Which TPA3255 amp do you recommend?

[spalmgre]

Have been searching for a TPA3255 board but don't want to buy a fake chip.

I have found an Aiyima TPA3255 boar that claim original chip on AliExpress that looks ok and has been measured on Youtube by Michael Beeny.
He feels that the board performs well and can probably be an original chip. I think that maybe there are better (that one can use) and also worse fake chips. So maybe there is a fine line between fake and real.
My only complaint would be that the board does not offer balanced differential input.

Looking at Audiophonics offering I find the 3E AUDIO board #14690 that looks just right but is not available anymore.
Think they have disappeared from the earth as their own site does only refer to not available products. So don't think it will be back in stock anymore.

Audiophonics has also #16657 Class D TPA3255 2x160W board that maybe is ok but does not say if the chip is original or fake. It does also have only single-ended input.

My need for balanced differential input comes from that I'm running an active speaker setup where my goal is to use only FIR filters that are convolved on a PC. There are not that many 8-channel DACs on the market and they all use balanced out. This is my list of available 8-channel DACs at the moment. Topping, Okto, and Motu.

 

[mathiasb]

Of course they're not going to say they are using fake chips if they are. 3e audio does have boards available, for example https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005004784269635.html?gatewayAdapt=Pc2Msite

 

[Mal]

Well I wonder if a contributor could be that it was a sorta integrated amp with lots of features versus a basic amp-only design like the Aiyima A8.
I'm curious how that one sounds as it's a super basic design with just a volume pot and nothing else have a look at the A8 guts/PCB here.
Really I'm just trying to get other opinions on the sound of the MA12070 to see how many people sorta agree with this opinion that has similar sound preference to mine.
From this and other opinions I'm reading it seems like it's less of a "rock n roll" dynamics amp than most of the TPA3255's, but thats' OK for my music preference.

View attachment 241921

The Topping 10s DAC also has the reputation for being a bit hard & bright (is that what is meant by "masculine"?) So is matching it with the Aiyima A07 a bad idea? I have them in a system with Wharfedale Diamond 9.0... which I think suffers from the usual speaker "showroom brightness". So with all these together, I have something that is only (just about) tamed by a Schiit Modi+ with both treble knobs turned right down. Without EQ, the set up is brighter & harder than the mid-day sun in the Sahara desert!

What do you mean by "strong extruded feeling"?

 

[Mal]

The problem is that cheap Asians implementations, for now, are not worth it, at least to feed the tweeters, where the class D usually have problems.

So why is amir wrong to recommend the Aiyima A07? Did he not do the measurements properly?

 

[Zek]

3e audio does have boards available, for example https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005004784269635.html?gatewayAdapt=Pc2Msite

 

[BDWoody]

The Topping 10s DAC also has the reputation for being a bit hard & bright (is that what is meant by "masculine"?)

You can safely ignore that.

 

[Mal]

You can safely ignore that.

Why should I believe you rather than Darko? (And vice versa!) I'll maintain it as a "possiblility" for when it becomes time to buy another DAC!

 

[BDWoody]

Why should I believe you rather than Darko? (And vice versa!) I'll maintain it as a "possiblility" for when it becomes time to buy another DAC!

Because Darko creates infomercials designed to sell stuff and because there is no actual evidence that it is true. Not a single person on the planet has actually demonstrated this phenomenon. I'll go with the evidence rather than a story.

Check these threads if you are actually interested.

Serious Question: How can DAC's have a SOUND SIGNATURE if they measure as transparent? Are that many confused?

I know there are people out there that think cables affect sound, which is much worse, but there really is no response to something like that, but just to smile and nod. But what about people who talk about DACS as if they were headphone drivers or speakers, and talk about the SOUNDSTAGE...

audiosciencereview.com

Master Thread: Are measurements Everything or Nothing?

Oh stop being so butt-hurt. To return to the topic at hand, One thing I certainly did not do is pretend that information available in abundance here does not exist. That would be over the top. perfect. an alternative definition of "anal" came to mind. I'll stop now.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[abdo123]

Why should I believe you rather than Darko? (And vice versa!) I'll maintain it as a "possiblility" for when it becomes time to buy another DAC!

Because Darko has financial incentives to say what he says. And somehow always the more expensive product is better.

 

[Mal]

Because Darko has financial incentives to say what he says. And somehow always the more expensive product is better.

Everyone can be suspected of having financial incentives! In this case, he was comparing a Topping 10s with a Schiit Modi, which are both about the same price, and he gave both of them a thumbs up, but made recommendations that they be used in different situations. He certainly doesn't always say "more expensive is better", e.g., recommending Topping 10s above a Cambridge DAC Magic. He says that he gives honest reviews and doesn't mind losing advertisers because he has many more lined up. He steered me right, I think, on my best purchase last year (Kef LSX) - so I tend to trust him...

 

[abdo123]

Everyone can be suspected of having financial incentives! In this case, he was comparing a Topping 10s with a Schiit Modi, which are both about the same price, and he gave both of them a thumbs up, but made recommendations that they be used in different situations. He certainly doesn't always say "more expensive is better", e.g., recommending Topping 10s above a Cambridge DAC Magic. He says that he gives honest reviews and doesn't mind losing advertisers because he has many more lined up. He steered me right, I think, on my best purchase last year (Kef LSX) - so I tend to trust him...

