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Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

Walter

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Wowow. You Netherlands peeps are getting the shaft on the price. :facepalm:
Someone else said they got it for 300 Euros in the Netherlands. Unless the Yamaha is just incredibly cheap there, that does not seem to make sense.
 

Doodski

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Someone else said they got it for 300 Euros in the Netherlands. Unless the Yamaha is just incredibly cheap there, that does not seem to make sense.
Yes, in Canada the Yamaha A-S501 is ~$799.00 and the Topping PA5 is $459.00 Big price difference.
 

Astojab

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Thanks for the review and yes this is impressive. However, at least here in the Netherlands, about the same money buys you a more powerful Yamaha AS501 with digital and MM inputs, tone and loudness controls etc. The traditional Yamaha is admittedly bulky.
Its a different usecase and measures much worse. For me this is the perfect desktop amp, but I hope Topping will release a poweram that goes with the D90/pre 90 which has at least twice the power.
 

Papaya_X

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Ok it is very impressive in terms of measurement but does it sounds good ?
It is not because it is technically very impressive that in terms of musicality it will do the job, no ?
 

Dennis_FL

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Topping got you covered there as well...

I have a Gustard X16, a Gustard H16 and the PA3 can go on the bottom.

This is great!!!
 

Papaya_X

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Buy one and give us all your subjective impressions... but take note of the manual too;



JSmith
I'm afraid I don't have good enough ears and experience to make a review !
I'm trying to choose between the Sabaj A20a/SMSL AO200 and this one.

That's clear that the measurements outperformed the Sabaj and SMSL, but I'm wondering if it outperforms the sound quality, musicality and overall perception ?
 

F1308

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I'm afraid I don't have good enough ears and experience to make a review !
I'm trying to choose between the Sabaj A20a/SMSL AO200 and this one.

That's clear that the measurements outperformed the Sabaj and SMSL, but I'm wondering if it outperforms the sound quality, musicality and overall perception ?
Don't you think "overall perception" is a priceless outboard feature common to anything you could put your own hands on ?
 

DSJR

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Yamaha AS 501 is £399 here and Topping £349 from Amazon. For 'legacy' systems with RCA connections, I suspect the Yamaha may well be a better buy, but that little Topping is so cute though (I love the black with red trimmed volume control myself). Old-hand manufacturers really must wake up and acknowledge new designs like this as well as the best of yesteryear at this level (the aforementioned Yamaha which goes back twenty or more years under the skin I believe).

Can someone in the US please send Amir one of the Yamaha models or close ancestor to test? I know they've been 'done' by others, but an ASR-official test would be nice, even if it's only an ancestor 396/596 or similar, just to put it all into perspective. Not sure the AV models are related.
 

Willem

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I paid 359 euros for the AS501 for my daughter, including taxes
 

greenpsycho

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Honestly contemplating selling my starke ad4.320 and picking up 2 of these (3 channel home theater setup). Plenty of power, and I could just max out the pot and control volume via my processor.
 

ah-ra

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Another great review. Sorry, if this is a stupid question, but if someone would like to use this as pure power amp for 2ch system and combine it with a pre amp, to what level would one adjust the volume control of the PA5...? 100%?
Theoretical question, as the unit doesn't seem to be available in Germany, at least not via the usual channels....
 
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