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Trends Audio TA-10

Class-T Stereo Amplifier

Ver. 1.0

Trademarks Trends, Trends Audio, and ITOK are the trademarks owned by ITOK Media Limited

USER GUIDE

Tripath is the registered trademark owned by Tripath Technology Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
ITOK Media Limited Rm 1011-12, 10/F., Tower 1, Millennium City 1, 388 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +0730 Fax: +5740 Email: sales@TrendsAudio.com Web: www.TrendsAudio.com

Trends TA-10 User Guide

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS....3

1. Introduction
Thank you for your purchase of Trends TA-10 Class-T stereo amplifier. Trends Audio introduces the mini-size Class-T stereo amplifier TA-10 providing up to 2x15W output with the bundled AC power supply unit. Thanks to the Tripath's proprietary Class-T Digital Power Processing (TM) technology and our special techniques in circuit design and component selection, TA-10 achieves the sound quality of high-end HiFi but in a very affordable price. TA-10 performs very like Class-AB amplifiers with high fidelity and warm sound. Yet, its power efficiency and physical size is just like Class-D amplifiers. Even it's maximum output power is only 2x15W, TA-10 is actually powerful to push even the floor-stand speakers with sufficient and good control of bass sound. It has no problem for normal home use purpose.

1. INTRODUCTION....4

2. FEATURES...4

3. OVERVIEW....5

4. ADVANCED FEATURES (FOR PROFESSIONAL USER ONLY).6 4.1 Offset the DC bias voltage of the speaker terminals...6 4.2 Configure as power amplifier (by-pass the volume control)..6 5. SPECIFICATIONS....7 5.1 Specification of the Amplifier Unit...7 5.2 Specification of the AC Adaptor..7 6. TROUBLESHOOTING...8

2. Features

applied the proprietary T-amp technology for audiophile quality sound, high power efficiency (90%) and less heat generation compact design (mini-size & light weight), easy portable and setup provide up to 2x15W output an AC adaptor is bundled for continuous power supply. separated amplifier & AC adaptor design to minimize mutual interference and flexible to apply other power sources, e.g. lead-acid battery. standard audio and speaker sockets compatible with most audiophile quality cables. the DC bias between speaker terminals can be offset (close to 0mV) by adjusting the potentiometers (factory pre-set). It suppresses the "pop" sound when power on/off and also increase the sound purity. option to work as a pure power amp by simply reset jumpers to by-pass the volume controlling circuit. built-in over-current protection. built-in over-temperature protection audiophile-graded parts and components air-core inductor used instead of magnetic-core for better sound the stylish & specially-plated aluminium case provides not only good-looking, and also provides outstanding shielding capability.

7. ACCESSORIES....8

8. CONTACT US...8

Table of Content

Chapter 1&2 Introduction & Features

3. Overview

4. Advanced Features (for professional user only)
4.1 Offset the DC bias voltage of the speaker terminals
There are two blue adjustable potentiometers (Rt) for offsetting the DC bias voltage between the positive (+ve) and negative (-ve) terminals of each channel. Offset this DC bias voltage can enhance the purity of the sound and minimize the pop sound when power on and off. The DC bias has been pre-set in factory. But after run-in for a period, it would be slightly changed that the fine-tuning is needed. Before you tune these, you need a screwdriver (take off the case), a small screwdriver (turn the screw of the potentiometer) and a (digital) multi-meter to detect the DC bias voltage.
Power Indicator Volume Controller Turn clockwise to minimize the volume level and vice versa.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Use screwdriver to take out the two top level screws in the front panel & another two screws in the back panel. Then, open the upper case. Power ON the amplifier. Use the multi-meter to detect the DC voltage (200mV) between +ve & -ve terminals of the RIGHT channel. Turn the screw on the top of the LEFT (near the front panel) potentiometer by a small screwdriver clockwise or anticlockwise until the voltage as close as to 0mV. Then, repeat step 3 and 4 for the LEFT channel by turning the screw on the top of the RIGHT (near the back panel) potentiometer. Power OFF the amplifier Cover back the upper case and tighten the screws.
4.2 Configure as power amplifier (by-pass the volume control)
You can simply configure the amplifier as an integrated amp (with volume control function) or as a pure power amp (no volume control function) by resetting the jumpers in J2 as follows: O O O O O O O O (integrated amp)

