DIY 5k Monitor - success :-)

[PhoenixDown]

Question for those who have done the conversion -- my 5k iMac screen runs hot! I can feel it after it being on for a while. Is that still an issue after you did the conversion?

I have a working 2015 5k iMac and have been toying with the idea of the conversation because its a beautiful screen and Id hate to see it go to waste. For my needs, I don't really need to upgrade but I probably will make the jump once this is EOL / EOS.

 

[davidg5678]

Question for those who have done the conversion -- my 5k iMac screen runs hot! I can feel it after it being on for a while. Is that still an issue after you did the conversion?

I have a working 2015 5k iMac and have been toying with the idea of the conversation because its a beautiful screen and Id hate to see it go to waste. For my needs, I don't really need to upgrade but I probably will make the jump once this is EOL / EOS.

Because this mod removes the bulk of the electronic components inside the computer, it runs much cooler than it originally did. The stock PSU, CPU, and GPU produce most of the heat inside the iMac.

The LCD backlight (and the driver board) heat up a bit if you run them at the highest brightness setting for a long time. (I usually keep it at half brightness because the maximum setting is too bright for my eyes.)

If you try to cram a power supply, speaker amplifiers, USB hubs, or other electronics inside the iMac alongside the driver board, you can expect more heat to be produced. If this is a concern, you can keep these parts outside the iMac chassis with no negative consequences (apart from a little more clutter behind the iMac on your desk).

I would personally place the driver board's power adapter externally because it heats up quite a bit, but some others here have found ways to place it inside their iMacs without overheating issues, so your mileage may vary.

 

[intrepiduser]

Guidance Requested

I've been following this thread for sometime as a lurker. Thanks to you guys, I've gotten the courage up to dismantle my old iMac and turn it into a 5K monitor. I've read this thread multiple times and am would prefer for someone with experience to check my purchase list to see if I'm doing this right before I plunk down some dollars. I'd rather not this become a fruitless science project. Thanks!

I'm very comfortable with soldering and testing circuits with DMMs.

Goals:

• Be like @phucnbb
• A single cable. Thunderbolt 4 (M1 Macbook Pro) -> DP 1.4
• VESA mount (DIY project which I'll post pics of once done)
• Use existing power button
• Least amount of fuss
• Quiet

Non-Goals

• Re-use iSight Camera
• Re-use Speakers

What I have:

• Mid-2015 27" iMac
• LM270QQ1 panel

What I am thinking of purchasing:

• R1811 Driver board or This One (Any differences?)
• Backlight Driver (Do I need this backlight driver or will the R1811 driver board handle this?)
• Power Supply
• Noctua Fan (Can I run the R1811 without a fan or will it overheat and burn my house down? -exaggerating just a bit)

Am I missing anything?

I appreciate the effort everyone has put into this and am grateful to be able to leverage your knowledge/experience to avoid spending money on a new LG monitor and keeping an iMac out of e-waste.

 

[JavD]

Hi all,

My 2014 iMac 5K (SDA2)... picked up a R1811 board and .. DP-to-USBC cable.

• My MBP recognizes the display
  • 5K over DP as "G1-27"

Thanks for sharing.
Although in your photo shows in system preference details 5K(5120*2880), I still wonder if you could set the external screen's resolution to 5K in setting? PS: is there any length restriction for USB-C-to-DP(1.4) cable for its capacity to higher resolution?

Could you give it a try and let us know?

@i486dx2-66 : I would confirm you that, I have just bought a 192W PSU and the one cable USB-C-to-USB-C works!
i.e. without flickering and laptop can be charged. Yet only 4K output.

​

 

[digitalrelay]

Guidance Requested

I've been following this thread for sometime as a lurker. Thanks to you guys, I've gotten the courage up to dismantle my old iMac and turn it into a 5K monitor. I've read this thread multiple times and am would prefer for someone with experience to check my purchase list to see if I'm doing this right before I plunk down some dollars. I'd rather not this become a fruitless science project. Thanks!

I'm very comfortable with soldering and testing circuits with DMMs.

Goals:

• Be like @phucnbb
• A single cable. Thunderbolt 4 (M1 Macbook Pro) -> DP 1.4
• VESA mount (DIY project which I'll post pics of once done)
• Use existing power button
• Least amount of fuss
• Quiet

Non-Goals

• Re-use iSight Camera
• Re-use Speakers

What I have:

• Mid-2015 27" iMac
• LM270QQ1 panel

What I am thinking of purchasing:

• R1811 Driver board or This One (Any differences?)
• Backlight Driver (Do I need this backlight driver or will the R1811 driver board handle this?)
• Power Supply
• Noctua Fan (Can I run the R1811 without a fan or will it overheat and burn my house down? -exaggerating just a bit)

Am I missing anything?

