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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?

128x128kokakolia
mlsstl
1,398 posts
 

Class A/B has nothing to do with noise -- it simply describes how the amp is biased -- class A mode at low power, switching to class B operation as the power increases.  That switch can take place at a fraction of a watt to many watts, but doesn't generate or eliminate noise by itself.

I've not used either specific amp, but do know that Yamaha is a good company if you like their sonic character. I'm not familar with Atoll.

Finally,I doubt that a power conditioner would affect the hiss at all -- hiss is not the typical way in which power line noise affects sonic playback.

kokakolia's avatar
kokakolia OP
198 posts
 

The amplifier was tested at the artisan's shop with an old CD player and older speakers for testing. It was still hissing but less. I previously had a Yamaha RN402 with the OGY and no problems. The RN402 is run of the mill class A/B from Yamaha. 

How do you know if an amplifier has a low damping factor? 

kokakolia's avatar
kokakolia OP
198 posts
 

News update: I brought the amplifier back to the artisan.I told him about the annoying hum.

He told me that he thought I would never notice. He told me that the issue is due to the AC current feeding the circuit. He said that he could make the amp quiet by using diodes to turn the AC current into DC. That should eliminate the 100 Hz hum.

I’m like whatever dude! I also said that I’m not driving back to his house (60km south of Paris) again. It’s so far away and the traffic jams are killing me. He said that he will show up to my house next Sunday.

And I’m like "k fine".

mlsstl
1,398 posts
 

Confusing thread -- first hiss, now hum! Two distinctly different problems!

clearthink
1,421 posts
 

Appearance, evidence, and reports suggest this "artisan" is not an engineer, technician, or competent designer and probably lacks the proper tools to measure and evaluate the device to isolate, determine, and identify its inherent defects you should seek an immediate, full, and complete refund.

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