Aiyima A70 [TPA3255 PFFB Stereo] - User Impressions | Owner's Thread

[Guddu]

Dear FMs, [<< If you haven't seen Amir's review yet (which is super unlikely): Amir's Measurements & Review of Aiyima A70>>]

I am hoping that it will keep other measurement & review thread limited to its purpose and rest could get a place here in this thread.

I mean to summarize:
> what I get as a buyer or user of Aiyima A70 Stereo Amplifier
> aspects other than measurements that you might be interested in
> testing features & functions to see if there are any issues and how could get around those, if any
> I also hope that this thread could provide some information as to "what to expect" while you are looking to buy this amplifier

*** I hope other Aiyima A70 owners can also sum up their feedback and some work arounds here to help other potential interested/future owners ***

Packaging & transportation:
I ordered Aiyima A70 on Amazon on 2nd June and got the delivery on 6th June morning.
Unlike other Aiyima products that I have bought on Amazon, this one came in Amazon's box decently packed for transportation torture protection

Contents, Look & Feel:
> Contents: A70 Amplifier unit, 48v 5a GAN PSU and user manual/docs.

> A70 amplifier unit has brick shape and non-metallic smooth finish which prevents finger prints and dust. Ventilation holes on sides and bottom of the case should help a bit with heat transfer.
> TPA3255 chip is mounted to the metal heat sink which is then sandwitched to the botton plate of the case for amplifier chip heat transfer making the case to work as raditor. This is common on almost every similar chip amplifiers we have seen lately.

Front of the Unit:
> Volume Knob
> Functions:
> Power ON - Single Press click will turn ON the unit, the middle RED LED indicates power status
> Input Selector Indicator - After single click Power ON operation, it turns on source indicator BLUE LED
> Input Selection or Change - When unit is power ON, press click the knob to select or jump between RCA and XLR inputs
Note: It remembers the input selection after Power ON/OFF
> Power OFF - Long Press the volume knob
Note: I always see such a multi-funtion operation in single knob as potential failure issue, however it worked everytime I tested this operation without any failures

Back of the Unit:

> I noticed more than decent quality components used, as oppose to small cheap-looking connectors seen in almost every other such product excelt Aiyima A07 Max
> Balanced Input - Accepts XLR as well as TRS plugs, I tested both fitting and working fine without any issues
> Single Ended Inputs - RCA Input
> Single Sub Out with low pass filter, I kept it to lowest 150 Hz for my use however it has selectable range between 150 - 600 Hz
Note: Front volume knob controls sub output volume as well, tested working
> Gain Selector - Allows to select its standard gain or +3 dB, helpful to have 3 dB additional gain for RCA input usage
> 12v Troggered IN - Tested with Yamaha AVR, worked fine everytime tested
> DC Power Plug input - accepts 36 - 48v PSU, I used 40v 5a GAN PSU which came with the unit
> Speaker wire binding posts - Clearly better than most of the other similar amplifiers, same as Aiyima A07 Max however these are placed quite close to each other and so using spades could be an issue here. Best to use 4mm banana plugs for safer & secure connection

Power Supply - 48v 5a GaN PSU

> Smaller in size than other 48v PSUs supplied with Fosi or Topping amplifiers
> It is similar to other 32/36v PSUs provided with Aiyima A07/A07 Pro/ A07 Max
> Cable used with PSU is 20AWG, which is fine however mostly other 48v PSUs have 18 or 16AWG cables used

Idle Power - Powered ON vs Auto
> Measured on 20a smart plug
> When Powered ON but No music playing: approx. 8 - 10W

Amplifier Case Temperature
> As noted in above statement, amplifier uses at least 8 - 10W on idle
> Sitting approx. 2.5 meters from speakers, listening to 75-80 db which is my normal listening volume, it never went over 20W
> With 15-20W power consumption, amplifier chassis did go a bit WARM only
> I pushed it around 30 - 35W for about 5 min with some base heavy tones but case was still warm to touch, nothing to worry about at all
> I did not feel that I should measure the temperate, given my normal listening requirements

My Setup, Connectivity and Pairing devices:

PC & nVidia Shield Pro (source) >>>> Topping E50 >>>>balanced XLR out>>>> Aiyima A70 Sterep Amplifier >>>> ELAC DBR62 Speakers

Subjective Notes:
>> Amir has provided all the measurements that could tell you more than anything and anyone to evaluate the amplifier objectively.
>> And So, you might want to ignore this part as its purely based on my setup, in-room response and my likings.

