Topping TP20 tripath 2020 amplifier (versus NAD C320BEE)

99.99 Oxygen Free Copper Audiophile Grade Speaker Cable
I have this vibration when I plug it in my room. This does not affect the sound. But when I plug it in a different room I do not get this buzz or vibration. I think this is electrical in nature. Is this the ground-loop problem that I read in some discussions? I am a complete novice in this...so pls excuse my ignorance.
 
Hi all.....I am a newbie to the forum (also to the world of audiophile addiction) and was deciding on a budget stereo amp and came across this wonderful thread and finally decided to buy the TOPPING amp....can anybody plz verify whether is this the product

http://www.hifidiyshop.com/topping-tp20-mk2-tp20mkii-ta2020-stereo-amplifier_p223.html

PS: As per the findings of many members here decided to audition whafes 8.2 but for now(student so budget constraint) i wil be usin my brothers DIY spkrs which he picked up abt 6 yrs back in SP road they are rated at 12 ohms......wil it be compatible....sorry about the long list of doubts
Thanks in advance.....
 
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Hi,

Thanks to psychotropic for this great thread and all others for sharing so much info. I was just starting out my search for a budget amp + speaker system (my first), and this route seems great for me.

I had a few queries and request some confirmations :

1. The TP20 Mk2 is the latest one to go for (ebay indeed-hifi has it listed for USD 80 inc shipping).

2. I don't have a proper source or CD collection yet - so will I also need a DAC if I need the source to be my laptop ? I understand that the TP30 has in built DAC but TP20 is more preferable ? I did see some mention that the Y cable is useless


Let me know, and I'll order the TP20 (or 30) right away.

For next step
3. Speaker suggestions are plenty, along with dealer details - will check them out :)

The plan is to try and reuse/"grow" this system over the years and once I am able to appreciate the need for better components. This will be for a smallish living room, and will eventually try connecting it to the TV for some basic sound system (don't see the need for a full blown HT system yet).

4. Along the lines of the above, is it possible to tweak these AMPs to drive multiple sources in parallel/by switching ? For eg have the PC + DVD player connected at all times via some splitter or something at the input ?
 
abhinav said:
Hi,

Thanks to psychotropic for this great thread and all others for sharing so much info. I was just starting out my search for a budget amp + speaker system (my first), and this route seems great for me.

I had a few queries and request some confirmations :

1. The TP20 Mk2 is the latest one to go for (ebay indeed-hifi has it listed for USD 80 inc shipping).

2. I don't have a proper source or CD collection yet - so will I also need a DAC if I need the source to be my laptop ? I understand that the TP30 has in built DAC but TP20 is more preferable ? I did see some mention that the Y cable is useless


Let me know, and I'll order the TP20 (or 30) right away.

For next step
3. Speaker suggestions are plenty, along with dealer details - will check them out :)

The plan is to try and reuse/"grow" this system over the years and once I am able to appreciate the need for better components. This will be for a smallish living room, and will eventually try connecting it to the TV for some basic sound system (don't see the need for a full blown HT system yet).

4. Along the lines of the above, is it possible to tweak these AMPs to drive multiple sources in parallel/by switching ? For eg have the PC + DVD player connected at all times via some splitter or something at the input ?
Click to expand...

My two paise:

I would say that the Tripath TA2020 chip is still the one to go for. I haven't come across anything better, but I may be wrong or ill informed.

In hindsight, I do regret not buying a modded version of the amp from Arjen Helder (Helder hifi on ebay). He sells a Mark 3 version with upgraded capacitors, upgraded PCB etc. I think he only sells the PCB, but you can ask him to sell you a fully built piece. I would strongly recommend this.

Another observation about Tripath amps - this is basically a chip amp. The advantage of this amp is that it is highly efficient and is also highly accurate up till a point - about 7-10 watts. The disadvantage or rather the limitation of this amp on the other hand is that it can only handle a limited amount of current.

There have been a few very informative comments on this thread about which speakers to pair with Tripath amps - high efficiency vs low efficiency, high impedance vs low impedance vs variable impedance. The way I see it is that it all boils down to a single fact - how much current does your speaker need?

Based on this, it seems to me that a Tripath amp would be happiest with a pair of speakers that do not try to suck up too much current from it. This would mean that the speaker should have a high impedance (high impedance or high resistance means low current for the same voltage), and to the extent possible, constant impedance across the frequency spectrum. Another related attribute would be high sensitivity - the ability of a speaker to produce high sound pressure levels even at low current consumption (or low wattage) would be desirable.

Given the fact that the Tripath's achilles heel seems to be current handling capacity, it would seem that a capacitor upgrade (higher capacity and higher quality capacitors) should improve its bass response to some extent - after all, bass requires much more current for amplification as compared to higher frequency signals, and the Tripath amp is probably getting bottlenecked when it is trying to amplify high current bass signals. Which is why the Helder amp would be a better bet, IMHO.
 
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These are nuances which only a speaker manufacturer can bring forth. I don't think many of us would understand all the technicalities involved, and would end up throwing theoritical facts.

The only way left for us 'half-informed' would be to physically test out whatever is available in the open market, and then take a suitably informed decision as to which speaker comes closest to ones expectations.
 
^^^

Thanks Arun. I have sent Arjen a mail regarding availability of a finished product, as it is not listed.

How easy/difficult would it be to get this board and build up a basic, non-portable system for home use ? If the only thing required are the connectors etc (apart from the casing), and it does not require touching the PCB itself too much (which I would assume would be the case) then even the DIY route might be feasible. I guess all small components, connectors etc are available at some electronic street (SP road for bangalore).

Anyone else bought/planning to buy this AMP PCB/finished product and has reviews ?
 
avidyarthy said:
These are nuances which only a speaker manufacturer can bring forth. I don't think many of us would understand all the technicalities involved, and would end up throwing theoritical facts.

The only way left for us 'half-informed' would be to physically test out whatever is available in the open market, and then take a suitably informed decision as to which speaker comes closest to ones expectations.
Click to expand...

You are correct. I only based my comments above on my experiment with a couple of local speakers - I haven't really tried the Topping TP2020 with good speakers. Based on whatever I have seen so far, I found the Topping to have good mids, tight mid-bass at low volumes, but not enough punch. Hence, my half-baked theory.
 
Day before yesterday, I damaged my Topping Tp20 :sad:. When I was connecting the RCA, by mistake the power was on. And it gave a small thud sound and from then left speaker out is not working. The right speaker out is working perfectly. Do not know the extent of damage, will get it checked.
 
Possibly, you would have touched the rc connector head to the amp feed ... shorted it.

This is an issue reported in the other international forums too. The gap given between the amp feed / speaker outlets is way too less. Hope this can be rectified easily by the neighbourhood electronics guy.
 
Yes, I also think so. After I inserted the RCA cables to the amp, there was no sound from the speakers. Then I realized that RCA cable is losely connected to the amp and tried to fix it with power on. Resulted in a thud sound and left speaker out got damaged.

avidyarthy said:
Possibly, you would have touched the rc connector head to the amp feed ... shorted it.

This is an issue reported in the other international forums too. The gap given between the amp feed / speaker outlets is way too less. Hope this can be rectified easily by the neighbourhood electronics guy.
Click to expand...
 
UPDATE : seller confirms it is TA2020 -- a very good buy for non diy guys: just Rs 3K with shipping
This is half of the ebay price
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Red Mahogany at a Special Offer Price
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Red Mahogany finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.

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