AIYIMA D03 class D amplifier "Subjective review"

[julian_hughes]

That's nice but this is audiosciencereview, not consumer feelings impressions. The whole point of the reviews here is that they have actual measured data as their basis. Opinions and impressions follow from those data, or add to the review. Without any measured data a "review" is just usually marketing bs regurgitated, shilling, or mere unsubstantiated opinion.

 

[Joe Smith]

I am sure we'll see someone fully analyze the new unit eventually, as these Aiyima devices are testing fairly well for their price point.

 

[daftcombo]

In terms understood at audiosciencereview.com this is not a review, but a personal impression with no useful data. It's the kind of "review" that people visit here to *avoid*. It would fit better elsewhere.

Several people here are being a bit unpleasant to OP for no reason.
Why does Amir call his posts "Review and measurements of..." if reviews were supposed to contain measurements??

 

[AdamG]

Thread title revised to reflect that this is a Subjective review as there were no measurements or tests conducted.

OP your getting pushback here because according to ASR standards a “review” normally requires test & measurements. This is more of a product impressions thread.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Thanks to the OP. This may fit the bill for my garage system. That is not joke or insult. This is inexpensive and if it lasts one season outside its a good buy.

Cheers

 

[JWAmerica]

According to more pedantic members this is a first impression post, not a review. Presumably this amplifier tracks similarly to other amps based on the same chipset, barring significant design compromises. Measurements would be nice, but I think we can look at the board implementation and look for inadequacies. Maybe the OP should take some pictures of the internal components so we can evaluate obvious flaws.

 

[nemanja_t]

He who buys cheap, buys twice.

 

[restorer-john]

OK, @robertospeed, it has been pointed out to me that I may have been a little harsh towards your amplifier, and for that I am sorry.

Everyone progresses through HiFi at different paces and we've all taken big leaps, sideways steps, bought things we love and things we don't. It's not up to me to rain on your parade.

I'm very much from the school of honesty in specifications and measured data. Without those, we know absolutely nothing about how a product truly performs. You initially presented the thread as a 'review' that read more like a magazine press release, but short on detail. The issue of course with inflated performance figures is most people buy the products based on those numbers.

So, keep contributing to ASR, don't let my rant about 6% THD bother you. I do that now and then.

 

[AdamG]

OK, @robertospeed, it has been pointed out to me that I may have been a little harsh towards your amplifier, and for that I am sorry.

Everyone progresses through HiFi at different paces and we've all taken big leaps, sideways steps, bought things we love and things we don't. It's not up to me to rain on your parade.

I'm very much from the school of honesty in specifications and measured data. Without those, we know absolutely nothing about how a product truly performs. You initially presented the thread as a 'review' that read more like a magazine press release, but short on detail. The issue of course with inflated performance figures is most people buy the products based on those numbers.

So, keep contributing to ASR, don't let my rant about 6% THD bother you. I do that now and then.

Well said Sir. One could easily infer from your Avatar that maybe it was just a bad Hair day!

 

[AdamG]

According to more pedantic members this is a first impression post, not a review. Presumably this amplifier tracks similarly to other amps based on the same chipset, barring significant design compromises. Measurements would be nice, but I think we can look at the board implementation and look for inadequacies. Maybe the OP should take some pictures of the internal components so we can evaluate obvious flaws.

He did post internal photos. See post 1.

 

[JWAmerica]

He did post internal photos. See post 1.

Oof. That solitary 3300uf cap isn't going to be enough. Wow. Are other Aiyima amps built this way?

 

[julian_hughes]

Several people here are being a bit unpleasant to OP for no reason.
Why does Amir call his posts "Review and measurements of..." if reviews were supposed to contain measurements??

I wasn't being unpleasant. I made no personal remark. I think you're wrong to quote/highlight my post in this way. In the context of visiting audiosciencereview.com to read reviews I expect to see reviews containing real measured data, testable and repeatable. Surely the science part of asr matters!? I do like to read impressions and opinions or discussions *when they are supported by facts!* If I wanted soft focus impressions & recycled promotional materials I could go to almost any other audio or consumer goods site on the www. Out of all the thousands of audio review and blog sites on the www there are maybe between 5 or 10 English language ones which make credible tests. That's why we're here!

 

[Raindog123]

You guys need to chill. A bit.

ASR serves multiple purposes — mainly to provide honest info about audio products (and the underlying technologies). Now, some authors are well equipped to conduct performance measurements. While others bring our attention to new exciting products entering the market, often without the ability for detailed measurements. And both are useful and appreciated. I see the OP’s first post as more of the latter — eg, it triggered my search for a D03 on Amazon. Hopefully, with a quantitive performance analysis by the community (and most probably by the community patriarch @amirm ) to follow…

 

[Toku]

Hi robertospeed,
The D03 was an amp that I was very interested in and was purchased at the same time as it was released.
Thank you for setting up the forum.

