AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Review (Amplifier)

[AudioArchitech]

thanks, that helps to compare. yes, I use E30 in DAC mode too. Either the A08 is not as good as A07 or mine has issues. will warranty

 

[Joe Smith]

Yeah, no, I'm mostly used to running class AB amps and the a07 amp is very solid, in fact with my 87 db efficient KEFs I'm currently using with it, it's loud by 10 o' clock and I never use past 12 o'clock on the knob. And that's with the 32v 5a power supply. So that a08 is definitely not right.

 

[Walter]

Are the JLE 3255 really that much better?

I would say yes, and the one Allo is developing probably will be, also, but the $400+ price I've seen estimated makes it sound unappealing. The new Topping PA5 may or may not be basedon the 3255. If it is, it would essentially represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved with this chip family.

The Aiyima amps are great value, but they are budget products that deliver 80% of the sound quality for 20%-30% of what it costs to make a significant improvement.

Note: I'm not saying your amp isn't faulty. I was just addressing your question in a general sense.

 

[AudioArchitech]

I would say yes, and the one Allo is developing probably will be, also, but the $400+ price I've seen estimated makes it sound unappealing. The new Topping PA5 may or may not be basedon the 3255. If it is, it would essentially represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved with this chip family.

The Aiyima amps are great value, but they are budget products that deliver 80% of the sound quality for 20%-30% of what it costs to make a significant improvement.

Note: I'm not saying your amp isn't faulty. I was just addressing your question in a general sense.

been thinking of building a IcePower 200AS2 (TPA3255) $165 for the board (+ more $ for a case..). I'm guessing this is the sweet spot price/performance ratio. Hypex NC252MP looks great too but more $$

 

[pma]

Some measurements with 50V/10A power supply - THD and THD+N (aka SINAD) at 1kHz and 6kHz with 6.8 ohm resistor load and both channel driven. Just to imagine what power you may get with power supply with higher voltage and current capability. 2x100W/6.8 ohm makes 3.83Arms output current per channel, 7.66Arms total.

THD+N vs. frequency at 75W/6.8ohm

 

[pma]

This is the result of "continuous power" test. The unit was switched on at idle conditions for 15 minutes (no input signal). Then it was tested by 1kHz sine wave at 2x75W/6.8ohm. The unit switched off itself (thermal shutdown) after 1 minute 38 seconds. Below is the signal record.

Next time it was after 2 min 50 sec. So it depends on chip/heatsink initial temperature as well.

At lower power, 2x38W/6.8ohm, it shuts down after 8 min 45 sec. So, what is the rated power of this amplifier??

Car analogy comes to my mind.
"My car has top speed of 120mph, however after running at 75mph it will stop with boiling coolant after 2 minutes. Not so bad in the town where we have 32mph limit - it is able to run almost 9 minutes at 38mph".
Wouldn't it be nice to have such specs?

 

[bravomail]

This is the result of "continuous power" test. The unit was switched on at idle conditions for 15 minutes (no input signal). Then it was tested by 1kHz sine wave at 2x75W/6.8ohm. The unit switched off itself (thermal shutdown) after 1 minute 38 seconds. Below is the signal record.


Next time it was after 2 min 50 sec. So it depends on chip/heatsink initial temperature as well.

At lower power, 2x38W/6.8ohm, it shuts down after 8 min 45 sec. So, what is the rated power of this amplifier??

Car analogy comes to my mind.
"My car has top speed of 120mph, however after running at 75mph it will stop with boiling coolant after 2 minutes. Not so bad in the town where we have 32mph limit - it is able to run almost 9 minutes at 38mph".
Wouldn't it be nice to have such specs?

Thx! very interesting!
that was with 50V10A power supply?
can u try the same with included power supply, or maybe u have another PSU with lower voltages?

 

[pma]

Thx! very interesting!
that was with 50V10A power supply?
can u try the same with included power supply, or maybe u have another PSU with lower voltages?

