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T-amp recommendations

Just received a SMSL SA-S3 with the 2021B chip. In a brief listen the bass seems a bit fuller than my Topping TP30. Both offer very good detail. I particularly like the fact I can run the amps 15 hours a day with no discernible heat dissipation.

One annoying thing is the exceedingly bright red protection LED on the SMSL front plate.

Sold my Cambridge Azur 650A amp as it didn't offer anything more than these amps soundwize.
 
So, just a little follow up / recommendation, I purchased both sure-hifi 's Sure TDA7492 and SMSL's SA-36A. The SMSL shipped from the US and arrived about a week faster than the Sure. The build on the Sure is nice, but seems a bit flimsy compared to the SMSL. The sure sounds good, but there are some functional things about it that have turned me off from it a bit:

The Sure uses an electronic volume knob, meaning that as you rotate it, it is sending signals to the volume module to raise or lower the sound. A problem with that is that it resets the volume every time you shut it off. I was testing it out with a pair of efficient speakers and had turned the volume down to a comfortable level and after power cycling it, it surprised me by coming back on louder than I had set it. When listening on a larger less efficient pair i found myself having to turn the volume up every time i powered it on. and with it being an infinitely rotating knob, there is no way to 'mark' where I typically keep the volume without counting the clicks of the knob as it rotates or simply using my ears to gauge the loudness on familiar tracks.

Another odd function is it's lighting. The volume knob is backlit and looks pretty cool. not too bright, just slick and nice. The problem is that the way it acts is a bit odd. When the amp is on, the LED is off. When you adjust the volume, one of the two leds light up in reaction to the knob turning. When i turn it up, the left side of the knob lights up for a moment, turn it down and the left side illuminates for a few seconds. When I press the volume knob in to turn the amp off, the LEDs turn on in a 'breathing' mode much like a Apple Mac computer. So, if the amp is on, its dark. If the amp is off, its "breathing" by fading on and off, which seems kinda counter intuitive to me.

Lastly, i was a bit disappointed by the ebay seller sure-hifi. I have a problem with my unit where the volume does not go all the way down. if i crank the knob to the left, the sound gets quieter but still stays a what I would guess would be 5% on another amp, the music is still slightly bleeding through. So if someone walks up to my desk at work here, i cant just turn the volume down to mute it, i have to turn the amp off (and then reset the volume once I power it back on).

When I contacted the seller, they were quick to reply and sounded like they genuinely wanted to help. They asked me to make a video of the problem so they could see it in action. So I did and posted it on Youtube. When i sent them the link they said that they can can not get the video to play (I intentionaly recorded the demo using royalty free music to avoid getting blocked. is youtube fully blocked in china? perhaps it is.). So I re-encoded the video and uploaded it to my personal server and sent them the link again. They could not get that one to work ether. So we got stuck there and they offered to give me their "best offer" if I buy something else in the future.

"As we don't have video, we can't adjust if the volume is proper. Does it still work well?
We don't know how to solve it for you. If you agree and place an order from us next time, please contact us first. We will provide our best offer."

I did not expect to write a long bad review for the Sure. don't get me wrong, it sounds great and has a fabulous price! I am just a bit put off by its functionality. If i can move it off my desk here at work where I need to interact with it multiple times a day and install it somewhere where it can be left on (garage system / kitchen system) it will be awesome.

On the other hand, the SMSL amp was almost double the price, and feels like it (part of the extra price I paid was for an included power supply). The volume knob is analog and feels excellent. it stays in the same place when i power the unit off. and the power LED is lit when the SMSL is on and is dark when the SMSL is off. Simple and predictable.

Next time I purchase or recommend a small t-amp, I will recommend that the best course is to save up and get an SMSL. :)


(amp details copied form my post earlier in this thread for reference)
2 X 50Watt Class D Audio Amplifier - TDA7492
US $32.00
From: sure-hifi (FREE - ePacket delivery from China)
No power supply so I will find one at home.



SMSL SA-36A TA202 Mini Amplifier w/14V Power Adapter Black Silver Gold 20Wx2
US $55.99
From: kidult_us_store (free shipping originating in the US)
I think the "TA202" in the item title is a typo as it says TA2020 in the description.
 
The Sure volume / control knob is weird. I bought my two, for their wpc, to use on my two outdoor decks so this is a minor inconvenience. I have other chip amps that sound great but just can't power outdoor speakers. The Sures do a great job and sound pretty good as well. That SMSL is still tempting me.

cubdog
 
I've got a SMSL SA-S1 with the TA2020 board. No trouble out of it the few years I've used it. It doesn't hurt that it's not too bad to look at either.
 
I've got to get me one of these things...is SMSL still the way to go? I was thinking of getting a 120 watt sucker to pair with some ADS 780II's just for fun.
 
The crappy volume control is the reason I put my Sure board amp together as a power amp. I use the 3 tube preamp that 68custom uses.
 
is the cheapest SMSL on that auction site fine or do I want the one with 'Lite-On' PSU with a few dollars extra?
I'm thinking of getting my friend a system consisting of this amp driving a pair of OLAs.
 