I appreciate the effort everyone has put into this and am grateful to be able to leverage your knowledge/experience to avoid spending money on a new LG monitor and keeping an iMac out of e-waste.

Those video controller boards both appear to be the R1811, but I can't say if there are any subtle differences that might be a challenge. I bought my R1811 board from eBay seller eqmarket2011. The listing had a drop down for which version of the LM270QQ1 I had, so I split the LCD panel from the housing to look at the tag on the back of the panel and identify that before purchasing. Mine late 2015 iMac was a (SD)(B1). The listing description says the kit is configured based on the model number. I can't say what the difference is. The board I've seen on ali express didn't seem to call out a difference. I originally tried to buy my board on ali express, but having recently moved and having bank accounts and Drivers License with different street addresses, I didn't feel like jumping through the verification hoops, so I went with eBay.

The R1811 has a built in backlight driver and comes with a cable to plug into your LM270QQ1. I think that secondary kit is to increase the brightness. I'm running my R1811 at 80-85% backlight power and I can't tell a difference between it and looking at the original iMac.

After experiencing the noise of the R1811 fan and reading other posts about it, I decided to just unplug the fan first rather than replace or try to throttle it down with resistors or a variable resistor. I've been running it this way for a few days now and have not noticed any issues. While typing this (the monitor has been on for 20 minutes or so), I pulled back the LCD panel (mine is only temporarily taped in place while I shake this setup out for a week), the heat sink on the R1811 feels hot to the touch, but I could put the back of my fingers on it and hold them there. I think if I use this setup for the next week with no issues without the fan plugged in, I'll keep it that way. If I find a comparable larger heatsink laying around, I'd probably try that next. I really didn't like the sound of the stock fan.

I think I forgot to mention that I soldered the original iMac power button to the small PCB expansion board with the control buttons. I also mounted that PCB board in the RAM door opening for access. I have not needed to use it a whole lot. My original plan was to mount everything inside so I could use the original power port and an IEC, with just the DP and an HDMI cable coming out of the RAM door, which I was going to drill or slot for the cables. But in the end, it made more sense to keep the PS external, and use the RAM door opening for cable access and the control PCB. My original plan included mounting the Mac Mini and SSDs under my desk, but I decided mounting everything to the back of the iMac made cable management cleaner, and allowed for better heat dissipation. From the front, it looks just like my iMac did. Actually, it's a little cleaner now with the SSDs out of sight.

 

[intrepiduser]

Those video controller boards both appear to be the R1811, but I can't say if there are any subtle differences that might be a challenge. I bought my R1811 board from eBay seller eqmarket2011. The listing had a drop down for which version of the LM270QQ1 I had, so I split the LCD panel from the housing to look at the tag on the back of the panel and identify that before purchasing. Mine late 2015 iMac was a (SD)(B1).

Thank you. eqmarket2011 also sells another R1811 that is DP1.4 ready (I'm assuming this means I can run a single cable). I don't know if this is a good price or not, but it seems fair to me given that the aliexpress one was $250. Also, my panel is an LM270QQ1 (SD)(A2).

The R1811 has a built in backlight driver and comes with a cable to plug into your LM270QQ1. I think that secondary kit is to increase the brightness. I'm running my R1811 at 80-85% backlight power and I can't tell a difference between it and looking at the original iMac.

This is helpful as I don't need more brightness.

Incidentally, a friend just gave me a "non-working" LG 5K Ultrafine. I suspect it has the flaky Thunderbolt connector. I'm going to open it up after I finish the imac project to see if I can fix it.

 

[PaulD-UK]

Quote: @intrepiduser
"What I am thinking of purchasing: R1811 Driver board"

I bought my R1811 from this vendor - excellent service and delivery from them.
They flashed the board's firmware to be appropriate for my D1 LCD panel.

If you want a Remote Control then you have to ask them for it and pay £10 or so extra.
I use mine as my preferred controller, which works fine even though my IR receiver is on the control strip inside the iMac's case at the rear. I mostly use it for the audio volume as its more sensitive than Monitor Control's keyboard volume gradations.

All R1811 boards are DP 1.4 ready - its just an option in the menu.

My build is shown in post #489 on page 20 of this thread.