I use Topping PA7 in this setup regularly, and so I can say that I am pretty familier how transparent amplifier behaves with most of my go to tracks.
Adding in Aiyima A70 along side Topping PA7 was fun, I used Topping E50 RCA out to Topping PA7 and XLR out to Aiyima 70 for further listening. Volume on amplifiers was calibrated to 85 db using external USB mic to make it as close match as possible without additional tools.

In general, It sounded superb just like PA7 does in my setup. There was no true blind AB test because I was switching between RCA and balance from E50 remote but still it was good enough for some comparision.
I totally doubt that anyone could tell a difference even if there is any,
So, no comparisons.
Aiyima A70 Sterep Amplifier with Elac DBR62 - the setup is sounding amazing, no complaints. Simply FANTASTIC.

With my confidence and doubts, I fired up REW to quickly see how different is frequency response in my room at my listening position and I wasn't surprised seeing it matching super close.

Pls note that these were taken placing mic about 1 feet from speaker with no changes to mic location for comparision.
Purpose was to see if there is any difference ONLY (EQ'ed version from listening location would be quite different).
Note: I did the same thing with other amplifiers like Fosi ZA3, v3 mono pair, O-Noorus D1/D3, etc. You can find those in their respoctive threads if you wish.

Subjectively speaking, Aiyima A70 had same clear and smoothness in songs which I totally love about PA7.

Power ON/Off Pop noise/sound:
> As I heard over last few weeks, Aiyima delayed the production batch to resolve the pop noise and it seems like they have finally done it
> There is either no pop noise/sound or a very super faint one that you can not hear if you are a feet away
> Most importantly, it won't concern you everytime you power ON/OFF with respect to speaker protection
> Note that this has been a concern (for me at least) making me worries about speaker protection.

Hiss/Static noise/sound
> None, dead silent even if I put my years next to the tweeter

====================================
Some considerations, could be helpful for planning:
====================================

Speaker cable connectivity:
> Banana Plug is the safest option for this amplifier considering spacing between binding posts. I really wish if they could have used spacing between them as they did in A07 Max which allows thicker cables and spade connectors.

Amplifier Height:
> As you can see in pics, I like to keep mine underneath TV on the table (for enough air flow and easy access) and all other Aiyima/Topping/Fosi products were sitting nicely because of their lower height profile but this one required at least 4 inches clear height.

Power ON Status Retention
> I control my devices using smart plugs, and so retaining the power ON state is kind of important to me
> When powered OFF and then ON on wall plug, amplifier will get back to standby state
> So when I turn Off and ON from smart plug, Aiyima A70 goes back to standby state and requires Volume Knob press operation to power ON
> This makes automation a bit challanging

As I listen to Aiyima A70 in my regular setup more, I will report any issues or observation in this thread.
It would be great if other owners also share their observations here.

 

[Belle]

I haven't received it yet, but I see that the logistics are pretty close to my address, so I'll share it when it arrives later

 

[Pausi]

I'm also waiting on the arrival of the Aiyima A70 with a 48V/10A power supply. Currently rocking a Fosi Audio ZA3 with Sparks op-amps with a 48V/5A GaN PS and I'm very pleased with the sound. Using Wiim Pro Plus as preamp/streamer/DAC and the quite linear Wharfedale Linton speakers. Have been in contact with Aiyima through Aliexpress and they confirmed fixing the power on pop sound in the new batch. I have also tested the O-Noorus D1, another TPA3255 PFFB small power amp, with the 48V/5A PS. It's OK but the dynamic range, and particularly the bass, is not in ZA3 class. It gets freaking hot, well approx. 50 degrees Celsius to be honest, in both idle and active state.

