I can't quit buying these little amps.

[Poultrygeist]

This $500 TBI Millenia uses an older chip from the same family as the TPA3116. Even though it's said to be excellent those who have both prefer the TPA3116.

The only thing the TPA's have in common with t-amps other than size is they're both class D.

 

[Poultrygeist]

This guy has a business based on the TPA3116.

Very creative and some of his cases are near works of art.

http://fleawatt.blogspot.com

 

[renaud]

Thank you Poultrygeist for the link.

I've just wasted minutes and minutes looking at these nice boxes.

A kind of future project, for sure!

 

[barkerd]

Has anyone bi amped with one if these chip amps doing the top end? Would.like to hear opinions on the result. I've heard legends about how clean these are on the top end. ... would make sense to me to use them for that purpose in a bi amped set up. Opinions ?

 

[Poultrygeist]

Has anyone bi amped with one if these chip amps doing the top end? Would.like to hear opinions on the result. I've heard legends about how clean these are on the top end. ... would make sense to me to use them for that purpose in a bi amped set up. Opinions ?

I used the Topping next to the Bottlehead preamp in this picture to power the tweeters in a tri-amped 3 way system. Sounded good but the complexity of the cabling was maddening.

 

[J English]

I've had some e-mail exchanges with Fleawatt and he seems like a nice guy. Plus, he recommended that Ellington album on his blog and it's pretty fine. For the moment, I am happy with my cigar box 3116 and 3110 builds, but I may order something from him down the road. He has a nice sense of design...

 

[barkerd]

I used the Topping next to the Bottlehead preamp in this picture to power the tweeters in a tri-amped 3 way system. Sounded good but the complexity of the cabling was maddening.

sounds like it

 

[hobbit]

I ordered two of these little TDA7498 chip based boards.
Meant to order one but accidentally hit two.
Its the same chipset as my SMSL , the sound of which I like.

My question is, can I bridge this easily, and if so, how ?

One other question - I have an old Rotel RE700 graphic EQ

I was considering fitting a little bear tube pre, plus digital amp inside.

It seems feasable and simple to take the output from the graphic eq and and feed it into my tube pre then digital amp

I am going to modify the case to allow the volume controls and speakers out

there is plenty of room inside the box

 

[audiophoto]

Has anyone bi amped with one if these chip amps doing the top end? Would.like to hear opinions on the result. I've heard legends about how clean these are on the top end. ... would make sense to me to use them for that purpose in a bi amped set up. Opinions ?

Fleawatt checking in. Thanks for the kind words guys. I just built this amp to bi-amp my Klipsch KLF-30's. Using the passive crossovers. Vertical bi-amping arrangement inside one chassis. Dual power supply or just one with two DC cords as long as it is up to the task. The 3116D2 is indeed sweet on top. My Klipsch are not bashful about letting me know otherwise.

 

[Poultrygeist]

Thanks Fleawatt, you've got fans here at AK

 

[TSheaZ28]

Awesome work fleawatt!

 

[Poultrygeist]

Here's a pair of mono block Pass Amp Camp amps used to bi-amp Great Horned Heils. You could just as easy use two TPA3116's for the same purpose.

In Fleawatt's blog I recall he preferred the TPA3116 to the AC amps.

If I ever get my hands on a pair of affordable Heils I'll mount them atop my Frugal Horns and bi-amp with the 3116's.

If you're curious about the massive case in the picture it's a donor from a blown Classe power amp.

I'd also like Fleawatt's opinion on which 3116 flavor he prefers. :yes:

 

[audiophoto]

Poultrygeist,

I think an audiophile's preferences between an Amp Camp Amp and the 3116would be system (speaker) dependent and then subjective. My preferences aside, the ACA monos are fantastic sounding. It would be like having to choose between two brands of chocolate ice cream.

Of the half dozen or so boards I've used, my ears & brain prefer the Yuan Jing "blue/black" board & green "audiobah" (similar made by YJ) boards. I'm always trying to experiment with different boards and chips, but these are safe bets for those just entering the 3116 experimentation waters. Most of what I've read on the diy audio 3116 thread concurs with the YJ blue/black as a great sounding board & preferred by many.