I bought a Noctua fan but didn't end up using it, as I can't hear any fan noise whatsoever with the fans running through a controller at about 20-30% speed.

Everything works fine like that for hours at a time.
You only need the additional backlight board if you need the full 500 nits the later LCD's are capable of.
I didn't get it, and am very happy running my D2 screen at about 50-60% brightness. - in a shaded room.

My PSU is right behind the screen. but both the screen and the rear case run at only about 2ºC above ambient temperature. (I don't use USB-C PD power to a laptop).

@JavD
You must use a USB-C>DP cable that is specified for 8K resolution.
They seem to be available up to 1.8-2 metre lengths.
Apple do a longer 3m Thunderbolt 3 cable to use with the USB-C port.

 

[intrepiduser]

Thank you, @PaulD-UK! I have no aspirations of doing a build like yours! You crushed it. No way could I do what you did. I'll take your advice and monitor temps before sealing things up.

 

[i486dx2-66]

I wanted to give it a few days to see if I ran into any issues before wrapping it all up with the adhesive tape.

Good idea - I've had mine apart half a dozen times so far while I figure out how I want things. 👍

 

[i486dx2-66]

Because this mod removes the bulk of the electronic components inside the computer, it runs much cooler than it originally did. The stock PSU, CPU, and GPU produce most of the heat inside the iMac.

Can confirm - Not really warm at all after the conversion.

The LCD backlight (and the driver board) heat up a bit if you run them at the highest brightness setting for a long time. (I usually keep it at half brightness because the maximum setting is too bright for my eyes.)

Also can confirm, both on the heat output and the brightness!

 

[i486dx2-66]

@i486dx2-66 : I would confirm you that, I have just bought a 192W PSU and the one cable USB-C-to-USB-C works!
i.e. without flickering and laptop can be charged. Yet only 4K output.

​

Rats. So a partial success then, but... not quite what you wanted.
Remind me again what computer you were using to drive it?

 

[JavD]

Rats. So a partial success then, but... not quite what you wanted.
Remind me again what computer you were using to drive it?

Frankly speaking. I am at the verge to give up this project. Although if I am reading now side by side both from the iMac 2015(panel:LM270QQ1(SD)(B1)) vs. my LG 4K (USB-C one cable solution), I really prefer the iMac display.

As a long-time IT professional & DIY hobbyist, I have a Thinkpad X1 2018(w. 2 Thunderbolt3) with Win10Pro & macOS(Catalina 10.15.6) installed. For both OS I can connecting (1-cable) with LG Ultrafine 5K setting 5K@60Hz via the TB3 port/cable. Hereby I have read somewhere, these were achieved by TB3 interfaces activated at both ends.

Up to now I've read here, the success(setting to 5K) has been reached only by using Apple M1 & USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable( w. T18) or dual DP convertor(R1811). No one reports using Windows. That's why I am still doubting the bandwidth from USB-C side if w/o TB3 activated, or if there's a software/firmware switch or within the chip inside the cable head that pumps DP 1.4 signal of 5K to the panel. Yes, we can read from macOS' system report=>hardware=>Graphics/Displays, it is identified as 5K(UI looks like 2K), yet it is just a identification ID from the panel, not the bunch of 5K pixels of signals.

I recently bought a USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable (capable of 8K), still not reached 5K setting and upon booting at the right corner of the panel I still read the indication 3840*2160@60Hz, which I expect 3840*2160@144hz or 5120*2880@60Hz, which was described as the driver board's capability. I think this is the key indication from hardware side, independent from what computer or OS is using.

Still I am dreaming of using this great panel with the same display quality as in iMac. The only solution I think for the 1-cable solution via USB-C is driver-board has the TB3 or onwards capability/activation.

let me know if anyone has any other thoughts to fulfill my dream

 

[davidg5678]

Frankly speaking. I am at the verge to give up this project. Although if I am reading now side by side both from the iMac 2015(panel:LM270QQ1(SD)(B1)) vs. my LG 4K (USB-C one cable solution), I really prefer the iMac display.

As a long-time IT professional & DIY hobbyist, I have a Thinkpad X1 2018(w. 2 Thunderbolt3) with Win10Pro & macOS(Catalina 10.15.6) installed. For both OS I can connecting (1-cable) with LG Ultrafine 5K setting 5K@60Hz via the TB3 port/cable. Hereby I have read somewhere, these were achieved by TB3 interfaces activated at both ends.