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

RIGHT Speaker Output The negative (-ve) and positive (+ve) speaker terminals of the RIGHT channel. LEFT Speaker Output The negative (-ve) and positive (+ve) speaker terminals of the LEFT channel. Audio Input The audio signal input (LEFT/RIGHT) connects from audio source (e.g. CD player) to the amplifier by the RCA audio cable. Power ON/OFF switch pull up to power on the TA-10 amplifier and pull down to power off. Power Supply Socket Plug the bundled AC Adaptor to this socket to supply power to this amplifier.
O O O O O O O O (power amp) 6

Section 3 Overview

Section 4 Advanced Features

5. Specifications

5.1 Specification of the Amplifier Unit
T-Amp IC Output Power Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) Dynamic Range IHF IM Distortion THD+Noise Tripath TA2024 2x15W @4ohm 2x10W @8ohm 98dB 98dB 0.10% @ 1W, 4ohm Audiophile Quality 0.03% @ 9W 4ohm 0.1% @ 11W 4ohm 0.1% @ 6W 8ohm High Power 10% @ 15W 4ohm 10% @ 10W 8ohm 81% @ 15W 4ohm 90% @ 10W 8ohm Audio IN RCA (Left/Right) x 1 Power Socket (5.5mm/2.1mm) x 1 Speaker OUT (Left) x 1 pair (+/-) Speaker OUT (Right) x 1 pair (+/-) Power ON/OFF switch x 1 Power Indicator (Blue LED) x1 Volume Knob x 1 DC 12V-13.2V (max.) (W)76mm x (H)46mm x (D)114mm[case only]/150mm [incl. sockets & knob] 500g

6. Troubleshooting

If your machine is out of order, it may not be very serious. Before you call your local distributor or us to repair, you are suggested to check the following:
Symptoms cannot power ON indicator not bright no sound at all Possible Reasons power cords not properly connected power switch is OFF the volume level is too low the audio cable not properly connected the audio source (e.g. CD player) not started playing the audio source is mute or connected with a headphone (some player may auto-mute the audio output when the headphone is connected) the speaker cables not properly connected the amplifier configured as pure power amplifier by setting the jumpers in J2 Handling Methods properly connect the power cords switch ON the power turn volume level higher properly connect the audio cable start playing the audio source Disable the mute or unplug the headphone connected, if any. properly connect the speaker cables reset the jumpers in J2 back to integrated amplifier
Power Efficiency Input Output Other Switch & Knob Power Supply Dimensions Weight
volume level cannot be adjust by turning the volume knob

7. Accessories

AC adaptor (GM-120300) xpins power cord x1 (IEC female plug and male plug for your country standards) User Guide x1 Warranty Card x1
5.2 Specification of the AC Adaptor
AC Input DC Output Ripple & Noise Over-load Protection Over-voltage Protection Dimensions Weight Universal AC 100V-240V/50-60Hz DC 12V 3A (36W) <= 50mV 105%-150% 115%-150% (L)117mm x (W)48mm x (H)33mm 300g

8. Contact Us

ITOK Media Limited (Trends Audio) Address: Rm 1011-12, 10/F., Tower 1, Millennium City 1, 388 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong Phone: +0730 (9am-6pm, HKG Time) Fax: +852 2566-5740 Email: sales@TrendsAudio.com (Sales) support@TrendAudio.com (Support) Web: http://www.TrendsAudio.com 7
Section 6 Troubleshooting / Section 7 Accessories / Section 8 Contact Us
* To continuously improve our product, we reserve the rights to change some specifications without further notice.

Section 5 Specifications

RE VIE W
The Trends TA10.2 Amplifier

Are We Serious?

