Crate GX-40C weirdness

[J M Fahey]

I'm going to test a few in a jig before I put them in the amp. (

Just test them similar to what was shown in the video, meaning "as if they were in the amp"
You can bolt them to any heatsink you have available or even a piece of aluminum railing, always with mica and grease (after 2 or 3 it ill be a mess but easy to clean with paper towels), solder 5 wires from board to ICs and drive them into clipping, into a load.
Just donīt risk your speakers, use any old klunker you have around or an 8 or 4 ohm (whatever is approppriate) 25W or more resistor, IC will be fed by Crate power supply, and check whether IC can put out rated 20W (or thereabouts) or puny 12/13W which shows its fakeness.
If you still have a good original TDA measure what *it* puts out, so as not to have unreal expectations.
*Maybe* original just puts out, say, 14 or 15W *by design* so why expect more from the replacement?

Please post results, we are also curious what is really out in the wild.

And if they turn up being "good" ... cool, we take note of supplier.

Price is good, doubt is on performance.