List of cheap but good amplifiers

[Lutkeveld]

Hi LTT people, 

 

Just wanted to share some DIY budget tips with you. A lot of people are looking for cheap amplifiers, that's why you see amps like the Lepai LP2020+ recommended so often.

This list contains some of my favorite amps, ranked from extremely cheap to cheap. Strap them to the back of a bookshelf speaker like the Micca's or Dayton's and you got an amazing Logitech beater.

Most amps have a JST/PH connectors. This has three inputs: left/right/ground. Those three wires can be converted to RCA or 3.5mm for example. 

If you're not able to solder you can go for one with a 3.5mm/RCA jack input already onboard.

Prices are including shipping, because shipping from Chinese webshops is often free. Most amps can be found on eBay. Sometimes sites like DX or BG have them too.

But don't get your power supply from China, they suck . You can power them with a Molex connector from your PC (12v) or a laptop power brick (often 19v), depending on the input voltage range.

Output scales with input voltage and speaker impedance (max possible output per channel = input voltage squared divided by two times speaker impedance).

There are a lot of fun upgrades you can do to these boards like modifying input gain, changing the highpassfilter, swapping out elco's and the list goes on.

I recommend buying a PCB that resembles the one on my photo. A board design can make or break the sound, and there are ones out there that break the sound significantly.

Be careful with polarity and shorting things out, because that may break your amp. All amps can take 4-8 ohm speakers, except the TK2050. Going lower than advised may lead to thermal/current issues.

 

#1. 

Chip: TDA7297

Voltage range: 7-18v DC

Max output: 2x 15W

Price minimum: 3 dollars

Yes, you read that right. 3 dollars, that's why some people call it the 'lunch-money amp'.

It's a class AB chip which is often found on a 50x50mm pcb with a big heatsink.

This heatsink is needed because class AB is not very efficient and the inefficiency is converted to heat. 

Nice features are the onboard potmeter (volume control), 3.5mm input, 'ON' led. 

 

#2

Chip: TA2024

Voltage range: 9-13v DC

Max output: 2x 15W

Price minimum: 6 dollar

My personal favorite. Because of the high efficiency class D chip a heatsink is not needed.

Nice I/O terminals, high efficiency, good sound.... For 6 dollars what do you want more?

 

#3

Chip: TDA2030A

Voltage range: 7-21v AC

Max output: 2x 18W (speakers) 1x 36W (subwoofer)

Price minimum: 8 dollar

Most 2.1 amplifiers at this price point are crappy, this one is not.

It's a class AB chip, so heatsinking the chips is recommended.

Sadly it works on AC, but this can be fixed by removing the bridge rectifier next to the big electrolytics.

Then wire your + and - from the DC PSU to the output of the rectifier.

Bass/treble/volume knobs are on the nice looking PCB.

 

#4

Chip: TPA3116

Voltage range: 18-24V

Max output: 2x 50W

Price minimum: 12 dollar

 

More volts, more watts.

A 19v laptop PSU brick makes a great PSU for this one.

There are also 2.1 versions of the top pcb (two chips on board)

 

#5

Chip: TA2020

Voltage range: 9-15v DC

Max output: 20W

Price minimum: 20 dollars

 

Here we have him: the chip used in the famous Lepai LP2020A+

Went through a lot of crappy revisions to get to where it's at now.

Still not my favorite board, that's the one from YJ, but the Lepai has a nice case, tone control and volume knob with LED.

 

#6

Chip: TK2050

Voltage range: 12-32v DC

Max output: 2x 50w

Price minimum: 20 dollar

High power amp with a big voltage range.

Recommended impedance is 6-8 ohms.

 

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Do you know of an amp that deserves to be in this list? Do you see any mistakes? Please tell me

[ShearMe]

Awesome sauce. Gonna have to remind myself to bookmark this.

[Lutkeveld]

Some more amps. Hope this list helps people despite the low response

 

#7

Chip: TPA3132

Voltage range: 10-25v DC

Max output: 2x 25w

Price minimum: 7 dollar

 

Awesome value. Small footprint, Volume knob onboard

 

#8

Chip: TDA7492

Voltage range: 10-26v DC

Max output: 2x 50w

Price minimum: 9 dollar

High power, can be bridged.

 

#9

Chip: PAM8610

Voltage range: 7-15v DC

Max output: 2x 10w

Price minimum: 6 dollar

General purpose board

[ShearMe]

 

 

Use the erase function on your text plz ()