TP RA3 Rackmount Amplifier Review

[phoenixsong]

So according to you, "commercial" or "business" use means "for fun"?
When you manage a small restaurant, or a small store, you're not playing audio for fun, you run a business and want to add a musical atmosphere, but your main activity is not making money with audio.
It's not same thing than running something where people attend a live show where music is what they paid for and where audio professional work on all event.
I'm not inventing a word, there are brand that sells products for small store or restaurant as "business" product, and not "pro" product.

I believe the dictionary definition sarumbear provided is what it is, but maybe a bit of context would have prevented you from misunderstanding him/her When it comes to audio components with "pro" or "professional" associated with them, it points towards components used in the professional audio context, not audio components used in/for other professions/professional purposes. Pro audio applications for short

 

[phoenixsong]

This amplifier will allow multiple channels using almost the same rack space used by a 4-channel amplifier. It offers 260W (@ 1%) in 1U. As a comparison, a DCI series Crown 4-channel amplifier offers 600W but at 10x the price.

I'm not saying this amplifier is bad or anything, I was just stating a personal use case preference with contextual considerations. In fact, I rated it "Great" and am considering getting it for home use, though there are cheaper alternatives offering more power that I am seriously tempted to get instead (Fosi V3)

All that said, this amplifier is indeed a bit of an enigma, for it does not belong to any clear existing category. Cheap amps exist, both pro and otherwise, that offer more channels or power but at the cost of more distortion, which a significant number would argue is not the primary concern when it comes to power amps. Topping has been making amps with decent-great SINAD for their asking price, but power has been a concern for most of them (driving in mono aside). This amp clearly hails from the same bloodline, having near identical performance to some amps higher up in the PA series, but costing less than them in exchange for a larger footprint. For me this is certainly desirable progress, but I guess people were hoping for clear performance gains on the power front, especially when not everyone appreciates the now larger footprint. Same reason why people are unhappy about the 4000 series RTX cards despite them becoming more efficient. I guess we may have also been spoilt by the recent SINAD advancements across audio products, resulting in some being numb to/sick of it

 

[DavidM1]

Thanks for another great review Amir!

This looks like it could be my next amp. I have a music room where I teach, sometimes rehearse and often listen to music via an SMSL dac. The question will be whether to replace the Quad 33/303 currently in use… an amp with 50 years experience vs one of the top 20 sinads on ASR.

 

[Rottmannash]

its quite obvious people here are bamboozled by the 19" rack format and they're recommending pro amps as if topping were even interested

i think this is a marketing gimmick... they are amortising the case over several products, hell they may have taken the case from some networking company!

this is sort of like the PA5/7 whatever the hell.. you have to be ok with the limited power and all the usual issues that digital amps have

i mean complaining about power and the limitations of these sorts of designs while the figures are right there in front of you AND the charts is sort of like complaining how a $20,000 Corolla hatchback doesnt have enough power... if you wanted V8 power you should buy a V8?

this isnt a V8

"digital amps"??

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Interested to hear about your experience with them in the future. I’m also a prime use case for this as I have an active large 3 way prototype waiting for the right combo of amps for the mids and tweeters on a more permanent basis. However, I’m not willing to jump in with Topping from the get go. I’ll wait about 8 months to see about reliability. By that time I’ll either pass or go to order and find out it’s not made anymore!

That's how I'll use them, 3 stereo amplifiers to tri-amp a pair of 3-way DIY dipole/open baffle speakers with 94dB-efficiency drivers. (See my profile pic) I'm currently running Aiyima A07s on the bass-mids and a Chinese-made 18-watt stereo Class A Hood Amplifier clone on the dipole tweeters, heavy on the DSP.

 

[TNT]

I don't know why this keeps coming up. I never said it shuts down on difficult load. It shuts down on any load way past its clipping point. And because it shuts down, my analyzer can't follow the script to test at other load points.

I could not find the reactive load tests in this review. Isnt it better to stay with a standard test suite and repeat it for every DUT? In this way one could compare results in a more complete and consistent way.

You have describe your test of different type of objects in a good way, like speaker, amp and DAC. But you have not really described your basic generic view on the different audio units and what properties you see as the performance defining ones - and, how your test suite covers these properties. This would be interesting to read.

//

 

[sarumbear]

...misunderstanding him/her

I'm outed!

 

[sarumbear]

All that said, this amplifier is indeed a bit of an enigma, for it does not belong to any clear existing category.

If you are old enough like me, you would remember the Crown D40, which is almost identical to this amplifier. A category existed 50 years ago and it still does. The only enigma is in your mind.

Vintage Silver Crown D40 Power Amp Powers On Untested Output | Reverb

Vintage Crown D40 AmplifierFrom what I've found online these are Stereo 30W x 2 Channels at 4ohmsIt also appears the production years for this model was 1968 to 1976.I don't have matched speakers to test this unit for output. It powers on - the light comes on and I can hear it running.Missing the...

reverb.com

 

[DanielT]

That's how I'll use them, 3 stereo amplifiers to tri-amp a pair of 3-way DIY dipole/open baffle speakers with 94dB-efficiency drivers. (See my profile pic) I'm currently running Aiyima A07s on the bass-mids and a Chinese-made 18-watt stereo Class A Hood Amplifier clone on the dipole tweeters, heavy on the DSP.

