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Thread: Class D

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,099
    I'm Rob.

    Default Class D

    Class D for me has been a bit of a mixed bag. I have tried several TA2024 amps that had a certain magic, but only up to a point. Also TPA3116 and TA2020 and others the names of the chips now escape me. I have had a Sure TK2050 board (don't know why they are specified TK when the chip is TP2050) amp for years and just thought of it as a bit of clever confectionery for £30. I have only ever used it with a 12v SMPS for tweeter duties. The board can take a 10 - 36vdc PS. I had a dual linear supply for my bridged Gainclones that gives out 38vdc with a nice stiff 50,000uf of capacitance.

    The TP2050 can take a max of 40v, so taking into account variations in the supply (my Belkin regularly reads 250v) I was probably taking a risk, but having rigged it all up and and lit the touch paper it blew me away (well not literally) I tried it with some test speakers. I was given a pair of TEAC small standmounters earlier in the year which came with an all in one unit that had expired. I had tried them when I got them and thought they were ok, but thin and weedy.

    I use an MP3 player as a source with a lead from the headphone out. The player goes up to 20 (clearly very LOUD) and I know that when I have used it for testing with other kit that around 10 - 12 is where it starts to get a bit rough. Well, as I went from 12 to 13, 14 and on it had these little TEAC's going way beyond what I would have thought possible. Stonking would be a good adjective.

    With a 36v PS into 8 Ohms the board should deliver around 60w. Next is to try it in the main system.
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  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: Troon

    Posts: 2,476
    I'm tony.

    Default

    Rob,
    Class D amps can be very very good. Most folk dismiss them but are really misssing out. The mini t at about 100 quid gives a good flavour but is just a tad bright.

    Temple audio do some lovely amps, the original bantum and theyre mono blocks are terrific sounding amps.

    I have undertaken quite a bit of experimentation with power supplies and found a 12v big car battery gives a really clean low noise floor.

  3. #3
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,099
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Hi Tony, in the past I have not spent much at all on power supplies for these things as I suppose you think about the cost of the boards (£10 - £30) and I have used redundant SMPS's, 12v,15v the max voltage being 19v and the ampage 1 - 3 A. The PS I am using is a 250va tranny and RCRC rectifier board, good for prob 5A.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: South Beds, UK

    Posts: 1,950
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    I'm using one of Duncan's 2 X 200w per channel IRS2092 CLASS D Stereo Power Amps.
    500 VA Transformer
    35amp 400v Bridge rectifiers
    4 X 10,000uf 63V Capacitance fitted in the power supply

    It totally trounced my 405-2, which I really rated.

    Very very happy with it.
    Less bling, more integrity ©Spenagio

  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,099
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Yes, i think that probably a lot of the good sound in an amplifier is due to the quality of the PS.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

    Posts: 1,861
    I'm Dennis.

    Default

    B&O as a company has always produced good stuff both functionally and cosmetically, and it is unlikely that they would release ICEpower if they thought their reputation was under threat.

    It can be done, and done well, but the tendency for the association with SMPS which were produced for cheapness, remains, and despite that they can also be done very well.

  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,099
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    ICE power and the boards you can buy from ebay etc are a completely different kettle of fish. If you are spending pennies on a Class D board you are most likely to spend pennies on a power supply. I had one of the Sonic Impact amps that started the TA2024 craze and all the modding that entailed and spawned many amps using the same chip. I powered mine with a £1 cigarette lighter.....well.....something under powered and it sounded fantastic. I am sure there are extremely good SMPS's out there, a lot of people hold the Soundwell PS's in good regard. However, I would favour a linear PS over an SMPS.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2011

    Location: Wiltshire

    Posts: 194
    I'm Alastair.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wee tee cee View Post
    Rob,
    Class D amps can be very very good. Most folk dismiss them but are really misssing out. The mini t at about 100 quid gives a good flavour but is just a tad bright.

    Temple audio do some lovely amps, the original bantum and theyre mono blocks are terrific sounding amps.

    I have undertaken quite a bit of experimentation with power supplies and found a 12v big car battery gives a really clean low noise floor.
    I power my Temple Audio mono blocks (4 of them) with a couple of Tracer LiPO4 16 Ah batteries, which sound great. One also worked well, but two batteries are better.
    Cheers

    Alastair

    RPI4/PI2AES running PiCorePlayer/LMS-> AQ Carbon AES -> Topping D90 DAC-> Khozomo Passive Pre-Amp -> 4x Temple Audio Monoblocks powered by 2xLiFePO batteries->Van Damme Black Bi-Wired to B&W 804 Nautilus and Sommer Carbokab 225 Interconnects

  9. #9
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: South Beds, UK

    Posts: 1,950
    I'm Mike.

    Default

    Still using this and still VERY happy with it.

    Reproduces all music with equal aplomb and just doesn't put a foot wrong 👍

    Silly, really, for the money.
    Less bling, more integrity ©Spenagio

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,099
    I'm Rob.

    Default

    Yes, my next project will be an IRS2092 based Class D.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

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