TPA3255 - all about DIY, Discussion, Design etc

[daniboun]

My self made preamplifier with mains filter and external mains transformer. The knob fronts are real ebony & ivory. All case sides are 10mm aluminium.
The transport case was made by me and a french friend.



Weight: 16,5kg The weight was calculated by 2 experts so I can put the pre in 1m distance to a speaker playing 20Hz@120dB without anything resonating.

Nice thanks ) what s inside this amp ? (the one in the box)
Well done, you have so many amps ))))))

 

[TNT]

Ivory is ugly.

//

 

[daniboun]

LOL ! you don't go in 4 words ...

tastes and colors my friend!

 

[SinGun]

Nice thanks ) what s inside this amp ? (the one in the box)
Well done, you have so many amps ))))))

At that time preamp with 6N6P tubes and tube regulated PSU.

Now its a preamp with opamps but still experimenting cos my next build will be a Quartlotron buffer, which will be sound better? Opamp or Quartlotron?

I have a small self made pre also with 6N6P tubes so I can still have tube sound if I want. I could not live with all the parameters of a tube amp drifting with time and use, especially when you have a tube regulated PSU. Unfortunately all transistor regulators I've build sounded way worse than tube regulation and passive regulation even without any elcap sounds too veiled and slow. Tube regulation opens up a huge soundstage wide and deep and so much more detail. But with all the different tubes the drift is terrible. It made me sick to measure the preamp and PSU again and again.

The change to opamps was only possible because of the fine quality of Texas Instruments opamps in first place. And secondary KOA/Kiwame, Takman & Ohmite carbon film resistors and Elna Silmic II and Nichicon KZ caps and TKD 2CP2500 volume pot.

 

[daniboun]

Thanks for the feedback.


By the way : I have always asked myself this question: is it better to have an excellent DAC / preamp with an average amp or an average DAC / preamp with an Excellent amp?

Exemple :

Purifi + AK4493
TPA3255 (3E Audio) + AK4499

 

[SinGun]

The Brits are right: Source is the most important. The sound differences of good power amps are not big. But preamps can do sound extreme different. So preamp is more important than power amp.

 

[Polevka]

In my opinion, acoustic systems are more important, because they introduce the most distortion ...

 

[stretchneck]

Source is more important IMO as well. A great source can make even cheaper amplifier and speakers sound great.

 

[TNT]

LOL ! you don't go in 4 words ...

tastes and colors my friend!

I don't think you get it...

//

 

[daniboun]

Source is more important IMO as well. A great source can make even cheaper amplifier and speakers sound great.

Thanks,

If you had to invest :

SMSLM400 + 3E Audio TPA3255 or TOPPING DX3 Pro + Purifi / Bosc ?

 

[SinGun]

Source is more important IMO as well. A great source can make even cheaper amplifier and speakers sound great.

Exactly!

And what can a good speaker do when the source is unbearable?

 

[SinGun]

You mean SMSL M400? Cos there is no A400.

 

[daniboun]

Mistake houps ! M400

 

[daniboun]

Did you see this TPA3255 + DSP @ $1900 ))))))))))))

MINIDSP SHD POWER Lecteur reseau DAC PCM1795 DSP SHARC Dirac Live Amplificateur TPA3255 2x120W 4 ohm Noir - Audiophonics

Minidsp SHD Power Amplifier Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

 

[SinGun]

Thanks,

If you had to invest :

SMSLM400 + 3E Audio TPA3255 or TOPPING DX3 Pro + Purifi / Bosc ?

Are you sure Purifi is better than TPA-3255? Even so go with the SMSL combo. I did not heard M400 till now but I have a SMSL DAC - they are giant killers for sure. Build quality & parts quality surprisingly good. And clever engineered. The measurements are superb and better than most other DACs out there costing several times more. You can use a DAC only for a couple of years so it is unwise to pay too much for a DAC. SMSL is a clever buy for sure.

 

[bobo le chat]

Nice. I am curious of what you got.


I get 6.67Khz 10W 8R at 0.001 THD+N (-100) harmonic dominated

1Khz at (THD) 0.00013 (-117) and 0.0006 THD+N (-105) noise dominated .



I am still improving those numbers.



Of course I am using my own buffers . (yes result is with buffers)


One last thing...if you are only testing now you might not get good test data. We tested many times the THD vs different values of PFFB (and yes they make a big difference)


My PFFB is custom .

Hello
Well done, what is the gain of the TPA, excluding the entry stage?
Best regards
Roger

 

[stretchneck]

Thanks,

If you had to invest :

SMSLA400 + 3E Audio TPA3255 or TOPPING DX3 Pro + Purifi / Bosc ?

I have Purifi here (running great), TPA3255 not yet running yet as my power supply only arrived yesterday. However I still vote that getting a good source first is the most important

With regards to source - not that easy. Need to look at the whole chain ethernet, USB, DAC, music server etc... had taken me ages to get it right.

I do like the idea of the AKM4499, but cheaper DAC's don't tend to do soundstage - the SMSL M400 included by all accounts.

 

[daniboun]

Are you sure Purifi is better than TPA-3255?

On paper, that's for sure ... But that's why I just invested in a new Purifi dual mono > I want confirmation from my musician ears). I am waiting for the engineer with whom I work to finalize the custom buffer) Besides, I will sell them at 40% cheaper than the largest European reseller which is also the cheapest on the market)

I will propose a group buy for European users soon

 

[stretchneck]

I will be able to add another opinion shortly. My Purifi's run the neurochrome buffer / hypex HxR's.

 

[nerone]

Thanks,

If you had to invest :

SMSLM400 + 3E Audio TPA3255 or TOPPING DX3 Pro + Purifi / Bosc ?

You recommended drMorder TPA3255 and I appreciated your reviews in fact I ordered one.
Now you're wondering if a good dac / pre source is better than an amplifier?
You are confused about buying several TPA3255s lately, you have me a little confused