AIYIMA A05 Review (Budget Amplifier)

[sarumbear]

A "true" audiophile, would hear the difference, instantly.

Very true but this amplifier is not meant for that market.

 

[Morpheus]

Value? I cannot see the point for this when you may get the much better A07 (TPA3255) with the same psu... at the same price.

Well, bluetooth plus tone controls can offset that in a very cheap system, for most non audiophiles ( 99-98% of the people?...)..Give this to a friend that doesn't care about audiophilia , or a nephew, with an used pair of small, quality bookshelfs for another 60 to 80 dollars and if they have a smartphone ( ie, they are living in this world..) they suddendly have a true hi-fiish system ( friend), or a killer bluetooth stereo system (nephew) that blows anything they heard before out of the water, and may open their eyes and foster their interest in quality music listening , for basically money that most, in developed or developing countries can afford with little sacrifice...
I think it was graded sensibly, taking price and expected uses in consideration and weighing in objective performance and features. For most of us here, yes, we would look at other gear or take different compromises like quoted above..

 

[restorer-john]

Another heavy handed opinion.

Stick to the measurements.

The measurements are crystal clear. It is not worth wasting time or money on. You'd be way better off buying a secondhand, mid powered integrated amplifier from the 1990s from a reputable Japanese manufacturer for your USD$80.

But for people who think bluetooth is "cool" and want something tiny and new, I guess it's OK.

 

[Chrispy]

Seems it's as good as much older stereo gear was/is at a great price and size for a variety of uses. If you don't need it don't buy it.

 

[sarumbear]

The measurements are crystal clear. It is not worth wasting time or money on.

I disagree and happy to see that @amirm agrees.

Conclusions
Getting decent amount of power and low distortion and noise is hard in ultra low price category but the AIYIMA A05 gets there. So I decided to grade it on a curve and give it my recommendation.

 

[Dogen]

This would be great to replace the little amp that powers the speakers for our wall-mounted bedroom TV. Whenever there’s a power outage or brownout, the one I have shuts off and I have to climb up near the ceiling to turn it back on. This seems to have a mechanical on/off switch, so it would be on when the power’s on. Exactly what I’m looking for, and good enough for the application. A receiver or integrated amp is out of the question due to space constraints.

 

[restorer-john]

I disagree

You can "disagree" all you like but that really means nothing. The measurements however, show the product performs considerably worse than just about any proper entry-mid level integrated amplifier I can think of.

It clearly shut down driving 4R before even approaching its ficticious specification of 105W. And it tripped into protection at the low end (20Hz sweep) at just 50W into 4R.

These little amplifiers are exactly what @pma said. Toys. That's fine, just don't put them in the same sentence as HiFi.

 

[GimeDsp]

I have Paradyne monitor SE(don't like them that much), mini DSP ddrs-24 and a topping PA3 for desktop use.
I am not happy with the IM of the mini DSP but I don't feel like the PA3 is the weakest link, maybe it is.

For desktop use the Ayima 5 may not be the weakest link unless you get a good DAC and and Good dsp OR proper speaker placement.

 

[sarumbear]

just don't put them in the same sentence as HiFi.

Who said they are Hi-Fi? It maybe news to you but this is an audio forum. Hi-Fi is just one aspect of audio.

You can "disagree" all you like but that really means nothing.

Anyway, I will stop arguing with you as it looks like you haven’t read my posts and you are very rude.

 

[teched58]

No balance control is a dealbreaker.

 

[Chrispy]

You can "disagree" all you like but that really means nothing. The measurements however, show the product performs considerably worse than just about any proper entry-mid level integrated amplifier I can think of.

It clearly shut down driving 4R before even approaching its ficticious specification of 105W. And it tripped into protection at the low end (20Hz sweep) at just 50W into 4R.

These little amplifiers are exactly what @pma said. Toys. That's fine, just don't put them in the same sentence as HiFi.

It's of reasonable high fidelity. It performs as good as many things did in the 50s-70s. Is there better? Sure. Will it generally cost more? Yep. Will it be larger and bulkier? Yep. Will it have digital capability and/or BT? Not likely. It's simply a tool for a particular job that has little to do with audiophilia type concerns. If you want "higher" fidelity, don't buy it then. I still would like to see these type of units reviewed rather than limit this to the usual silly preoccupation many "audiophiles" have with their bloody amps.