Up to now I've read here, the success(setting to 5K) has been reached only by using Apple M1 & USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable( w. T18) or dual DP convertor(R1811). No one reports using Windows. That's why I am still doubting the bandwidth from USB-C side if w/o TB3 activated, or if there's a software/firmware switch or within the chip inside the cable head that pumps DP 1.4 signal of 5K to the panel. Yes, we can read from macOS' system report=>hardware=>Graphics/Displays, it is identified as 5K(UI looks like 2K), yet it is just a identification ID from the panel, not the bunch of 5K pixels of signals.

I recently bought a USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable (capable of 8K), still not reached 5K setting and upon booting at the right corner of the panel I still read the indication 3840*2160@60Hz, which I expect 3840*2160@144hz or 5120*2880@60Hz, which was described as the driver board's capability. I think this is the key indication from hardware side, independent from what computer or OS is using.

Still I am dreaming of using this great panel with the same display quality as in iMac. The only solution I think for the 1-cable solution via USB-C is driver-board has the TB3 or onwards capability/activation.

let me know if anyone has any other thoughts to fulfill my dream

Have you had any success with a two-cable solution? Yes, one cable is a tiny bit more convenient, but a working 5K screen is much better than nothing.

If you look back at the first post in this thread, the author used both a Windows PC and a single DP1.4 cable.

Unlike the LG Ultrafine, I don't believe that Thunderbolt 3 is being used for DIY driver boards like the R1811 or T18. My understanding is that what allows for a single cable non-thunderbolt is Display Stream Compression (DSC).

Looking at the Intel Integrated Graphics in your Thinkpad, it doesn't look like they support Display Stream Compression, and I think this is probably the issue that you are running into. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000092565/graphics.html

What about trying two USB-C to DP1.4 cables? Looking back a few years in this thread, two DP cables were how many more people connected their computers to the driver board.

There is also another board that was used to combine the signals from two cables back into a single USB-C connection. Something like this might help (don't quote me on the exact product as I don't have any personal experience with using one of these): https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-2-Port-USB-C-MST-Multi-Monitor/dp/B0BMVVHJSH

 

[yaosiang]

Frankly speaking. I am at the verge to give up this project. Although if I am reading now side by side both from the iMac 2015(panel:LM270QQ1(SD)(B1)) vs. my LG 4K (USB-C one cable solution), I really prefer the iMac display.

As a long-time IT professional & DIY hobbyist, I have a Thinkpad X1 2018(w. 2 Thunderbolt3) with Win10Pro & macOS(Catalina 10.15.6) installed. For both OS I can connecting (1-cable) with LG Ultrafine 5K setting 5K@60Hz via the TB3 port/cable. Hereby I have read somewhere, these were achieved by TB3 interfaces activated at both ends.

Up to now I've read here, the success(setting to 5K) has been reached only by using Apple M1 & USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable( w. T18) or dual DP convertor(R1811). No one reports using Windows. That's why I am still doubting the bandwidth from USB-C side if w/o TB3 activated, or if there's a software/firmware switch or within the chip inside the cable head that pumps DP 1.4 signal of 5K to the panel. Yes, we can read from macOS' system report=>hardware=>Graphics/Displays, it is identified as 5K(UI looks like 2K), yet it is just a identification ID from the panel, not the bunch of 5K pixels of signals.

I recently bought a USB-C-to-DP1.4 cable (capable of 8K), still not reached 5K setting and upon booting at the right corner of the panel I still read the indication 3840*2160@60Hz, which I expect 3840*2160@144hz or 5120*2880@60Hz, which was described as the driver board's capability. I think this is the key indication from hardware side, independent from what computer or OS is using.

Still I am dreaming of using this great panel with the same display quality as in iMac. The only solution I think for the 1-cable solution via USB-C is driver-board has the TB3 or onwards capability/activation.

let me know if anyone has any other thoughts to fulfill my dream

Are you able to confirm that you are getting 5K@60Hz with single cable on the LG UltraFine 5K in Windows 10 Pro by posting a screenshot of Display Information?

I found two sites (here and here) that suggested the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen has issues with 5120x1440. It is potentially due to driver issue.

I have the R1811 which I use with a Windows 10 Pro laptop via single cable. It works with both USB-C and DP inputs on the R1811.

Are you able to test your driver board with other laptops that support 5K external display? Do you have the option to create custom resolution? If yes, it might be worth trying 5K@30Hz.

I don't think you will get the option of 3840x2160@144Hz assuming the driver board is running the LM270QQ1 firmware (which has max refresh rate of 60Hz). I believe each driver board has to be flashed with the firmware designed for the panel to work (at least for R9A18 and R1811 anyway).

