Lepy LP-2020A Hi-Fi Digital Amplifier, Mini Stereo Audio Amplifier with Power Supply Black US

This is the same unit as others on Amazon under the model number Lepy/Lepai 2020A T-class amp. This seller just sells it for cheaper. The box was surprisingly well packed, using soft foam material instead of styrofoam. It's easy to pack it up again and transport it if needed. The sound quality is VERY VERY good, considering this price point. This is the 3rd of these small T-class amps I've purchased, and I'll compare each of them. -First one is Topping TP32EX with TK2050 amp, rated for 50W but at 10% THD+N at 4ohm. I wrote a thorough review of that product, and found the maximum usable power is only about 10W per channel at 8ohm before it starts to distort too much. The TP32EX is 7 TIMES more expensive, but the sound quality is excellent and the USB DAC + Headphone Amp all in one device serves a different purpose than this Lepy. -Second one I tried and immediately returned is Pyle PFA400U 100W with who knows what T-class amp it has (they don't want to list it). I wrote a thorough review of that as well. It has HORRIBLE sound quality, completely unusable due to the distortion of mid bass starting at 20% volume. I didn't know how bad an amp can sound until I heard the Pyle of crap. This Lepy is the 3rd unit I purchased, which will be used at the office to drive a small pair of bookshelves. I tested the amp with Elac B6, Polk RTi-4, and an old Infinity US-1 Satellite speakers for the heck of it. The sound quality is worlds apart compared to the Pyle, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out there's little to no distortion even at maximum volume. It actually gets louder than the TP32EX even though that unit is marketed as higher power. They sound very different, however. Testing with both the B6 and RTi-4, the Lepy sounded warmer and bass was over pronounced compared to the TP32EX. The TP32EX in comparison sounded much tamer, and especially the details of mids on the B6 were present. At higher volumes with the B6 (which are known to be pretty flat speakers), the TP32EX maintained the balance well and nothing was overpowering. On this Lepy however, the boomy bass took over past 50% volume and started sounding muddy it became harder to focus on the details of the highs. In the end, I would hands down recommend this unit. For the price, especially from this seller, it's a great deal. It's the cheapest TA2020A based amp that I could find on Amazon, and I'm glad I picked this up. With the RTi-4s, which only has a 5.25" drivers, the bass was not as overpowering and it was pleasant to listen to at 50-75% volume. At lower volume, it sounded a little better than the TP32EX which was a bit hollow on the RTi-4. We'll see how long any of these Chinese made units last, but the Lepy did not even get warm when listening to at normal volumes (as loud as you'd want in an office). And I'm sure it will work in a pinch at the next office party, if you needed it to go louder.

As of this writing, the unit I ordered from Amazon has not arrived yet, but I already have a couple of these so I can safely give my review of it. If you're considering one of these, this is the one you want. It's worth the extra three bucks for the improved start up circuitry. The older unit will give a loud pop through your speakers when you turn it on. With good speakers, these things are amazing. Keep in mind that we're talking about a $20 amp here. It's pretty well documented that the power supply that comes with these is inadequate at best. Out of two that I purchased elsewhere, not at Amazon, one had a bad power supply. If you get a power supply that works, the amperage is too low to get the most out of this amp anyway. I am running two of them off of a old computer PSU, which is rated at 12v 24 amps. There are many suitable power supplies on Amazon that sell for about six bucks. The Lepai amp itself is very light weight, does not feel like a quality piece of hardware in your hand. The sound is great, depending on your speakers. I use one with a pair of old Bose 501's (purchased in '78) and another one is paired to some Dayton B652 bookshelf speakers. Both sound pretty darn good with these amps. This third amp will see service in the garage, and in the driveway when I open the garage door. These amps are capable of much greater volume than you will ever need. They will sound better if you do not crank it all the way up. At half volume, these things are very loud. They run very cool, even after several hours of constant use. I started using these amps when my Yamaha receiver (15 years old) started to have a problem with arcing. I'm not in a position to shell out a couple grand for a new one at the moment. I am pretty happy with these cheap amps for the time being.