 

[MCH]

Thanks for the thread.

Yes, that it doesn't work with a smart power strip is not ideal, the A07max is perfect for that, but i guess it doesnt matter once you have the trigger input, you can always use a 12V wallwart to the power strip if that is the only possibility you have.

I am very curious to know how the solved the power on/off pops, i hope newer teardown pictures surface sooner or later.

 

[Guddu]

Yes, that it doesn't work with a smart power strip is not ideal, the A07max is perfect for that, but i guess it doesnt matter once you have the trigger input, you can always use a 12V wallwart to the power strip if that is the only possibility you have.

You are absolutely right but then it adds additional component and few extra bucks to overall cost which could have been avoided.
A simple on/off toggle could have made it less prone to error and simply.

@AIYIMA Please consider this suggestion to add a power on/off toggle (or another switch) like you have in A07 Pro or something like A07 max to make it easier to integrate and automate.

I am very curious to know how the solved the power on/off pops, i hope newer teardown pictures surface sooner or later.

I really don't want to bring in discussion of another products here in this thread keeping it strict to Aiyima A70, but some of other highly discussed products are scary in this regard and the pop on/off surge make me anxious for speakers.

 

[Pausi]

You are absolutely right but then it adds additional component and few extra bucks to overall cost which could have been avoided.
A simple on/off toggle could have made it less prone to error and simply.

@AIYIMA Please consider this suggestion to add a power on/off toggle (or another switch) like you have in A07 Pro or something like A07 max to make it easier to integrate and automate.


I really don't want to bring in discussion of another products here in this thread keeping it strict to Aiyima A70, but some of other highly discussed products are scary in this regard and the pop on/off surge make me anxious for speakers.

The power on pop I was talking about is on the A70 and confirmed fixed by Aiyima.

 

[Guddu]

I'm also waiting on the arrival of the Aiyima A70 with a 48V/10A power supply. Currently rocking a Fosi Audio ZA3 with Sparks op-amps with a 48V/5A GaN PS and I'm very pleased with the sound. Using Wiim Pro Plus as preamp/streamer/DAC and the quite linear Wharfedale Linton speakers. Have been in contact with Aiyima through Aliexpress and they confirmed fixing the power on pop sound in the new batch. I have also tested the O-Noorus D1, another TPA3255 PFFB small power amp, with the 48V/5A PS. It's OK but the dynamic range, and particularly the bass, is not in ZA3 class. It gets freaking hot, well approx. 50 degrees Celsius to be honest, in both idle and active state.

If possible, please post your D1 experience in D1's owner's thread.

 

[Guddu]

The power on pop I was talking about is on the A70 and confirmed fixed by Aiyima.

Correct, it is still there but so faint that does not concern at all. I have noted it down in my first post in details.
It should be praised.

 

[AIYIMA]

You are absolutely right but then it adds additional component and few extra bucks to overall cost which could have been avoided.
A simple on/off toggle could have made it less prone to error and simply.

@AIYIMA Please consider this suggestion to add a power on/off toggle (or another switch) like you have in A07 Pro or something like A07 max to make it easier to integrate and automate.


I really don't want to bring in discussion of another products here in this thread keeping it strict to Aiyima A70, but some of other highly discussed products are scary in this regard and the pop on/off surge make me anxious for speakers.

Thank you for your valuable suggestion, we will consider this suggestion in our next machine.

 

[AIYIMA]

You are absolutely right but then it adds additional component and few extra bucks to overall cost which could have been avoided.
A simple on/off toggle could have made it less prone to error and simply.

@AIYIMA Please consider this suggestion to add a power on/off toggle (or another switch) like you have in A07 Pro or something like A07 max to make it easier to integrate and automate.


I really don't want to bring in discussion of another products here in this thread keeping it strict to Aiyima A70, but some of other highly discussed products are scary in this regard and the pop on/off surge make me anxious for speakers.

The power on pop I was talking about is on the A70 and confirmed fixed by Aiyima.

Yes, the pop on/off is already much better than the first version.

