic.com/
Disclaimer - i have no affiliation or otherwise just enthusiasm for an excellent product .
Going back to the Lepy's and power/ sound . The 2020 puts out about 9 clean watts into 8 ohm maybe 10 with a 14 v supply and the 2024 about 6 watts into 8 ohm with 12 v . the supplied psu s are rubbish and should be chucked . I use 12 v 5 amp Chennel Well power supplies for both.
Quoted power of all the lepai /lepy range is at 10 % thd into 4 ohm .
Sound wise the 2024 is slightly more analytical and detailed than the 2020 ( + models ) i haven't tried the new version .
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I've just bought a 'LEPY LP-2020A Amplifier', sold directly by Amazon.
Here's a photo of its internals, it certainly isn't 2x20W as firstly there's no heatsink and secondly, when I had it running from a 12.8V battery, at full volume, it was only pulling a maximum of 0.6A (7.7W) although I only had one 8ohm speaker connected. To be fair, even at full volume it didn't sound horribly distorted - it just wasn't really that loud!
Does anyone know of a reliable source of a decent 2x20W Class-D amps? I'd be happy with a bare board.
Here's a photo of its internals, it certainly isn't 2x20W as firstly there's no heatsink and secondly, when I had it running from a 12.8V battery, at full volume, it was only pulling a maximum of 0.6A (7.7W) although I only had one 8ohm speaker connected. To be fair, even at full volume it didn't sound horribly distorted - it just wasn't really that loud!
Does anyone know of a reliable source of a decent 2x20W Class-D amps? I'd be happy with a bare board.
> certainly isn't 2x20W
> there's no heatsink
> 12.8V ... maximum of 0.6A (7.7W)
> one 8ohm speaker connected.
> it didn't sound horribly distorted - it just wasn't really that loud!
That's not a power test!
You turn-up until it distorts, then back-off.
You use a standard steady test tone. Speech/music has peaks (clippings) easily 10dB higher than the average (supply current). We expect 20W from 12V to draw 1.66 Amps. If driven with lightly clipped speech/music, we expect more like 1/10th of that, under 0.2 Amps.
Speakers are poor approximations of resistors. Yes, speakers are the one true load, but they vary too much to generalize. Resistors are the Standard Load.
Obviously this works as a bridge, so "can" drop 12.8V peaks, but say 12V peaks. In true 8 Ohms this is 1.5 Amps peak, which is 9 Watts.
So clearly the "20W" spec is for _4_Ohm loads. And either they test with more like 14V, or they round-up the Watts result. Whatever. 18W and 20W are the same to the ear.
Class D may not need a heatsink. Ideally 100% efficient, no lost heat. Practically 90%, so a few Watts heat. That may be more than can be dumped in PCB, true.
One question is: if you bring it up on test-tone with 4 Ohms both sides, at 16 Watts, will it burn-up? Obviously thermal protection is universal, it will shut-down and cool. So it "fails" a true FULL Power test. But the real-world question is: can you play speech/music loud, even into clipping, without shut-down? As the average power of 20W max, even clipped several dB, is more like 2 Watts (4W stereo), and the efficiency is near 90%, we have a part-Watt of heat in the chip. It won't even get very hot.
> there's no heatsink
> 12.8V ... maximum of 0.6A (7.7W)
> one 8ohm speaker connected.
> it didn't sound horribly distorted - it just wasn't really that loud!
That's not a power test!
You turn-up until it distorts, then back-off.
You use a standard steady test tone. Speech/music has peaks (clippings) easily 10dB higher than the average (supply current). We expect 20W from 12V to draw 1.66 Amps. If driven with lightly clipped speech/music, we expect more like 1/10th of that, under 0.2 Amps.
Speakers are poor approximations of resistors. Yes, speakers are the one true load, but they vary too much to generalize. Resistors are the Standard Load.
Obviously this works as a bridge, so "can" drop 12.8V peaks, but say 12V peaks. In true 8 Ohms this is 1.5 Amps peak, which is 9 Watts.
So clearly the "20W" spec is for _4_Ohm loads. And either they test with more like 14V, or they round-up the Watts result. Whatever. 18W and 20W are the same to the ear.
Class D may not need a heatsink. Ideally 100% efficient, no lost heat. Practically 90%, so a few Watts heat. That may be more than can be dumped in PCB, true.
One question is: if you bring it up on test-tone with 4 Ohms both sides, at 16 Watts, will it burn-up? Obviously thermal protection is universal, it will shut-down and cool. So it "fails" a true FULL Power test. But the real-world question is: can you play speech/music loud, even into clipping, without shut-down? As the average power of 20W max, even clipped several dB, is more like 2 Watts (4W stereo), and the efficiency is near 90%, we have a part-Watt of heat in the chip. It won't even get very hot.
Anybody have internal picture of this amp?
It seems to have higher output of 25w x 2 with TA2024D but I couldn't find any information online
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32772703517.html
It seems to have higher output of 25w x 2 with TA2024D but I couldn't find any information online
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32772703517.html
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