Recent content by airbus

Chicago Electronic Distributors sells an 18 volt power supply with the Volt D+. In one of the thread on diyaudio, I think someone from allo thought hte best tradeoff between linearity and power was at 18.2. You might be able to go to 26 volts, but my understanding is that 30 volts would fry it.

The tpa3118 (the chip for the Volt +d) will work with 12 volts, but you'll y be getting less wattage or power. It's not a huge difference, I think the Volt D+ recommended voltage is a little under 20. I'd recommend the Allo Volt + board which is $39 or so and you can put it in your own case...

I have both the Volt +d and the Aiyima. I use them both with our television in our living room usually with a pair of RCA Lx5 speakers (the ones with the Linaeum tweeters) though I've also used them with a pair of self-built SEAS 5.25 woofer/mid and 1" SEAS tweeter that are probably better than...

It looks interesting, though the writeup in the e-bay description doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I wonder how it compares with the 3e audio board and/or the TI sample board. The fully built amp version of this doesn't sound like a bad deal. It includes a power supply, switches...

I'm pretty sure yours is an active riaa section and you should be okay.

If your riaa section doesn't have a power source, it's passive, though that's different from not having an on/off switch. I would not match a passive riaa section to a passive pre-amp or a simple selector switch. The amount of voltage going to your amp plays a big role in what your amp...

sorry, I missed that detail. I'd maybe look for a passive pre-amp, but that may depend on the gain of your phono stage, if it's an active phono stage. In the Class D world, the stated power outputs of amplifiers aren't really that reliable. In real life, I find that it's not necessarily the...

If you're trying to use a turntable, you'll need a riaa section or strain gauge (very rare). Even dedicated pre-amps these days often don't have a separate phono section. If you're serious about the sound, I'm not sure that a simple switching device is going to help. With cheaper devices of...

There are es9038q2 dacs that seem to take 9-15 volts. I can't find Toppings recommendation and I'm not near my DAC at the moment. I suppose it's possible, but I wouldn't try higher voltages unless Topping clearly states that it's okay. The DAC chip alone doesn't determine the max voltage for...

that won't work, because the voltage is too high and it seems to be fixed at 13.8. I run mine at about 6.5 volts and the USB one you were looking at on e-bay is at 5 volts. I'd check to see what Topping recommends. 5 volts is definitely fine. My recommendation would be to try a usb connector...

I currently use a regulated variable supply that I bought from Fry's in California for $12 many years ago. I have used different USB supplies. As long as they're 5 volts and have sufficient amperage, it'll work. A regulated power supplies will generally sound better though.

I have the D50 and I've been happy with it. $150 is a very good price. they may have dropped it some because of the D50s. Much of my listening is Spotify Premium, so I suspect there's a point of diminishing returns with dacs. On the d50, there's a clear difference with higher resolution...

I think the tda7491 is class D. The TDA7297 and the other chips that Folsom uses for his amps are class AB. I haven't heard either branch of STM's amplifier chips, so can't say much beyond that.

I've never heard any TDA-based amps. The people at Audio Circle seems to be quite impressed with the Folsoms, but they are true kits, as in you solder parts onto a bare board. I did notice that most of the activity about the 7297 based amp was during a stretch between the t-amp and the TPA 32xx...

I think a person or two here was comparing bare boards and the pre-built, was it airbus? Yes, that was me. I think some of the bashing of the FX Audio tpa 3250 amp comes from the Audio Science guy who wrote a scathing review of it a little while back. It's worth mentioning that he doesn't do...