Need advice for how to best use 2 Aiyima A07 amps

[Joe’s Apartment]

I was thinking about trying this Emotiva BasX A2 stereo amp that goes for $499. 160 watts into 8 ohms and 250 watts into 4 ohms.

Emotiva

Anyone have experience with this class A/B amp? How does it stack up with the other amps recommended thus far?

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Here is a thread on the Sabaj A30a. Currently on sale at Hifi-express.

Sabaj A30a announced

There is new available product. SABAJ A30a Power Amplifier 200W*2 Using the latest DSP chip with ST high-power amplifier chip, carefully designed and debugged, its distortion is as low as 0.0008%; The second generation XMOS solution, PCM sampling rate up to 32bit/768kHz; Subwoofer pre-output...

www.audiosciencereview.com

It looks nice for an all-in-one solution but I already purchased separates that I want to use.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Here is 100 wpc for $420 (dude). If you want more power you can actually buy a second one and bridge, or whatever you desire!

Niles SI-2100

Stereo power amplifier

www.crutchfield.com

I like Niles, they have been making stuff for custom install for years. This one is sleek and minimalist. Their older gear was industrial-control-panel style.

I have a pile Marantz MA-150 monoblocks that I use for all sorts of amplification. Two of them used should be way less than $500. I have found them really reliable. I don't see them having an advantage over the Niles, which is new with a warranty.

The Niles looks nice. I might want to pair it with my Polk R200s. I’m thinking a class A/B might pair better with my JBLs (especially in my particular room).

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

I don't want to be contrarian, but this amp is current limited below 8 Ohms, higher voltage power supply isn't going to add much if anything except more noise. See Amir's review and note that the power is saturating below 8 Ohms.
It has really good performance on noise and distortion, but it is not able to deliver more meaningful power. It's just not suited for high power, which isn't really surprising.

Combined with the fact that you have a very nice sounding speaker that is on the low-efficiency side, that has impedance down to 4 Ohms, means you will really get nothing with a higher voltage power supply on that Aiyima amp except nearly 10dB degradation in SINAD with the higher voltage power supply. Likely you won't hear the higher noise though, just the lack of volume. You might hear the additional noise if you h ad some super-efficient horns. Here is from the review:


I really recommend you need a more robust amp. This Aiyima is a great little low-noise device, but any plans to push it throw away it's intrinsic SINAD performance for no gains in SPL.

edit: added the link the the JBL530 review

I’m sure you’re right, and they do sound great at lower to medium volumes, but I was looking for a poor man’s way to power them at higher volumes (or just more dynamic music) and should have known better. These speakers deserve/need more power to hear their true potential. The A07 was an upgrade over the Douk Audio but still falls short with these speakers.

 

[MAB]

I’m sure you’re right, and they do sound great at lower to medium volumes, but I was looking for a poor man’s way to power them at higher volumes (or just more dynamic music) and should have known better. These speakers deserve/need more power to hear their true potential. The A07 was an upgrade over the Douk Audio but still falls short with these speakers.

@tonycollinet made a good counterpoint to my concerns about current-limiting.

Sort of depends on the PSU used. The 48V one use in the review was limited to 3A, whereas the 32V supply could do 5A,
not surprising it struggled at lower speaker impedances.

This is the table Aiyima provide, though I'd need to see tests done to be confident in the figures (note - these figures will be at - I guess - 1%THD rather than the knee point Amir uses):

View attachment 241903

A power supply with larger current capability will get you higher power according to Aiyima. This make sense.

 

[Doodski]

A power supply with larger current capability will get you higher power according to Aiyima. This make sense.

... and it won't overload the OP amps with overvolting as the OP of this thread eluded to earlier.

 

[Holmz]

... and it won't overload the OP amps with overvolting as the OP of this thread eluded to earlier.

The AIYAMA table, and them selling the bigger power supply, suggests that for more wattage… we should use the bigger power supply.

But I am not in their testing and QA department.
I am not sure many of those manufactures even have a QA department, but it has lasted longer the Topping which was promptly send back to Amazon.

