AIYIMA A70 Stereo Amplifier Review

[Abstracted]

Before you send it back, you can give it to me for the price.

Lol, and why would you take the Topping over the Aiyima?

 

[daniboun]

Once you spend $190, I don't see the point in saving $30 for the lower amp supply.

Excuse me Amir, the problem is not about the price difference... but rather about this. How do you explain this; knowing that these amps use the same chipset.....
Therefore, I doubt that a 480W PSU is really useful.... The same goes for the ZA3....
If we want to remove this doubt, would it be possible to measure especially since you have the two PSUs....

 

[V.b.]

Now we know why Topping PA7 is a DUAL chip amp. To be fair, it always seemed far-fetched to run 500w through a single IC.

 

[Mikig]

PS: the golf panther is finally back...

missing since the end of January. it was far from the products reviewed in this period, which were of great value. and of great "name": this makes you think about how the "audio" panorama is changing rapidly, more and more, and how that world, made up of dogmatic rules, if it weighs a lot it's fine, if it has, toroidal, hand-made capacitors , silver, fascinating 4-chassis devices are no longer bearers of good performance...

in fact, today a good chip and a few euros are enough to have products at home that go beyond human physical listening capabilities...

the great charm certainly remains of those products, and what remains is the fun spent over the years dreaming of imaginative materials, probable couplings, daring solutions, they are the memory of the research that many of us have done to find a good sound...

 

[PlasticDoc]

This seems to be a case of yet another Audio company struggling to find out what the "job to be done" of their amplifier is:

• In order to sell well in their target market (the Chinese domestic market), they need to measure well and be well spoken in fora (forums) like ASR.
• They use a small brick box shape which seems to appeal to Chinese customers, but which is bad for heat dissipation and not particularly appealing to non-Asian customers.
• At this price point, most of their customers (domestic and foreign) will probably use the RCA input, which seems to have been completely neglected. The RCA input is barely on a par with non-PFFB amplifiers from other low-cost manufacturers already reviewed here on ASR. How many people need an XLR input and the associated complexity of gain and switching circuitry for the RCA vs. XLR? But everyone will have a performance penalty and pay an extra cost for it.
• They could have done a better job with the PFFB, how hard is it to just copy the filter circuitry from 3E Audio?
• They insist on a brain-dead implementation of the AUX OUT, calling it SUB OUT just to disguise it. How many people need that type of SUB OUT? But everyone will have a performance penalty and pay an extra cost for it.
• How many people will need the 12V trigger? But everyone will pay an extra cost for it.

Trying to be all things to all people usually ends up appealing to no one.

The PROGNOSIS for the Aiyima A70 is RESERVED.

 

[TonyJZX]

you'll find that many people here quite like XLR and 12v - i'm not a fan of the 'half bread loaf' look either but arguing about personal aesthetics isnt worth the bother... you like what you like

 

[tmtomh]

• They use a small brick box shape which seems to appeal to Chinese customers, but which is bad for heat dissipation and not particularly appealing to non-Asian customers.

On what basis do you assert that a particular form factor for the amplifier is to appeal to Chinese customers in particular? I've always assumed that this form factor, regardless of manufacturer, is provided as an option for desktop setups where there might not be room for a wider component.

 

[Velocipede_Acoustics]

The last time I tried an upgraded PSU for the A07, it made a LOT of powersupply noise that was very obnoxious through my speakers. I imagine they want him to test the bigger supply to show this is not a problem. I don't think there is some conspiracy...

 

[Mikig]

On what basis do you assert that a particular form factor for the amplifier is to appeal to Chinese customers in particular? I've always assumed that this form factor, regardless of manufacturer, is provided as an option for desktop setups where there might not be room for a wider component.

I agree with you.

It also makes sense because these manufacturers do not rely on physical stores, so the small box, with small packaging, certainly becomes cheaper to ship and deliver around the world.

 

[PlasticDoc]

I've always assumed that this form factor, regardless of manufacturer, is provided as an option for desktop setups where there might not be room for a wider component.

