approx. 30 USD --- Lepai --- TA2020
I think: No Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection. I think that is a real disadvantage, because it could damage the speakers on the long-term use. But the best price!!! Is this amp enough? Some people also write that the TA2020 is better than the TA2024 (and what is the difference to the TA2024C?) But is it true? Finally, is the cheapest also the best value?
approx. 39 USD --- Sure ---, TA2024C (Class-D)
I think: In my opinion it has the best design, but on the product site there is written: …you buy a prototype…, and no power adapter (but I don’t know exactly). What they mean with Class D? (I think they also means Class T like the others, or not?) And no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, I think?
approx. 43 USD --- S.M.S.L. ---, TA-2024
I think: No Chinch Audio connectors, only 3,5mm. Also no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, I think.
approx. 59USD --- MUSE ---, TA2024
I think: Is it more or less the same like the S.M.S.L.? If yes: No Chinch Audio connectors, only 3,5mm, no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection.
approx. 80 USD --- TOPPING TP10 MK4 --- TA2024
I think: This amp has a Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, but the on/off switch is on the rear site (I mean this is really stupid, and unhandy.)
approx. 118 USD --- TOPPING TP30 --- TA2024C
I think: It is expensive, and is it necessary to spend so much money? Ok, he has an on/off switch on the front side, and he has an USB connector. (But how works the USB? Like an USB Stick? If yes, he would play the tracks only in the order of the storage. Otherwise a graphic user interface would be necessary, like Windows - has anyone tried this?)
Has anyone a sound experience which one or more of these types?
I think: No Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection. I think that is a real disadvantage, because it could damage the speakers on the long-term use. But the best price!!! Is this amp enough? Some people also write that the TA2020 is better than the TA2024 (and what is the difference to the TA2024C?) But is it true? Finally, is the cheapest also the best value?
approx. 39 USD --- Sure ---, TA2024C (Class-D)
I think: In my opinion it has the best design, but on the product site there is written: …you buy a prototype…, and no power adapter (but I don’t know exactly). What they mean with Class D? (I think they also means Class T like the others, or not?) And no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, I think?
approx. 43 USD --- S.M.S.L. ---, TA-2024
I think: No Chinch Audio connectors, only 3,5mm. Also no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, I think.
approx. 59USD --- MUSE ---, TA2024
I think: Is it more or less the same like the S.M.S.L.? If yes: No Chinch Audio connectors, only 3,5mm, no Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection.
approx. 80 USD --- TOPPING TP10 MK4 --- TA2024
I think: This amp has a Mute Switch Machine Speaker Protection, but the on/off switch is on the rear site (I mean this is really stupid, and unhandy.)
approx. 118 USD --- TOPPING TP30 --- TA2024C
I think: It is expensive, and is it necessary to spend so much money? Ok, he has an on/off switch on the front side, and he has an USB connector. (But how works the USB? Like an USB Stick? If yes, he would play the tracks only in the order of the storage. Otherwise a graphic user interface would be necessary, like Windows - has anyone tried this?)
Has anyone a sound experience which one or more of these types?
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Same decision.
I am at the same point in my system build (never ending isn't it) and I almost have the exact same question. So decided to piggy back.
So I hear ya on the 2020, how do these compare to the LM3886 oe the 1875 chips.
I have also heard of the modification to the 2020 equipped amps to make them better. Is it available as a to do list somewhere (I should confess, I joined 2 hours ago and have not searched). So be gentle, and say search for "2020 mods" etc, I'm down with that.
Now of course I must confess, I have only 1 pair of even 1/2 way decent speakers. A wharfedale modus 8. Otherwise I have a tin can of a fisher STV9415, another say larger tin can fishers, a fisher ST 740 I am fitting with all new drivers from parts express with their recomendation of drivers for my cabinets. Dayton DC300 woofer, a vifa mid, and a jamo 20132 tweeter. Its using the stock l-pads and crossover (and yes I know its an unknown) but I am thinking of trying it before swapping the cross over.
I'm thinking to run a good amp only the wharfedales would do.
Any one have thoughts ?
Thanks in advance.
Cool.
Srinath.
I am at the same point in my system build (never ending isn't it) and I almost have the exact same question. So decided to piggy back.
So I hear ya on the 2020, how do these compare to the LM3886 oe the 1875 chips.
I have also heard of the modification to the 2020 equipped amps to make them better. Is it available as a to do list somewhere (I should confess, I joined 2 hours ago and have not searched). So be gentle, and say search for "2020 mods" etc, I'm down with that.
