This comparison was requested by few fellow readers and by some YouTube comments. SP200 is having two THX amp modules, compared to four on HPA4 and Drop THX-789, it doesn’t have a true balanced circuit and as a direct result channel crosstalk is higher, resulting in a decent size soundstage, but it is not really holographic and 3D sounding. Wishlist TOPPING. A90 is what I call a sleeper headphone amp - it’s quite small that plays in the lightweight category, but when you press play, an unstoppable force will start pounding your ears with increased dynamics. At first it was denial. I wish all major companies from the East would put a bigger accent on their designs and looks as Topping does. As expected, the objectivist camp converges to the usual suggestions of Topping (mostly pointing to the A/D90 stack for “futureproofing”), THX (789 of course) and JDS Labs Atom (with the occasional RME ADI-2 recommendation as well), all well-measuring amplifiers at a reasonably-accessible prices. If you would be one of the unlucky by wanting one, you needed to wait for the next batch and preorder it at the right minute. I, and my ears thank you. So… you wouldn’t be seeing me spending a lot of cash on sources, especially since my personal budget ceiling for IEMs are at US$1,500. A90 is doing that on such a high level that you will be limited by your source and not by the amp as it usually happens. It has taken the spot in my main system replacing a highly modded MSB Gold DAC III. May i suggest a desktop dac as well. Dimensions and styling are unexpectedly in line with D90 so these two make a stylish looking stack. In my experience, listening to a lot of headphone amps and experiencing one the best ones and everything in between, I can honestly say that absolute linearity, absolute transparency and detail is NOT about being bright, boring or soulless sounding. If you’re asking me if a 120dB SINAD amplifier would sound better than another with 110dB SINAD, I would say that at that point you’d be obsessing over minutiae that don’t matter, especially given that most transducers tend to have THD+N typically around 0.01% in the best case scenarios. TOPPING A90 Full Balanced Headphone Amplifier XLR Pre-Amplifier. Provided with a wide range of adaptation to headphones . I’m very glad to report that A90 works absolutely amazing with IEMs! The key ingredient of unlocking a see-through transparency and the highest level of detail retrieval is having the lowest noise floor possible at any volume level. The output power plays a bit role here, those 7.6 Watts are adding a lot in terms of dynamics and diaphragm control. This will be a very relaxed chapter because A90 is the definition of linearity and by that, I mean simply a perfect frequency response, from the lowest pits of sub-bass information to highest levels of treble, A90 rendered all that without flexing a muscle. It has the same build quality and the same small and simple form factor. The biggest compliment I can give to A90 is that I felt like I opened my windows towards music, I simply experienced the cleanest, the most transparent, colorless and effortless experience I’ve had with headphones. I’m not very surprised already to see all the possible measurements for their A90, you will find the Signal to Noise Ratio at 50mV and full scale, Dynamic Range, Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise ratio with 32 and 300-Ohm loads, the overall THD versus frequency response and FFT Spectrum. First of all, you should understand the thinking behind both products. Luckily, I have at my disposal the HPA4 and SP200, so a very interesting comparison will follow very soon. The milo is better sounding to me than the THX 789 that i tried. So before you proceed, just know that this is less “a review of the Topping A90” and more “rambling about why the Topping A90 is going to be used for future headphone reviews on IEF”. Funny fact is that it can even transform some of the lazier sounding headphones like Sennheiser Momentum 2 or Meze 99 Classics, it simple enhances the speed of their membranes and lowers the decay making them sound almost like planar-magnetic headphones. When I’m listening to electronic music via Flux Lab Acoustics FA-10 powering some Audeze LCD-4 it almost feels like a masochistic experience, as you are simply taking an audiophile beating in plain sight, yet it feels so satisfying hearing those bass notes pulsating and pushing more air than its needed. 