 

[Pausi]

Unfortunately there is a rather big swoop sound in the speakers when triggering off the A70. There is no pop sound when triggering it on. I think this is strange. Never had this problem on others like the Fosi Audio ZA3 when triggering on/off. Could it have something to do with how the capacitors shuts down and that Fosi have a different architecture for this process. @AIYIMA you should definitely solve this issue in future models as this is preventing the A70 from being classified as a capable and fairly priced Class D TPA 3255 amplifier.

 

[AIYIMA]

不幸的是，当触发 A70 时，扬声器中会发出相当大的突突声。触发时没有砰砰声。我觉得这很奇怪。在触发开/关时，其他产品（如 Fosi Audio ZA3）从未出现过此问题。这可能与电容器的关闭方式有关，Fosi 针对此过程采用了不同的架构。@AIYIMA您一定要在未来的型号中解决这个问题，因为这会阻止 A70 被归类为功能强大且价格合理的 D 类 TPA 3255 放大器。

There are slight, we are still still optimising, thank you very much for your suggestion!

 

[Cypress]

over 30days today got it , expecting surprise

 

[Guddu]

Unfortunately there is a rather big swoop sound in the speakers when triggering off the A70. There is no pop sound when triggering it on. I think this is strange. Never had this problem on others like the Fosi Audio ZA3 when triggering on/off. Could it have something to do with how the capacitors shuts down and that Fosi have a different architecture for this process. @AIYIMA you should definitely solve this issue in future models as this is preventing the A70 from being classified as a capable and fairly priced Class D TPA 3255 amplifier.

This is certainly not the case with my Aiyima A70 unit, I don’t have any pop out or anything with my unit.
I tested triggered operation on day 1 more than 10 times, and just repeated the same test about 5 times and haven’t got any pop while it turns ON or OFF. There is very very faint noise but I only hear it putting my ears on the speaker.
I bought mine from Amazon after it was released, @Pausi - did you get a pre-release unit?

@AIYIMA What are you optimizing now exactly, share the details here for transparency if you can.

 

[Pausi]

There are slight, we are still still optimising, thank you very much for your suggestion!

What is wrong must be corrected. I changed the op amps from the Sparkos SS3602 to the Oracle II 02 and the woooop sound when triggering off is gone. So this must be a defect Sparkos op amp or something other with their design. Hopefully someone else can also test this out with the Sparkos vs others.

 

[Guddu]

What is wrong must be corrected. I changed the op amps from the Sparkos SS3602 to the Oracle II 02 and the woooop sound when triggering off is gone. So this must be a defect Sparkos op amp or something other with their design. Hopefully someone else can also test this out with the Sparkos vs others.

So it’s not the amplifier then but the opamp. Do you have the stock opamp to test the original state?

 

[Pausi]

Yes that would be interesting to test with the original opamp. I might try it on the next weekend if I get the time.

 

[StefanC]

Dear FMs, [<< If you haven't seen Amir's review yet (which is super unlikely): Amir's Measurements & Review of Aiyima A70>>]

I am hoping that it will keep other measurement & review thread limited to its purpose and rest could get a place here in this thread.

I mean to summarize:
> what I get as a buyer or user of Aiyima A70 Stereo Amplifier
> aspects other than measurements that you might be interested in
> testing features & functions to see if there are any issues and how could get around those, if any
> I also hope that this thread could provide some information as to "what to expect" while you are looking to buy this amplifier

*** I hope other Aiyima A70 owners can also sum up their feedback and some work arounds here to help other potential interested/future owners ***

Packaging & transportation:
I ordered Aiyima A70 on Amazon on 2nd June and got the delivery on 6th June morning.
Unlike other Aiyima products that I have bought on Amazon, this one came in Amazon's box decently packed for transportation torture protection

View attachment 373541

Contents, Look & Feel:
> Contents: A70 Amplifier unit, 48v 5a GAN PSU and user manual/docs.
View attachment 373542

> A70 amplifier unit has brick shape and non-metallic smooth finish which prevents finger prints and dust. Ventilation holes on sides and bottom of the case should help a bit with heat transfer.
> TPA3255 chip is mounted to the metal heat sink which is then sandwitched to the botton plate of the case for amplifier chip heat transfer making the case to work as raditor. This is common on almost every similar chip amplifiers we have seen lately.
View attachment 373543