I love this little Amp. It sounds great and puts out plenty of sound and power on a good set of speakers. The power supply it comes with (12V/2A/24 Watts) is adequate for a small room. But feeble in an outdoor application. This Amplifier is perfectly good for a Patio or Pool deck with a good set of Yamaha, Definitive or Kicker outdoor speakers. And of course it works well in an indoor computer/tablet/Smart Phone/MP3 player configuration. It does have a mini-stereo plug for the right connection. If you want to blast sound into an open area (pool deck or patio) you will need an upgraded power supply. I used this 12V/6A/72 watts power supply. Remember, not every electrical device is 100% efficient. So a 24 watt power supply does not give you a full 20 watts per channel. It will provide less than 12 watts per channel. The upgraded power supply will get you to 20 Watts per channel. B003TUMDWG Of course my favorite speakers the Definitive outdoor speakers (AW 6500 series). But you get what you pay for! And Definitive speakers are quite pricey, but well worth the money. They put out serious base with their large radiators. They are very impressive outdoor speakers. And they get plenty of compliments from my guest. Definitive Technology Outdoor Speaker Single Also please note that I returned the first Lepai 2020+ Amp I bought because the right channel kept cutting out. The earlier versions had some production problems. The 2013 version is much more stable and reliable and just sounds better.

I just want to start by saying that of the two versions of this amp still CURRENTLY in production. This Lepy is the one to go for if you want to just listen to music. If you want hedaches and more power get the 2020TI The build quality is much better than the 2020TI, the power supply included is of better quality, and this Lepy amp has output relays so no speaker popping when switching the amp on and off ( the 2020Ti does not have them at all). Also the amp chip in this is a rebranded YAMAHA YDA-138-E That said, I'd like to say I like Parts Express. I really do but the amp they are selling as the replacement for the Tripath T-Amp version is utter garbage. I originally bought the "Lepai" 2020TI ( TI stands for Texas Instruments) to use in a project I'm doing. Having bought the original Tripath version I thought that the 2020TI amp would sound just as good because I though Parts Express knew what they were doing. I was wrong, VERY WRONG!!! Right out of the gate the 2020TI had interference and ground loop problems. Changing power supplies helped very little and the turning the amp off made the speakers pop loudly which can't be good for your speakers. Frusterated I gave up on this amp and ordered this Lepy as a last resort. I have to say it should have been my first choice! I plugged it without a source to see if I would have any noise issues with this amp. Nothing, pure silence, just as a well designed amp should have. Next I put some music on to have a listen, sound is not bad at all, nice and clean output. The original 2020A+ T-Amp version was warmer and slightly better sounding but the YAMAHA chip wasn't far behind. The ONLY redeeming quality of the 2020TI models is that if you cram more voltage down it's throat it will produce more wattage. Doesn't mean it will be clean watts though. As much as I like the original 2020A+ T-Amp model. This LEPY is a fitting successor.

The hardest thing about buying audio equipment is the disparity between the opinions of audiophiles and regular people who just want speakers that work. To make this review as helpful as possible to both groups, I'm teaming up with my friend Sean who is a professional audio engineer and certified audiophile. I'll provide information for the average person and Sean will contribute opinions that the most discerning purchaser will be interested in. THE SIZE Sean and I agree that this is a nice little size for an amp. It's compact but sturdy. Our only complaint (and we both agreed on this) is that the AC adapter is very short, and that might be annoying depending on where your outlets are. Minus ¼ stars for that. THE LOOK Again in agreement, it looks just fine for a small amp. The blue light is a bit bright, but nothing too annoying. ¼ stars off for that. THE SOUND Here's where our opinions really diverge. After we attached the amp to speakers it made sound for about two minutes before dying completely. We tried with everything, but it had completely stopped working for no apparent reason. I think the average consumer will be disappointed that this amp doesn't work and no sound comes out of it. Minus 3¼ stars. THE AUDIOPHILE PERSPECTIVE Sean was initially unimpressed by the fact the amp doesn't work and no sound came out of it. However, he wanted to do a thorough, professional job so he brought out some equipment to measure the output. The average DB output of both speakers was zero because the amp had broken and no sound was coming out. Using a pressure sensor, Sean the audiophile was able to determine that the two speakers were perfectly balanced because again, the amp broke shortly after plugging it in and no sound was coming out of either speaker. Even though an average user wouldn't notice a slight difference between the two speakers or even think about it, Sean explained that this is very important to a more sensitive listener, so hopefully that information is useful to some people reading this. There were some limits to our testing, namely the inexpensive speakers we attached to the amp. Sean's concerns going in were that they would be so tipped-up at the high end he wouldn't be able to enjoy listening to them. These particular speakers tend to have sucked-out and gutless through the mid region as well. However, these concerns turned out to be unfounded because the amp broke almost instantaneously and absolutely no sound came out at all. But here is where I must confess, even though I'm not an audiophile, I have spent lots of time around Sean and that perhaps I was holding this amp to too high of a standard. So we brought in a third tester, my wife, who's main concern was that this amp would make my music too loud and would be of some bother to our the neighbors. I played several different songs at a variety of volumes and asked for her feedback. She noted that because the amp was a worthless piece of crap that broke within minutes of being removed from the box and no sound was coming out at all, the volume of the music would not be disturbing our neighbors. CONCLUSION Three different people with three different levels of experience around sound equipment tested this amplifier under a variety of conditions and we were able to determine positively that even though it has some nice features (price, size, looking like an amp), it isn't worth the purchase price because it failed immediately after purchase and no sound comes out of it.

