3e audio A7/A7 Mono Amplifier Review

[pickyAudiophile]

A better way - turn. your amp down to zero, then your dac up to full. Play a loud track. Increase the amp until the volume is just a little higher than you ever want to listen to.

Thanks. Of course from reading articles and following discussions over all these years I learned that attenuating the volume shall be executed not in the final stage of amplification, if avoidable. However, there's these three things why I still prefer not relying on single stage of control.

1. pre-loudness-war musical content requires one to set the "absolute ever" maximum volume like ....really high. There's also modern anti-loudness content out there produced by artists in a quiet fashion very, very consciously, e/g oftenly used in genres like noise, soud art, minimalism.
   For me it's virtually impossible to have three objectives integrated into one single stage of control: protecting speaker drivers, headphones and ears from excess volume shocks, plus a wide and finely graduated range of volume control for all types of musical content, plus suggested smart SNR considerations...
2. precaution for the case of physical connection issues causing blasts, just e/g hairline-crack broken off from PCB ground connector latches inside of RCA-XLR terminals
3. precaution for issues resulting from computing (coding), e/g firmware bugs, electronic volume control position sensing malfunction

Since there is no solution for "bit perfect total volume equalization" and highly reactive split second emergency muting right now I might consider integrating in-line-attenuators once again combined with maximum volume setting then.
Still, if someone could describe briefly whether the pots 3e integrates into their finished amps (A7, A5) are of a stepped, firm, loose, floppy(?) type. ...That would be appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 88178]

Hi everyone, sorry if this was already mentioned and I missed it.
Are there reliable measurements of the 3e audio a7se available?

 

[Roland68]

Hi everyone, sorry if this was already mentioned and I missed it.
Are there reliable measurements of the 3e audio a7se available?

The A7se has very similar measurements and about 10% less power.
However, it only has one TPA3255 chip instead of two like the A7.
As a result, it lacks 2-ohm capability.

Personally, I would recommend the A7, or if less power is needed, the slightly cheaper A5.

 

[Deleted member 88178]

The A7se has very similar measurements and about 10% less power.
However, it only has one TPA3255 chip instead of two like the A7.
As a result, it lacks 2-ohm capability.

Personally, I would recommend the A7, or if less power is needed, the slightly cheaper A5.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 88178]

Thanks

The A7se has very similar measurements and about 10% less power.
However, it only has one TPA3255 chip instead of two like the A7.
As a result, it lacks 2-ohm capability.

Personally, I would recommend the A7, or if less power is needed, the slightly cheaper A5.

If it is not too much to ask, how does the 3e audio A7 compare in your opinion to the hypex NC252 and NC502?

 

[Roland68]

If it is not too much to ask, how does the 3e audio A7 compare in your opinion to the hypex NC252 and NC502?

Based on my own experience, I would prefer the A7 to the NC252.
I would only consider the NC502 if the increased performance were absolutely necessary.

 

[SMen]

Based on my own experience, I would prefer the A7 to the NC252.
I would only consider the NC502 if the increased performance were absolutely necessary.

Interesting. By increased performance, are you primarily thinking of power? Just looked up the NC502 and it is indeed enormously powerful @ 2x500W 4 Ohm, while the NC252 is much more on a par with the A7 @ 2x250 4 Ohm. The A7 does seem to be holding its own with time.

 

[Crook]

A better way - turn. your amp down to zero, then your dac up to full. Play a loud track. Increase the amp until the volume is just a little higher than you ever want to listen to.

Leave the amp on that setting and control the volume down from that point on the DAC.

This way, you :
1 - maximise the SNR out of the DAC
2 - if the Dac ever messes up and sets itself to full volume - your speakers are still safe.

I'll give that a go, an extra bit of protection is always good. Dac is RME Dac FS, so I don't expect it to do a 'Topping' on me, but hey you never know

 

[antcollinet]

Since DACs are at least 32bit, isn't the SNR benefit negligible?

Yes.

Also, the pot in the amplifier, being a high-value resistor, is the source of noise in itself. Bypassing it eliminates one of the sources of noise.

Valid point. But equally inaudible.

Can the digital volume control in the preamp set itself to full volume? Maybe, since everything is possible, even if it's not likely

It's controlled by a computer - computers mess up all the time. There have been some reports of this happening, though I don't know anyone who has experienced it - I've no idea how likely it is. But worth the zero cost and almost zero effort of turning down the amp volume - if your amp has a volume control.