 

[Bruce Morgen]

The measurements are crystal clear. It is not worth wasting time or money on. You'd be way better off buying a secondhand, mid powered integrated amplifier from the 1990s from a reputable Japanese manufacturer for your USD$80.

Yeah, but such an option would be much larger, produce far more heat, and very likely require some degree of restoration -- i.e. cleaning of controls and switches and/or a more or less complete recap -- in order to perform reliably. Don't get me wrong, I love and use such "vintage" pieces in my own system -- e.g. I know of no modern equivalent for my mid-1980s Yamaha DSP-1 -- but they're less than ideal for the typical, fairly casual "desktop" music listener.

But for people who think bluetooth is "cool" and want something tiny and new, I guess it's OK.

Yup, and that's pretty much the target market for this product.

 

[Ken1951]

( 99-98% of the people?...

I think you might need to add quite a few digits past the 99.0%. It's bound to be a minute fraction of 1%.

who think bluetooth is "cool"

I don't know about "cool", but for many, many folks it's incredibly convenient.

But I agree that the Kenwood 7000 series integrated I had in college circa 1972 was likely a vastly superior made product. For most people these days, that ship has well and truly sailed and it's all about convenience.

 

[whazzup]

I got it!

A05 = ~-50dB distortion
A07 = ~-70dB distortion

 

[restorer-john]

But I agree that the Kenwood 7000 series integrated I had in college circa 1972 was likely a vastly superior made product.

The Kenwood "supreme" series were fabulous products. The model 600 integrated amplifier is a classic. The volume knob alone would weigh more than this Aiyima thing!

Model 600 inside:

600 front. Yes, the knobs are solid aluminium, secured with grub screws to solid shafts.

I have a 700c in my storeroom someplace given to me by the owner, when I was halfway through its restoration. I never bothered to finish it. I should get it out sometime.

 

[Chrispy]

The Kenwood "supreme" series were fabulous products. The model 600 integrated amplifier is a classic. The volume knob alone would weigh more than this Aiyima thing!

Model 600 inside:
View attachment 152237

600 front. Yes, the knobs are solid aluminium, secured with grub screws to solid shafts.
View attachment 152238

I have a 700c in my storeroom someplace given to me by the owner, when I was halfway through its restoration. I never bothered to finish it. I should get it out sometime.

Those go for $80?

 

[restorer-john]

Those go for $80?

No chance.

They are in the thousands now.

https://www.audioscope.net/kenwood-m-28.html?manufacturers_id=28

 

[Chrispy]

No chance.

They are in the thousands now.

https://www.audioscope.net/kenwood-m-28.html?manufacturers_id=28

So where's the comparison with this old receiver without a tuner?

 

[Bruce Morgen]

I think you might need to add quite a few digits past the 99.0%. It's bound to be a minute fraction of 1%.

I don't know about "cool", but for many, many folks it's incredibly convenient.

But I agree that the Kenwood 7000 series integrated I had in college circa 1972 was likely a vastly superior made product. For most people these days, that ship has well and truly sailed and it's all about convenience.

I'm very fond of those first-generation direct-coupled Kenwood separates myself. I used a KM-8002 -- the power amp version of the KA-7002 -- for years before I got my Adcom GFA-535, and it did a great job. That said, neither the Kenwood nor the Adcom were audibly better driving my vintage JBLs than my (four -- two are spares) Aiyima A07s when running them on DC in the mid-40s with adequate current sourcing. All in all though, for something designed 50+(!) years ago, that old Kenwood was one amazing piece of gear.

 

[respice finem]

You can "disagree" all you like but that really means nothing. The measurements however, show the product performs considerably worse than just about any proper entry-mid level integrated amplifier I can think of.

It clearly shut down driving 4R before even approaching its ficticious specification of 105W. And it tripped into protection at the low end (20Hz sweep) at just 50W into 4R.

These little amplifiers are exactly what @pma said. Toys. That's fine, just don't put them in the same sentence as HiFi.

I think you are both right, but talking of different applications. This is not a Hi-Fi amp, this is something a small shop owner might buy to play background music in his shop, etc. High parameters are not wrong, but not needed here. Perhaps the manufacturers should differentiate between "Hi-Fi amps" and "utility amps".
BTW: I think there is a reason (for this hypothetic shop owner) for buying this above the vintage amp: idle power consumption. I got a similar one @my GP facility, for years already, barely noticeable, cold even under load, and does its job. Not Hi-Fi, and doesn't need to be.