FYI: Just got a Parts Express flyer in the mail. Their 50wpc DTA-100a is currently on sale for $69.00
 
davidro said:
is the cheapest SMSL on that auction site fine or do I want the one with 'Lite-On' PSU with a few dollars extra?
I'm thinking of getting my friend a system consisting of this amp driving a pair of OLAs.
Click to expand...

I got my SMSL with the bundled power supply, it sounds great.
A good PS is crucial so I say go for it.


The PE model that njcanuck mentioned comes with a powersupply, that's a pretty sweet deal for $70!
 
Better and cheaper than a T-amp?

On diyAudio.com are a few threads about a chip amp based on the STM TDA7297 Class AB amplifier chip. On eBay are several Chinese sellers selling amp modules using this chip for about $5 plus about $1 for shipping from China or Hong Kong. A few people posted that this amp sounded better than their T-amps like the SMSL SA-S1 TA2020 T-amp that I really like. For a $6, I felt I had nothing to lose in trying this little chip amp out. I looked at the STM TDA7297 datasheet and discovered that the only components in the signal path are two 0.22uF film coupling capacitors and the amplifier chip--no resistors, no additional output filter networks consisting of inductors, resistors and capacitors. I searched eBay and decided to purchase a TDA7297 amplifier module from seller homemart.usa (ironic since they are in Hong Kong) for the grand total of $5.98 with shipping. Within a week, I received my amp ina padded envelope. The amp module has a footprint of approx. 2" x 2". The heatsink for the chip is about 2" high. I set up the amp module in a makeshift chassis that is a wooden box from Michaels that have 5-way binding posts and RCA phono jacks mounted on the rear wall. I soldered a DC power jack to some wires for a power connection.

TDA7297.jpg

I used the same modified Power-One SMPS that I've been using with my SMSL T-amp, but dialed down the output voltage from 13.4V to 12.0V just to be safe. I estimate the output current to be 4-5A for this power supply, which really brought out the best out of the SMSL T-amp. The amp is rated for 15W, but it probably only puts out a good clean 5-8W @ 8 ohms, similar to the TA2020 and TA2024 T-amps. I connected the amp to my slightly modified Klipsch Forte IIs and my Sony ES SACD/CD player before connecting the amp to the power supply.

Once the amp powered on, the music coming through my speakers was impressive. As the amp played longer and burned in, the sound became richer and the treble smoothed out. This amp really does sound better than my T-amp! My amplification reference is my regular set-up: Audio Research PH5 tube phono stage, Audio Research LS7 tube line stage, and restored/EFB-modified Dynakit Stereo 35. This amp isn't on par with my tube set-up, but it's a lot closer to it than the T-amps I've tried.

I made a couple basic upgrades on this amp. I replaced the stock 2,200uF/25V electrolytic power supply filter cap with a better Panasonic FM electrolytic cap of the same rating, and I removed the tiny stock Mylar .22uF film input caps with larger Panasonic ECQP .22uF/400V Propylene film and foil caps that I use as coupling caps in my tube amp projects. The replacement film caps are not shown in the photo above. These upgrades really refined the sound of the chip amp.

So in what areas does it outperform the T-amp?

Bass extension and detail: this amp has the virtues of really good solid state bass extension. On Brubeck's "Time Out" the bass has fuller notes with attack and decay with greater timbre detail. On Holst's "The Planets" the bass section really sounds complete where I can effortlessly hear the bows dragged across the strings.

Soundstage and imaging: once I upgraded the three caps, the soundstage took on a greater three-dimensional character. Full orchestras were rarely fleshed out with the T-amp, but now the soundstage extended before the four walls of my listening room. This little amp sounds really big. The imaging is better defined than with the SMSL T-amp. The separation of performers allows me to hear the interplay better. It gets closer to what I hear with my tube amp setup.

Tonality: Again, once I upgraded the caps, the tonality improved. T-amps can sound a little bright, and this amp in stock form had some upper midrange/treble glare that made strings in classical music and loud complex passages on rock music a bit fatiguing. I also noticed that the T-amp has a certain graininess, especially when playing at louder volumes. I've heard this with every T-amp I've owned including the higher power Virtue Audio 2 TK2050 T-amp. This was gone with the TDA7297 amp. It sounds smooth and more extended. The midrange can't touch my tube amps, but it does get close.

Transparency: The music is less colored through this chip amp, and just sounds more realistic. It's more coherent and immediate, almost like a good SET amp. My guess is that because there is hardly anything in the signal path, the sound is more direct.

Dynamic response/transients: This amp is fast and with the more solid bass compared to the T-amp, it had me subconsciously tapping my feet to the music. This really came through more clearly when I switched the Panasonic FM cap in the power supply path. Through my Klipsch speakers, this amp has plenty of headroom.
 
Does anyone have the SMSL SA-80 with the larger transformers? This is definitely the high end of the SMSL series, rated at 80 wpc on 4 ohms or 50 wpc for 8 ohms. At $220 on the 'bay, it's also $170 more than I paid for my SA-50 units. Just wondering if those transformers make a huge difference in the sound quality? It uses the Tripath 2022 chip, I believe, where the SA-50 uses the 2024.
 
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