You were almost there: "this form factor, regardless of manufacturer, is provided as an option for desktop setups where there might not be room for a wider component".

The main market for Chinese companies is the domestic market. The average wage in China is around $USD1300/month. This does not leave much room for wider components, wider houses, wider rooms, or even desktops wide enough to accommodate audio equipment.

The other Chinese, those above the 90th percentile, are not buying Chi-fi.

There are a few Chinese companies, such as Xiaomi, that consistently produce well-designed, low-cost products that offer exceptional value for money, but not in consumer audio (Hi-Fi).

 

[tmtomh]

You were almost there: "this form factor, regardless of manufacturer, is provided as an option for desktop setups where there might not be room for a wider component".
The main market for Chi-fi companies is the domestic market. The average wage in China is around $USD1300/month. This does not leave much room for wider components, wider houses, wider rooms, or even desktops wide enough to accommodate audio equipment.
The other Chinese, those above the 90th percentile, are not buying Chi-fi.

Yeah, we're going to have to agree to disagree. The logic of what you're saying makes sense - but it applies equally well to people who live in very dense, high-housing-cost cities in the US, much of Europe, Japan, and many other parts of the world. So I'd say you were almost there.

 

[PlasticDoc]

but it applies equally well to people who live in very dense, high-housing-cost cities in the US, much of Europe, Japan, and many other parts of the world. So I'd say you were almost there.

You were absolutely right. This is why Chinese companies conduct "marketing research" by launching multiple short-lived products on forums such as ASR or diyaudio. They sow the seeds and see "what takes".

Japan differs significantly. They face space constraints, not only in densely populated, high-cost cities, but they tend to prefer more expensive audio components.

 

[daniboun]

The average wage in China is around $USD1300/month.

Hong Kong included ? ---)))

 

[Toni Mas]

Totally overpriced with useless features as XLR and sub out with crazy high low pass range.

 

[Toni Mas]

You were absolutely right. This is why Chinese companies conduct "marketing research" by launching multiple short-lived products on forums such as ASR or diyaudio. They sow the seeds and see "what takes".

Japan differs significantly. They face space constraints, not only in densely populated, high-cost cities, but they tend to prefer more expensive audio components.

I am getting fed up with buying short lived products... End of the learning curve coming soon...

 

[Guddu]

Chi-fi

Chi-fi.

Its sounds funny, but does not feel good. Sorry.

 

[Sokel]

The other Chinese, those above the 90th percentile, are not buying Chi-fi.

Those go with ESD Acoustics.

(They still don't stand a chance outside China as their industry must up as a whole and get rid of the general suspicion to get there)

 

[AdamG]

The other Chinese, those above the 90th percentile, are not buying Chi-fi.

Hi PlasticDoc,

Am assuming that you don't mean this in a derogatory manner towards all Chinese people. We have a Forum specific Policy to avoid this description. Therefore, we kindly request our Members avoid using this terminology “Chi-fi” as it can have negative connotations for such companies and individuals.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this regard.

 

[PlasticDoc]

Hong Kong included ? ---)))

The average wage in Hong Kong was around $USD4300/month. It seems that the figures about Hong Kong are now less reliable. They may be (much?) lower.

 

[TurtlePaul]

Excuse me Amir, the problem is not about the price difference... but rather about this. How do you explain this; knowing that these amps use the same chipset.....
Therefore, I doubt that a 480W PSU is really useful.... The same goes for the ZA3....
If we want to remove this doubt, would it be possible to measure especially since you have the two PSUs....

The problem with your “480 W” and “240 W” labels is that this isn’t how audio power bricks work. The Fosi 48V 5A brick doesn’t have over current protection (OCP) that kicks in right at 5 amps or over power protection (OPP) at 240 watts. It is delivering 141 watts x 2 in the test, so certainly it is delivering more than 6 amps, at least briefly, in this test. In fact, these amps are about 70% efficient so it is probably close to 8 amps.