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85.19.92.6
Hi !
i see on ebay many different small and cheap amps like the ones from Muse, SMSL, Lepai and so on.
I wonder if anyone has experience of any of them
I would like to get a very small amp and they are all perfectly sized.
Is the sound so bad ?
Any hidden gem ?
How much a correct selection of speakers can help the performance ?
I ask this because i remember some reports from audio meeting where high efficiency speakers where driven with nice results by the small T-amp.
I listened to it and found it a little weak on the bass.
Maybe the latest models are better ?
Thanks a lot.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/10/15 11/10/15Follow Ups:
I just bought one recently, and am very happy with its performance.
It drives my inefficient NHT speakers to satisfactory levels, and sounds pretty darn good doing it.
Read my comments at the link below.
SF
Hi and thanks a lot for the valuable recommendation.
I like the SMSL brand. I have already a small dac and two headphone amps.
I think i will try one.
It is just for a secondary system for background music.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
id recommend lm3875. its better then lm3886
get a BB chipamp lm3875 kit
you will be very happy
Hi and thanks again.
Message received.
I have just to enter the DIY idea.
There are many of these very nice boards around.
I am a little uncomfortable in making things.
I had very bad results in the past. But this will allow me to use better parts for the important power supply.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/13/15 11/13/15
How does 3 dollars sound? Yes, you can spend more, 5 7 10 12 dollars for one. They are TDA7297 amps, and you can find lots of them on eBay. And they actually sound pretty good. Just add a 12v power supply (at least 1 amp works well) or you can even use a 12v SLA battery. 15 watts/channel, and they really sound better than they should for how ridiculously cheap they are. You may as well buy a bunch of them because they can be pretty poorly made, sometimes you need to re-solder the contacts. It seems like you couldn't even buy the parts to make it yourself for what they charge for them. But they are fun to play around with, sound good, and you can use them outside and not have to worry about them. Of course the biggest worry is that they are so tiny that they can easily get knocked over and lost...
--Matt
"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama
Hi and thanks for the reply.
Amazing little thing indeed.
However i would like to get a complete amp, with case and decent quality connectors.
I am always on the move and i cannot DIM properly.
I am also very very bad with the soldering iron.
But it is a very impressive board and looking at ebay i can see a huge number of interesting boards.
Maybe i should consider really assembling one myself ... some boards look very beautiful.
I will take some more time to study.
So many different chip.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Hi-
You don't need to assemble the board, it comes already made, but some of them are really cheaply done, a friend of mine and I bought 4 of them, two worked perfectly, but two needed to have some connections resoldered to work. I also have another one that I paid 5 dollars for that works perfectly. You do have to attach a 12v power source to it, and attach the speaker wires which can be tricky because the connecting blocks are so tiny.
But it is fun to play with, and sounds pretty good.
You can add an enclosure to it if you want, you can spend as much or as little to it as you desire.
--Matt
"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama
Hi and thanks again.
But the idea is to get a finished unit with case and good speaker connections for spades.
I had the T-amp some years ago and did not like the cheap plastic case.
It was also a little underpowered
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/13/15
I have heard many of the "chip" amps, and have even owned a few. In my opinion they all sound flat and compromised.
If it were me I would take my time and find a vintage gem such as the ones pictured above. I would then have inmate Michael Samra, or Don Sachs refurbish it. You will then have a amp that will out live you, and sound waaaaaay better than the junk crap with tiny little transformers, poor parts quality, and no way to service stuff from across the Pacific.
There is a plentiful supply of integrated tube amps in the $150 to $350 range on ebay from Fisher, Eico, Sherwood, HK, Stromberg Carlson, and many others.
These amps all have great iron, and once properly rebuilt will crush the aforementioned crap.
Meat; It's the right thing to do. Romans 14:2
Hi and thanks for the valuable advice.
I forgot to mention that size is an issue.
I need a mini to micro size and just decent sound (i.e. without nasty distortion or hiss and clear enough voices)
I am conscious that i cannot expect very good sound.
So i am curious to know if someone is actually using one of these little boxes without feeling fatigue.
Moreover i do not like the bass with tube .. it is always too rounded to me. But i like a lot the hybrid solution, tube pre and ss power.
Kind regards,
bg
go for a chip amp. LM3875.I have heard much pricier amp fall short and I wouldnt touch a cheap tube amp. the chip amp is very fast, transparent, detailed. a bit like class d but more musical, more grunt and weight in the midrange.
imo, not a lot of SS amp under 2k comes close. you will be very suprised by the SQ. its quite amazing.
I have had many class d, and chip amp are in another league.
Edits: 11/11/15
Hi and thanks a lot for the recommendation.
Actually i am leaning towards class AB chip solutions.
There are also high end unit using them (Gaincard, JR Concentra, etc.).
However i cannot find a complete amp with this chip.
I would prefer a finished amp with decent connectors.
I am not good at assembling kits and usually the results have been very poor.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/11/15
with a pair of Tannoy DC-100 speakers and a CDP at work.200 watts, should drive most anything.
