Topping LA90 Review (Integrated Amplifier)

[Deleted member 46664]

It is a single 64 volt. The third pin doesn't show anything relative to the other two.

Negative speaker terminal is at chassis potential.

Ummm ... this doesn't sound right Amir. Unless there's a massive capacitor on the speaker leads, for a class AB amplifier the only way to get the negative speaker terminal at chassis potential is with a bipolar power supply.

 

[Deleted member 46664]

Anyway, hope this is not a silly auestion, for this LA90 the promotional material says the balance inputs are “compatible with XLR and TRS interfaces”. I don’t remember them saying this with PA5, but does that mean we can use either XLR or TRS directly without an adapter? The photos looking like only TRS so I don’t think so but that statement have me curious.

It's a combination connector ... you can use TRS, TS or male XLR.

 

[nawfal07]

It's a combination connector ... you can use TRS, TS or male XLR.

Thanks! I’ve looked at them closer with a higher res photo and I can see the 3 holes for a male XLR.

 

[TheBatsEar]

a preout/main-in loop

Indeed. These solve so much and offer such great flexibility. Any integrated amp becomes a power amp, pre amp or both with the addition of that one single and simple feature.

That's fine, but I scanned that thread and didn't find anything about VU meters.

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Just added 2 ohm (stereo mode) and 4 ohm bridged to the review.

Good enough for a Focal Aria 826 that dips to 2.9 ohm then. Was afraid it would protect.

I don't know what kind of culture I have created here that you see as an invitation to act this way.

People bring their own culture, all 8 billion of them. You are just a dude with a Klippel/AP as far as i am concerned.
I don't get the nitpicking either. There are technical compromises, which can be pointed out and talked about. Then there is this never ending stream of invented problems.
I suspect the expectations did run a bit hot and now there are lots of disappointed people.

Pfff, Eur 1038,- on Aliexpress...

899€ at Audiophonics, tax included.

 

[RHO]

Pfff, Eur 1038,- on Aliexpress...For this money I would buy a full size stereo amp of one of the well known brands like Denon, Marantz, NAD, Rotel etc.
I do have a Marantz PM 8006 which I like so much both for it's sound and it's beautiful champagne looks! (And it's hefty weight) And I had it new for an action price of only Eur 800,-
Currently I'm using my 30 years old DIY hybrid stereo amp with Ecc 88 front stage and MOS FET end stage. It only has 2*25 watts and I never ever thought I needed more power. This amp sounds so live and easy and dynamic. Once in a while my whife answers to a voice coming from my stereo, so funny. By the way I also have a 50 years old Marantz 2270 which is still up and running in my work room.

If you think €800 is a fair price for the things you have then I would think ~€900 for the LA90 (which outperforms any of your current gear) would also be a fair price.

 

[Deleted member 46664]

Wattage Worshippers Worldwide,

a rather knowledgeable person in this video basically needs to shout "How much power do you need?!" at the 04:12 mark while listening to 87dB provided by one watt ...

This is no.doubt yet another Top(ping)-notch product

Indeed ... I've owned McIntosh and other gear with power meters on the front... I used to drive them to mid-scale only rarely and it sounded great ... now look at the meter scaling and see what mid-scale is...

Yep ... truth is I rarely got over 1 or 2 watts no matter how crazy I got.

 

[Fledermaus]

Well done Topping, impressive demonstration of engineering skills at least.
As for use case i don't have any, but a stripped-down version of this with no volume control, remote nor source selection (and for $100 less then) would be just right for powering high-sensitivity mid-high compression drivers in a multi-way active system, in place of and for less money than an overpowered AHB2 or Purifi... yeah, talking about a "niche within a niche" market.

 

[pjug]

Negative speaker terminal is at chassis potential.

Thank you. Anyone have a grasp on what they might be doing? Capacitor for DC shift on the output or would they have some other way to operate from a single ended power supply?

 

[pma]

Thank you. Anyone have a grasp on what they might be doing? Capacitor for DC shift on the output or would they have some other way to operate from a single ended power supply?

How do you know it is a single polarity PSU? There might be a voltage regulator/capacitance multiplier with artificial center point inside the amp case. Remember that one of the heatsinks gets more hot. If Amir simply opened the box and used the DMM we would have known.

 

[rebbiputzmaker]

Hello All,

This Topping LA90 amplifier is the next Topping iteration in the composite operational-amplifier chipamp progression.

The next obvious step is ganging up 4 or 5 chipamps under one heat sink in the feedback loop of the composite amplifier. The next iteration will be 200 or 300 Watts output.

This is just what many of us asked for. I ask John Yang in a post about using a 5 Watt Topping A30Pro headphone amplifier to drive Horn Tweeters. John Yang cautioned about too much heat in that application.

Thanks DT

Much of the secret sauce (Topping) here is using the clean separate switching power supply. This is really special without the AC power supply harmonics in the amplifier noise floor.

