Here's a Google list of amps that use a TIP41 and 42, which should be a good place to start.

For transistors it's basically max voltage rating, current rating, and power rating that are important for replacing the other amp transistors with ones you may have.
Electrolytic caps can generally be larger in both capacitance and voltage than those specified, but not smaller.

The LM386 puts out less than a watt of audio power, so likely will not meet your needs.
You could use two of them in a bridge circuit to get about 3W output, but that's still pretty small.

Would using the 386 bridged or not be a good driver for the tip41/42? Or do the tip''s even need a driver? Also can I use them exclusively for a decent amp? I NEED ANSWERS BRO?!

 

There is another alternative to that circuit that analogKid posted, which is to use a driver transformer between the LM386 and a pair of NPN transistors. It may even be that you will need to use a single power transistor to drive the transformer. The concept comes from the mid-sixties, when suddenly bands had to have transistor amplifiers, and rugged power transistors were very expensive and the cheaper power transistors were not so rugged. You may, possibly, find these circuits in an "electronic circuits handbook" in the reference section of your library. They were published each year, and you should check the ones from the late sixties. That is one area where you can find the circuits that use the parts that are similar to things that you and I are more likely to have collected. If you can find them, older transistor applications manuals also have circuits and in those you will find some great descriptions about HOW the circuits work, and often the calculations on how different part values were determined.
Still another choice is on line, circuits of guitar amplifiers, some of them use only transistors, and some use tubes. Only some of the newer models use IC devices, but you have a few hundred circuits to look at and study, all for free. You can gain from what others determined by experiment, but mostly you don't get much explanation on how they work. BUT that is where the stop and think comes in.
GOOD LUCK!!!!! and happy reading.

Thank you, much, alot, kindly,exceeding, sir! I wish I could find an older bjt/simple ic circuit like an older 80's 90's car radio or home sound system to dissect for circuit reference. Something I can easy China rip for ideas and schematicsee but alas is really quite difficult. Nobody gets rid of those things and for no reason. Even my aged father has a cd player in his truck and 4 much older radios, that won't fit, that he won't rid of. I have found many tip41\42 schematics but they all have negative comments that turn me off. Always issues with the wiring that never appears solved.

 

Would using the 386 bridged or not be a good driver for the tip41/42? Or do the tip''s even need a driver? Also can I use them exclusively for a decent amp? I NEED ANSWERS BRO?!

YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS OF ELECTRONICS, BRO!
Of course many schematics have negative comments because they were designed to be cheap and simple (with poor performance) or the engineers are little kids who know nothing about electronics.

 

YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS OF ELECTRONICS, BRO!
Of course many schematics have negative comments because they were designed to be cheap and simple (with poor performance) or the engineers are little kids who know nothing about electronics.

Trying my best to learn. I have thought if I used two lm386 in tandem to relieve thier work load into a mono output then tip41/42 ab pairs if that would achieve decent sound and moderate watt output. Just a theory though.

 

Hello,

You could have a good read with this book:
https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/Ele...sistor_Amplifiers_Design_Handbook_D._Self.pdf

Bertus

 

Trying my best to learn. I have thought if I used two lm386 in tandem to relieve thier work load into a mono output then tip41/42 ab pairs if that would achieve decent sound and moderate watt output. Just a theory though.

We do not say "in tandem" instead we say in parallel. In parallel two LM386 power amps can supply twice the current to the TIP41/42 pair.
But the input current to the TIP41/42 pair is low so parallelled LM386 ICs are not needed. The TIP41/42 pair reduces the output voltage swing to be less than with just one LM386 and no TIP power transistors. The emitter resistors also reduce the output voltage swing and resulting even less output power.

 

YOU NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS OF ELECTRONICS, BRO!
Of course many schematics have negative comments because they were designed to be cheap and simple (with poor performance) or the engineers are little kids who know nothing about electronics.

