Sure AA-AS32171 TDA7492 Amp

I just got this in the mail today. At $38 with a power supply and free shipping it was hard to ignore. This new Sure amp has the same form factor as my much loved TA2024 Sure amp, but it comes with the higher power Texas Instruments TDA7492 chip which claims 50 watts per channel. It's got a few improvements compared to my other Sure amp: a headphone jack, as well as both RCA and 1/8" stereo miniplug inputs. My first impressions are positive. It's well built and sounds great. It has the best digital volume control I've used with excellent feel. While the volume control has discrete indexed settings, there are many and it takes a few rotations to go from silence to full on so it shouldn't be a problem to find the right volume level. The volume control also doubles as the on/off switch; pressing it turns it on and off. If you are looking for a more powerful amp than the TA2024 tripath amps you should definitely check out this one.

So, the million dollar question: Does it sound better than the TA2024 amp? (The TA2024 version is the one on top with the silver volume knob) Well, my initial impression is that I still favor the TA2024. The increased power of the TDA7492 is noticeable and the bass is much stronger with the new Sure amp. I'm using it currently with the supplied 19 volt power supply, but it's claimed to work with a variety from 9 volts to 24. I'll have to give it some time and experiment with other power supplies before I have a definitive opinion.

Sure TA2024

The Sure TA2024 is my current favorite T-amp. It's cheap and commonly available on ebay for around $50. It sounds fantastic. It's well built, attractive and it has a couple improvements over my previous favorite, the Trends TA-10.1. Unlike the Trends, it has a front mounted power switch, a small, but to me important, detail. I hated the Trends' obnoxious blue power led and the Sure has a softer glowing ring around the volume knob. That's not to say everything is as I'd like it. Sure added an odd feature. When the amp is off, the orange ring around the volume knob slowly pulses. The Sure manual calls this "breathing" and comments that it will help you find the amp in the dark. Whatever.

There are several variations of the Sure TA2024. I have the AA-AB32157 model which has the Tripath TA2024C chip and uses a digital volume knob. It is definitely different than the volume controls I'm use to. It takes a little over 3 turns, 1080 degrees, to go from completely off to full on. It is an indexed volume control with roughly 25 detents, or clicks in 360 degrees. Based on this, I'm guessing the volume control is Sure model AA-AB11117 which has 83 total positions. When the amp is off, spinning the volume knob has no effect, the amp always starts with the same volume level it was set at when it was turned off. I would probably prefer a normal analog volume control, but honestly the digital one is fine. It has a good feel and even though it's indexed, there are plenty of settings and I can always find the volume I want.

There are at least 5 different variations on this model. The earlier ones have the normal analog volume knobs, and there is one variant with a headphone jack. Here's my understanding of the different models:

AA-AB32151: Front headphone jack, Digital volume knob with 12v 3a Sure power supply
AA-AB32152: Analog volume knob and 12V 3A Sure power supply, no headphone jack
AA-AB32156: Analog volume knob and no power supply, no headphone jack
AA-AB340: Seems to be identical to AA-AB32156
AA-AB32157: Digital volume knob with 12V 3A Sure power supply, no headphone jack
AA-AB32159: Digital volume knob with no power supply, no headphone jack

I'd sold the Trends TA-10.1 long before I got my Sure, but the Sure sounds like what I remembered of the Trends with an exceptionally musical presentation. I'm not good with audiophile terminology so I don't know quite how to express it. It's obvious that at least some parts like the speaker binding posts are made with cheaper materials than the Trends, but somehow the Sure seems more finished and less of a DIY project than the Trends. Still, if I look closely at the Sure from the right angle, I can see that the case isn't perfectly straight. That's quibbling though. This is a world class amp and an easy thumbs up.