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WolfX700 Measurement of Topping A90 Headphone Amp
- Thread starter WolfX-700
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What do you think about connecting D90 and A90 with RCA and using SE headphones out instead of going balanced? Currently I have separate DAC and AMP connected this way l and have no ground loop/hum issues. Am I going to sacrifice some quality or will I just get lower power output (which is still going to be enough)? I am obsessed that someone (kid) will switch A90 to Hi gain and kill my headphones. I do not want to check it every time before starting playback. I am looking for a way of cutting down the power output using hardware means.
D90 offers twice lower voltage on RCA out than XLR one. Does it mean that A90 would produce 4 times less power output then? What would be further power cut by using SE headphone out instead BAL out?
D90 offers twice lower voltage on RCA out than XLR one. Does it mean that A90 would produce 4 times less power output then? What would be further power cut by using SE headphone out instead BAL out?
I’ve heard by the end of May from one retailer. If the A90 comes in at $399 either MSRP or via early adopter discount, I’m in for sure. It would make the 887 a complete non starter in terms of value.
I'm not too worried about the price drop on the 789, because I figure Topping will most likely reduce the cost of the DAC since most people buying the one will want the other, and they'll be selling people 2 devices, instead of just one. We might even see a second price drop after the P90 releases, since then, people will be able to buy 3 devices. They'll probably drop the cost of the D70, too. And, that's what a lot of people are presently pairing with the 789. Matching the D70 to the cost of the 789 will keep it viable for a while, and give people another option than just their 90 series. That's what I'm thinking we'll probably see over the next several months, until things settle down over the holidays. By Black Friday, the 90 series will be a complete matching stack, and who knows, maybe they'll even allow you to purchase them together as a set, and save a little more. Would be nice.... We'll probably see a combo device release by then, too. For those who like all-in-ones. I anticipate a year of stiff competition, and I have no doubt that Topping will be topping a lot of people's list for the forseeable future to come.
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mt196
Active Member
Hi, quick question, will the A90 be the only balanced amp in Topping offering or the L30 will have them too?L30 has selective preamp and headphones out. Extremely low noise and distortion. 0.00002% THD+N. -9 0 9 dB gain settings. 2W+ clean power for 16 and 32ohm. And it will look absolutely gorgeous.
Hugo9000
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Somewhere around here, @JohnYang1997 said that the upcoming A50S will also have balanced output for the headphones, using the 4.4mm Pentaconn as on the A90.
Edited to add: Found his post!
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ping-e30-dac-review.12119/page-10#post-356886
The preamp function for L30 is changed due to feedback. The switching of preamp/headphone is a switch on the front panel rather having to unplug the headphones.
Are there any plans on release date and MSRP? Or way too early?
Soon. I would say June. MSRP 100-150.
odyo
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How about reveal ? I'm curious how it looks and stacks with E30.
Hi @JohnYang1997 , any estimated date and pricing for both A90 and A50s? Most likely thinking to get either of them to use with Hifiman Ananda.
Veri
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A90 is pretty overkill for a headphone that requires as little power than Ananda..
Human Bass
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Why using RCA when XLR is the more robust and clean connection? There is no problem going balanced in the inputs even if you use the SE output for the headphone.
As explained earlier - D90 offers twice as much voltage via XLR out than RCA one and I do not want to have a possibility to kill my headphones by accidental switch to hi gain. I am looking for any hardware means of cutting down power output. One way is using SE instead of BAL headphone output. But I do not know what power difference is between them. Another idea is using RCA instead of XLR due to lower voltage. I do not think that XLR vs RCA matters in case of 0.5m connection. Provided that both are properly implemented and that was main goal of my original question. My current AMP offers 1W and this is fine for me. I would love to limit A90 to similar level. This way I would not need to worry about someone switching gain and I would have an AMP capable of driving harder headphones in case of future upgrade. I would love to know power output difference between SE and BAL. Also I would like to make sure if I am correct that halving input voltage leads to cutting down output power by 75% - not sure about it.
The amp will come with a "low" setting which attenuates the output for use with more sensitive headphones and IEMs. Using single-ended should drop output even further. Remember, you can also simply turn the volume down, and that will also help. Also, turn the volume down on your DAC. However, if you want a less powerful amp, why not just buy one? Topping already offers several models. Or, if the amp you have is offering the power you need, why not just keep using it?
My current DAC+AMP are Schiit and they produce terrible amount of audible noise. Plus summer is coming and I do not need additional heater. I want to replace it with some quality product which would serve me for a long time. Is this "low setting" gain mode switch at the front or something else? Regarding other Topping products - I am considering DX7Pro as well. Neither DX7Pro nor D90 is currently unavailable in my country so I am gathering info to make up my mind before purchase. I am pretty sure DX7Pro would be enough but D90 + A90 seems to be better. And looks cooler (subjective and non-scientific but gives fun).
Either are definitely better than what you have. The 90 series would be slightly better, but also a lot more expensive. Also, remember that the volume knob is what controls the power output. It's not going to overload your headphones so long as you keep the volume at a comfortable level. Volume is not a physical phenomena that you can directly control. What we hear as volume is a result of power level. The knob doesn't control volume directly, but power level. Volume just happens to increase or decrease along with it. So, I wouldn't worry. My 789 puts out almost as must power, and it works great with IEMs, which are a lot more sensitive than headphones. I think your concerns are unwarranted.
I think you skipped my first post about reason of this question. I know that nothing wrong happens when I listen to music at comfortable level. What I am concerned about are children. My headphone set is easily accessible on my desk and I want to cut power output down so that even if they switch gain to high and turn the volume to max, nothing wrong happens. Anyway, I think I will try with RCA and SE output and test it when A90 will be available.
It doesn't have built-in parental controls. Maybe have to stick with child-proof devices, or keep it locked away, unplugged when not in use, etc. I'd loosen and remove the knobs, but it appears they've opted for switches, instead. So, without cracking the thing open and tinkering with the internals (and voiding the warranty), I'd say the answer is a definite nope.
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