Front of the Unit:
> Volume Knob
> Functions:
> Power ON - Single Press click will turn ON the unit, the middle RED LED indicates power status
> Input Selector Indicator - After single click Power ON operation, it turns on source indicator BLUE LED
> Input Selection or Change - When unit is power ON, press click the knob to select or jump between RCA and XLR inputs
Note: It remembers the input selection after Power ON/OFF
> Power OFF - Long Press the volume knob
Note: I always see such a multi-funtion operation in single knob as potential failure issue, however it worked everytime I tested this operation without any failures

Back of the Unit:

View attachment 373545

> I noticed more than decent quality components used, as oppose to small cheap-looking connectors seen in almost every other such product excelt Aiyima A07 Max
> Balanced Input - Accepts XLR as well as TRS plugs, I tested both fitting and working fine without any issues
> Single Ended Inputs - RCA Input
> Single Sub Out with low pass filter, I kept it to lowest 150 Hz for my use however it has selectable range between 150 - 600 Hz
Note: Front volume knob controls sub output volume as well, tested working
> Gain Selector - Allows to select its standard gain or +3 dB, helpful to have 3 dB additional gain for RCA input usage
> 12v Troggered IN - Tested with Yamaha AVR, worked fine everytime tested
> DC Power Plug input - accepts 36 - 48v PSU, I used 40v 5a GAN PSU which came with the unit
> Speaker wire binding posts - Clearly better than most of the other similar amplifiers, same as Aiyima A07 Max however these are placed quite close to each other and so using spades could be an issue here. Best to use 4mm banana plugs for safer & secure connection

Power Supply - 48v 5a GaN PSU
View attachment 373556
> Smaller in size than other 48v PSUs supplied with Fosi or Topping amplifiers
> It is similar to other 32/36v PSUs provided with Aiyima A07/A07 Pro/ A07 Max
> Cable used with PSU is 20AWG, which is fine however mostly other 48v PSUs have 18 or 16AWG cables used

Idle Power - Powered ON vs Auto
> Measured on 20a smart plug
> When Powered ON but No music playing: approx. 8 - 10W
View attachment 373558


Amplifier Case Temperature
> As noted in above statement, amplifier uses at least 8 - 10W on idle
> Sitting approx. 2.5 meters from speakers, listening to 75-80 db which is my normal listening volume, it never went over 20W
> With 15-20W power consumption, amplifier chassis did go a bit WARM only
> I pushed it around 30 - 35W for about 5 min with some base heavy tones but case was still warm to touch, nothing to worry about at all
> I did not feel that I should measure the temperate, given my normal listening requirements

My Setup, Connectivity and Pairing devices:

PC & nVidia Shield Pro (source) >>>> Topping E50 >>>>balanced XLR out>>>> Aiyima A70 Sterep Amplifier >>>> ELAC DBR62 Speakers

View attachment 373560
View attachment 373565

Subjective Notes:
>> Amir has provided all the measurements that could tell you more than anything and anyone to evaluate the amplifier objectively.
>> And So, you might want to ignore this part as its purely based on my setup, in-room response and my likings.

I use Topping PA7 in this setup regularly, and so I can say that I am pretty familier how transparent amplifier behaves with most of my go to tracks.
Adding in Aiyima A70 along side Topping PA7 was fun, I used Topping E50 RCA out to Topping PA7 and XLR out to Aiyima 70 for further listening. Volume on amplifiers was calibrated to 85 db using external USB mic to make it as close match as possible without additional tools.

In general, It sounded superb just like PA7 does in my setup. There was no true blind AB test because I was switching between RCA and balance from E50 remote but still it was good enough for some comparision.
I totally doubt that anyone could tell a difference even if there is any,
So, no comparisons.
Aiyima A70 Sterep Amplifier with Elac DBR62 - the setup is sounding amazing, no complaints. Simply FANTASTIC.