21 Reviews Available: In Stock Price: $499.99. Class-A is having an efficiency of only about ~35%, everything else is transformed into heat that goes to waste. SELECT THE OPTIONS ABOVE. “Cliffnotes” titles are also available, so if you’re someone who can’t wait just. units, Topping used the same thick card-board box with lots of foam inside it for protection. Unfortunately, I’m a victim of the infamous ground loop issue that had plagued other Topping owners in the past. I am blaming the channel crosstalk which is considerably lower on the HPA4 compared to the A90 and most probably the bandwidth of HPA4 (0.01 Hz to 500kHz) also played a role here, I can only guess at this point. The A90 is an ultra-high-performance headphone amp that can also work as a pre-amp. Even before listening to A90, researching a lot about its topology, seeing how their engineers counterbalanced the cons of composite amplifiers, seeing those impressive specs and measurements I prepared my body and soul for a long listening session. The output power plays a bit role here, those 7.6 Watts are adding a lot in terms of dynamics and diaphragm control. , Hifiman Arya and Erzetich Phobos will squeeze the best it can provide. On the DAC side I use either the iFi iDSD Micro Black Label or the Motu M2, both of which are USB bus-powered when plugged in. Don’t you worry, every pros and cons will be mentioned in this review, so let’s carry on and unbox this little big amplifier. The extremists in this camp (I highlight again. On the balanced 4-pin XLR and on the high-gain I couldn’t go higher than 12 O’clock position, it was already too loud and mind you, I’m listening to music pretty loud (past 85 dB). If i have to change one over the other the A90 would be my choice the D90 is a fun dac smooth edges its snappy good low range and smooth top end the bass is extended well too. It finally arrived! Sadly, due to newer legislation and regulations of power consumption all over the globe, Class-A amps will slowly start disappearing from the Hi-Fi landscape. While listening to A90, you are simply squeezing the best your DAC and headphones could possible deliver, I had the same experience when I first listened to Benchmark HPA4, I simply felt more nuance in my music, more hidden notes, more mastering errors, more of everything and A90 is no different at all to that experience. Inside you’ll find a power cable, a 6.35mm to 3.5mm headphone adapter so you can use portable headphones with it as well, there is a warranty card and a super-detailed user manual. Topping A90 ($499 / €499) VS Benchmark HPA4 ($3000 / €3500). FA-10 is still the most powerful headphone amplifier with those 16 Watts under its belt. The fruits of their labor speak for themselves as A90 has a maximum noise level of 1.3 microVolts – this is really world class performance and puts it in the same boat with Benchmark HPA4 and Sparkos Labs Aries! I forgot to mention in the first comparison, that it was mandatory volume-matching both amplifiers before listening and making any judgements, otherwise the loudest sounding amp will simply appear as better sounding, this is how our brain works. Product page: https://hifigo.com/products/topping-a90-full-balanced-headphone-amplifier-amp-xlr-pre-amplifier. As I told you before, I went through all the stages of Kübler-Ross curve of change with A90 versus my own HPA4. Funny fact is that it can even transform some of the lazier sounding headphones like Sennheiser Momentum 2 or. INTRODUCTION TFZ is a company that needs no introduction, but probably deserves a refresher. I’m very happy to announce that A90 is really playing at the same level with Benchmark HPA4 and when it comes to solid state electronics, there aren’t better amps that this, at any price point. The switches on the front panel have a very firm click and are not wobbling at all, the LED light on the left is dimmed and doesn’t annoy in the dark. When it comes to resolution and transparency, A90 together with HPA4 are playing this game at the highest level possible. The only thing that is missing from the package is a remote control and that is a missed opportunity in my opinion as following my tests in a speaker setup, it shines not only as a headphone amp, but also as a preamp. To be clear, if I were to budget an audio chain from scratch I would personally go for a 80/15/5 split for the transducer, amplifier and DAC respectively (80/20 if the source was a DAC/amplifier combo). This review is posted here in partnership with Soundnews.net. The output impedance of the A90 is plenty low enough to not cause any trouble with “problematic” IEMs (I’ll defer to ASR for actual non-manufacturer measurements), with single-ended being the most optimal for IEMs. The marketing campaign was a great success, because for about a year the demand far outnumbered the supply. With the plethora of desktop amplifiers out there of varying qualities and uh… signatures, what exactly makes the A90 a proper reference from a reviewing point of view? However, ubiquity is no indication of performance as the infamous Audio Technica ATH-M50X can attest to. There are lots of small details that I’m really liking on this case, for example there isn’t any visible screw on all its sides, giving an impression of a classy handsome look. There is a bit of sharpness going on in the overall presentation of the sound, though nothing I would call offensive or a dealbreaker. Topping is a large and growing company from China, and their E30 is priced at only 130 USD at the moment of making this review. So, what is so cool about a composite topology? , Denafrips