By Jeff Dorgay
he Trends Audio TA 10.1 class T amplifier has been the darling of the internet for close to a year now, getting an equivalent amount of press in various audio related websites as well as a heated topic of conversation on numerous audio forums. When the chance to review one of the first 10.2 amplifiers came along, I was very curious to see just how much amplifier you can get for $189. It turns out quite a bit, indeed. The TA 10.2 is miniscule, only weighing about a pound (without power supply) and is smaller than the power supply that powers it. There is a volume control knob on the front, speaker output jacks and one pair of input jacks on the rear, along with an input for 12 volts DC. With one input and one output, setup is quick and easy. To be a wise guy, I started with the big guns, putting the TA 10.2 in my reference system with a Naim 555 CD player and the GamuT S-7 speakers, wiring the system with Shunyata Aurora interconnects and Stratos SP speaker wire. Why not hook up a $189 dollar amplifier to a six-figure system?

TONE A

Very Big Sound in That Small Box Id be lying if I told you that the 10.2 had the weight and dynamics that my Burmester 011 preamp and 911 mk. 3 amplifier does, but it was damn good! Some of the graininess that Ive heard with chip amplifiers was still there, but the top to bottom tonality was excellent and the bass control on the GamuTs was much better than I expected. When listening at modest levels, this amplifier gave a very strong performance on every kind of music but the most dynamic, because the GamuT speakers really do their best with more power. While the 10.2 is not harsh sounding, it does throw a very wide soundstage, but a relatively two-dimensional one. All of that front to back depth and holographic imaging is what you pay the big bucks for, but again, comparing the 10.2 to a number of thousand dollar integrated amplifiers, was very good. My audiophile buddies were quite shocked when they heard my system with the 10.2. One thought it was a headphone amplifier and upon picking it up, saw the massive Shunyata cables coming out of the back, only to realize I was running the whole system with this tiny little amplifier that isnt even the size of an output transformer on a modest sized tube amplifier. Back to the Real World Lets face it, no one is going to use the 10.2 like I did, but it proves the point that this is a phenomenal little amplifier. I tried a few other speakers and the 10.2 was a fantastic match for the 100db ZU Essence speakers, which only need a few watts to blast you out of the room. No matter how loud I wanted to rock out, the 10.2 was up to the task, with excellent bass weight and control. But the best place for the 10.2 is the beginning audiophile/music lover. I assembled a system with the Trends amplifier, a mint pair of Spica TC-50s that I purchased on Audiogon for $225 and my trusty Pioneer 563 universal player that can usually be found for about $50. $100 worth of Blue Jeans cable rounded out the package to
just under $500 total for an incredibly musical system that takes up almost no space. I would have killed to have a system like this when I got into the hobby. Mods, etc. In the past, there have been quite a few mods available for the 10.1 amplifier, but I feel this defeats the purpose of a budget component. However, one tweak that is worthwhile is a large, 12 Volt battery. Im sure you could modify one of the popular SLA batteries, similar to the type used by Red Wine Audio and a few others, but if you want to try battery power on the cheap, you can get a lantern battery from Radio Shack here: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index. jsp?productId=3740316 Taking the 10.2 off the grid dramatically reduces the noise floor and takes a layer of grain out of the overall presentation. (continued)
No matter how loud I wanted to rock out, the 10.2 was up to the task, with excellent bass weight and control.
The highs became much less electronic sounding and in my budget system, dazzled everyone that heard it. It doesnt get any better than this for $189 Regardless of whether you need a second system for your garage, office or desktop, or just beginning your HiFi journey, I cant think of a better place to start if you can live with one source component. The Trends Audio 10.2 is a small box with mighty performance and is worthy of being paired with components considerably more expensive than its size might suggest. l The Trends TA-10.2 Amplifier MSRP: $189.00, standard 10.2 $249.00, SE model
Manufacturer Trends Audio Unit E, 13/F, World Tech Centre 95 How Ming Street Kwun Tong, Hong Kong 5740 www.trendsaudio.com Peripherals Analog Source Technics SL1200 w/ Sound HiFi Mods, Sumiko Blackbird Phono Preamp Audio Research PH3 SE Digital Source Pioneer 563, Marantz Pearl, Naim CD555 Speakers Harbeth Monitor 40.1, Spica TC-50, Verity Audio Sarastro II, Zu Essence