Yes it was with 50V/10A power supply.
Some results with different power supplies you may find in this thread

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier Measurements and Review - LM4562 (and OPA2134) option

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier Measurements LM4562 option I received my A07 yesterday, on January 6, 2021, shipped from Italy. Purchased at Amazon.de and as stated on their website, it arrived without a power supply. I am testing the A07 with 2 different power supplies. One of them is a linear...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And with 27V SMPS here

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 amplifier with MW RS-100-24 SMPS power supply (measurements)

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier with MW RS-100-24 SMPS Power Supply I have just received the Mean Well RS-100-24 SMPS power supply, connected it to AIYIMA A07 and made a set of measurements and some listening. As the amplifier must be paired with a power supply and these 2 units make a complete...

www.audiosciencereview.com

With the 27V SMPS, there was never a situation that the amplifier would shut down. But output power was of course reduced.

My A07 package did not contain any power supply, so I cannot try it with the factory supplied one.
My 50V/10A is my own produced linear power supply. The 27V SMPS is Meanwell RS-100-24, as you may see in the linked thread.

Lower PSU voltage means less amplifier maximum power but also less dissipated power, so the thermal shut down probability is lower or non-existent.

 

[bravomail]

Yes it was with 50V/10A power supply.
Some results with different power supplies you may find in this thread

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier Measurements and Review - LM4562 (and OPA2134) option

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier Measurements LM4562 option I received my A07 yesterday, on January 6, 2021, shipped from Italy. Purchased at Amazon.de and as stated on their website, it arrived without a power supply. I am testing the A07 with 2 different power supplies. One of them is a linear...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And with 27V SMPS here

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 amplifier with MW RS-100-24 SMPS power supply (measurements)

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Amplifier with MW RS-100-24 SMPS Power Supply I have just received the Mean Well RS-100-24 SMPS power supply, connected it to AIYIMA A07 and made a set of measurements and some listening. As the amplifier must be paired with a power supply and these 2 units make a complete...

www.audiosciencereview.com

With the 27V SMPS, there was never a situation that the amplifier would shut down. But output power was of course reduced.

My A07 package did not contain any power supply, so I cannot try it with the factory supplied one.
My 50V/10A is my own produced linear power supply. The 27V SMPS is Meanwell RS-100-24, as you may see in the linked thread.

Lower PSU voltage means less amplifier maximum power but also less dissipated power, so the thermal shut down probability is lower or non-existent.

thx! so I stand by my suggestion of using 24V10A PSU.
power is useless without proper radiator.

 

[NTK]

Car analogy comes to my mind.
"My car has top speed of 120mph, however after running at 75mph it will stop with boiling coolant after 2 minutes. Not so bad in the town where we have 32mph limit - it is able to run almost 9 minutes at 38mph".
Wouldn't it be nice to have such specs?

How long will your car last running in 1st gear and redline? 100000 miles, 10000 miles, 1000 miles, or 100 miles?

More importantly, I don't want a car that can last 100000 miles in 1st gear at redline. I don't need it, and I surely don't want to pay for that gearbox.

 

[pma]

thx! so I stand by my suggestion of using 24V10A PSU.
power is useless without proper radiator.

Higher PSU voltage would give you a reserve for power short-time peaks. So depends what you need.

 

[AudioArchitech]

I was just checking out the Aiyima A07 on Amazon.com and read this:

Note:When using a 32V or 36V power supply, the sound quality of the A07 amplifier will be better, the distortion rate will be low, and the service life will be longer, but the power can only reach the size of the voltage multiplied by the current. For example, using a 32V 5A power supply, the power can only reach Max 160W.

Therefore, please choose the speaker and power supply reasonably according to the requirements, so that the machine can achieve the best use effect.

