# Need help getting T2020 amp working



## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

Got an T2020 based cheap amp off ebay and it came today, now my idea was to use this to drive my headphones AKG 701 so I also bought an 3.5mm audio jack>2x Phono to hook up the 3.5mm to my Xonar and the 2x Phono to the amp, now when I do this and plug my cans into the mp3 input cause there is no where else to plug them, I get sound but it is just bypassing the amp as the bass/treble and volume knobs do nothing. I am no audiphile but is there something else I need to do or can I not play my headphones through this amp?


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## MRCL (Aug 10, 2011)

There isn't anywhere you can plug your headphones in? Because it doesn't baffle me that it doesn't work right with the mp3 input...


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

MRCL said:


> There isn't anywhere you can plug your headphones in? Because it doesn't baffle me that it doesn't work right with the mp3 input...



Kind of thought that now I have it, though didn't think about it beforehand.


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

The seller said this in the ad: 





> RCA Input ,can be used as Ipod,MP3/MP4 headphone amplifier



Though upon reading it again I can see I might have misinterpreted it as an headphone amplifier


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Does it have a USB input aswell as RCA's? What connections does it have altogether?


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

Just these:


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Oh man, just looked it up. It's a car amp. To fit speakers to it, you need bare red and black wires (speakers)

^^^ Ninja'd!

You can get some tools and start modding, or see if you can get a converter that's headphone jack on one end and red and black speaker wires on the other


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Oh man, just looked it up. It's a car amp. To fit speakers to it, you need bare red and black wires (speakers)
> 
> ^^^ Ninja'd!
> 
> You can get some tools and start modding, or see if you can get a converter that's headphone jack on one end and red and black speaker wires on the other



What are those speaker wires called?
Thinking bout grabbing a cheap tube HEADPHONE amp on the bay but shipping is going to take yet another week/2


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Easiest and cheapest fix is this: I don't know if you're headphones have a balanced or unbalanced input but here you go anyway (my paint skills are better than my describing skills ). I think this is how it works anyway 

I can get these cables made custom by the guy at my local electronics shop. I don't think there's a name for it.


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Easiest and cheapest fix is this: I don't know if you're headphones have a balanced or unbalanced input but here you go anyway (my paint skills are better than my describing skills ). I think this is how it works anyway
> 
> I can get these cables made custom by the guy at my local electronics shop. I don't think there's a name for it.



the 3.5mm would need to be female or whatever the opposite is to what you have drawn

Also I dont mean the name of the custom cable but the proiper name for the speaker wires with a red and black wire


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Yea sorry lol I just realised it shoulda been female!

It's just speaker wire by the looks of the webs. Have you got a link for your earphones? I need to see a pic of the jack.


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Yea sorry lol I just realised it shoulda been female!
> 
> It's just speaker wire by the looks of the webs. Have you got a link for your earphones? I need to see a pic of the jack.



got the big jack and 3.5mm adaptor


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MUSE-Tube...669?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a4604a0d

What do you think?


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

I wouldn't buy that thing, I'd just try and get what you've got running first (the cheap way anyway). I'd just find a 3.5mm jack extension lead, snip off the male end, strip the wires and conect them to your amp. Plug headphones in the female end and you're away.

Only problem you might have is finding the right type of jack. You want the jack that matches your headphones like this:





note the 2 plastic bits separating the metal parts on the end of the jack. If you find a 3.5mm extension lead and the male end has the 2 plastic bits, then the female end will have them on the inside too. This is crucial 

Up for some cable modding?


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> I wouldn't buy that thing, I'd just try and get what you've got running first (the cheap way anyway). I'd just find a 3.5mm jack extension lead, snip off the male end, strip the wires and conect them to your amp. Plug headphones in the female end and you're away.
> 
> Only problem you might have is finding the right type of jack. You want the jack that matches your headphones like this:
> http://www.dv247.com/assets/products/33686_l.jpg
> ...



Maybe dont wanna mod my phones as the cost £175 and also dont want to fry/blow them


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Na, I've worked on tons of car amps and wired up subwoofers in motors etc. I've done all sorts of stuff throught trial an error and I've never blown anything (touch wood). Just keep it at a low volume when checking the wiring polarity etc. If you've got a cheap pair of earphones there, like phones ones or something, use them while you're checking.

One of these would be my favourite starting point:
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/3-5mm-audio-jack-female-to-rca-audio-converter-30cm-5125

Would be a piece of p*ss if you could start off with a cable like that.


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Na, I've worked on tons of car amps and wired up subwoofers in motors etc. I've done all sorts of stuff throught trial an error and I've never blown anything (touch wood). Just keep it at a low volume when checking the wiring polarity etc. If you've got a cheap pair of earphones there, like phones ones or something, use them while you're checking.
> 
> One of these would be my favourite starting point:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/p/3-5mm-audio-jack-female-to-rca-audio-converter-30cm-5125
> ...



Do I need to buy any more cable aside from that?


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Na, if you got an extension you could do it without buying more cables. Oh see what you mean, na the cable above on it's own would do it.
But, you could do it "mod-free" this way.

One of these:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-g1lHJfq4Aab/p_136CLR2SW/JL-Audio-XB-CLRAIC2-SW.html

One of these:
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=111250&r=GOOG

And two of these (because I couldn't find a female phono to female 3.5mm):
http://www.juno.co.uk/products/adapter-phono-rca-coupler-plug-black/296688-01/


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Na, if you got an extension you could do it without buying more cables. Oh see what you mean, na the cable above on it's own would do it.
> But, you could do it "mod-free" this way.
> 
> One of these:
> ...



You might be a genius, looks like that could work


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Nice one  Na not a genius, just a work-around king  I've done some dodgy stuff. Wired up the amp in my old Escort with Dyson hoover mains plug wire once...


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

Can't get them ANYWHERE


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Nice one  Na not a genius, just a work-around king  I've done some dodgy stuff. Wired up the amp in my old Escort with Dyson hoover mains plug wire once...



http://www.play.com/Electronics/Ele...archstring=Lead+2+Phono+Plugs&urlrefer=search

pulled the trigger on this, only need to strip the ends of the phono? plugs and plug them straight in, thanks for your help


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## scaminatrix (Aug 10, 2011)

Yea, bang on; that's what i'd do. Pikey fix FTW


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## NdMk2o1o (Aug 10, 2011)

scaminatrix said:


> Yea, bang on; that's what i'd do. Pikey fix FTW



Just pissed off I have to wait, YET again, waited 2 weeks for the amp to come from HK and my phones are seriously underpowered without it


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