I received this so quickly it pleasantly surprised me. The item is as advertised, works well, and produces quality sound. I used this to make a portable guitar amp. I've made several amps so far out of varying components... and this by far had the best overall power and sound. I do enjoy the blue LED surrounding the dial. It let's you know it's on and it doesn't cycle through colors like another cheap amp people have been commenting about. The steady blue is informative, attractive and functional. This comes with a 12v DC power supply, which is a nice addition. One feature I enjoy is a switch that allows you to disable the tone controls and feed through pure sound. That's quite nice in case one wishes to control the tone externally. I would have to join those who state that the negative reviews on this product seem highly questionable. I consider it a quality prime product, and being a Tripath system it will make maximum use of battery power if one wishes to power it using a scooter battery or other 12v battery source. I'd have to say this is one of the better values on the market in this product range. I would HIGHLY recommend folks sticking as closely as possible within the wattage and ohm range. I do believe a number of people who in general complain about sound output from these types of amp do so because they have a mis-matched speaker. For my project it works splendidly. 5 stars for product and merchant.

I tried these with some very accurate speakers that I bought (fostex ff85wk). You can hear the springs on the bottom of the snare and so on, ever little detail. I've heard singers articulate words though them. Say the word 'went' and notice what your tongue does that is what you can hear with the right speakers/recording But the speakers sound terrible through these speakers. I thought the speakers needed more breaking in (they have 50+ now), or it was because I was listening trough a computer sound chip (equal to about a ASUS Sonar DX or SB X-Fi), and 'only' 192kbs rips. When I put them in my home system the speakers sounded SO much better. I'm not talking listen carefully better, I'm talking hear the difference walking by them. The system is no boutique system with nothing that cost less than $1,000 system. The system is solid mid-fi. It's a 100 wpcOnkyo AVR and Polk tower speakers, at the time the best floor-standers they had (now they have the LSi line). The speakers sound SO much better through this setup, even streaming Pandora at 192kbps. In short the speakers now sound, more musical. Less harsh. The sound is no longer sterile sounding. Lush recording like Dido Live at Brixton or Bonnie Raitt Luck of the Draw now sound lush again. And I am using a 6A power supply. I've never not used it so I don't know how much it improves the sound or lets it play louder. For $8.00 there is no reason not to get the 6A power supply. If you have consumer speakers, or generally forgiving speakers and/or you aren't getting the treble extension you want, and budget is your primary concern, the lepai is probably worthy a try. But with that said, save up a little more more money and get a topping. Don't get the Lepai for tone controls, they are close to worthless. If you are looking for 'hi-fi on a budget'. As soon as you engage them the volume drops. 'Nough said. Put another way, fully modified Leapai = Topping. Depending on your speakers and the volume levels you want, this amp will run out of steam at about 1/2 volume and you will start hearing distortion if you have good speakers. My speakers have 90db sensitivity. I'm not trying to fill a room, and I'm in a small room 10' x 12' but when I get to a 'fun' level but not up to 'rockin out' level the sound starts deteriorating, but again I'm listening to very accurate/bright speakers so your experience might differ. They handled bass well enough for me, but depending on what you like to listen to and the volume want to listen to you could hit the distortion point at lower volume than I did. On one level I am amazed at what they do for the money. But for a little more you can get a Topping. For $70 bucks you get much more more watts, necessary if you are listening to speakers with Sensitivity below 90db, better sound and headphone jack. For $85 you add two inputs, and a USB DAC to the benefits of the TP20. The TP30 is a no brainer for $85. Now if you have lower end speakers, that lack treble extension and clarity, muddy bass, for $20+ ( you really want the $8.00 6A power supply) you will get that and it may sound GREAT. The Leapai IS amazing in details it will resolve for $20 but it will also 'reveal' its SQ issue if you have good speakers. But if hi-fi on a reasonable budget, say $200 to $300 dollars is what you are after than any of the Toppings are the way to go. What use is good sound if it's thin/grainy, has no headroom for volume/bass, and is not musical? For instance get the MV40's and any of the Topping amps. And for $200 you will have a nice music system for your desktop, or for a bedroom TV, etc. So, for being maybe for you, maybe not for you, 3 stars.