Decent enough with plenty of clean power.
The Lepai only cost five bucks though, so, I have NO complaints.
Parts Express sells them.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure
Edits: 11/10/15
I'm having trouble locating your amp. Is is found here?
I find a 200 watt (@10% THD) unit for a hundred bucks.
Thanks!
at the link. AND see my apology below.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure
Edits: 11/11/15
200 watts for five bucks would truly be impressive - even with 10% distortion!
Hi and thanks a lot but i really think that 200 W are not needed.
I will use very few watts because it is for a small studio ... i will listen to small speakers in the nearfield.
It is for a pc desk.
But i understand that some amps could be ok also for a main system.
Very interesting.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Muse says the Lepai costs only five bucks. No harm trying one.
Cheers
Bill
at an estate sale.
Should have been more clear about that I suppose...
Sorry for any confusion folks!
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Hi and i am confused.
i am looking on Parts-Express site but i see a different story.
I see also similar prices on ebay.com
I am not saying that are high prices at all especially considering the huge power of this unit.
But i really need only 10 honest and clean watts, maybe less.
Even a better built T-amp could be enough ?
i would like really proper speaker connections and more robust case.
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/11/15 11/11/15
I have had good results with the Sure TA2024 amp but I found I needed a preamp in front of the amp for it to sound its best. My speakers are fairly efficient and my room is small. Without a preamp, the amp sounds a little lean.
The tpa3116 amps I have heard are a little more detailed than the Sure but they need a preamp, preferably a tube one.
Hi and thanks a lot for the very valuable advice.
The need of a preamp makes things more complex.
I would prefer a one box solution, maybe just with a separate power supply.
However thanks for the recommendation.
Kind regards,
bg
I reckon a low-cost T-amp would easily drive an inexpensive Audioengine P4 loudspeaker. It's a 4 ohm, efficient monitor with information-rich coherency. Integration with a subwoofer is recommended.
However, upgrading the stock switch mode power supply of a T-amp with a regulated linear power supply would increase the cost of the T-amp, but well-worth it.
Hi ! thanks for the advice.
I had some years ago a T-amp but i did not like the construction and the weak bass (just normal of course).
But now i see small size amps better built with proper speaker outs.
I got the recommendation to look at more traditional class AB amps instead of taking the class D route.
The offer on display is huge.
Kind regards,
bg
Some time ago I couldn't resist the temptation and ordered two SE amps from China with an interval of approx. one year. The first is powered by two 6L6GC tubes and the second by two KT88 tubes. Both have output controls and can be hooked directly to a CDP.
At first I was enchanted my their "midrange magic" and musicality. Both sounded bright but still quite listenable and both have a weak bass (esp. the KT88 based amplifier). Now I prefer vintage Eico and Sansui amplifiers.
Hi and thanks for the valuable advice.
But i need something very compact and solid state
I understand i cannot pretend to get a high level sound but it is not for my main stereo ... only for the pc stereo.
Size is an issue. It must be very small.
And decent sounding
Thanks again.
Kind regards,
bg
The other one...
Avoid lepais they are Junk.. period. (From direct experiences)
Shame cuz the now long dead and Gone Tripath Chip was a good one.. (41hz.com versions were V nice lil amps)
But the Chips are now ALL poor quality fakes.
Tpa 3116d2 types are Current 'Pilot fish' Faves.
Mine (yeah.. I tried one after all the hype :-) was/is Harsh and unpleasant.. You 'may' receive a better sounding one..or not.
Feeling Lucky ??
The lure of a Cheap Amp Always finds those of us willing to buy/try.
This one is a decent semi cheap Kit?
http://chipamp.com/product-category/chipamp-kits/
There are better .. for more coin :-).
Still the above are A whole world better than the Ebay Dross.
Hi and thanks a lot for the very valuable advice.
I will look for sure for a LM3886 based option then (or a LMxxx anyway).
If they have been adequate enough for Jeff Rowland they must be quite decent.
Thanks a lot again.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/10/15
LM - do you mean Line Magnetic?
Hi ! i mean the various amps on a chip like the one in the Gaincard and their clones.
I understand that is safer to stay on traditional class AB instead that cheap class D solutions.
I understand that the implementation is key for good performance, but if a chip can give a sound like the one in the Gaincard must be basically quite good.
Thanks a lot.
Kind regards,
bg
Edits: 11/10/15 11/10/15 11/10/15
Two Lm 3886 ones that have a Darned good chance of ..outsounding.. Any amp that you have yet heard.
http://www.neurochrome.com/modulus-86-rev-2-0/
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/group-buys/280283-my_ref-fremen-edition-gb-seventh-run.html
DIY of course but not difficult to assemble.
Hi and thanks again for the very valuable advice.
I was about to buy something without thinking.
Now i think i will study the issue a little longer. But i am quite set on these LM3886 solutions.
I will look at the projects you recommend for sure.
Thanks a lot again.
Kind regards,
bg
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