My Home Theater - Home

I was looking at the Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Boards today. Thinking of using them to rebuild my old Jensen 400Watt x 4 Car Audio Amp. And I found a link in the Comments to a great Web Site on how this guy used some to build a Home Surround Sound System in his Home Theater. First, here's the Amp I was looking at...

Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Board  (5 reviews)    See Catalog Page
Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Board	List Price:   $99.95 EA  Your Price:   $52.00 EA (1-3)     $48.00 EA (4+)   Sku 320-302: In Stock Qty: Request a large quantity quote. No Hassle Returns
Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Board - Description Based on two TC2000 and four TP2050 chips from Tripath, the Sure Electronics class-D audio amplifier board simplifies the creation of exceptional sounding custom multi-channel systems. Compatible with power supplies ranging from 10V-30V, it can be used in many audio applications. The amplifier has four channels with the same power of up to 100 watts each, resulting in outstanding sound quality and versatility. You can employ any number of channels you like, and leave the others unused. The amplifier is exceptionally well designed, with a lot of power reserve, high fidelity, low distortion, good S/N ratio, high sensitivity, low consumption, and full protection. These ideal characteristics make the Sure Electronics amplifier a candidate to become the basic building block of your future high fidelity system, or it can become the element that will upgrade an existing system. Specifications: *Output power (x 4 channels): 30W @ 6 ohms <1% THD+N, 40W @ 8 ohms <3% THD+N, 100W @ 4 ohms <10.0% THD+N *Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (±3 dB) *Signal to noise ratio: 100 dB (A-weighted) *Power supply range: 10V to 30V, maximum 32V *Dimensions (mm): 148.3 L x 134.6 W x 31 H. Pre-assembled, pre-tested "Audiophile quality" sound Perfect Class-D architecture High output power Four channels—each up to 100W Ample heat sink Up to 90% efficiency Line level analog audio input Over/under voltage shut down; over-current and over-temp protection 5 Customer Reviews Value  4.5 Performance  4.5 Features  4.5 Overall Satisfaction  4.5

Go there...
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=320-302&utm_source=Retail&utm_medium=Email_Newsletter&utm_content=320-302&utm_campaign=email010611

Video... Sure Electronics Digital Class T and Class D Amplifier Boards

Video Link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT6BjzbdcJw&feature=player_embedded


Now, here's the Site where he uses these Amps in his Custom Build...

Making car audio equipments work at home 12/03/2010

1 Comment(s)

 

This project got started because of money issues and a bright idea that if I could re-use some of the car amplifiers I have would save me some money.  Well, just like any other projects, it ended up much more complicated than I thought.

The one major problem is adapting 12-15 Volt DC devices to work at home with 115 Volt AC power.  There are power supplies you can get but requires several hundred dollars to get, especially ones that can provide upwards of 50W at 12-15Volts.  

I will document step-by-step on this project for those who want to do the same.  The project is already finished back in early August.  I am now using two of my 1000 Watt RMS car amplifier

Go there...
http://tdood.weebly.com/index.html

Pictures of his Room and Amps...
http://tdood.weebly.com/pictures.html

He used Computer Power Supply's, Slightly Modified to Power his Custom Made Car Audio Amps...

SMP (Switch-mode power supply)

The idea of adapting mobile audio devices for home use, especially car audio devices, is good one.  The reasons are many:  cost, availability, and selection, or you already have some extra equipments.  Trying to find 1000 Watt RMS home audio amplifier is not easy for a given cost; however, a 1000 Watt RMS car amplifier is readily available with ample brand and model selections.  Another one is sub-woofer drivers, readily available and fairly affordable.

Since car audio equipments operate on 12-16 Volt DC power, trying to make them operational at home with 115 Volt AC power don't translate very well.  There are companies out there who produces AC to DC power supplies for use in laboratories, which you can buy one from online outfits, but they do command pretty pennies for them.  Also, trying to get one that can handle the power that your equipment requires, usually cost more than buying a professional audio amplifiers.  Professional amplifiers are those that rock musicians use at their concert venues.  The reason I did this was because I was broke and at the same was curious.  I don't see a reason why I can't use car audio equipment at home.

Since I work in computer industry my entire life, I wanted to see if I can use PC power supply to power these car audio equipments since SMP (Switch Mode Power supply) is the type of power supply mostly in use in computer, can provide 12 Volts.  All PC power supplies, supply 12 Volts DC at certain amp, I wanted to give this a try.

