Lepai 2020A+ Toslink Mod
If you've ever wanted your Lepai amp to have Toslink/Optical input and you have a couple hours time, here's a quick mod. Though keep in mind this will slightly reduce the output power of your amp by ~2.5 watts or whatever power your converter uses unless you upgrade your power supply. But you'd unlikely notice unless you regularly keep your amp near max output. I never have to take mine above "6" as it's plenty of amp for a small bedroom, even with the default 2amp power supply.
Cost: ~$10 - $20 depending on the Toslink converter you purchase. I already had an Orei DA9 being used with my MB42x desktop speakers and amp but I'm a bit of a stickler for wire management and utility so the headphone output mod just wasn't enough.
Toslink converter
14ohm 4watt resistor, depending.
Soldering gun.
Multimeter, not required but handy.
Dremel or any possible cutting solution for the backplate
Hot glue (it's the electronic equivalent of duct tape) for holding the converter
PCB and Toslink connector in place. Also handy for insulating bare metal to prevent metal to metal contact along with vinyl insulating sheets for the same purpose.
For resistor rating, as an example, my Orei converter uses a 5v .5a power supply and since I can't directly draw from the Lepai's 12v input, I have to drop the voltage so we'll do that by adding a resistor in series from the 12v positive voltage input on the amp's PCB to the 12v positive input on the converter PCB. But before you do anything, as with most electronic disassembly/repair, it's always a good idea to take at least a couple pictures to remember the orientation and placement of components. Also plan it all out before doing anything to make sure you'll have clearance, Clarence, or a way to work around it. Check your converter's power adapter for its power needs and refer to Ohm's law to calculate the resistor rating. Or quickly calculate it using this site. Unfortunately, I didn't have a resistor handy so I just used a potentiometer I salvaged from a broken part and tuned it to ~14ohms.
I'd imagine most Toslink converters I've seen should fit just as well as the Orei I used though I did have to desolder the LED and digital input connector as well as rearrange the 50v 100uf cap you see. Also keep in mind spacing to prevent metal to metal contact of components and allow for proper heat dissipation. You may also want to apply some thermal paste to the TA2020 chip, if you have some handy, as mine had very little at all and of course, too much can be just as bad. But there's not a whole lot to this mod, just double-check connections to make sure no wires are bridged, polarity is correct across the board and that you have continuity where needed. Here's the final product during the test phase:
My soldering, wiring and liberal application of hot glue may not inspire much confidence but she works. Edit: Looking back, I guess I could've included more step-by-step pictures. Which makes me think of...
Cost: ~$10 - $20 depending on the Toslink converter you purchase. I already had an Orei DA9 being used with my MB42x desktop speakers and amp but I'm a bit of a stickler for wire management and utility so the headphone output mod just wasn't enough.
Parts & tools:
For resistor rating, as an example, my Orei converter uses a 5v .5a power supply and since I can't directly draw from the Lepai's 12v input, I have to drop the voltage so we'll do that by adding a resistor in series from the 12v positive voltage input on the amp's PCB to the 12v positive input on the converter PCB. But before you do anything, as with most electronic disassembly/repair, it's always a good idea to take at least a couple pictures to remember the orientation and placement of components. Also plan it all out before doing anything to make sure you'll have clearance, Clarence, or a way to work around it. Check your converter's power adapter for its power needs and refer to Ohm's law to calculate the resistor rating. Or quickly calculate it using this site. Unfortunately, I didn't have a resistor handy so I just used a potentiometer I salvaged from a broken part and tuned it to ~14ohms.
I'd imagine most Toslink converters I've seen should fit just as well as the Orei I used though I did have to desolder the LED and digital input connector as well as rearrange the 50v 100uf cap you see. Also keep in mind spacing to prevent metal to metal contact of components and allow for proper heat dissipation. You may also want to apply some thermal paste to the TA2020 chip, if you have some handy, as mine had very little at all and of course, too much can be just as bad. But there's not a whole lot to this mod, just double-check connections to make sure no wires are bridged, polarity is correct across the board and that you have continuity where needed. Here's the final product during the test phase:
My soldering, wiring and liberal application of hot glue may not inspire much confidence but she works. Edit: Looking back, I guess I could've included more step-by-step pictures. Which makes me think of...
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