I'm sorry but I can't trust the advice of someone who seriously puts doorknobs on their audio electronics and swears that it makes an audible difference.

The only thing that makes what he says relevant to you is:

1) because you don't know much, it's fine, we all started somewhere, you don't have any body of knowledge to tell what is right and what is wrong.

2) because of the relatively high production value of his videos.

That's it. that's literally the only reason why Darko has followers.

 

[chips666]

TPA3255EVM | Buy TI Parts | TI.com

TPA3255EVM - TPA3255 315W Stereo / 600W Mono Ultra-HD Analog-In Audio Class-D Module

www.ti.com

There is also an evaluation board from TI More expensive but sure the original chip

 

[Mal]

I'm sorry but I can't trust the advice of someone who seriously puts doorknobs on their audio electronics and swears that it makes an audible difference.

Do you have a link to him saying it makes an audible difference? I had wondered about why he had them, though! Quick google reveals he uses them in at least one sensible way - to stop sliding about due to "cable pull", etc:

An update on hi-fi doorstops | Darko.Audio

And the beginning of a deeper dive into the Amazon affiliate programme.

darko.audio

 

[spalmgre]

Of course they're not going to say they are using fake chips if they are. 3e audio does have boards available, for example https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005004784269635.html?gatewayAdapt=Pc2Msite

Out of stock - see small text

 

[Roland68]

Have been searching for a TPA3255 board but don't want to buy a fake chip.

I have found an Aiyima TPA3255 boar that claim original chip on AliExpress that looks ok and has been measured on Youtube by Michael Beeny.
He feels that the board performs well and can probably be an original chip. I think that maybe there are better (that one can use) and also worse fake chips. So maybe there is a fine line between fake and real.
My only complaint would be that the board does not offer balanced differential input.

Looking at Audiophonics offering I find the 3E AUDIO board #14690 that looks just right but is not available anymore.
Think they have disappeared from the earth as their own site does only refer to not available products. So don't think it will be back in stock anymore.

Audiophonics has also #16657 Class D TPA3255 2x160W board that maybe is ok but does not say if the chip is original or fake. It does also have only single-ended input.

My need for balanced differential input comes from that I'm running an active speaker setup where my goal is to use only FIR filters that are convolved on a PC. There are not that many 8-channel DACs on the market and they all use balanced out. This is my list of available 8-channel DACs at the moment. Topping, Okto, and Motu.

If you are confident in soldering the TPA3255 and assembling the board, then this TPA3255 amplifier should fulfill all your requirements.
RTR TPA3255 Reference Class D amplifier | Etsy

 

[abdo123]

Do you have a link to him saying it makes an audible difference? I had wondered about why he had them, though! Quick google reveals he uses them in at least one sensible way - to stop sliding about due to "cable pull", etc:

An update on hi-fi doorstops | Darko.Audio

And the beginning of a deeper dive into the Amazon affiliate programme.

darko.audio

play at 6:48

 

[spalmgre]

TPA3255EVM | Buy TI Parts | TI.com

TPA3255EVM - TPA3255 315W Stereo / 600W Mono Ultra-HD Analog-In Audio Class-D Module

www.ti.com

There is also an evaluation board from TI More expensive but sure the original chip

The evaluation board is 201$ + VAT and postage. This translates into 300€ so then we are in another ballpark.

Here is a worthy alternative, Hypex UcD400HG HxR 1x400W is 130€.
So that is about the same for two channels and postage.

I know that you can buy reliable specification electronics from Kina. But there is also a lot of fraud. So trying to find a trustworthy producer or at least a production batch that fills the specifications that I am paying for.

 

[Roland68]

I know that you can buy reliable specification electronics from Kina. But there is also a lot of fraud. So trying to find a trustworthy producer or at least a production batch that fills the specifications that I am paying for.

It's a pity that the DIY circuit board with the TPA3255 is out of the question, it has a very good reputation. I will order them in the next few weeks and then report back.

With 3e Audio and AIYIMA there is no need to worry about counterfeit chips. In addition, the chip is simply too cheap from certain quantities. But you should buy these products directly or from trusted dealers.

There are only 3 common sources for "fake" ICs. Reject ICs that should be destroyed and an employee of the recycling company misappropriates these ICs and sells them. Soldered/used ICs will be recycled. The most common option is to re-label pin compatible cheaper/older ICs eg TDA7294 -> TDA7293, or OPA445 -> OPA627.
With the cheap TPA3116 boards you can also find a fourth variant, in which a different IC, different design and different number of pins is simply labeled with TPA3116. Statement of the seller "Why fake, TPA3116 is printed on the IC"

 

[Larudakote]

The evaluation board is 201$ + VAT and postage. This translates into 300€ so then we are in another ballpark.

I went to the Ti website about evaluation board. This is a real versatile board thanks to a special point, I have never seen on the market: a multichanel system including 2.1 configuration.

Here is a worthy alternative, Hypex UcD400HG HxR 1x400W is 130€.
So that is about the same for two channels and postage.

Only two channels and more than 400€ when you consider SMPS from Connex Electronic and enclosure.
But a very good amp option, indeed (I own UCD180 for a long time).

 

[mikanime]

View attachment 256049

https://www.audiophonics.fr/fr/modu...255-btl-2x225w-pbtl-1x250w-4-ohm-p-17252.html