Venus, Flux Lab Acoustics FCN-10, Audio-GD R7 (2020 version), Interconnects: QED Reference XLR (x2), Aune AL3 XLR, Speaker cables: Kimber PR8, Audioquest Type4, Balanced Isolation Power Conditioners: PLiXiR Elite BAC400, KECES BP-600, Entire Dan Clark Audio Product Line Now Available on Apos Audio, Apos Audio COVID-19/Coronavirus Update - June 12, 2020, TOPPING D90 DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), TOPPING E30 DAC (Digital-to-Analog-Convertor), SMSL SU-8 Version 2 DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), Moondrop Blessing 2 In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Earphone. It’s a transient monster when it comes to faster executed notes. If I would pause my music and go all the way up to maximum volume, no matter the selected gain, the noise floor would be simply undetectable! You might prefer a flat model, but don’t be fooled into thinking its true, where truth is represented by consistent repeatable observations within acceptable limits of uncertainty. My test equipment resumed at Matrix Audio Element X, Denafrips Venus and Topping D90 MQA as TOTL DACs. If you own the D90 already, A90 is a must have device for headphone lovers. Audeze LCD-4 and Hifiman Arya are two of the hardest to drive headphones I have tested up to this point, LCD-4 is particularly picky when it comes to power as I have experience them lazy sounding with few particular amps. You can have it in matte black or dark silver, I received it in black and I like it a bit more in this color option. This is why I tested it with 3 different sources to have a better feel about its sound. Limited Time Sale Easy Return. FA-10 brings more emotions from your tunes and highlights them. According to AudioScienceReview.com some of the measurements (but not all of them) of A90 outperformed the ones of the $3000 Benchmark HPA4, all of the Drop THX-789 and of SMSL SP200 – all are THX Achromatic Audio based headphones amplifiers. As I said before, A90 is straight as a line, it is not adding or taking away anything from the music, if it is there, it will play and highlight it. Topping focused a lot of their efforts in lowering it as much as possible. The rest of the gang as Erzetich Phobos and Quad ERA-1 were driven to their fullest at just 10 O’clock volume position. It comes with three gain settings and has great performance numbers including <0.00 DAC Headphone AMP Pre AMP Power amplifier MORE Others Where to buy. I have run the BL as a dac into the asgard3 before, and it is not the same as a dedicated desktop dac. One of the biggest drawbacks of SP200 is its volume wheel. For those seeking sources with the highest SINADs and dynamic ranges, Topping is usually the first thing to dominate the conversation and so has been gaining traction within these circles as a “default recommendation”. I will skip all the specs, design, build quality, output power as you can find those by yourself and will focus on the sound quality alone. Hidizs S8 - Audeze LCDi3 4. I have been living with the Topping D90 MQA for two months now and I can say I love it. Arguably, a “neutral” or so-called “uncoloured” signature would be the most appropriate given that it would be unrealistic to review headphones with “source synergy” factored in, given that not everyone has the same sources and I don’t have the time, energy nor resources to match one headphone with every amplifier ever built. You can hardly experience a velvety sound with SP200, it was mostly great with fast music and just good with smooth sounding music. Topping are really working hard to make good looking, great sounding bits of kit. I’m not very surprised already to see all the possible measurements for their A90, you will find the Signal to Noise Ratio at 50mV and full scale, Dynamic Range, Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise ratio with 32 and 300-Ohm loads, the overall THD versus frequency response and FFT Spectrum. It is clear to me that HPA4 still holds its crown on its iron throne. Cheap Digital-to-Analog Converter, Buy Quality Consumer Electronics Directly from China Suppliers:Topping D90 MQA and Topping A90,USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier Enjoy Free Shipping Worldwide! (“Transducer” in this case meaning the device that generates the physical sound, an umbrella term that can refer to headphones, IEMs, earbuds and/or speakers.). D90/D90 MQA are smoother sounding in the treble compared to the most ESS Sabre designs, it boosts the stage size and improves depth information compared to ESS-based ones. The surface area is pretty big, so the impedance of a such a connector is a bit lower than that of 2.5 and 3.5mm, meaning a minimal loss of the damping factor. I made up my mind when I brought both my PASS WHAMMY w/OPA627 and Topping A90 to my buddy's house who has the Stax Lambdas- we used his NOS db audio labs tranquility dac and my Topping D90. In terms of sound performance A90 is basically 99% of the HPA4.
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