Honestly now that it's been mentioned; I notice negative comments on circuit's that have been proven and have been marketed. Seems everyone is biased. Fan boys of D class hate A class and A class hates AB. I'm guilty to I suppose. I like A class for linearity but it's god awful efficiency is why I'm looking for a decent AB.

 

We do not say "in tandem" instead we say in parallel. In parallel two LM386 power amps can supply twice the current to the TIP41/42 pair.
But the input current to the TIP41/42 pair is low so parallelled LM386 ICs are not needed. The TIP41/42 pair reduces the output voltage swing to be less than with just one LM386 and no TIP power transistors. The emitter resistors also reduce the output voltage swing and resulting even less output power.

My apologies when I meant tandem I meant the signal equally split to them and output into a single mono out to the power amplifier. Essentially as if I stacked one on top of the other but somewhat different. Same ground and same output connections. Only the idea of giving them the same load but neither having to work hard for the same output. Not sure it'll work. It's mostly for heat. My intention wasn't to give the tip''s a high input but rather a hopefully low level clean one since they are meant to be an opamp. Again I can't help my phone. It's output is high. Not as much as my old lgg2 but still. The lgg2 could push a 12 inch speaker through audio jack alone to clear, uncomfortable levels. Battery died quick obviously. I did read paralleling transistors works but serious matching is needed. Is it possible to bias every pair to another pair to keep any nonperfect matches from going awol and pulling all the work?

 

The old TDA2005 stereo amplifier IC was mentioned on another forum. I am surprised to see that it is still available. It produces stereo 3.7W per channel into 4 ohms or about half into 8 ohms with low distortion. When bridged it produces mono 15W into 4 ohms. These powers are with a car's 14.4V charging battery.

 

The old TDA2005 stereo amplifier IC was mentioned on another forum. I am surprised to see that it is still available. It produces stereo 3.7W per channel into 4 ohms or about half into 8 ohms with low distortion. When bridged it produces mono 15W into 4 ohms. These powers are with a car's 14.4V charging battery.

Yeah I figured I'd just break down and buy some newer ic's. They are quite expensive though.

 

One possibility might be a pair of LM386 in bridge mode for each driver in a line array loudspeaker system. In a line array, multiple speaker-drivers are stacked vertically and the driver will generally be 3 inch or 4 inch diameter. That would put to use all of the LM386 that you have in stock.

-Pete

 

One possibility might be a pair of LM386 in bridge mode for each driver in a line array loudspeaker system. In a line array, multiple speaker-drivers are stacked vertically and the driver will generally be 3 inch or 4 inch diameter. That would put to use all of the LM386 that you have in stock.

-Pete

Would each driver be for one speaker using multiple speakers or would they power just one or 2 speakers? I understand the lm386 fairly well. It's the using it as a practical preamp that won't overly distort the rest of the circuit. I've got a feeling my phone as a source is my main issue due to it's high output. Pushing to much current through something that's meant to amplify microphones and radio signals.

 

It is easy to decrease the output voltage of your phone with a pot. The current is irrelevant.

Electronic Goldmine sells several higher power amp chips under $5 each. They have a $10 minimum order and a shipping charge, usually about $6, so for about $16 you could get two or more amps.

I do not work for Electronic Goldmine but do often buy from them.

 

Yeah I figured I'd just break down and buy some newer ic's. They are quite expensive though.

Have you experimented with the LM386 designs?

Try this.
I don't have TIP41 and TIP42. I used TIP31C and TIP32C instead.
Try it without C2 for lower gain. Then add C2 for higher gain.

 

Would each driver be for one speaker using multiple speakers or would they power just one or 2 speakers? I understand the lm386 fairly well. It's the using it as a practical preamp that won't overly distort the rest of the circuit. I've got a feeling my phone as a source is my main issue due to it's high output. Pushing to much current through something that's meant to amplify microphones and radio signals.

Driver means the raw loudspeaker in other words the unmounted frame-cone-voice coil assembly. Then a two-way loudspeaker system (enclosure, drivers and crossover network) for example has two drivers, a woofer and a tweeter.