 

[wavetrade]

Possibly a stupid question... But how do you get your XLR cable out of the A7? Everything I have used before had a release tab. With this do you just pull harder?

As a side note, it sounds fantastic.

 

[ziggurcat]

Possibly a stupid question... But how do you get your XLR cable out of the A7? Everything I have used before had a release tab. With this do you just pull harder?

As a side note, it sounds fantastic.

The input doesn't have a push tab to release the cable, so it should just pull out.

 

[NTK]

Possibly a stupid question... But how do you get your XLR cable out of the A7? Everything I have used before had a release tab. With this do you just pull harder?

As a side note, it sounds fantastic.

For example, Neutrik offers 2 types, one with latch lock, and the other with retention spring. Just pull harder with the retention spring type.

 

[wavetrade]

The input doesn't have a push tab to release the cable, so it should just pull out.

Figured this must the answer. It did "click" in and felt locked when I gently pulled. Hopefully a firmer pull will be all that is needed.

Thanks for the quick answer!

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

I own 2 of these in mono and am getting listening fatigue and harshness with higher pitched female vocals. Is it possible that class D just isn't for me? I dont want to switch amps out for no reason.

 

[Guddu]

I own 2 of these in mono and am getting listening fatigue and harshness with higher pitched female vocals. Is it possible that class D just isn't for me? I dont want to switch amps out for no reason.

What are your speakers?
It could most probably be your speakers and room interaction than 3e A7.

 

[Bleib]

What are your speakers?
It could most probably be your speakers and room interaction than 3e A7.

This is likely the case. With some DACs for instance cheapaudioman complain that it's too bright. But then again he tests the DACs with some quite bright Sony speakers.

Even when I had much younger ears I never heard a difference between a well designed class D and "normal" AB

 

[pickyAudiophile]

I own 2 of these in mono and am getting listening fatigue and harshness with higher pitched female vocals. Is it possible that class D just isn't for me? I dont want to switch amps out for no reason.

No.
With introducing these mono blocks you fixed the stage of final amplification to "transparent". It's recommended to fix, maybe replace, loudspeakers next. Finally check the source (DAC, preamp). It might be a matter of output impedance incompatibility between your source components and input impedance of the mono blocks, but a quality issue with speakers is much more likely! You may consider free-of-charge equalization starting with a simple 10 band equalizer (app). E/g free from ads "Precise Volume 2.0 + equalizer" app for Android (Google Play Store). Or "Equalizer Apo" tool for Windows machines. ....iOS- don't know.
If that still doesn't work out it might be in the recording itself! Maybe getting rid of these "human sirens" altogether might fix the problem. E/g for me any kind of human enunciated "vocals" instantly causes fatigue and sometimes nausea. By myself I prefer the genre of "field recording" with nature sounds and delicate animal voices captured.

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

No.
With introducing these mono blocks you fixed the stage of final amplification to "transparent". It's recommended to fix, maybe replace, loudspeakers next. Finally check the source (DAC, preamp). It might be a matter of output impedance incompatibility between your source components and input impedance of the mono blocks, but a quality issue with speakers is much more likely! You may consider free-of-charge equalization starting with a simple 10 band equalizer (app). E/g free from ads "Precise Volume 2.0 + equalizer" app for Android (Google Play Store). Or "Equalizer Apo" tool for Windows machines. ....iOS- don't know.
If that still doesn't work out it might be in the recording itself! Maybe getting rid of these "human sirens" altogether might fix the problem. E/g for me any kind of human eneunciated "vocals" instantly causes fatigue and sometimes nausea. By myself I prefer the genre of "field recording" with nature sounds and delicate animal voices captured.

I am using revel f208 speakers, experienced the same on my previous KEFQ750

 

[SMen]

I own 2 of these in mono and am getting listening fatigue and harshness with higher pitched female vocals. Is it possible that class D just isn't for me? I dont want to switch amps out for no reason.

Also check the source ... and indeed the source the source is reproducing...

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

What are your speakers?
It could most probably be your speakers and room interaction than 3e A7.

Speakers are f208, I had the same issue with kefq750, the room has 9 2'x4' home made acoustic panels with 3.5 inch thick insulation in them behind acoustically transparent fabric.