Speaking of level of power. I have tested this and other similar calculators:
"Calculate Required Amplifier Power"

HiFi Loudspeaker Design

www.mh-audio.nl

How much power does an amplifier need with this type of range of dynamic music

Feel free to use this calculator. Add sensitivity to the speaker and then tell which effect you have chosen and why. Weigh in that you want some headroom. http://www.mh-audio.nl/Calculators/REAP.html You can select music from this list. Or something else, but in that case tell us how you...

audiosciencereview.com

I would take the "Desired sound pressure level at listener" parameter with a pinch of salt. In a normal listening room with all reflections, the need for increased power with a longer listening distance is less important. You are in a reverberation room, so to speak.
In addition, the lower the frequencies, the more power is needed. That should also be factored into the equation. Beyond that, those types of calculators can be a bit of fun to tinker with.

Outdoors, however, the sound decreases with increased listening distance, which everyone of course knows. Even a child learns it purely instinctively, but the most interesting thing about listening to music outdoors is to set up a sound system that reproduces music without reflections. It clearly creates a different sound than listening to the same speakers in a normal listening room, living room:

No Room Acoustics. What do you think about listening to music outdoors with a HiFi system?

I came up with one thing, instead of mowing the grass and painting the outdoor furniture, I can try setting up a couple of speakers and listen to how it sounds without reflections from any roof, back and side walls. They stand directly on the lawn. Some conclusions. Well, it's a special...

audiosciencereview.com

When I get back to the cabin, I will continue my outdoor tests.

 

[Music1969]

So this amp has ADC and digitizes analogue input? For its volume control?

 

[phoenixsong]

If you are old enough like me, you would remember the Crown D40, which is almost identical to this amplifier. A category existed 50 years ago and it still does. The only enigma is in your mind.

Vintage Silver Crown D40 Power Amp Powers On Untested Output | Reverb

Vintage Crown D40 AmplifierFrom what I've found online these are Stereo 30W x 2 Channels at 4ohmsIt also appears the production years for this model was 1968 to 1976.I don't have matched speakers to test this unit for output. It powers on - the light comes on and I can hear it running.Missing the...

reverb.com

Sorry for my limited experiences and memory stemming from my relatively short life so far Sounds like you could be three times my age

 

[Draki]

So this amp has ADC and digitizes analogue input? For its volume control?

No. It has an analogue VC (resistor ladder switch). See post #39, page #2.

 

[sarumbear]

Sorry for my limited experiences and memory stemming from my relatively short life so far Sounds like you could be three times my age

No need to apologise. According to our profile data I'm 2.7x older than you

 

[Music1969]

No. It has an analogue VC (resistor ladder switch). See post #39, page #2.

Wow, insane for this price

 

[sarumbear]

No. It has an analogue VC (resistor ladder switch). See post #39, page #2.

You beat me to it. FYI, you can link a particular post like this. It helps the reaser a lot.

TP RA3 Rackmount Amplifier Review

I didn't know 8 ohm speakers were rare. I did a quick search of my KEF LS 50 metas and sure enough, they are 8 ohms. I need an education in impedance !!!! Impedance varies with frequency. They are 'nominally' 8 ohm but drop to 3.7 ohm...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[prerich]

with that attitude then why even read reviews or come here?

if you think you need massive power and can get away with sub 80 sinad then buy a PA amp?

For me, the confusion is to what market is this amp being targeted to? If it's a pro market, it should be in only studio operations. It would be a bad match for DJing or PA. DJ and PA amps, especially in open air situations require large amounts of power. Now if a studio has an Alesis RA150 power amp, the Topping would make an excellent replacement for that product.
IMHO, It all depends on what the amp will be used for. It has a market (like the one I've mentioned above), albeit a limited one - in the pro sector. It will have admirers in the hi-fi world as well, especially the DIY community (which happens to be a niche' but growing group). However others will more than likely go after something like Purifi, Nord, or Hypex that give you the power and headroom with excellent SINAD results.

 

[fpitas]

I've seen any number of guys in the corner of pubs with an amplified acoustic guitar. They are not looking for big sound, in fact would be discouraged.

 

[anphex]

The small bump around 5-10 Watt looks actually like a rail switch. So, Class H?

 

[prerich]

I bought a 2x250 watt rms Yamaha p2500s for 300 euros. That is what I think of when we talk pro amps. And it has a great reputation for bombproof reliability. It may not measure as well, but more than good enough. Power really trumps Sinad (within reason, of course).

I think power trumps SINAD (within reason) depending on the application.

 

[prerich]

Folks, this is NOT a pro amp. It is a pro looking amp for home use. No pro amp needs a remote control or selectable inputs. This is a very high function and high performance amplifier put in a rack mount case I suspect to save cost. Rack mount cases were all the rage in 1980s and was a sign of equipment being "high-end!" Here is my carver receiver of the era:

On power, you need to focus on 4 ohm rating because that is where the demand is from vast number of speakers.

On reactive loads, the amp I am sure handles them. It is just that my testing pushes the amplifier into clipping and then backs off. When the amp shuts down, the script that runs through all the variations then produces garbage. This is why I didn't run it, not because the amp can't handle reactive loads.

@amirm that's a spot on observation (maybe I wouldn't have posted earlier in the thread had I seen this one). I do have a question though, do most people in this group listen mainly in the nearfield vs the farfield? My closest listening distance in my room is around 10.5 to 11ft. Other than stuff on a PC (and that's working in Audition, Abelton, and the like), I listen exclusively in the farfield for enjoyment - never in the nearfield. I sold my BagEnd M6 speakers due to their farfield performance - excellent nearfield - but I had them in a LCR at one time....nope...sold them for $550.