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?

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I'm not really sure what is trying to be accomplished here.  I can comment that I have built no less than a dozen class d amps from modules.  TA2024, TA2020, TA2022, Tk2050 TAS5613, TAS5630, TDA7498, TPA3255, IRS2092, a couple different Sure/Wondom tri path boards..... yada yada.  The Tri paths, when critical parts were switched out and a solid power supply was put under them, they all sounded at least decent.  A couple ended up very good. As far at the argument that an amp was tested and it was 10 percent distortion??? Take a world class Class A amplifier and drive it hard enough, it will produce high distortions too.  The question is "Can some of these little Class D amps sound good?"  You bet... Beware, some of the Class D amps that I built were not good.  The TPA3255 That I mentioned earlier turned out quite good. as did a Wondom 400 what per channel board, sorry, I don't remember the chipset on that board... it was called 400 watts per channel, when I was finished, it spec'd out at around 60 watts to 8 and 120 to 4, but either way, ended up being a nice sounding little amp.  I am only saying that when used with the right speakers a few of these little amps can perform admirably, no, not quite world class, but very satisfying, good performing amplifiers

News update: The tube amplifier is still under repair. The artisan is struggling to fix the problem. 

I added the REL T5X subwoofer just now. And it FIXED everything! Now I have an excellent setup, even at low volumes. I am very happy right now! Yay! 

Now that I think about, the Sure T amplifier is the cheapest component in my setup. Even the cables cost more. To summarize:

Speakers: Closer Acoustics Ogy

Subwoofer: REL T5x

DAC/Streamer: Bluesound Node (2021)

Amplifier: Sure AA-AS32157

Cables: Adeqwat brand (from Boulanger). 

I'm done! Finally.

 

Glad to read/hear it, and...

I told you so (regarding the sub;-).

 

DeKay

As far at the argument that an amp was tested and it was 10 percent distortion???

@timlub That came from the specs published by the manufacturer of the chips:

TA2024 10% at full power (10W)

TA2020 10% at full power (13W)

TA2022 10% at full power (125W)

Tk2050 10% at full power (117W)

TAS5613 10% at full power (150W)

TAS5630 10% at full power (160W 8Ohms)

...and so on; in fact I've yet to see any class D chip that did not spec 10% at full power.

Typically they are operated at considerably less than full power, but if you are looking at specs and power is one of those things in which you're interested, its a good idea to look closely to see what the claim actually is. In the case of the raw chips this isn't such a big deal since a designer has to implement the design and will spec the resulting amplifier when that's done.

But I've noticed a lot of the Chinese offerings tend to state the '10% full power spec' when the power supply accompanying the amp won't support it- if you don't watch it, you'll think you're buying a more powerful amp and one of a lot less distortion. IMO its a bit misleading.

@atmasphere Looking at those specs the TA2024 looks like junk haha. Who on Earth wants just 10W at 10% distortion LOL?

@dekay It looks like I have been pissing off the neighbors this past week. I'm still rocking that puny little Sure amp. It's really cheap junk amp. The volume knob spins around freely and the volume adjustment doesn't seem to do much. But I couldn't care less because it sounds so good! And the Bluesound Node has basic volume adjustment from the phone. 

Oh yeah, the tube amplifier is still at the workshop. The poor artisan is struggling to tame down the noise floor. I kinda forgot about him. I'm having too much fun. 

I never thought that my audio journey would end with a 40€ amp the size of a matchbox... Everything about it screams "cheap junk". It's like the Toyota Echo of amplifiers.