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AIYIMA A300 Review (Stereo Amplifier)

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 33 17.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 120 61.9%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 38 19.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 3 1.5%

  • Total voters
    194

JSmith

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Walter

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We actually want to make a good product, so we send it to Amirm for testing. We want to find problems through Amirm's professional tests, and know what you think through more professional comments and replies, so as to optimize our products. As you said, the results of the test were very poor and actually had a lot of negative impact on sales. But we believe that a professional and high-quality product will have good sales, so temporary problems will not stop us. We've always wanted to make a better amplifier.
So currently we are optimizing the A300 based on the test results.
Very commendable. It does not appear that you missed by very much in making an excellent product for the price. Of course, I'm not an engineer so it may be that "not much" from a measurement standpoint may mean "a lot of work" from an engineering standpoint.
 

Toku

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Looking at the measurement data of amirm, I thought.
This amp looks like it has a balanced input on an XLR connector, but I suspect the actual circuit is the same unbalanced input as the RCA input. The XLR connector seems to be intended to make it look like it has a balanced input.
What do you think?
 

Lambda

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Speaking of...don't most Class D amps have little to no increase in Peak power vs RMS?
It depends.
Power supply and coiling an be "undersized" but still totally sufficient for music and peak power but not for constant load.

2nd question: Would the SINAD improve appreciably with an external PS?
It depends even more.
In some cases. in most cases only very little and mostly to the top end of power.
Hard to say in general. of cause a "better" power supply can give better over all performance but your getting diminishing returns fast.
 

Saponetto

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Looking at the measurement data of amirm, I thought.
This amp looks like it has a balanced input on an XLR connector, but I suspect the actual circuit is the same unbalanced input as the RCA input. The XLR connector seems to be intended to make it look like it has a balanced input.
What do you think?
My thought also... hoping somebody could tell me I'm wrong.
 

teched58

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None of these new-generation, high quality cheapie amps have BALANCE CONTROLS. What are we supposed to do, move our speakers around or tilt our heads to one side? Honestly, I love all the new Class D options we have, but ditching the balance control is a deal breaker for me. At least when they've left out the bass and treble controls, you can always get a cheap, used graphic equalizer.

Anyway, I put this post up not just to bitch -- though bitch I will and must -- but to ask everyone else out there what do you do/have you do about amps like this w no balance? I mean, if one has to stick a preamp in front of it to get a balance control, that completely defeats the purpose of a cheap all-in-one,

Finally, it does not have three choices on the input selector. Technically, yes. But in the real world, it has one and a half. Most people don't use both XLR and RCA, so those two choices are really only one. I'm counting BT as a "half" choice. It's not aptX, so why would I use ****** BT in a high-fidelity system at home? I don't.

I guess you do need some kind of switch box and/or pre-amp with this thing if you want both a balance control and (a reasonable/normal number of) input options.
 

Rottmannash

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As noted above, power supply is internal so no messing with that . My question was theoretical.
 

Saponetto

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This amp has as BT chip the QC3034.
If it's confirmed, it is BT 5.0 and supports aptX-HD 24Bbit-48K as did the A08 that implements the same BT chip.

And yes, it has nothing to do with HiFi but, as I wrote, all of these nice things pertains on other commercial areas.
 

levimax

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None of these new-generation, high quality cheapie amps have BALANCE CONTROLS. What are we supposed to do, move our speakers around or tilt our heads to one side? Honestly, I love all the new Class D options we have, but ditching the balance control is a deal breaker for me. At least when they've left out the bass and treble controls, you can always get a cheap, used graphic equalizer. Anyway, I put this post up not just to bitch -- though bitch I will and must -- but to ask everyone else out there what do you do/have you do about amps like this w no balance? I mean, if one has to stick a preamp in front of it to get a balance control, that completely defeats the purpose of a cheap all-in-one, Finally, it does not have three choices on the input selector. Technically, yes. But in the real world, it has one and a half. Most people don't use both XLR and RCA, so those two choices are really only one. I'm counting BT as a "half" choice. It's not aptX, so why would I use ****** BT in a high-fidelity system at home? I don't. I guess you do need some kind of switch box and/or pre-amp with this thing if you want both a balance control and (a reasonable/normal number of) input options. I haven't used a balance control on any device since my NAD 2140 back in the 1980's.
I agree but balance and tone controls are considered "old school and unnecessary" by many consumers due to years of brainwashing by "audiophile" manufacturers. Decent multi-device switching and tone and balance controls are not cheap to make so it is hard to put them in a cheap and cheerful little box like this.... hopefully someone will take the plunge and make a decent little "integrated amp" with proper switching and controls. I did the "direct from DAC to amp with software control" thing for awhile but finally gave up and added a pre-amp for volume, tone, and balance controls and find it a much better solution.
 

pseudoid

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So currently we are optimizing the A300 based on the test results.
Audio hardware designs that are NOT conceived in a vacuum or an echo-chamber: Kudos!