Before you go out and start modding your power supply or buying one, or multiple supplies, in this case, you might want to determine how much current your car amplifier (I use amplifier as an example, since it is the single most power hungry equipment in your system) needs.  It is best to use the rated fuse as the determinant factor in determining as close to the true power of your amplifier than the fictitious "Peak Output" label.  If your amplifier came equipped with (2) 30A fuse, you can reliably say it is capable of approximately 900 Watts RMS power.  Here's the formula:

                                    2x30A = 60A max power draw
                                    60A x 15V = 900 Watts

remember the Ohm's Law, Power = Amperes x Volts (P=IV)

                                    15V is normally what car battery supply.  However, most PC SMP usually
                                    have only 12V line and not 15V.  Don't worry, 12V should work fine with
                                    most car audio equipments.

Assuming you want to power this amplifier, you need power supply that can provide approximately 60A.  However, most PC power supplies provide maximum of 18A to 28A on the 12V line.  It is clearly not enough to reliably power this amp.



Current computer power supplies, especially ones rated at 600Watt or better, usually have two rails, with designation such as 20A@12V1 and 20A@12V2.  From this example, this single power supply will supply maximum of 40A if we combine all of the yellow wires, that's the 12V line.  Again, in this example, we would need two power supplies.  Here lies the complication and hazard.  Since most computer power supplies, or generally SMP supplies, are regulated, meaning if it detects voltage drops or gains even minutely, it will try to balance itself by either raising or dropping its voltage to match, and that could continue endlessly.  So when you combine two power supplies together no one knows what goes on inside each power supply.  If you talk to electrical and electronic engineers, doing this is not recommended at all.  Hence, the danger.

But this works.  Before you shell out money you don't already have (you wouldn't go this far if you have money), you want to do little research. 

1.  Obtain supply that supply as high an amperage as possible for each rail.
2.  Obtain quality supply from quality manufacturers.
3.  Make sure it works first if you acquired a used one.
4.  Same model with same capability, i.e. rail 1 must equal rail 2 (20a@12v1, 20a@12v2) if you need more than one power supply.

Steps:

NOTE:  If you have to combine two or more supplies to get enough current to power your amplifier, read carefully about the diodes.


1.  Cut off all wires except:    Black, Yellow, Green

2.  Seal all cut wires to prevent shorts, very important.  I used hot glue.  Some people used caulking gels.  If you are attempting this, I'm sure you have very good idea of what to use to prevent wires from shorting.  If you don't know, don't do this.

3.  Cut off the remaining wires at the first connector, make sure all BLACK, YELLOW wires are at approximately the same length (because we have to combine them together). 

4.  Strip about an inch off the end of all wires.  I advise you to get a wire stripper (I got mine from Radio Shack for about $15).

5.  Combine all except one BLACK wires together with black wires, all YELLOW wires together with yellow wires (black with black, yellow with yellow. NEVER combine YELLOW and BLACK together!)

6.  Tie stripped GREEN wire (remember?) to that one BLACK wire.  (allows supply to turn ON)

OK.  so far all we have done was stripped off unnecessary wires and combined similar wires together.  And of course, tied the green wire with a black wire (power on wire and a ground wire).  All this is within a single power supply.  For this example, we are still working on one power supply with two rails, supplying 20A each.  So the finished power supply would provide about 60 Amps at about 12 Volts.

Now, if 60A is not enough to power your amplifier, you have to follow this carefully.

(very involved.. will continue)

The Link to the next page was missing on his site. But you get a pretty good idea on what he did from what was there. I like the way he did this. I especially like his Red Room! I love Red and Blue... I would have written and told him. But there are not links to comments, e-mail or any way of contacting him, that I could see.

I was thinking that you could use Batteries and set them up like you would in a Car or Van or Truck. But then you would have to deal with where to put the Batteries, since the make fumes when being charged and also you would have to have a Battery Charger Capable of keeping them Charged...

Don

Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Board

Sure 4x100W @ 4 Ohm TK2050 Class-D Audio Amplifier Board | Parts-Express.com

YouTube - Sure Electronics Digital Class T and Class D Amplifier Boards

Pictures - My Home Theater

My Home Theater - Home