"Mini-T" T-Amp TA2020 - 20wpc and £60 UK delivered. eBay bargain!

[JANDL100]

I had mentioned this as a possible contender for the OP of the "Integrated amp wanted" thread in the 2-channel section.
Having found it on eBay it seemed such a tempting morsel that I bought one myself.

The amp arrived today.
It comes with a PSU - so it's plug & play.

The short review - "Just buy one".

The longer review -"Fantastic amp, regardless of price. Just buy one."

Ridiculously small but very nicely made. Postage stamp for scale ....





Look at it - it's tiddly !! ....



As so often, the blue LED is piercingly bright! - a bit of blu-tack on the front to cover it up a bit will sort that out.
"Only" 20wpc, but it drives my 84dB/W speakers with no problem. But they are quite an easy load impedance-wise. Not sure it would fare so well with Justin's big Apogees, but I suspect it will be fine with most speakers. And this just might be the perfect amp for Quad 57 stats, although I have not tried this, obviously.

It doesn't have the deep bass heft of a larger amp, but the bass is fine and tautly controlled.
Mids are gloriously open and very detailed.
Highs are perhaps a bit sharp, but not harsh (although running in might improve that) and without the oft-encountered roll off that I usually hear in a typical class D amp.
Stereo focus / imaging is a little on the broad & spacious side, rather than pinpoint.

Where this little amp really excels is in resolution, which is where it's at as far as I am concerned!

So, yes, a major thumbs up, and as long as you can live with a single input - or just use it as a power amp with 'sensitivity control' plus a pre-amp - it's just stupidly good vfm.

£60 UK delivered - money back if you don't like it. Just buy one.

[pobox-123]

LOL! Nice amp!

What speakers are you using with this amp?

[JANDL100]

LOL! Nice amp!

What speakers are you using with this amp?

Just my little MBLs.

Seems a sensible price match ....

[pobox-123]

If you don't mind me asking, how much do your MBLs cost?

[ADPully]

I used a tripath class d - the trends ta10-1 withs quads - work v well

[Bazzman]

Got mine for my computer also off e-bay.
Great value at £58 they also do just a headphone amp or an amp with built in dac.

[Timbo]

I had a Topping one on my PC system, sounded great just sometimes I like a bit more welly

[Hornucopia]

Looks like we all have one (or 2 in my case as I have a 'Son of T' sitting in a box) .
My Kingrex runs the poly-Zigmahornets very nicely as 'Desk-Top (side!) system. So well, it encouraged me to get the Ocellias!
Best things in small packages (speakers excepted?)

[gjm]

I've not heard this one but I'm another advocate of the teensy T-amp. I also have a Trends TA10.1 and while I have thought of selling it, there is nothing so usable and good to listen to that could replace it.

Mine forms a part of a 'portable' system - the laptop, a USB-powered DAC, the TA10.1, and some small speakers. Brilliant.

[JANDL100]

I think that the Trends TA-10 amp uses the standard 2024 chip which can push out up to 10wpc with the wind solidly in the right direction. The Mini-T claims to use a new 2020 chip which is said to be good for double that. Twice the power, so can probably handle more in the way of real world speakers.

The eBay seller claims to be the only person in the UK selling amps with these chips.
I'm sure that others will be along soon, though.

EDIT to remove reference to Topping amps, some of which use higher powered chips.

[gjm]

I think that .... the Trends TA-10 use[s] the standard 2024 chip...

[Bazzman]

The Topping TP 21 features the Tripath 2021 Class T chip with 50 Watts of power (25W per channel)

[JANDL100]

The Topping TP 21 features the Tripath 2021 Class T chip with 50 Watts of power (25W per channel)

Aha! - OK, thanks for that Bazzman. I try not to misinform or give incomplete info - but sometimes I fail! I'll modify my post accordingly.

Is that Topping TP21 available in the UK? All the eBay listings I can see come from Hong Kong / China - down to the mid-£50s delivered to the UK. But unless you can sneak it around HM Customs (tut-tut) there'll be a fair dollop to pay on top of that.


So how does the TP21 sound? Have you tried it in your main system? In my experience, the Mini-T is quite different from pretty much all the switching amps I have heard before (Yep, I've owned and heard quite a few!*). They are almost always a bit on the smooth and somewhat rolled-off at the top side of things. The Mini-T doesn't do that - it's got a very detailed and perhaps even incisive presentation which I personally prefer.


