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Class D amplifier with TPA 3250 board

Hello,

I'm new to this forum. I recently purchased my endgame setup comprised of Closer Acoustics Ogy speakers (91 SPL), REL T5X subwoofer and a custom hand built tube amplifier with EL34 tubes. The tube amplifier is giving me trouble with hissing noises, so it's constantly at the artisan's workshop. Since my speakers are extremely efficient, I was wondering about smaller amplifiers as an escape route (if the artisan can't fix the amp, he surely can). The Octavio Amp looks nice on paper. So does the Atoll IN80. Is one obviously better than the other for my revealing speakers?

Folks on another forum I shall not name seem to heavily imply that all amplifiers should sound the same (or very similar). They rave about these cheap tiny Topping/Aiyima amplifiers with class D TPA 3250 amplifier boards. These same boards are used in Genelec active monitors, so they must be good? I'm flustered because there no direct comparisons between these TPA 32xx amplifiers and more conventional/expensive branded amplifiers. The same folks on the forum I shall not name imply that I'm a dunce for spending so much money on a tube amplifier (quote: it's a distortion factory and it can't play grindcore metal music so it sucks). If it weren't for the hiss I wouldn't post here. 

Can I cheap class D amp replace a custom hand-wired EL34 tube amplifier for extremely revealing Closer Acoustics Ogy speakers?

kokakolia
rolox
181 posts
 

@kokakolia most likely place would be eBay

Trends TA10.1, Amptastic Mini1, there are plenty of others like the Bantam Gold (a bit more expensive)

 

You could also experiment with the other Chinese stuff, like SMSL, Topping, Aiyma - they sound good and powerful and lively but there is slightly less attention to passive components making them a little bit less refined sounding. Still, great little amps for not much money. I live in Belgium, by the way. ;-)

 

I also order a LOT from AliExpress if you can't find what you want on Amazon or eBay, and I never had any issue so far (choose the right vendor with plenty of good reviews)

rolox
181 posts
 

@atmasphere I'm not familiar with the Topping amps but, aside from the Trends and Breeze Audio used in my main system, I own a few SMSL cheapies and I don't find them boring sounding. YMMV of course, and they certainly aren't as good and refined as the Trends or Amptastic - they do provide more power tho. They are best used with sensitive speakers and well within their limitations, and the ones that allow for input potentiometer bypass benefit from a good full size preamp. They also respond very well to a better non SMPS power supply. But yeah obviously they won't provide the euphonic sound of a good tube amp.

kokakolia's avatar
kokakolia OP
198 posts
 

@rolox My curiosity peaked and I bought the Sure amplifier with the Tripath TA2024 chip. Some reviewer online compared the Sure amplifier with the Amptastic and the Trends and stated that the differences were pretty negligible. Since the Sure is 60€ (total 80,8€ with power supply and shipping) on sound imports VS 280€ for the Trends, the choice was easy. 

I am more worried about the noise floor at this point. And 80€ is the price of drinking/dining/clubbing for night in Paris anyways. 

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,171 posts
 

One thing to watch in these less expensive amps is the bass response. Not unlike what Radio Shack did with some of their lower powered amps back in the early 1970s, a lot of them I've looked at have the low frequencies curtailed- likely for the same reason Radio Shack did this so long ago, to prevent bass notes from gobbling up amplifier power.

kokakolia's avatar
kokakolia OP
198 posts
 

Sure, but if you have a subwoofer already it might compensate right?

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