I will say that the volume control one uses is very important.
Going from a carbon track or plastic conductive wiper style potentiometer to a precision stepped attenuator was a bit of a revelation in terms of the presentation difference. I've probably experimented with ten different volume pots, some costing $100 and the differences of some are slight & others dramatic. I always check the resistance tolerances between right and left channels before I install a pot and some of the less expensive pots are way off, to the point I tossed them. An Alps Blue Velvet is a safe, high tolerance bet for a traditional wiper style pot and the Valab, Vishay surface mount resistor stepped attenuator is a great stepped volume control. I had two out of six Valab pots with the soldered in resistor ladders that were defective, so I stopped buying those.

 

[johnr66]

Not sure what is so great about the TPA3116. One look at the datasheet and the THD figures show an odd peaking of distortion right where your hearing is most sensitive in the audio band, reaching into the .2 to .5% range. While I do question if people can really hear distortion that low in music, but it is too much for my own standard of which I would consider hifi. To be considered hifi, the amplifier must not produce distortion higher than .1% across the audio spectrum (20-20KHz) or its power band 0 to max before clipping watts. The TPA3116 does not meet this criteria.

 

[cubdog]

Not sure what is so great about the TPA3116. One look at the datasheet and the THD figures show an odd peaking of distortion right where your hearing is most sensitive in the audio band, reaching into the .2 to .5% range. While I do question if people can really hear distortion that low in music, but it is too much for my own standard of which I would consider hifi. To be considered hifi, the amplifier must not produce distortion higher than .1% across the audio spectrum (20-20KHz) or its power band 0 to max before clipping watts. The TPA3116 does not meet this criteria.

Have you heard a TPA3116 amp?

cubdog

 

[audiophoto]

Not sure what is so great about the TPA3116. One look at the datasheet and the THD figures show an odd peaking of distortion right where your hearing is most sensitive in the audio band, reaching into the .2 to .5% range. While I do question if people can really hear distortion that low in music, but it is too much for my own standard of which I would consider hifi. To be considered hifi, the amplifier must not produce distortion higher than .1% across the audio spectrum (20-20KHz) or its power band 0 to max before clipping watts. The TPA3116 does not meet this criteria.

Borrow one and listen to music.

 

[cubdog]

Fleawatt checking in. Thanks for the kind words guys. I just built this amp to bi-amp my Klipsch KLF-30's. Using the passive crossovers. Vertical bi-amping arrangement inside one chassis. Dual power supply or just one with two DC cords as long as it is up to the task. The 3116D2 is indeed sweet on top. My Klipsch are not bashful about letting me know otherwise.

I love the look of your amps and would love to own one some day. Don't be
such a stranger around here!

cubdog

 

[Gnesen]

Don't be such a stranger around here!

+1 :yes:

 

[J English]

Yes, thirded! Quick question for Fleawatt if still following this thread - have you done any builds with the Sure 3110 board and if so, do you recommend making the connection on the board to minimize power on/off pop? I have not made that modification but solved the power on by using a separate pre between source and amp. Still get a little power-off sound though.

 

[johnr66]

Have you heard a TPA3116 amp?

cubdog

No, but I've heard other class D chip amps and most (but not all) sound fine. If the amp can deal with the reactance of loudspeaker loads, doesn't ring or oscillate and reproduces the audio spectrum reasonably flat, it should sound good.

If you are a number and graphs type person, as many are, this IC does not stack up with many discrete amps or linear ICs. The simple LM1875 IC chip amp distortion levels are a whole order of magnitude less (.05% max into 8 ohm loads across the frequency and power bands).

Would the TPA3116 sound good to me? Probably yes! I doubt most can hear distortion below 1% in music. Some claim that they can hear down to .1% in which I am skeptical, but I can't pass judgement on their own hearing. To these types, the 3116 should sound inferior. I'd love to see this ABXed with the golden eared crowd.