 

[MAB]

... and it won't overload the OP amps with overvolting as the OP of this thread eluded to earlier.

I wonder the same. I don't want that OP to go and fry the amp and the speakers! But, as mentioned by @tonycollinet Aisima specs all sorts of crazy power from this bar-of-soap sized amp if you are willing to go high voltage with sufficient current capability! Makes me want to get four car batteries just to see...
I also don't want to have the OP go off and buy a Niles (for instance) for no good reason. I do like the Niles gear from back in the day, and they seem to be visually non-revolting now! And they get good reviews here so they don't seem to have lost their mojo...

Niles SI-275 Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Niles SI-275 stereo power amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. The SI-275 is discontinued. But since it is sold to the custom integration channel, they come up used and in working orders (companies pull out gear wholesale to redo...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Niles SI-2150 Class D Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Niles SI-2150 Class D amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. He purchased it refurbished and I see it for sale at $367. Original cost seems to be US $850. By using efficient Hypex UcD250LP class D amplifier modules, the SI-2150 manages...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[restorer-john]

That looks nice but it really needs to be under $500.

Really? Sell the Aiymas, save up for a bit and buy a decent amplifier.

Go without smashed avocado on sourdough, skip the overpriced takeaway coffees and get a Benchmark AHB-2. Then forget upgrading your amplifier for 40 years.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Really? Sell the Aiymas, save up for a bit and buy a decent amplifier.

Go without smashed avocado on sourdough, skip the overpriced takeaway coffees and get a Benchmark AHB-2. Then forget upgrading your amplifier for 40 years.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Funny how ppl get annoyed and leave the most useless comments. Did you bother reading my more recent comments? $500 can get you a lot these days! Even that cheap Aiyima amp can get you by just fine with the right set of speakers. They sound great with the JBLs but lack the extra headroom at higher volumes.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

@tonycollinet made a good counterpoint to my concerns about current-limiting.

A power supply with larger current capability will get you higher power according to Aiyima. This make sense.

I most likely will give that a try first before deciding on a better amp. Got any good power supply suggestions? I know there are a lot of crappy options floating around out there. Thanks!

 

[restorer-john]

Funny how ppl get annoyed and leave the most useless comments. Did you bother reading my more recent comments? $500 can get you a lot these days! Even that cheap Aiyima amp can get you by just fine with the right set of speakers. They sound great with the JBLs but lack the extra headroom at higher volumes.

Nah, not useless comments. At some point, things need to be put into perspective and you should read my comments. Quality amplifiers last decades. Many decades. Long after your iPhones and computers are pushing up daisies in the landfill. The Aiyima is cheap junk. It can't even output a continuous 1kHz signal into 4R without shutting down, letalone across the audible bandwidth. It's nearly a dB down at 20kHz at 5W, letalone anywhere near rated (!) power. It's a toy, pure and simple.

Buy well. Buy once.

My advice was the AHB-2. It's pretty much flawless and you will be leaving it to your kids in the will.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Nah, not useless comments. At some point, things need to be put into perspective and you should read my comments. Quality amplifiers last decades. Many decades. Long after your iPhones and computers are pushing up daisies in the landfill. The Aiyima is cheap junk.

Buy well. Buy once.

My advice was the AHB-2. It's pretty much flawless and you will be leaving it to your kids in the will.

If I had $3k lying around, I wouldn’t have started this post! Most people can’t start off with expensive gear unless they’re rolling in dough. I’m all about the best bang for the buck that satisfies my audio needs and I’m already 80% there. I doubt I’d be left wanting for power with a $500 Emotiva BasX A2. It doesn’t have to last a lifetime just like most cars won’t.

 

[restorer-john]

If I had $3k lying around, I wouldn’t have started this post! Most people can’t start off with expensive gear unless they’re rolling in dough. I’m all about the best bang for the buck that satisfies my audio needs and I’m already 80% there.

Fair enough. That's a decent attitude and good luck to you.

Many of us however have spent decades taking various pointless sideways steps on the audiophile ladder, usually at a vast accumulated dollar value and most of us can see these diamonds of products that can save younger audiophiles all that wasted time and money.

