Pyle PT8000CH Multichannel Amplifier Teardown

[amirm]

I know it was in the review thread, but I really like the PowerCube info. Don't know if you plan on continuing to use it, but it is informative in some cases.
@amirm

Thanks. I need to still figure out how to fix the tool aspect of it. For amps like this that don't go into protection, it works well. For a bunch of others that shut down early in the sequence, the whole thing becomes frustrating and not useful. So part of deciding to purchase it depends on whether I have the time to develop the necessary control software.

 

[alex-z]

Unusually good build quality given the price.

Cooling for the inner components like capacitors and buffer stages is a slight concern, but adding another fan and some plastic ducting would be extremely cheap and simple.

 

[TimoJ]

Are all those black wires the speaker output wires?

No, those are inputs. Speaker outputs are red, blue, white, yellow.

 

[JktHifi]

It seems there are 2 stereo amps each one of them generate 4 channels from L+, R+, L-, R- speaker terminal. Then each speaker terminal become 1 channel. Finally, distortion in everywhere.

 

[voodooless]

This looks very AVR like: single sided PCB, though hole components, wire bridges, cheap components. AVRs generally use even lower quality PCBs though.

It still amazes me that through whole assembly can be cheaper than surface mount.

 

[BR52]

This looks very AVR like: single sided PCB, though hole components, wire bridges, cheap components. AVRs generally use even lower quality PCBs though.

It still amazes me that through whole assembly can be cheaper than surface mount.

Wrong! Is double sided thru hohle. Single side populated.

 

[voodooless]

Wrong! Is double sided thru hohle. Single side populated.

This is clearly a single-sided PCB. What else are the wire bridges for?

So has Denon X8500H:

And most other AVRs, like from Onkyo:

I'm sure you'll be able to find exceptions...

 

[BR52]

Looks like you are an expert. Did you ever design a PCB? Specially a double-sided?
I stay with my comment. No expectations needed.
I am talking about the Pyle not the Onkyo.

 

[voodooless]

Looks like you are an expert. Did you ever design a PCB? Specially a double-sided?

Yes, plenty

I stay with my comment. No expectations needed.

So, where is the upper copper layer then on any of these?

 

[BR52]

Yes, plenty

So, where is the upper copper layer then on any of these?

It's the Pyle thread here! and your pic's of other brands posted after my initial post.
But you are the expert and........

 

[voodooless]

It's the Pyle thread here! and your pic's of other brands posted after my initial post.
But you are the expert and........

Well, then show it in the Pyle board…

 

[Sokel]

Thing is that it's built and price makes some other "bargains" seem way too expensive for the real estate and the materials used,even if the no-name quality of some components lower the price.
Heatshinks,trafos ans case alone are enough to shame the rest in the price range.

 

[sarumbear]

Hard to see how tall the heatsinks are, but if they're going from top to bottom, the air sucked in through the fans will have to come out either the top or the bottom, since the fans are pressed right against them.

Why not from the side vents which are spread at almost the same area as the fan covers. Obviously less area than the full fan opening but still there is a lot of vent area still. Besides, the maximum heat to be dispersed is defined by the IEC power connector, which is about 1000W (240V x 15A * 30%). That is not a huge amount.

 

[BR52]

I know what you said… The point is I don’t agree and ask you to back up your claim. How hard can that be? Why be upset about it? If I’m wrong, so be it. I don’t see a problem with that. People are wrong sometimes, that includes me.

Ok freedom. My I was too harsh, sorry.
Please have a lock to the Pyle board, you can see the copper traces on top and vias going to the back side, additionally you can see the high current paths with wire between the transistors. Sometimes it is also necessary to use a wire to jump over some traces in double-sided boards. But the vias are the indicator for double-sided
.

 

[voodooless]

Ok freedom. My I was too harsh, sorry.

No worries. Just glad we calmed down

Please have a lock to the Pyle board, you can see the copper traces on top and vias going to the back side

Can you point those out?

additionally you can see the high current paths with wire between the transistors. Sometimes it is also necessary to use a wire to jump over some traces in double-sided boards. But the vias are the indicator for double-sided

These? They are all with rear-sided copper. You just see it through the cheap PCB material because it's semi-transparent. On a dual-sided board, there would be no need for these wire bridges because you could use the top side.

 

[sarumbear]

Please have a lock to the Pyle board, you can see the copper traces on top

Are they copper traces? I do not see anything soldered to any of those traces. Can you?

 

[voodooless]

Are they copper traces? I do not see anything soldered to any of those traces. Can you?

Besides, none of the holes are actually filled with solder: meaning they are not metalized. You would only metalize the holes if you were to use a multi-layered PCB.

 

[JayGilb]

Besides, none of the holes are actually filled with solder: meaning they are not metalized. You would only metalize the holes if you were to use a multi-layered PCB.

It looks a transparent pcb material and the bottom traces are visible through it. It the vias were plated, solder would be drawn up during flow soldering and should be visible from the top layer.

 

[sarumbear]

It looks a transparent pcb material and the bottom traces are visible through it. It the vias were plated, solder would be drawn up during flow soldering and should be visible from the top layer.

But why all component pins avoid those yellow traces?

 

[fpitas]

This looks very AVR like: single sided PCB, though hole components, wire bridges, cheap components. AVRs generally use even lower quality PCBs though.

It still amazes me that through whole assembly can be cheaper than surface mount.

If you have automated part insertion machinery, it doesn't have to be expensive. And in this case the miniaturization of SMT would be of little use.