Would the suggestion to delete the internal AC-to-DC converter and provide a standardized primary-DC input (@24Vdc) to the unit save costs and hopefully get rid of the exigent noise problems encountered?
 

Rottmannash

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None of these new-generation, high quality cheapie amps have BALANCE CONTROLS. What are we supposed to do, move our speakers around or tilt our heads to one side? Honestly, I love all the new Class D options we have, but ditching the balance control is a deal breaker for me. At least when they've left out the bass and treble controls, you can always get a cheap, used graphic equalizer.

Anyway, I put this post up not just to bitch -- though bitch I will and must -- but to ask everyone else out there what do you do/have you do about amps like this w no balance? I mean, if one has to stick a preamp in front of it to get a balance control, that completely defeats the purpose of a cheap all-in-one,

Finally, it does not have three choices on the input selector. Technically, yes. But in the real world, it has one and a half. Most people don't use both XLR and RCA, so those two choices are really only one. I'm counting BT as a "half" choice. It's not aptX, so why would I use ****** BT in a high-fidelity system at home? I don't.

I guess you do need some kind of switch box and/or pre-amp with this thing if you want both a balance control and (a reasonable/normal number of) input options.
I haven't used a balance control since on my old NAD 3140 where the R channel was slightly lower in amplitude than the L.
 

pseudoid

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I haven't used a balance control since on my old NAD 3140 where the R channel was slightly lower in amplitude than the L.
PreOrPowerAmp.jpg

I have a similarly priced 'power' amp w/4 sets of inputs (no sub-out), bass/treble and remote controls.
I never had such a power amp with such controls but on a desktop configuration, I find it quiet usable.
Almost like an audio 'receiver' but w/o the balance control...
 

whazzup

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We actually want to make a good product, so we send it to Amirm for testing. We want to find problems through Amirm's professional tests, and know what you think through more professional comments and replies, so as to optimize our products. As you said, the results of the test were very poor and actually had a lot of negative impact on sales. But we believe that a professional and high-quality product will have good sales, so temporary problems will not stop us. We've always wanted to make a better amplifier.
So currently we are optimizing the A300 based on the test results.

Good to hear. So you'll send Amir another A300 for a retest?

And I'm curious whatever happened after the feedback you requested in this thread below. Care to share any particular product or product feature that came out of those feedback?
 

BoredErica

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We actually want to make a good product, so we send it to Amirm for testing. We want to find problems through Amirm's professional tests, and know what you think through more professional comments and replies, so as to optimize our products. As you said, the results of the test were very poor and actually had a lot of negative impact on sales. But we believe that a professional and high-quality product will have good sales, so temporary problems will not stop us. We've always wanted to make a better amplifier.
So currently we are optimizing the A300 based on the test results.
The FR is too different at 8ohm vs 4ohm in Amir's FR test. The 07 was used by pma as the main example of an amp that can be a 3db off when powering some speakers. Yes, it's at 20khz but not good to see and doesn't give people peace of mind.

index.php

Also see final graph of the first post in this thread:
 

somebodyelse

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The FR is too different at 8ohm vs 4ohm in Amir's FR test. The 07 was used by pma as the main example of an amp that can be a 3db off when powering some speakers. Yes, it's at 20khz but not good to see and doesn't give people peace of mind.

index.php

Also see final graph of the first post in this thread:
It's 20kHz with the load resistor used in the test, but the tests you linked had a measurement with a real speaker (JBL Control 1 Pro) where the interaction produced a peak around 6kHz before falling again. It's going to be different with different speakers, and potentially audible for better or worse. Post-filter feedback (PFFB) reduces this interaction as well as reducing distortion, which is why it was one of the more requested improvements in the thread in post #94 above.
 

whazzup

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It's 20kHz with the load resistor used in the test, but the tests you linked had a measurement with a real speaker (JBL Control 1 Pro) where the interaction produced a peak around 6kHz before falling again. It's going to be different with different speakers, and potentially audible for better or worse. Post-filter feedback (PFFB) reduces this interaction as well as reducing distortion, which is why it was one of the more requested improvements in the thread in post #94 above.

Is Aiyima treating ASR solely as a product awareness avenue (which is fine if they're upfront about it), or are they genuinely making changes after soliciting feedback? The data and proof will come in the months ahead as we see more of their products reviewed.
 

restorer-john

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A kind of advertising, IMO. AIYIYMA always gets quite positive review and feedback here. Poor product, to me.

Exactly. Amir gets a free Aiyma to test and they get product placement and exposure they couldn't buy.
 

pseudoid

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Amir gets a free Aiyma to test and they get product placement and exposure they couldn't buy.
You sure @amirm gets a free hardware? I don't know how true that is.
But if it is the case, imo the au-gratis hw should be auctioned off for members or given away as a raffle prize.
James Hoffman (yt coffee nerd) gives away the stuff he gets, so that there are no questions...
 
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Zek

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You sure @amirm gets a free hardware?
@amirm #1 This is a review and detailed measurements of the AIYIMA A300 stereo amplifier with balanced and Bluetooth inputs. It was sent to me by the company
 
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