Suggestions for a Speaker Amp please - Page 2

You need to plan the whole system, from DAC to speakers, to make sure they match as best you can. If you have certain speakers in mind, then that will give you some idea what kind of amplification you need. If you have a particular type of amp in mind, that may narrow your choice of speakers. The best thing about Tripath based amps is that they can give you impressively good sound at very low price. However, you wouldn't want to use them to drive speakers with, say 87db or lower sensitivity. If you plan to use lowish sensitivity speakers, you will need to move up to higher power alternatives such as TA2050, or the Gainclones. The lower power Tripaths are usually powered by walwarts. With the TA2050 or the Gainclones, you'll likely need torroidal transformers. Some say the Tripaths like 4 ohm speakers, but my TA2020 drives the 8 ohm Infinities just fine for me.

BTW, the 6-channel Tripath is still available on eBay (just search for "tripath 6-channel") from Arjen, not sureelectronic. Both of these sellers' products have actively discussed in the Class D forum on diyaudio.com.)

If you want to stay with 2-channel stereo setup, then the bantam can work (although I'm not sure if it'll give you "upgrade" from the X-Fi you have). If you have 5.1 HT in mind, you will most like need a 5.1 capable soundcard rather than a DAC. Those DACs do not have 5.1 surround decoder. In my main system, I just use a 2-channel stereo DAC and forgo the surround sound, because I listen to music much more than watching video on that system.

Personally I'd use a Gainclone to get some more power. It'll still fit in your price range, especially considering you can get trafos. You can find some kits at here, but there are many other kits and boards out there.

x2, and don't forget the LM4780 from DIY Chip Amplifier Kits, PCB's, Components and Information..

crisscross,
if you're a complete noob, i'd recommend a Gainclone type amp. the Amp4 from 41Hz is not a build for a noob, nor are the higher powered amps. yes, an Amp6 is fine for noob, but not enough power for your speakers.

i built a P2P LM3875 Gainclone for a friend. it's fantastic sounding with efficient speakers but would recommend something with a bit more power.

Why not buy a 2nd hand integrated amplifier. I recentley bought a Pioneer-A400x for £80, and it easily powers my wharfedale 9.1 speakers. Other used Amps to consider;

-Audiolab 8000A
-Marantz PM66 SE KI
-Nad 3020i
-Pioneer A400

...and if you have just got the 'DIY itch', you could always upgrade some caps etc.

Exactly. Not a lot under 250 but they show up...
AudiogoN ForSale : Integrateds

ebay, is your best bet, last time i looked there was a large selection.

Well, this is the DIY forum. Commercial is definitely an option if you want to save the hassle but I assume the OP asked in this forum for a reason.

crisscross, if you buy the kit from audiosector all you need is the trafo and a power switch (and enclosure). Check out the link fishki13 posted and download the PS schematic - all parts are included besides those. The PS is built into the supplied board.

as Jauquin said, you only need to add a TX and power switch. the documentaion on the chipamp.com and audiosector.com are very thorough. if you buy a kit, there's no hassle with sourcing parts either. FYI, Peter Daniels at Audiosector offers very stripped down versions of the chips vs. the datasheets recommendations. if you have problems (like i did), you may need to add components as recommended by the datasheets - these components are not necessarily "offered" on the PCBs, and need to be P2Ped. if i'm not mistaken, the LM3886 board/kit from chipamp.com offers the datasheet recommendations. the PS has received much praise as well.