With my confidence and doubts, I fired up REW to quickly see how different is frequency response in my room at my listening position and I wasn't surprised seeing it matching super close.

View attachment 373571

Pls note that these were taken placing mic about 1 feet from speaker with no changes to mic location for comparision.
Purpose was to see if there is any difference ONLY (EQ'ed version from listening location would be quite different).
Note: I did the same thing with other amplifiers like Fosi ZA3, v3 mono pair, O-Noorus D1/D3, etc. You can find those in their respoctive threads if you wish.

Subjectively speaking, Aiyima A70 had same clear and smoothness in songs which I totally love about PA7.

Power ON/Off Pop noise/sound:
> As I heard over last few weeks, Aiyima delayed the production batch to resolve the pop noise and it seems like they have finally done it
> There is either no pop noise/sound or a very super faint one that you can not hear if you are a feet away
> Most importantly, it won't concern you everytime you power ON/OFF with respect to speaker protection
> Note that this has been a concern (for me at least) making me worries about speaker protection.

Hiss/Static noise/sound
> None, dead silent even if I put my years next to the tweeter

====================================
Some considerations, could be helpful for planning:
====================================

Speaker cable connectivity:
> Banana Plug is the safest option for this amplifier considering spacing between binding posts. I really wish if they could have used spacing between them as they did in A07 Max which allows thicker cables and spade connectors.

Amplifier Height:
> As you can see in pics, I like to keep mine underneath TV on the table (for enough air flow and easy access) and all other Aiyima/Topping/Fosi products were sitting nicely because of their lower height profile but this one required at least 4 inches clear height.

Power ON Status Retention
> I control my devices using smart plugs, and so retaining the power ON state is kind of important to me
> When powered OFF and then ON on wall plug, amplifier will get back to standby state
> So when I turn Off and ON from smart plug, Aiyima A70 goes back to standby state and requires Volume Knob press operation to power ON
> This makes automation a bit challanging

As I listen to Aiyima A70 in my regular setup more, I will report any issues or observation in this thread.
It would be great if other owners also share their observations here.

Excellent review, thanks a lot! Could you briefly compare the A70 to the Fosi V3 mono (pair)? Any noticeable sound difference?

 

[Guddu]

Excellent review, thanks a lot! Could you briefly compare the A70 to the Fosi V3 mono (pair)? Any noticeable sound difference?

I would personally not worry about sound quality as both are superbly comparable.

Even though I have both in my running stereo setup, I have not tried to compare A70 with v3 mono.
However I have compared both with Topping PA7 for long durations, and all I can say is A70 has nothing less than PA7.
I see A70 as integrated stereo amplifier while v3 mono as power amplifier.
But there are other differences, let me try to put together what I think:
Aiyima A70 vs Fosi v3 mono - Differences
1) Running Temperature
A70 has been running on warmer side even when tested abused. While v3 mono pair have been running on hotter side.

2) On/Off Pop Sound
A70 doesn’t have any pop sound while v3 mono pair has good enough to scare me off for speakers.

3) Integrations w.r.t. auto on/off
Fosi v3 mono is comparatively easier to integrate because it has signal sense to wake up and sleep off, point is that it can work with any cheaper DAC with no trigger out.
Aiyima A70 has triggered in, so works well with AVRs as most has triggered out or with DACs with triggered out as well. Otherwise automating On/Off is a pain, and manual on/off is needed.

4) Sub Out
A70 has sub out while v3 mono doesn’t.

5) Volume Control
A70 has volume control while v3 mono doesn’t. So you have to have volume control on pre-amp or DAC for v3 mono.

6) Placement considerations
Both should be placed in properly vented spot to be on safer side, but A70 requires more height clearance while v3 mono doesn’t.

If you can think of any specific test or comparison then let me know, I am more than happy to try it for you.
Ascend Acoustics Sierra-LX has joined my set up last evening, which is more power hungry than my Elac DBR62 and has more base and lower base extension. Over next few days, I am going to see how all my amplifiers work with new speakers demands.

 

[Guddu]

Erin has posted a review video for Aiyima A70, praises all around: