Topping A30Pro Review (Balanced Headphone Amp)

[Merkurio]

3.5mm jack is much easier to break. I'd put another 6.35mm before adding 3.5mm. You can use adapters (which surprisingly doesn't cause any distortion even under load).
Quite a few headphones come with 4.4mm jack now. So having that is certainly a plus. Also who knows what happens a couple of years later.

As someone who adores their DX3 Pro and the convenience of the 3.5 mm jack (never break one, but I broke a couple of MMCX connectors swapping cables), I definelty keep hope with what you said.

Even another 6.35 would be great too (one for IEMs with adapter and other for over-ears, even though the adapter was going to look ugly with the fantastic design of your products).

Keep it rocking!

 

[Jimbob54]

Not completely. Like DT880 600Ohm can't be used with balanced output, which is the direct drive to design this amp. And sensitive IEMs can still have noise when connected to BAL out of 789. 99% use, probably.

Ah yes, no detachable cable on the 880 to run it balanced. Its a juiced up L30, the XLR in helps ramp it up more.

 

[Veri]

Ah yes, no detachable cable on the 880 to run it balanced. Its a juiced up L30, the XLR in helps ramp it up more.

Exactly

 

[JohnYang1997]

As someone who adores their DX3 Pro and the convenience of the 3.5 mm jack (never break one, but break a couple of MMCX connectors swapping cables), I definelty keep hope with what you said.

Even another 6.35 would be great too (one for IEMs with adapter and other for over-ears, even though the adapter was going to look ugly with the fantastic design of your products).

Keep it rocking!

Will think about that.

 

[YSC]

As someone who adores their DX3 Pro and the convenience of the 3.5 mm jack (never break one, but break a couple of MMCX connectors swapping cables), I definelty keep hope with what you said.

Even another 6.35 would be great too (one for IEMs with adapter and other for over-ears, even though the adapter was going to look ugly with the fantastic design of your products).

Keep it rocking!

Or simply bundle a quality adapter for that

 

[Atanasi]

Also to reproduce ground loop issue:
D10s powered by desktop PC - RCA - A30pro
And switching to LIFT eliminates the ground loop.

Does this disconnect the RCA ground and use only the A30pro's chassis ground instead? So it is like only wiring the positive pole of RCA?

 

[Jimbob54]

Not completely. Like DT880 600Ohm can't be used with balanced output, which is the direct drive to design this amp. And sensitive IEMs can still have noise when connected to BAL out of 789. 99% use, probably.

What config does the bal 6.35mm on the rear need to go to 3pin XLR on a second amp? TRS or just TS (single black band)?

 

[JohnYang1997]

What config does the bal 6.35mm on the rear need to go to 3pin XLR on a second amp? TRS or just TS (single black band)?

BAL = TRS

 

[Moonhead]

A90 vs A30
- the choices

Thx Amir & Topping.

 

[Helicopter]

What a great product. Thanks for the review Amir.

I suggest putting the video higher in the review when you paste it, so you can see the video on the homepage before you click through to the full review.

 

[MadMan]

@amirm Any chance of comparing crosstalk with balanced versus unbalanced output? I think this is usually one advantage of true 'balanced' (hate the term for headphones, should be 'dual mono' if implemented as such) headphone outputs.

 

[Veri]

@amirm Any chance of comparing crosstalk with balanced versus unbalanced output? I think this is usually one advantage of true 'balanced' (hate the term for headphones, should be 'dual mono' if implemented as such) headphone outputs.

Viable reference points:
THX 789 (balanced out?)
L30 6.3mm, ~90dB
A30 Pro 4.4mm, ~100dB
A90/Pre90, >100dB, Benchmark HPA4: >120dB

 

[respice finem]

@amirm Any chance of comparing crosstalk with balanced versus unbalanced output? I think this is usually one advantage of true 'balanced' (hate the term for headphones, should be 'dual mono' if implemented as such) headphone outputs.

Crosstalk measurements are interesting, no question, but as a sidenote, in headphones no crosstalk will amplify the dreaded "playing in the head" effect. So, a little crosstalk does no real harm here, after all, crossfeed is "mathematically advanced" crosstalk.

 

[Atrox]

@JohnYang1997 what type of volume potentiometer does this amp use? Is the power on led blue, green, or white?

 

[Tks]

Vents everywhere, didn't see that coming. Good stuff.

 

[Lbstyling]

This is on the verge of what I would consider comfortable. Measurements is at 1M so it will need more power very quickly if you are a bit far away from it. It's not that the amp can't output that power but it may not have enough heatsinking capabilities to handle that dissipation. It may work for you and some people, but if some of those like to play loud or like play music with more bass it can be more stressing.
People said He6 needs a lot of power but they rarely use 100mW in reality. These speakers even though are sensitive, can draw quite a lot of power constantly easily 1W.
So sure like you said, one "can" use it and use it carefully. But I wouldn't be so comfortable driving speakers if the chassis can't handle at least dissipation with continuous 20W output.

The problem is JohnYang, your headphone amps are WAY better than the alternatives out there for this application.

For those on a journey to lowest distortion possible, their is no way to get drivers to match the low distortion of the big ring radiator or 4inch compression drivers (-70db at 95db), so they are awsome for domestic uses. Very revealing, but also very sensitive.

All speaker amplifiers including Hypex have significant noise playing constantly when using these drivers. However your amps do not, they are a godsend.

20w continuous would be probably perfect, alas no such high performance amplifier exists.

 

[MadMan]

@JohnYang1997 Since the outputs are passthrough, non-preamp, I would suggest having them labeled as such - 'Passthrough' instead of 'Output' on the back.

 

[Lbstyling]

That was my exact thoughts as well. But if there's some crazy pops coming through because of this or that it might be an expensive silence

While the tweeter noise from the Crown 4/1200 drivecore is very faint from my LP in my quiet room, it's still there and that bugs me when I'm listening to music with low spl at night.

It looks like the concern is heat dissipation, and that is an excellent point. When we EQ down the excess response we'll lose quite a bit of that sensitivity and even more if there's any boosting needed. Should still be quite a bit above 100 dB though.

I'm tempted.

I've used the crown on my 2452SL, also Hypex (much better) and the A90.

Crown required a Lpad quite badly for me. Hypex also, but the sound was clearly more detailed with better soundstaging (probably just due to being well out of the noise floor)
A90, basically perfect. No pops, no hiss, perfect soundstage, just perfect really.

 

[korynt]

It was kindly sent to me by the company.

And not cherrypicked at all. Yeah, seems legit.

 

[Ron Texas]

@amirm on video, what a treat. A30/D30 is going to be a hot item around here, although how hot depends on the price. I used to have hair like that before it went completely silver, LOL.