My bad, I was not thinking chipamp.

 

[pma]

My bad, I was not thinking chipamp.

In case of Topping, it may be possible. Put the LM3886 inside good opamp FB. @tomchr knows the way.

 

[pjug]

It is highly probable that LA90 uses regulated power supply with limited output current.

Or the chip amp has built-in current limiting. LM3886 has this, correct?

 

[pjug]

How do you know it is a single polarity PSU? There might be a voltage regulator/capacitance multiplier with artificial center point inside the amp case. Remember that one of the heatsinks gets more hot. If Amir simply opened the box and used the DMM we would have known.

You mean they would use a switched cap converter for a negative supply? I use these but I wouldn't think they were suitable for a power amplifier. Edit: I misread your post. I think I need to have coffee and think about what you are saying.

 

[Ingenieur]

Why would I buy an amp with specs for 120dB SINAD and listen it at 75dbAx (avg... with peaks up to 95-100)? I would not be able to enjoy all that dynamic range and pureness, even though I have paid for it, now would I?

So let's assume for a second that I buy this amp with the intent of enjoying >115dB of clean sound. The sheer fact that LA90 can deliver that is amazing and it's a no contest with the rest. But I still need to hear it. So I need either a set of:
1. speakers with ~100dB or better to be used with this amp in unbridged mode (power range of 3-24W based on the charts)
2. speakers with ~95dB or better sensitivity to be used with this amp in bridged mode (power range up to 95W based on the charts)

Both speakers should be able to deliver extremely low distortion at 115dB, which I doubt, if there are any? Are they? Because if not, I can go with much cheaper amps. Or can I?

I can't explain your actions. Only mine.
I listen ~ 75 dBA, 100 dBZ peaks.
Room is ~28-30 dBA.
DR ~ 70 dB

You will not get sustained 115 dBA.
You will damage your hearing more.
My speakers are 87 dB iirc
Max power I use <30 W
People can't seem to grasp this concept.
When calculated on my lowest speaker Z
11 W avg.
22 peak
My amp has peak reading meters that match.

 

[pma]

You have a nice multimeter, @Ingenieur .

 

[pma]

You mean they would use a switched cap converter for a negative supply?

No, of course no. Different circuit.

 

[Marc v E]

@Ingenieur @Douglas Blake Thank you for posting on the watt usage. Makes me a little less ignorant. I had no idea that speakers require that little. (My own powered speakers are rated 700 watts. Must be that they were aiming for concert hall levels. The genelecs I own are 50 each iirc.)

@JohnYang1997 : congratulations on a great achievement...again! Great to see Topping aims for the best and shakes up the status quo.

 

[Deleted member 46664]

@Ingenieur @Douglas Blake Thank you for posting on the watt usage. Makes me a little less ignorant. I had no idea that speakers require that little. (My own powered speakers are rated 700 watts. Must be that they were aiming for concert hall levels. The genelecs I own are 50 each iirc.)

Generally... 50w/ch is more than any home owner needs for most listening conditions. You might get occasional moderate clipping when in "party mode" but it's nothing that's going to do any damage.

The Aiyima A07, for example, with it's supplied 32v supply gives you a nice clean 60w/ch.

There is a reason they rate speakers at 1w/8ohms or 2w/4ohms ... That's about where most people listen and it really is pretty fricking loud!

 

[Nicolaas]

If you think €800 is a fair price for the things you have then I would think ~€900 for the LA90 (which outperforms any of your current gear) would also be a fair price.

I think it is also about looks, reliability and service. Based on the experience with my 50 years old Marantz 2270 I also expect my PM 8006 to last several decades. The LA90 still has to prove itself in that regard. And I don't think I could tell the difference between the PM8006 and the LA90 in a blind test. In that case the looks, footprint and proven reliability of the PM8006 prevail (for me).

On the other hand I do have one of the first Topping D90 DACs (for ca Eur 560) and it's doing great so far. Really love the sound. But it runs quite warm/hot especially during summer. So I'm worried about it's lifespan and I'm sometimes considering to drill some holes in the top cover...

 

[pma]

Generally... 50w/ch is more than any home owner needs for most listening conditions. You might get occasional moderate clipping

You think so, right? Really?

Below is a record during listening in home living room conditions with a speaker with some 89dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity.

The apparent clipping is not the amplifier, but it is in the CD data. Tchaikowsky 1812 Telarc, BTW. 35Vp amplifier output.

Recording of October 1979: The Telarc 1812 Overture

Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture (Op.49), Capriccio Italien (Op.45 ), "Cossack Dance" from Mazeppa (LP), plus Marche slav, Op.31, Polonaise and Waltz from Eugene Onegin , Op.24, Festival Coronation March (CD). Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Kiev Symphony Chorus; Children's Choir of Greater Cincinnati...

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