 

[yaosiang]

Have you had any success with a two-cable solution? Yes, one cable is a tiny bit more convenient, but a working 5K screen is much better than nothing.

If you look back at the first post in this thread, the author used both a Windows PC and a single DP1.4 cable.

Unlike the LG Ultrafine, I don't believe that Thunderbolt 3 is being used for DIY driver boards like the R1811 or T18. My understanding is that what allows for a single cable non-thunderbolt is Display Stream Compression (DSC).

Looking at the Intel Integrated Graphics in your Thinkpad, it doesn't look like they support Display Stream Compression, and I think this is probably the issue that you are running into. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000092565/graphics.html

What about trying two USB-C to DP1.4 cables? Looking back a few years in this thread, two DP cables were how many more people connected their computers to the driver board.

There is also another board that was used to combine the signals from two cables back into a single USB-C connection. Something like this might help (don't quote me on the exact product as I don't have any personal experience with using one of these): https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-2-Port-USB-C-MST-Multi-Monitor/dp/B0BMVVHJSH

In order to use two DP inputs, the driver board has to support it. The R9A18 supports Dual DP input by default since it is the only way it can achieve 5K@60Hz output due to DP1.2 limitation. On the R1811, the user will have to flash a different firmware to unlock the Dual DP input option, as discussed earlier in this thread. I am not familiar with the T18 driver board but it appears to have 1 x HDMI, 1 x DP and 1 x USB-C which might suggest it does not support Dual DP input.

 

[yaosiang]

If you want a Remote Control then you have to ask them for it and pay £10 or so extra.
I use mine as my preferred controller, which works fine even though my IR receiver is on the control strip inside the iMac's case at the rear. I mostly use it for the audio volume as its more sensitive than Monitor Control's keyboard volume gradations.

You can set the min and max DDC values for Volume under MonitorControl -> Preferences -> Displays -> Show advanced settings to improve the sensitivity when controlling volume using the keyboard volume buttons.

Since there are 16 levels (or "boxes") when you adjust the volume using the keyboard, if you limit the DDC values range between 0 and 16, it means each volume "box" equals to 1% volume. You can adjust the DDC max value to the max volume percentage that you feel the speakers can output.

 

[joevt]

You can set the min and max DDC values for Volume under MonitorControl -> Preferences -> Displays -> Show advanced settings to improve the sensitivity when controlling volume using the keyboard volume buttons.

Since there are 16 levels (or "boxes") when you adjust the volume using the keyboard, if you limit the DDC values range between 0 and 16, it means each volume "box" equals to 1% volume. You can adjust the DDC max value to the max volume percentage that you feel the speakers can output.

View attachment 2231364

You can use AllRez to parse the VCP capabilities from DDC of a display. It will show the current and max value for the controls.

BetterDisplay has an option to change volume and brightness keys so that they go through all the values (if the max is 100 then there is 100 values) so each keypress does 1% instead of jumping 6%. The option can be toggled by holding option-shift with the brightness or volume keys.

 

[yaosiang]

You can use AllRez to parse the VCP capabilities from DDC of a display. It will show the current and max value for the controls.

BetterDisplay has an option to change volume and brightness keys so that they go through all the values (if the max is 100 then there is 100 values) so each keypress does 1% instead of jumping 6%. The option can be toggled by holding option-shift with the brightness or volume keys.

The issue with connecting the iMac speakers directly to the driver board onboard amplifier is the speakers get very loud at 25%. That means only 1/4 of the overall range is effectively usable. Therefore, limiting the DDC min/max values from the overall supported range to the usable range will help to increase the sensitivity when adjusting the volume in macOS. I assume this is the issue that @PaulD-UK is facing and has to resort to using the remote control.

I have tried running AllRez but the output does not contain "VCP", "DDC" and "Volume" keywords. Do I have to run it with some parameters? I'm on macOS 13.4.1. Thanks.

 

[joevt]

I have tried running AllRez but the output does not contain "VCP", "DDC" and "Volume" keywords. Do I have to run it with some parameters? I'm on macOS 13.4.1. Thanks.

AllRez can only do I2C, DDC, DPCD, etc. on Intel Macs. It needs to be updated to handle Apple Silicon Macs.

 

[PaulD-UK]

My audio levels using the R1811's audio amplifier are helped by running it with my iMac/iMac Pro speaker pair presenting an 8 ohm load to the amp. At 4 ohms the problem is worse.