Now of course I must confess, I have only 1 pair of even 1/2 way decent speakers. A wharfedale modus 8. Otherwise I have a tin can of a fisher STV9415, another say larger tin can fishers, a fisher ST 740 I am fitting with all new drivers from parts express with their recomendation of drivers for my cabinets. Dayton DC300 woofer, a vifa mid, and a jamo 20132 tweeter. Its using the stock l-pads and crossover (and yes I know its an unknown) but I am thinking of trying it before swapping the cross over.
I'm thinking to run a good amp only the wharfedales would do.
Any one have thoughts ?
Thanks in advance.
Cool.
Srinath.
I think the USB is only a feature, the rest works as a normal amplifier. Or I’ am wrong?
I think the Sure TK2050 is only available in a self build version. That’s too expensive, because I have to add the price of a power supply and a costly amp-housing/enclosure (I haven’t seen anyone under 100 $). Therefore I thing it’s better for me to buy a finished amp. If you know cheap amp housings, so could you tell me some?
Please, could anyone tell me if it’s better to buy a ---finished--- amp with a TA2020 or a TA2024? I don’t plan to improve neither the TA2020 nor the TA2024. I will use the amp exactly as he is delivered; I wouldn’t handicraft work on the amp.
In this context would be the TA2024 better than TA2020 or not?
Saturnus is correct, the unit in question has an inbuilt USB DAC. Yes the 'rest' works as a normal amplifier
I understand you, but only for a few more $ I could get e.g. the Sure, and this one looks 100 Percent better (and I think it has also the better finsih).
Maybe I would go to the sure after I open the cheapo one etc and am not as intimidated by it ... 
My goal is to eventually have a 7.1 or 7.2 system, and I'd control them with 3-4 of these, and that in fact would allow me individual speaker pair volume control of sorts, like a zone level volume control.
Anyway, I am just figuring this as I read and go along.
Cool.
Srinath.
My goal is to eventually have a 7.1 or 7.2 system, and I'd control them with 3-4 of these, and that in fact would allow me individual speaker pair volume control of sorts, like a zone level volume control.
Anyway, I am just figuring this as I read and go along.
Cool.
Srinath.
In my first amp listing above I have disordered that these amps have all different Processors. Therefore I have delve into the advantage/disadvantage of the different Tripath Processors (by the way: Does anyone know if the Tripath Company still exists, the Website www.trippath.com obviously is out of use)
At the end of the following exposure, respectively as a summary of my following words below, I am not any longer sure about the received opinion that the TA2020-020 is the best. In the meantime I think it could be that the TA2024C is the best (note well, not the TA2024)
Let's start:
I have looked the datasheets of the Tripath’s TA2020-020, TA2024 and TA2024C. First, both of the 2024’s have a little bit few output power than the 2020-020. O.k., that’s not so important in my opinion, but there is a big different in the Channel Separation. The TA2024 has at 2kHz 76dB, at 10kHz 64dB. On the other hand the 2020-020 has at 2kHz 80dB, at 10kHz 69dB. Otherwise the Channel Separation Chart of the TA2024C looks very strange. Could it be that Tripath has tuned up this chart a little bit afterward they saw the bad response in many Online-Forums, especially for people who compare it with the older 2020-020? In one and the same Datasheet exists two different Channel Separation charts (on two different unknown and strange measure units, they call it Inductors). On the one chart the 2024C has at 2kHz 84dB, at 10kHz 69kHz. On the other chart the same 2024C actually has at 2kHz 92kHz, at 10kHz 88dB. This is absolute contravene with the information on the third site of the datasheet of the TA2024C, the so called electrical characteristics table. There has the average channel separation 50dB to 60dB, and this is the same as on the bad TA2024. To be fair, it has to be said that Tripath uses in their electrical characteristics tables always different bandwidths on each mentioned processor. Anyway, it is strange. --- What do you make of it? ---
Link to the mentioned Tripath Specs.
Out of this topic: Does anyone know a T-Amp from DrAMP (Costs, Distributor for Europe)?
