3e Audio A5 Stereo Amplifier Review

[Willem]

I have been using an AVA Maestro 50 chip amp in our bedroom system for some years. It has two important features for that application: auto on/off, just like this A5, and an optical digital input. We use it with the optical output of a Chromecast Audio, making for a very convenient system: you turn it on using your phone from your bed, and it turns itself off when there is no longer a signal. So it sits out of sight inside a wardrobe. The Maestro 50 is no longer made, and its power output is somewhat limited, so I keep an eye out for a potential successor. This A5 could be just that, if only it had an optical input. The Maestro also has the power supply neatly built in.
I will not yet replace the Maestro, but if it fails at least I now have a somewhat similar option with auto on/off.

 

[Joffy1780]

Available at Audiophonics as well as the A7SE and A5SE.

 

[ICIETDIYEUR]

Hi

Is 3eAudio trying to hide 'something' ?...

 

[SMen]

Hi amigos,

I think you should always provide contrast when giving an opinion)
I would therefore tend to compare this amp to the Topping PA5 II which was finally tested in August 2023 and which offers similar (or even better) performance at €169....
The performance / price ratio is just OK here...

It looks like 3e A5 provides 122w / 62w into 4 ohm and 8 ohm while the Topping provides 71w / 53w, and the 3e has a somewhat neater power supply. That power difference looks quite significant. I wonder also, but we don't know about performance into 2ohm loads (for comparison).
Good point about the price ... I think it might fluctuate a bit ... hopefully downwards given the Topping's latest price you mention! ... the 3e's were significantly discounted on first launch ... 15% lower than now I think.

Post edit ... just looked at the audiophonics prices ... much higher than I paid for an A5 on first launch on Ali. I think these (Audiophonics) are a bit high to start with ... and especially the A7! Ouch!... and that is including tax to Europe ... I think the A7 might be 1/3 higher!

 

[SMen]

3e will be helping to sell Toppings at those prices on Audiphonics.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

New in my amplifier tests, is power rating at 40 Hz which represents the reasonable low frequency for vast majority of users of audio systems:

A useful addition, thanks!

 

[somebodyelse]

The chips are TI, aren't they? Is there a "reference" amp made by TI to showcase them?

https://www.ti.com/tool/TPA3251EVM for the A5 models
https://www.ti.com/tool/TPA3255EVM for the A7 models
Neither include PFFB but there is a datasheet about the basics of how to use it: https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slaa788

 

[Birdy]

What a great little amp. These "entry" amp's are my "end amps". Lots of power and super low distortion far beyond my old hearing capabilities. Just amazing what they make for that price! Are we close to DAC performance and just talking about peanuts?

 

[Mnyb]

Hi

Is 3eAudio trying to hide 'something' ?...

View attachment 419308

View attachment 419309

Hopefully encasing circuits in goop does not cause similar thermal problems Topping had with some amps :/ when they tried to hide thier ip ,a generally crap idea. If you want to reverse engineer you just buy one amp, not hard for a competitor to do so it serves no purpose .

But maybe its for another purpose ? I don't know ?

 

[howard416]

https://www.ti.com/tool/TPA3251EVM for the A5 models
https://www.ti.com/tool/TPA3255EVM for the A7 models
Neither include PFFB but there is a datasheet about the basics of how to use it: https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slaa788

They're much more expensive now than when they were introduced. They also don't have performance nearly as good as the 3e units and also had some questionable design decisions (*dumb critic noises*). Namely:

1) Lack of easy way to implement passive PFFB (the way that they actually document for the public)
2) Signal input headers with tin-plated contacts, not gold-plated
3) Knowingly-mediocre output inductors, with no other adjacent through-holes or SMD pads for other inductor options to facilitate upgrading
4) No way to easily upgrade the DC power and speaker output terminals (the only exposed pads are not meant for soldering, but there are tiny through-holes which unfortunately are probably meant only for probing rather than soldering actual wires)

Otherwise solidly executed with lots of flexibility.

 

[howard416]

Actually I gather you have the pre-prod version there, as on the prod model the 12V trigger has been removed (unfortunately). It has auto on/off signal detection though and low power standby after 5 mins of no signal.



* image for A7, but same as A5 regarding no 12V trigger


JSmith

Fantastic performance by the unit but this is definitely disappointing.

 

[Roland68]

They're much more expensive now than when they were introduced. They also don't have performance nearly as good as the 3e units and also had some questionable design decisions (*dumb critic noises*). Namely:

1) Lack of easy way to implement passive PFFB (the way that they actually document for the public)
2) Signal input headers with tin-plated contacts, not gold-plated
3) Knowingly-mediocre output inductors, with no other adjacent through-holes or SMD pads for other inductor options to facilitate upgrading
4) No way to easily upgrade the DC power and speaker output terminals (the only exposed pads are not meant for soldering, but there are tiny through-holes which unfortunately are probably meant only for probing rather than soldering actual wires)

Otherwise solidly executed with lots of flexibility.

You forget that the amplifier chips are for inexpensive consumer devices and applications, as well as for the automotive sector. And that's exactly what the design is for.

All of these products here, Topping, Fosi, 3E Audio, etc. are just a niche area.
It's great that these manufacturers have been able to develop it so far and build such great and well-measured amplifiers for us.

 

[daniboun]

I still have a question regarding the pricing strategy.
The A7se has around 53% more power at 4R and around 62% more under 8R for an extra €10€...I wouldn't hesitate for long)

 

[daniboun]

Will this be powerful enough to drive the Revel Performa3 F208 or do I need to jump up to the A7 or A7 Mono pair?

Get the A7se instead,
For 10€ more than the A5 you will have more than 50% of power under 4R and 8R

 

[olieb]

The A7se has around 53% more power at 4R and around 62% more under 8R for an extra €10€...I wouldn't hesitate for long)

Yes, that sounds like an awful lot more, but it actually isn't. It is just 1.5-2dB more SPL that you get before the clipping led lights up. This might make a difference or it may not, depends on sensitivity of your speakers and your neighbors mainly.
And on the other hand you lose the current for high power into low impedance. Again, this might make a difference or not.

 

[capslock]

The "catch" would be long term reliability electronically, and thermal performance. If the Fosi v3 mono (and various Topping devices) have taught us, outstanding performance does not always acquaint to long term usage.

The other catch would be warranty? I can't see it available for sale anywhere other than Ali's Express.

I am well aware of the Topping issues, but what was the problem with the v3 mono?

 

[RosalieTheDog]

Get the A7se instead,
For 10€ more than the A5 you will have more than 50% of power under 4R and 8R

Can anyone explain why the A7 is so much more expensive than the A7se?

 

[Roland68]

Can anyone explain why the A7 is so much more expensive than the A7se?

2 x TPA3255, components, higher development effort, smaller quantity.

 

[capslock]

It is rather the seller will "adjust" the price to remove VAT from the item. You then have to declare and pay VAT yourself (mostly through the courier)

Specifically, the tax will subtracted, but then you have to pay the full VAT on the product and the shipping cost + a brokerage fee that ranges from €6 to € 18 for the local parcel services that end up delivering Aliexpress shipments in Germany.

The A5 with shipping to Germany today lists for € 274.99 + €18.81 for shipping (actually, it gets cheaper if you select USD: $ 273.69 + $ 19.07 -- as a New Year surprise Aliexpress have decided to earn some money for listing the price in Euros, but they don't apply that to shipping). So sticking with the Euro pricing, doing the adjustment, figuring 19% VAT on adjusted product price and shipping and adding a typical brokerage fee of € 10 I get about € 309.

Part of the problem until yesterday was that 3e were selling only through Aliexpress. For products from other brands that are available also through hifigo, Linsoul, Amazon or ebay, prices on Aliexpress are typically about 20-30% higher, maybe because Aliexpress charges an even higher royalty than the other places. Hifigo and Linsoul seem to be reasonable partners for small companies -- IVX (E1DA) sells through them, too, and his Aliexpress shop no longer ships to Germany because of red tape (you have to register for electronic waste disposal etc.).

3e sell through Aliexpress but are not actually participating in the things that make Aliexpress a little more attractive (they are one of the handful of sellers for which there is no cashback, coins don't work either, shipping is rather expensive as they chose not to offer free shipping through Aliexpress, and I had problems with Aliexpress coupons not working for them in the past - this time the Aliexpress coupons were all gone three days into the sale week).

I am very pleased that Audiophonics carry them as of today (checked yesterday, then they weren't yet) and at their pricing. For German VAT, the price is € 276,68€ and free shipping, and I get easier warranty returns. The was not the case for the 260-2-29A modules, which were about 20% more expensive than via Aliexpress, and the Mornsun power supplies that go with them were out of stock for a long time, and they never offered the encapsulated version that 3e carries, so I sadly ended up ordering my modules from Aliexpress.

 

[capslock]

It looks like 3e A5 provides 122w / 62w into 4 ohm and 8 ohm while the Topping provides 71w / 53w, and the 3e has a somewhat neater power supply. That power difference looks quite significant. I wonder also, but we don't know about performance into 2ohm loads (for comparison).
Good point about the price ... I think it might fluctuate a bit ... hopefully downwards given the Topping's latest price you mention! ... the 3e's were significantly discounted on first launch ... 15% lower than now I think.

Post edit ... just looked at the audiophonics prices ... much higher than I paid for an A5 on first launch on Ali. I think these (Audiophonics) are a bit high to start with ... and especially the A7! Ouch!... and that is including tax to Europe ... I think the A7 might be 1/3 higher!

The PA5 II lists at € 164.14 on hifigo, but I am not sure if that is an expired sales price, because when you click on it, the price (with 19% German VAT) is € 193.11. But the A5 should really be compared to the PA5 II that has about 40% more power into 4 Ohms. It lists at € 251.33 on hifigo.

I have Amir's results for the A5 and PA5 II copied side by side. Unless the 15 kHz THD+N will tell us a different story, I'd still argue that aside from the power, the PA5 II is still a hair's breadth ahead:

- SINAD is identical
- 1 kHz 2nd and 3rd harmonic are 2 dB lower in the PA5 II (ok, that is within unit-to-unit variation), but maybe more significantly, harmonics in the 12 - 20 kHz range are about 8 dB lower for the PA5 II
- similarly, in the multitone IMD test, the grass in the 12 - 20 kHz range is about 5 dB lower in the PA5 II
- in two-tone IMD, 18 and 21 kHz products are about 2 dB lower in the PA5 II
- for the next order (16 andd 22 kHz), the PA5 II is aobout 8 dB lower
- (for the products around 38 kHz, the A5 is about 15 dB better, but I think this is owed to a steeper output filter rather than better transfer function linearity)

I did a similar side by side with archimago's tests of the A5 and PA5 II Plus, and they were more like head-to-head regarding SINAD and IMD, and with a (smaller) edge on output power for the A5 (4R: 121 vs. 102 W, 8R 62 vs. 56 W).

So other than the 10 - 20% higher output power (depending on whether you look at 4 or 8 R and the Plus version or not), I do not yet see what the A5 does better, even if it comes close or maybe draws equal.

How does the A5 achieve higher power? It does use 2x TPA3251 whereas Topping never told us what chip they use or how many.