* switching amps I have owned:
Veritas P400, Bel Canto eVo4, 'original' plastic body T-amp & a modded version with mega PSU, Lyngdorf/TacT 2175, Esoteric AZ-1, NuForce 8 monos and now the Mini-T 2020.
I liked them all - I've never heard a bad or unmusical switching amp, but most of them have a somewhat tonally relaxed/smooth presentation, in my opinion.
I also now have a pair of Audiozone Amp2 monoblocks awaiting their turn to get tried out - they are said to be on the more incisive and transparent side of things.

[gingembre]

I also now have a pair of Audiozone Amp2 monoblocks awaiting their turn to get tried out - they are said to be on the more incisive and transparent side of things.

Ooooh! I have the audiozone dac (it's called audiosector but is the unboxed version of the dac and is bolted to part of a breadboard) and it's very good indeed and stupidly good vfm.

Where did you get the Amp2's from Jerry?

(p.s. have also just bought the mini t amp - only 4 left!!)

[JANDL100]

Ooooh! I have the audiozone dac (it's called audiosector but is the unboxed version of the dac and is bolted to part of a breadboard) and it's very good indeed and stupidly good vfm.

Where did you get the Amp2's from Jerry?

Just part of the ol' box swapping routine! The Amp2's came from Wammer mmar - who is even more of a crazed boxswapper then me.

(p.s. have also just bought the mini t amp - only 4 left!!)

Aha - please feel free to post your thoughts on it here if you wish.

[Howlindawg]

I also now have a pair of Audiozone Amp2 monoblocks awaiting their turn to get tried out - they are said to be on the more incisive and transparent side of things.

One of my all time favorites and a very good match for my Veenas.
Sadly they weren't mine.

I'm busily cloning them at the moment.

Actually... expect a PM!

[Bazzman]

Aha! - OK, thanks for that Bazzman. I try not to misinform or give incomplete info - but sometimes I fail! I'll modify my post accordingly.

Is that Topping TP21 available in the UK? All the eBay listings I can see come from Hong Kong / China - down to the mid-£50s delivered to the UK. But unless you can sneak it around HM Customs (tut-tut) there'll be a fair dollop to pay on top of that.



So how does the TP21 sound? Have you tried it in your main system? In my experience, the Mini-T is quite different from pretty much all the switching amps I have heard before (Yep, I've owned and heard quite a few!*). They are almost always a bit on the smooth and somewhat rolled-off at the top side of things. The Mini-T doesn't do that - it's got a very detailed and perhaps even incisive presentation which I personally prefer.


* switching amps I have owned:
Veritas P400, Bel Canto eVo4, 'original' plastic body T-amp & a modded version with mega PSU, Lyngdorf/TacT 2175, Esoteric AZ-1, NuForce 8 monos and now the Mini-T 2020.
I liked them all - I've never heard a bad or unmusical switching amp, but most of them have a somewhat tonally relaxed/smooth presentation, in my opinion.
I also now have a pair of Audiozone Amp2 monoblocks awaiting their turn to get tried out - they are said to be on the more incisive and transparent side of things.

Hi Jerry.
Mine came from Hong Kong as they all seem to come from there. It was hassle free.
Sound wise I can't really give an answer as it is used on my Mac and is never used for serious audio use but I can say it doesn't sound crap.

[smegger68]

Any chance of some internal porn Jerry?

[JANDL100]

Any chance of some internal porn Jerry?

Errr ... no.

I took out the 4 allen bolts at the front, and nothing much happened ... I think it is beyond my humble capabilities without risking damaging the internal connections, sad though it is to admit it!

[HectorHughMunro]

I still have the original Sonic Impact on my desk powering Linn Komponents which I'm using in nearfield. Mine are wired with Hitachi interconnects and Cat5e. Much better than computer speakers.

I have to say that I do prefer the higher power T Amps and I have a Pop Pulse T150 in the bedroom which is in a different class to the Sonic Impact. I find it amazing that the Tripath chips are still so competitive. There are better Class D amps (The Nuforce 9SE V3 are the best I've heard so far) but certainly not for anything like the same money.

Class D amps don't look like they cost a lot to make and I can imagine that we're going to see a lot of trickle down in to the budget sector.

The good thing about the Sonic Impact amps is that they're great for travelling (I usually take one when I'm in Brittany). They run on Batteries and are small enough to go in a bag without noticing.