Possibility ₹1K worth TPA3116D2 Amplifier with ₹30K worth of good speakers

[swamytk]

Note: I had commented this in another thread; then I thought this sub-forum could be a right one to answer this query. So it is here.

I am eager to listen music on Audiophile speakers (I have never used). I already have a TPA3116D2 50Wx2+100W 2.1 Channel Digital Subwoofer Amplifier Board which is lying idle for an year in working condition. I am not sure whether I can start building stereo system with this Amp + good Pioneer/Wharfedale/Zensor speakers (20K to 30K budget) and eventually move to a branded amp? Will these audiophile speakers work in decent quality with this cheap amplifier? I am in budget restriction, so I would like to start this way and later upgrade amp/receiver.

 

[greenhorn]

Yes, they will work in a decent fashion. Your 30k speakers will sound like 15k speakers, but yes, otherwise they will work fine.

 

[Ashenden]

Yes. The amp should work. If you’re liking the sound, then that’s a good choice
Later on you can add a good amp. With some patience you can get some good deals here on preowned gear which are real VFM

 

[bobbyprajan]

I have a TPA 3116 amp board with me and I am not impressed with it. The sound seemed a bit harsh compared to a TK2050 board which is a lot cleaner. This could be due to various factors. Also the TK2050 board was twice as expensive. More than the sound quality, the issues in managing the amplifier, a proper switch on/off, volume control, speaker protection, on/off delay etc will be missing or sub-par.

 

[Ashenden]

For speakers also do include Elac debut B6 to your audition list.

 

[swamytk]

volume control, speaker protection, on/off delay etc will be missing or sub-par.

Speaker protection is the worry behind marrying a cheap amp with a good speaker. Thanks for highlighting it.

 

[swamytk]

Yes. The amp should work. If you’re liking the sound, then that’s a good choice
Later on you can add a good amp. With some patience you can get some good deals here on preowned gear which are real VFM

Thanks for the honest reply. Let me keep watching for vfm purchase.

 

[somakmaitra]

Note: I had commented this in another thread; then I thought this sub-forum could be a right one to answer this query. So it is here.

I am eager to listen music on Audiophile speakers (I have never used). I already have a TPA3116D2 50Wx2+100W 2.1 Channel Digital Subwoofer Amplifier Board which is lying idle for an year in working condition. I am not sure whether I can start building stereo system with this Amp + good Pioneer/Wharfedale/Zensor speakers (20K to 30K budget) and eventually move to a branded amp? Will these audiophile speakers work in decent quality with this cheap amplifier? I am in budget restriction, so I would like to start this way and later upgrade amp/receiver.

HI
I will not recommend this amp as the cross over in these amps are very poor crossover implementation. but you can try this amp it is quite good Breeze audio BA100 or go for this board TPA3116d2 50w*2 . I have all the three I find the $5 board the best sounding. Most of the so called high end bands are moving to an active mode using these chips so I see no harm. I have an over night sensation MTM which really plays well with them .

 

[somakmaitra]

You can try this also Arylic this will add a lot of possibilities.
Arylic review

 

[greenhorn]

HI
I will not recommend this amp as the cross over in these amps are very poor crossover implementation. but you can try this amp it is quite good Breeze audio BA100 or go for this board TPA3116d2 50w*2 . I have all the three I find the $5 board the best sounding. Most of the so called high end bands are moving to an active mode using these chips so I see no harm. I have an over night sensation MTM which really plays well with them .

If the op were looking to buy something new, then yes, obviously something else would be recommended. But given that he already had this board, recommending a board that is somewhat better makes no sense. I would rather he save up and get a proper amp than spend any money on the intermediate steps. For now this board should work adequately

 

[jls001]

TPA3116 and TPA3118 are nice amplifiers and they're seriously cheap. However, most implementations use really low quality components that kill the sound. If one has the energy, knowledge, soldering skills and the time to modify them, they can become very good amplifiers. Since they use the tiniest of surface mounted devices, they're very difficult to modify but once done, they'll compete with amps costing much more. There are correctly implemented boards that use the right component values as per Texas Instruments' datasheets, and they typically use premium parts. But the catch is they're not cheap like those found on AliExpress.

To add: most of the cheap 3116 and 3118 amps available for cheap unfortunately don't sound good enough for serious listening.

 

[somakmaitra]

If the op were looking to buy something new, then yes, obviously something else would be recommended. But given that he already had this board, recommending a board that is somewhat better makes no sense. I would rather he save up and get a proper amp than spend any money on the intermediate steps. For now this board should work adequately

My apologies, the context of the matter is the said 2.1 amp is crossed very high thus the normal 2.0 will have a high pass of around 150 hz will not provide the intended outcome. To spend a sum of rs 400 for the 2.0 WILL NOT BREAK THE BANK.

 

[greenhorn]

There is a good tpa3118 implementation. It's the Allo volt amp, and it's available in India!

Allo - Volt+ Amp - Stand Alone Audio Amplifier

 

[swamytk]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. It is valuable for me. I tested my TPA3116D2 50Wx2+100W 2.1 Channel Digital Subwoofer Amplifier Board which is lying idle with a Sony Speaker (SS-TS73). The result is very bad. I have used this speaker with cheap Sony Home theatre earlier, it worked fine. I hear a lot of hiss sound and random sounds. While power on amplifier I can hear room shattering noise from speaker. Looks like I shouldn't cut my leg for shoes. So I am planning to buy a amplifier instead. Your comments helped me to think and test this and decide. You guys are awesome! @greenhorn @sandeepss @bobbyprajan @somakmaitra @jls001

 

[jls001]

To avoid power on pop, turn volume down to zero.

 

[Ashenden]

Good luck swamytk on the search Just don’t rush to a decision, do a few auditions with different combinations for 30-40 mins each. I’m sure with some patience you can build a great sounding setup!

 

[greenhorn]

What power supply are you using? The quality of output is very dependent on the power supply output

 

[swamytk]

What power supply are you using? The quality of output is very dependent on the power supply output

I tried with SMPS and 18v/3A PSU too. No change in behaviour. I have never measured current consumption and voltage drop if any.

 

[somakmaitra]

I tried with SMPS and 18v/3A PSU too. No change in behaviour. I have never measured current consumption and voltage drop if any.

I would still recommend you to get TPA3116d2 50w*2 just for fun you can put a 24 volt laptop charger for power. You don't need protections as the chip has the same . You will not regret it.TPA 3116, tpa review

 

[swamytk]

I would still recommend you to get TPA3116d2 50w*2 just for fun you can put a 24 volt laptop charger for power. You don't need protections as the chip has the same . You will not regret it.TPA 3116, tpa review

Yes, it would be an interesting stuff to hack around to get it done as DIY. I will do it later. Thanks