I own the Aiyma A08 and no longer recommend it as a desktop Amp/DAC to be used with a computer unless you use a separate USB DAC. I will edit my "
owner review" with a cross-posting of this reply's information. I suggest awareness of a possible similar problem with the Aiyima A200 BT Amp/DAC until its USB function can be scrutinized and tested to see if it uses the same problematic USB/Bluetooth hybrid DAC implementation - and not a proper discrete internal USB DAC.
I am currently using my older SMSL Sanskrit 6th DAC to convert my PC's USB audio out and feed it to the A08 via RCA interconnects. That configuration works great and sounds great. I also have both Apple and Meizu USB C dongle DACs on the way, and either of those should simplify my system and retain the good performance. It will be nice to replace the much more complicated solution of the SMSL DAC with its wall-wart PS, DAC-in-a-box metal case, and AC, DC and USB cabling. Using a USB C dongle gets rid of some desktop clutter, and is basically like a single cable from the PC to the amplifier with a lump (DAC) and a Y-splitter to two RCA connectors along the way.
It seems it is the successor of the A08, would be interesting to see what their differences are as the chipsets seem to be the same and the A08 is stated at their website with higher SNR:
The A200's USB input is realized using the D/A conversion function in the qcc3034 BT module. There is no dedicated DAC for USB input. So USB input performance will be the same as BT.
I still consider the A08 to be an excellent desktop amplifier, but the USB implementation really sucks. The comment by
@Toku explains why. Although the sound quality from the amplifier is good, when used as a desktop sound system for a PC (mine is an Intel NUC8BEH running Windows 11) there is always a lag after the PC plays a sound and the speakers start to react and the sound becomes audible. Also, when playing videos and skipping back and forth with the mouse or shortcut keys, sometimes the sound stops and the video continues to play, and I have to jump back and forth before the the sound randomly returns - and sometimes it doesn't return.
Below is an image of the clean USB implementation of the SMSL Sanskrit 6th DAC (top 3 rows) vs the messy USB implementation of the Aiyima A08 (next 6 rows). Windows 11 also sees the Aiyima implementation as a 32Gb USB mass storage device - which it isn't - and assigns it a drive letter. And the Aiyima does not provide a "Device Name" which makes it difficult for many people to identify when looking at a list of connected USB devices on their PC. Sloppy design.
I have also seen an identical looking TPA3255 amplifier from Weilang/Breeze at Aliexpress called the
"Breeze BRZHIFI TPA3255 Bluetooth 5.0 high-power fever vertical digital power amplifier 300WX2". So my question is, does Aiyima really have engineers and designers like Topping and SMSL? Or are they buying and re-labeling generic Chinese commodity products?