They can jump to the head of the class just by saving up for a bit. And even those products are quite reasonably priced, compared to what we would have spent 30 years ago. Cheers.

 

[Holmz]

Nah, not useless comments. At some point, things need to be put into perspective and you should read my comments. Quality amplifiers last decades. Many decades. Long after your iPhones and computers are pushing up daisies in the landfill. The Aiyima is cheap junk. It can't even output a continuous 1kHz signal into 4R without shutting down, letalone across the audible bandwidth. It's nearly a dB down at 20kHz at 5W, letalone anywhere near rated (!) power. It's a toy, pure and simple.

Buy well. Buy once.

My advice was the AHB-2. It's pretty much flawless and you will be leaving it to your kids in the will.

That’s all true, but it is the best option for 100-150 $USD.
Then skip the avacado on sourdough to save up for something else…

The other cheap junk is worse, or more expensive.

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

Fair enough. That's a decent attitude and good luck to you.

Many of us however have spent decades taking various pointless sideways steps on the audiophile ladder, usually at a vast accumulated dollar value and most of us can see these diamonds of products that can save younger audiophiles all that wasted time and money.

They can jump to the head of the class just by saving up for a bit. And even those products are quite reasonably priced, compared to what we would have spent 30 years ago. Cheers.

I get where you’re coming from too. Of course it makes sense to just save up and buy the best thing you can afford. I have to admit, though, that I actually enjoy getting great sound out of budget gear. I absolutely love these cheap amps, dacs, and integrated boxes that don’t take up much space but sound way better than my bulky A/V receiver.

I am aware that longevity is a problem with the cheap stuff, but it’s cheap to replace should something go wrong.

So far, nobody has chimed in on “Emotiva” to give me their take on this brand and their products. They appear to be well made to me despite being assembled in China. How long would you reckon their $500 amp would last?

PS. Sorry I took offense to your first comment. Cheers

 

[MAB]

I get where you’re coming from too. Of course it makes sense to just save up and buy the best thing you can afford. I have to admit, though, that I actually enjoy getting great sound out of budget gear. I absolutely love these cheap amps, dacs, and integrated boxes that don’t take up much space but sound way better than my bulky A/V receiver.

I am aware that longevity is a problem with the cheap stuff, but it’s cheap to replace should something go wrong.

So far, nobody has chimed in on “Emotiva” to give me their take on this brand and their products. They appear to be well made to me despite being assembled in China. How long would you reckon their $500 amp would last?

PS. Sorry I took offense to your first comment. Cheers

John's advice is really good, even if you can't follow it now.

You have an amp, it is not ideal but it plays music. You have nice speakers that could use more power. In other words a nice starter system. You should avoid moving laterally, and think carefully about your next purchases. It's so easy to start accumulating audio equipment but not actually acquire a system, I have friends with garages and sheds full of gear that made no sense and cost tons of money over time... All detour.

My fist attempt at a HiFi was not very well thought out, and suffered from a turntable with defective speed control and speakers that were not appropriate for my use. The speaker choice was on me and my inexperience. The little shop that sold me the defective turntable ripped me off, the owner claimed that putting a turntable on the bookshelf instead of a proper audio cabinet voided the warranty. I was 15, had used my entire paper route money to buy the thing, and couldn't stand up to the store owner, who was just plain mean I loved music, I asked my parents for help and they pointed out how stupid I was and forbade me from wasting more money on audio of any kind... I listened to cassette tapes on my system and played and recorded vinyl on my brother's system for the rest of high school. After that, I spent lots of time thinking about who I would buy from and what I would buy. After I got out of high school and saved some money, I bought a Yamaha CA-2010. I was tempted to take detours and alternate routes, but I saved for over a year and got a fantastic amp from. I still have it and use it daily over 40 years later. It is a complete device in every way. It can be the basis of almost any system I could imagine.

I can say the same for all the Bryston amps I bought. I worked at a couple HiFi stores where we sold lots of odd and expensive gear to customers who didn't know what they were buying. I got pretty sick of the silliness and convinced myself that Bryston sounded the same as Levinson and had a very useful 20 year warranty, and great service on the outside chance you actually need warranty service... I still have every Bryston I ever bought, and they work flawlessly and sound absolutely transparent.