Please pay attention!
Q: Why the amplifier distortion when raising volume ?
A: Under normal circumstances, distortion is caused by the mismatch between the power of the amplifier and the speaker. Therefore, it can be reasonably matched according to the ratio of 1.2-1.5 to 1 between the power amplifier and the speaker
Q: How to match the amplifier and speakers reasonably?
A: The best match is 1.2-1.5:1 (that is, the speaker power is 50W, then the power amplifier power is 60W-75W)
Q: The power amplifier is connected correctly, why is there noise such as electric current?
A: 1.please check whether there is current sound when no load, and whether there is no current sound when no load; 2.please replace the audio input wire and input device. Inferior audio lines can also cause noise; 3.If there is current noise at no load, you can replace the power supply to test again; 4.Power Supply & speaker power do not match with the Amplifier, will also lead to noise problems such as distortion ;5.At the same time, confirm that the surrounding current signals will not cause interference to the equipment; 6.Please make sure all the cable completely pushed into the device,incompletely connections will create distorted.At the same time, it is ensured that there is a spacing between the output positive and negative audio lines, being close together will cause noise or one of the channels will not work;
Q: Can this A07 work with headphones ?
A: This A07 does not work with headphones,3.5mm AUX interface is mainly used for audio output, it can also be used as audio input.But 3.5 mm AUX and RCA input port cannot be used as input at the same time.Please keep in mind!
Note:The use of audio electronic products is closely related to the size of the speaker and the power supply. It should be used in a reasonable combination.
So any doubt, please ask me for technical assistance. We will give you a very satisfactory service.
www.amazon.com/hz/help/contact/A3BG62S1F23IH5# .Or leave any of your instant messaging account and I'll contact you!

This is a A07 chart showing how to choose the power supply and Speaker​

And when I was just checking out the Aiyima A07 on Amazon.ca (Canada) I read this:

Package with a DC 32V 5A Power Adapter for free. But if you want to get the maximum power of 300W, you need to buy a power adapter that uses DC 48V and current is above 7A (Cannot use linear power supply)

 

[pma]

I was just checking out the Aiyima A07 on Amazon and read this:

This is a A07 chart showing how to choose the power supply and Speaker​

Sorry, this is a marketing bla bla again. Real world results are very different and were posted here. This chart is a misleading lie, this lie applies especially to higher voltage power supplies listed.

 

[Walter]

If you want to know the total amount of power the chip can produce in a properly implemented device, just look at the datasheet. You will see, for instance, that 10 amps current would be wasted if only using 24V. And PMA already proved the part above about the linear power supply is incorrect.

Edit to add additional info: The reason 24v/10A makes no sense is that far a TPA3255 in BTL configuration like the A07 is, the impedance would have to be far below the minimum allowable before it would be able to draw that much current. I can't see any reason for using a 24v PSU with this amp unless you just happen to have one already and don't nee more power--or maybe you don't need more power but will be using it at near max for sustained periods. Even then, 32v/5a still seems like the better choice.

 

[Lambda]

thx! so I stand by my suggestion of using 24V10A PSU.
power is useless without proper radiator.

Based on what?

There seem to be a huge misconception in the HiFi world about"W" and "VA"

A real world Speaker is not at all a Resistor but a mostly reactive load.

And in what area do we need the most power in music....

Waht is the crest factor in music?!...

So what dose this tell us?!
Apparent power in to the speaker "VA" is not at all Equal to power draw from the power supply!
Most Apparent Power you put in a real speaker comes right back out of the speaker.
Thats why its called apparent power or "VA" not Watts.
Especially at low frequency's apparent speaker impedance is High. so it needs lots of Volts to drive but not mush real power.
To get any Significant Apparent power at low frequency you need way way more Volts. compared to what you would need to get real power in a restive load.
The most "power" in music is in the Low Frequency's.
At Low Frequency speaker impedance is not even close to its rated impedance or DC resistance.
Music has a mush higher crest factor than Sine waves.

So a 1Khz test in a Restive load is not at alle real world like.
Not even closes.

Power supply voltage is way more impotent than continuous power!
for any kind of real world load or for any kind of real world signal (aka music)
and especially for a the combination of real world load and real world music

 

[bravomail]

sorry if I make u guys unhappy. Yes, I had a spare 24V10A PSU. And no, I don't need more voltage. My normal volume pot position is at 9-o-clock with my 2 tower JBL Stage A170 speakers. At 11-o-clock it becomes unbearably loud. And it can go up to 3-o-clock.
Here's what I know about volts vs ampers in PSUs - in good PSUs voltage won't sag (they have stabilizers for it), so your amp will never be affected by "not enough voltage", you just won't get enough gain (enough loudness in your speakers).
However, especially with impedance in speakers going as low as 2 Ohm depending on frequency, your amp will try to draw a higher current (needing more ampers), and if PSU cannot provide it, you will get a "distortion".
The same "philosophy" applies to PC PSUs, surprizingly. They all can supply a standard voltage. It is how many max ampers they provide make their "wattage" number - like 1000W PSU. And guess what those new GPUs and CPUs need? More current.
in case of A07 - more voltage is more harmful, as it produces more heat, so much that amp will shutdown itslef. So decision is very simple - get less volts, and more ampers.
Thx, pma, again - for doing a research with those 36V PSUs.

 

[Walter]

sorry if I make u guys unhappy. Yes, I had a spare 24V10A PSU. And no, I don't need more voltage. My normal volume pot position is at 9-o-clock with my 2 tower JBL Stage A170 speakers. At 11-o-clock it becomes unbearably loud. And it can go up to 3-o-clock.
Here's what I know about volts vs ampers in PSUs - in good PSUs voltage won't sag (they have stabilizers for it), so your amp will never be affected by "not enough voltage", you just won't get enough gain (enough loudness in your speakers).
However, especially with impedance in speakers going as low as 2 Ohm depending on frequency, your amp will try to draw a higher current (needing more ampers), and if PSU cannot provide it, you will get a "distortion".
The same "philosophy" applies to PC PSUs, surprizingly. They all can supply a standard voltage. It is how many max ampers they provide make their "wattage" number - like 1000W PSU. And guess what those new GPUs and CPUs need? More current.
in case of A07 - more voltage is more harmful, as it produces more heat, so much that amp will shutdown itslef. So decision is very simple - get less volts, and more ampers.
Thx, pma, again - for doing a research with those 36V PSUs.

It is your amp. You are welcome to use any PSU you like, and I can't see that making anyone else unhappy. We just provide info so that anyone reading this thread can make informed decisions. Please do note that this chip does not support less than 3.4 ohm minimum impedance in BTL mode, so if you have a speaker that dips to 2 ohms, you should choose a different amp.

 

[Lambda]

you just won't get enough gain (enough loudness in your speakers).

Wrong. the gain is fixed and not affected by the input voltage.
Lower input voltage gives you earlier clipping that's all.

However, especially with impedance in speakers going as low as 2 Ohm depending on frequency, your amp will try to draw a higher current (needing more ampers), and if PSU cannot provide it, you will get a "distortion".

Also Wrong.
Your Amp will Draw Less current per provided current the higher input voltage and you will get distortion if Voltage is to low.

Please do note that this chip does not support less than 3.4 ohm minimum impedance in BTL mode, so if you have a speaker that dips to 2 ohms, you should choose a different amp.

You can uses this chip amp to power a 1 Ohm load with no problem as long as you don't exceed its rated Output current.
So you can't reach high powers and it won't be very efficient but it can be done.

 

[Xulonn]

Repeat..the aiyima 07 is the best amp ever....the best class D amp...hifi at its best....got 6 sets speakers,kef wharfedale philips etc.
The purify hpa-s 400 classD sounds not so good ....theire are 7 years old.
And speakers below the 2 ohm don't exist....the boy KMA talks bla bla bla he is lying all the time.....its all fake.

Thank you for that articulate, intelligent and informed post. The world now knows that Purify amps suck and Aiyima is simply the best amplifier ever made. Your measurement instrumentation and blind listening/comparison techniques are extraordinary, and your supporting evidence is indisputable...

/s

 

[bramsat]

The truth must been told Xulon!