Having read reams of reviews on these amps, the jury is still out on the many claims made by Lepai about this amp. Mine works "fine" so far and I have left it running since I got it (on time and in good condition) almost a month ago. Of course, I also have a Marantz A//V rcvr purchased in '91 and it's also still working fine. lol And that rcvr replaced a still working Marantz 2270 rcvr purchased in '73. That said, this Lepai is still working so far. Many, many have not had such good news. I rcvd a "New Version" with a mobo of the Mar 2013 vintage. There is a newer version out there now. What's the "Improved?" Dunno exactly and Lepai isn't talking nor any of it's many distributors, like Parts Express. Curious. Very curious. Mine shipped with a 2 amp rated wall wart style power supply. Running at a very low (barely audible) volume through new Micca MB42 bookshelfs or headphones, it sounded trashy/mushy on breathy female vocalists. There was noise being mixed with the audio. Raising the volume also caused distortion quickly. Very irritating to listen to at low volumes and quick to cause fatigue ("Mommy! Please make it stop!" kind of fatigue/irritation.) When plugging headphones into a 15 year old disc player or 10 yr old Palm Titanium PAD results in clean sound, I'm safe in saying the Lepai is the culprit, ...so far. But I half expected this since reading so many reviews. I had a "6 amp" power brick ordered along with the Lepai. Plugged that one in and the problem was GONE. Inky black no sound background. Great detail in the breathy low volume (and high) female vocals. Fatigue gone. Deeper bass. Detailed highs. You could see the distortion noise before in foobar's spectrograms. Speakers silky and headphones became very revealing. So far, so good. For now. Later, I plan on going through the amp using a 20Mhz dual channel scope and see what we can see, input vs output wise, to see if I can see any areas screaming for attention/loving care. May update later. What I WON'T be doing is throwing 20+ dollar USD caps and inductors at this 25 USD amp. C'mon, really!? There are better T-amps out there already for 100 USD right now and they already have the "good stuff" in them from the factory. Lipstick for pigs!? lol Unless yours (the Lepai I mean) has any probs and needs return, use it as it is if it's working now. I have nothing against experimentation, if that's the objective to make improvements. A word on much of the recent Chinese "reinvention" of physics. You can expect this "20W RMS per channel" amp to produce 3 to 5 watts/ch/8 ohms (2 watts would be better) with less than .1% THD on a good day, with a decent 3 amp to 4 or 6 amp (preferred) and get fairly near that "Class T" sound we are after. Coupled to a decent speaker pair of 85 to 90 db sensitivity, you'd be almost there while on the cheap. btw, I capacitor coupled (470mf 35vdc IIRC Nichi's 105c cus I had them ) to see if even AC coupling headphones "revealed" any as yet unheard sonics. Yes, they do. I used 60 ohm Koss KTxPRO1 cheapies in case something went horribly wrong, before trying DC coupling with resistors (or directly... preferred) in the near future. No. I am not considering phase angle distortion at this point, nor will I if the sound stage presentation with phones and this lash-up continues to perform this well. Don't want to apply too much expensive lipstick to this pg right now. lolol I'm going though most of my FLAC Mozart, Blondie (and yes, even ABBA!!!) before "Stage II." But if you believe that clean 20w ch x2 RMS (using Chinese physics again) out of these things is possible or that those 12 VDC @2 A ("UL Listed" and "ITE Class 4 or 5" claimed efficiency) continuous current rating wall warts won't burn your house down someday, then I'm a Chinese jet pilot! lol Listen hearty, my friend!