So, don't try to make the Aiyima something it isn't. It will just cost you time and money. Think carefully about the next step, and make sure that it is a tangible step forward, not just a detour!

 

[Joe’s Apartment]

John's advice is really good, even if you can't follow it now.

You have an amp, it is not ideal but it plays music. You have nice speakers that could use more power. In other words a nice starter system. You should avoid moving laterally, and think carefully about your next purchases. It's so easy to start accumulating audio equipment but not actually acquire a system, I have friends with garages and sheds full of gear that made no sense and cost tons of money over time... All detour.

My fist attempt at a HiFi was not very well thought out, and suffered from a turntable with defective speed control and speakers that were not appropriate for my use. The speaker choice was on me and my inexperience. The little shop that sold me the defective turntable ripped me off, the owner claimed that putting a turntable on the bookshelf instead of a proper audio cabinet voided the warranty. I was 15, had used my entire paper route money to buy the thing, and couldn't stand up to the store owner, who was just plain mean I loved music, I asked my parents for help and they pointed out how stupid I was and forbade me from wasting more money on audio of any kind... I listened to cassette tapes on my system and played and recorded vinyl on my brother's system for the rest of high school. After that, I spent lots of time thinking about who I would buy from and what I would buy. After I got out of high school and saved some money, I bought a Yamaha CA-2010. I was tempted to take detours and alternate routes, but I saved for over a year and got a fantastic amp from. I still have it and use it daily over 40 years later. It is a complete device in every way. It can be the basis of almost any system I could imagine.

I can say the same for all the Bryston amps I bought. I worked at a couple HiFi stores where we sold lots of odd and expensive gear to customers who didn't know what they were buying. I got pretty sick of the silliness and convinced myself that Bryston sounded the same as Levinson and had a very useful 20 year warranty, and great service on the outside chance you actually need warranty service... I still have every Bryston I ever bought, and they work flawlessly and sound absolutely transparent.

So, don't try to make the Aiyima something it isn't. It will just cost you time and money. Think carefully about the next step, and make sure that it is a tangible step forward, not just a detour!

In my mind, I’m nearly done with equipment purchases. I haven’t spent much and already have a taste of what true HiFi can can provide sonically- just need a bit more power and then I’m done. I believe the Emotiva BasX A2 will fit the bill but nobody here seems to want to give me their take on it. I was never looking for a lifetime quality product, but just something basic, compact, and good enough for my ears to be happy. Like I said earlier, I’m nearly there and I really don’t want to spend a ton on big, bulky, and heavy equipment. I’ve never heard the expensive stuff, so I’ll not know what I’m “missing” and therefore will avoid the bug that send me down the rabbit hole of audiophile insanity. Lack of $ prevents this from happening anyway so I’m naturally throttled in how deep I can or want to go. I’m in the “good enough” phase and only need a bit more power to open up any bottlenecks in my meager little system.

 

[Joe Smith]

I don't own any Emotiva, nor have I heard anything particularly bad about them. I have thought of them myself if needing amplification above 100 wpc, but none of my speakers are especially demanding. I think you would be fine going that route if you are thinking of it as a 5-7 year kind of investment. And yeah, I'd love me some Benchmark equipment, but that's way above my price comfort zone too. The Aiyima is a good little amp but it really is designed for a 50wpc kind of push, I use mine with a 32v 5a power supply and don't want to push it further. It is happy there and works well in smaller rooms at medium volume levels. I rarely get mine above the 11 o'clock volume position with line level input.

There is kind of a a grey zone for new 100+ wpc class AB amps... Schiit makes one but that's more like $700-800. Emotiva is in that lower price zone. I think they have a return policy, I personally think you should give it a try!

You could of course go the restored vintage integrated amp route, but that would be something that might take some time, to find a good one with full restoration and happy at that 150 wpc level. Unlikely to find one cheaper than the Emotiva even if you were willing to wait...