My problems also stem from running Monitor Control.app at the same time as eqMac - with both apps trying to control the audio level...
I need eqMac to boost the audio levels of low-modulation level classical music radio, but eqMac doesn't control monitor brightness.

 

[JavD]

If you look back at the first post in this thread, the author used both a Windows PC and a single DP1.4 cable.

Yes. I read OP's post, it was using a blackmagic eGPU, which capable of 5K@DP1.4.

Unlike the LG Ultrafine, I don't believe that Thunderbolt 3 is being used for DIY driver boards like the R1811 or T18. My understanding is that what allows for a single cable non-thunderbolt is Display Stream Compression (DSC).

Looking at the Intel Integrated Graphics in your Thinkpad, it doesn't look like they support Display Stream Compression, and I think this is probably the issue that you are running into. https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000092565/graphics.html

That's great information from you w.r.t. DSC. and sad it is only supported up from 11th intel HD graphics.

What about trying two USB-C to DP1.4 cables? Looking back a few years in this thread, two DP cables were how many more people connected their computers to the driver board.

I guess you mean USB-C to dual DP(1.4) adapter, but my driverboard(T18) has only one DP port.

 

[JavD]

Are you able to confirm that you are getting 5K@60Hz with single cable on the LG UltraFine 5K in Windows 10 Pro by posting a screenshot of Display Information?

yes I can confirm that. see the TB3 port is activated.

I found two sites (here and here) that suggested the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen has issues with 5120x1440. It is potentially due to driver issue.

I have the R1811 which I use with a Windows 10 Pro laptop via single cable. It works with both USB-C and DP inputs on the R1811.

View attachment 2231338

Are you able to test your driver board with other laptops that support 5K external display? Do you have the option to create custom resolution? If yes, it might be worth trying 5K@30Hz.

I don't think you will get the option of 3840x2160@144Hz assuming the driver board is running the LM270QQ1 firmware (which has max refresh rate of 60Hz). I believe each driver board has to be flashed with the firmware designed for the panel to work (at least for R9A18 and R1811 anyway).

while you succeed on R1811 with single USB-C cable & DP cable, I can see you have a dedicated NVIDIA graphic card (which means you have a desktop PC?)

 

[priva28]

Hey everyone, I'm planning to do this soon with my late 2015 iMac, but need some guidance on the best way to setup the OG speakers with my setup.

So I've purchased and received my R9A18 board a while ago actually (just haven't gotten around to actually starting the project) and plan to use this with my M1 Pro MBP with a dual DP to USB-C adapter.

I think this should be all fine but the last piece of the puzzle is how to setup the built in speakers. I don't need it to be perfect, but want performance somewhat similar to how they are regularly in the iMac.

Can anyone recommend an amp and is it easy to wire up with the speakers already in there?
I actually already bought an amp like this when I got the display board a while ago, but I'm open to getting something else more suitable:

DC4.5-27V TPA3116 50W x2 2.0 Audio Bluetooth Stereo Digital power amplifier Board With Shell - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Do you guys think this would be a good idea? Then I'm guessing I'd just wire the left and right speakers into here, then connect the 3.5mm jack with the display board. What would be the best way to provide it power? Anyone use an amp kinda like that one?

Edit: Oh also, has anyone gotten DDC brightness control working with the R9A18? Is there a firmware update possible that allows it to support it so I can just use my brightness keys on my keyboard or a menu bar app?

 

[i486dx2-66]

the last piece of the puzzle is how to setup the built in speakers. I don't need it to be perfect, but want performance somewhat similar to how they are regularly in the iMac.

Can anyone recommend an amp and is it easy to wire up with the speakers already in there?

Just to set expectations - the sound coming out of an iMac isn't just speakers with an amplifier. It's speakers with an amplifier driven by a DSP designed and tuned to compensate for the frequency response characteristics of the system. For example, many systems with small drivers use a DSP to add mid-range harmonics that trick the ear into believing it hears deeper bass than the system actually produces.

If you just add "an amplifier", regardless of how high of quality the amplification is, you're not going to get the same perceived sound from the speakers. Just a heads-up.

 

[PaulD-UK]

FWIW I too bought a cheap TPA3116 amplifier, but the sound was worse than using the inbuilt audio power amplifier in the R1811, and I think the R9A18 board has the same circuitry for audio output.
So I ended up not using the TPA3116 amp.
eqMac is capable of correcting some of the problems caused by the lack of the iMac's audio DSP circuitry.
MonitorControl.app allows keyboard control of brightness and audio volume if you use a Mac to drive the monitor.