So in the line array design of a loudspeaker system, the loudspeaker system may include ten drivers, that is, ten raw loudspeakers ( the unmounted or unenclosed frame). The drivers are mounted vertically one above the other. My thought was that you might have each driver of the system powered by a dedicated pair of LM386. If the line array loudspeaker system were made up of ten drivers, then the system would be powered by twenty LM386, two of LM386 per driver.

This would work OK I think and could be fairly loud given that you are amplifying with 20 of the LM386. -Not the simplest way to build a powered loudspeaker system, but it would make use of the amps that you have on hand.

 

Yeah I figured I'd just break down and buy some newer ic's. They are quite expensive though.

Many audio power amplifier ICs are not made anymore. Expensive?? The TDA2005 is old but it will be made for a few more months or years and one costs only $2.45US at Digikey today. An LM1875 produces 30W and costs $3.16US. An LM3886 produces 50W into 8 ohms or 68W into 4 ohms with low distortion and costs $6.82US, the same cost as a cup of coffee or two or a beer.

 

The microphone pre-amplifier and RF parts of a product like a phone are completely separate from its power amplifier that drives a speaker.

If a pair of LM386 ICs are bridged and drive one speaker then the LM386 ICs are overloaded and produce much more heat than power to the speaker.
If two LM386 ICs are paralleled and drive an 8 ohm speaker with a 12V supply then the output power to the speaker is only 1.6W.

When speakers are stacked (mounted together) then most sounds become directional because phase differences from center speakers and edge speakers when off-angled cancel many sounds.

 

Many audio power amplifier ICs are not made anymore. Expensive?? The TDA2005 is old but it will be made for a few more months or years and one costs only $2.45US at Digikey today. An LM1875 produces 30W and costs $3.16US. An LM3886 produces 50W into 8 ohms or 68W into 4 ohms with low distortion and costs $6.82US, the same cost as a cup of coffee or two or a beer.

Granted, yes that's true. But it is expensive considering I want way more than one. I'm not trying to build ONE amp. I plan on building many. Bluetooth ics are cheap in bulk. My intention was to combine the knowledge I gain from you guys and combine it with my pretty darn great grasp of woodworking to build portable or standalone Bluetooth jobsite/ home speaker systems. To sell of course. Furniture I build already sells. Also get requests for custom builds. Figured adding good music to it would make it even more appealing.

 

A single ordinary little raw speaker shrieks with no low frequencies. A larger single raw speaker resonates in the upper bass frequencies making boom boom sounds and also shrieks. Then music sounds awful.

A half decent speaker has a woofer designed to play low frequencies, a tweeter designed to play high frequencies and a crossover network to keep the highs away from the woofer and keep the lows away from the tweeter. The enclosure must use the design recommended by the woofer manufacturer or designed yourself from the detailed spec's of the woofer. Then music sounds good.

 

A single ordinary little raw speaker shrieks with no low frequencies. A larger single raw speaker resonates in the upper bass frequencies making boom boom sounds and also shrieks. Then music sounds awful.

A half decent speaker has a woofer designed to play low frequencies, a tweeter designed to play high frequencies and a crossover network to keep the highs away from the woofer and keep the lows away from the tweeter. The enclosure must use the design recommended by the woofer manufacturer or designed yourself from the detailed spec's of the woofer. Then music sounds good.

Suppose a medium power speaker? Nothing fancy with speakers. I have seen many setups without bass or tweeters that sound good. I'm sure it's class d or digital behind it but does it have to be. I have a small vivitar 3 watt Bluetooth speaker and it sounds clear even at full headache volume. What I planned on powering my system with btw. I understand a lot from reading but what I don't get is the how. Why did old school amps/radios sound great but making one from essentially better, new transistors is so difficult. How complex must my circuit be? Sorry for long replies. I'm new to this and love the idea of adding this to my, moderate to expert, list of hobbies.