At the end of the following exposure, respectively as a summary of my following words below, I am not any longer sure about the received opinion that the TA2020-020 is the best. In the meantime I think it could be that the TA2024C is the best (note well, not the TA2024)
Let's start:
I have looked the datasheets of the Tripath’s TA2020-020, TA2024 and TA2024C. First, both of the 2024’s have a little bit few output power than the 2020-020. O.k., that’s not so important in my opinion, but there is a big different in the Channel Separation. The TA2024 has at 2kHz 76dB, at 10kHz 64dB. On the other hand the 2020-020 has at 2kHz 80dB, at 10kHz 69dB. Otherwise the Channel Separation Chart of the TA2024C looks very strange. Could it be that Tripath has tuned up this chart a little bit afterward they saw the bad response in many Online-Forums, especially for people who compare it with the older 2020-020? In one and the same Datasheet exists two different Channel Separation charts (on two different unknown and strange measure units, they call it Inductors). On the one chart the 2024C has at 2kHz 84dB, at 10kHz 69kHz. On the other chart the same 2024C actually has at 2kHz 92kHz, at 10kHz 88dB. This is absolute contravene with the information on the third site of the datasheet of the TA2024C, the so called electrical characteristics table. There has the average channel separation 50dB to 60dB, and this is the same as on the bad TA2024. To be fair, it has to be said that Tripath uses in their electrical characteristics tables always different bandwidths on each mentioned processor. Anyway, it is strange. --- What do you make of it? ---
Link to the mentioned Tripath Specs.
Out of this topic: Does anyone know a T-Amp from DrAMP (Costs, Distributor for Europe)?
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Wow, are you out of the loop! Been gone for years. There is plenty of discussion on that topic on these very pages. A simple search of this forum will tell you all you want to know. Try it, you'll find plenty.
Maybe I would go to the sure after I open the cheapo one etc and am not as intimidated by it ...
My goal is to eventually have a 7.1 or 7.2 system, and I'd control them with 3-4 of these, and that in fact would allow me individual speaker pair volume control of sorts, like a zone level volume control.
Anyway, I am just figuring this as I read and go along.
Cool.
Srinath.
I am afraid that would not work. You would be missing the Surround processor unit. Surround sound comes in just like stereo, gets fed into a surround processor, 2.1(semi-surround simulation)/5.1/7.1 signals to drive Amps are then produced by the processor from the surround (or stereo) input signal. This might even be a DTS (Dolby True Surround)input signal or stereo signal. Your setup would not know how to handle surround. It might work with a stereo input signal, but it would not produce surround sound.
You can use a preamp/processor to handle that. Not the usual HT setup; it's more common to use a Home Theatre receiver with built-in amp, but certainly they're out there. You can also use the analog multichannel outputs of disk players, computers, etc.
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Sure, there are different solutions to solve the Surround processor problem. You will need one though.
You can do without one and still have semi-surround, by wiring 4 or 5 speakers in a creative way, sadly that solution can not be used with Class T amps because you should not connect both - speaker outlets together. That will damage the TAxxxx chip.
Meanwhile I have received my SMSL Amp 03 (TA2020). I am driving it with a NuForce uDAC 1 into a Little Dot Q tube headphone/Pre-Amp, into my old Stereo amp (for source selection only) into the Amp 03. It drives a pair of low-sensitivity (way less than 90dB) closed cabinet Matched pair 8 Ohm KEF 303 series II. It is more than enough for my living room of some 70 m2.
The speaker cable connectors on this amp are tiny. You will not be able to fit anything thicker than 2.5 mm2 cable. Other than that it sounds superb. WAY better than my old Pioneer A109 MOSFET class A amp that's now degraded to a source select switch. And that for US$31 (without power supply, but including shipping from China). Unbelievable. Huge soundstage, very clean and neutral sound, great definition. The tube pre-amp does help to improve sound and give it a little bit more power and punch, as well as improving the soundstage even further.
I am using a 12V 2A power supply from an old external HD for the time being until my 12V 5A arrives from China. - No complaints so far.
You can do without one and still have semi-surround, by wiring 4 or 5 speakers in a creative way, sadly that solution can not be used with Class T amps because you should not connect both - speaker outlets together. That will damage the TAxxxx chip.
Meanwhile I have received my SMSL Amp 03 (TA2020). I am driving it with a NuForce uDAC 1 into a Little Dot Q tube headphone/Pre-Amp, into my old Stereo amp (for source selection only) into the Amp 03. It drives a pair of low-sensitivity (way less than 90dB) closed cabinet Matched pair 8 Ohm KEF 303 series II. It is more than enough for my living room of some 70 m2.
The speaker cable connectors on this amp are tiny. You will not be able to fit anything thicker than 2.5 mm2 cable. Other than that it sounds superb. WAY better than my old Pioneer A109 MOSFET class A amp that's now degraded to a source select switch. And that for US$31 (without power supply, but including shipping from China). Unbelievable. Huge soundstage, very clean and neutral sound, great definition. The tube pre-amp does help to improve sound and give it a little bit more power and punch, as well as improving the soundstage even further.
I am using a 12V 2A power supply from an old external HD for the time being until my 12V 5A arrives from China. - No complaints so far.
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