For me, who takes pride in being a pure audio enthusiast, I have always thought that a full digital amplifier like the D03 is a bad idea. However, since full digital amplifiers have recently been adopted in high-end products, I got the newly released AIYIMA D03 and tried using it. And I fell in love with this product, which has higher sound quality and power than I had imagined.

The first thing I felt when I heard the sound of the D03 was that it had the same sound quality and power as the A07 of the same AIYIMA that I praise. I realized the performance of the latest full digital amplifier.
The D03 isn't the perfect product, but I've come across a very good amp.
I will introduce my impressions while comparing this D03 with A07.

There is no pop noise associated with turning the power on and off, which I always care about most. There is no pop noise even if you unplug the AC adapter while playing. Like the A07, this is ideal for applications where the entire system is turned on and off with the master power switch.
I feel that the white noise when there is no sound is less than that of A07.

Since the volume is digitally controlled, the volume change is very smooth. There is no gang error, and the increase / decrease steps can be finely controlled from 0 to 99, making it easy to adjust at low volume at midnight. Adjusting the volume using the knobs may seem a little complicated due to the large number of steps. We recommend using the remote control for frequent operations.

The tone control has a very natural change in both treble and bass. I always use it for loudness. Pure audio enthusiasts hate tone control, but it's nice to have one. When I listened to A07 at a low volume at night, I was dissatisfied with the sound, but with D03, I can enjoy music comfortably using the tone control. However, this unit does not have a function to turn off the tone control.

The input can be smoothly switched between USB> OPT> COAX> BT> AUX and cyclically. There is no noise when switching, but sometimes there is a clicking noise when switching from COAX> BT. This point needs improvement.

The BT connection is displayed as D03 and can be easily connected. There is no PIN code to enter when connecting.

The operation can be done with the knobs and buttons on the main unit, but the remote control is more convenient.
Batteries for the remote control are not included, so prepare two AAA batteries separately.
The remote control was tested in the range of 60 degrees from a distance of about 3 m, but the response was good.

The heat generated by the main unit feels quite hot in a room with a room temperature of 28 degrees.
The AC adapter comes with a 32V/5A one. I feel a little heat here. I think this AC adapter is probably the same as the one that came with the A07.

The USB / OPT / COAX input rate supports all PCM 44.1kHz to 192kHz 16/24Bit. D03 does not support 88.2kHz and 176kHz on the way.
It's perfect. SMSL SA300 displays PCM 44.1kHz to 384kHz 16/24Bit, but I was disappointed that the middle part was actually thinned out.

The sound quality is important, but the sound quality is high enough for USB/OPT/COAX/BT, and there is no difference between them.
You can easily enjoy the sound quality of A07+E30 class.
However, the AUX input is not good. Compared to digital input, the sound quality is much more relaxed and quiet.
Also, the input sensitivity is somewhat lower than the digital input. It is good for applications such as listening to BGM.
Is this amplifier mainly for digital input and AUX is a bonus position? On the SMSL SA300, on the contrary, the RCA AUX input has high sound quality, but the USB sound is poor.

I listened to D03 at a loud volume that would make me complain from my neighbors, but I felt that there was plenty of power and it drove the speakers in a stable manner. It seems that the damping ability is also high. I got the impression that it had more power than A07.

As a point to be worried about D03
The brightness of the display display cannot be adjusted and the display cannot be turned off. The brightness of the blue display can be annoying when connected to a TV.
The white frame of the push button on the front panel and the feel when the push button is pressed feels cheap. I think this spoils the D03 value a bit.
I want you to improve the sound quality of the AUX input a little more. It's a little too bad.
However, you can easily enjoy high-quality sound by connecting to a PC or smartphone without a DAC, it has the same power as A07, there is no pop noise, and I think that D03 is a very satisfying and good product as a whole.

I think you should choose either one according to the purpose of use instead of choosing one.
If you enjoy DIY, A07 is the best, but if you want to enjoy the sound quality of A07 more easily, I think D03 is the best. It's good to enjoy both together like I do.

 

[julian_hughes]

...."new exciting products entering the market, often without the ability for measurements"

that's called marketing/advertising. At least those are the more polite descriptions. There are countless sites and blogs where we can get that stuff. Telling people "you guys need to chill" is neither a convincing argument nor a winning strategy. This is a review site whose reviews are grounded in data. That's the point. Fluffy, fact-lite "appreciations" belong elsewhere.

 

[Toku]

55W Could be realistic.

If i read "..With a 4 ohm load you get to 150 watts,.."
I always think this is the power per channel. Couse usually you give the power per channel.
And i wanted to make clear that this is not possible.

The power supply attached to D03 is the same as the power supply of A07.
Your opinion applies to A07 as it is.

In the first place, the maximum output that the Chinese manufacturer says is the maximum value of the data sheet of the IC chip, which is posted as it is without meaning. Chinese business practices seem to allow it.
The power supply that comes with the product is a product that can be operated for the time being, and does not satisfy the performance.
I think you should feel free to think about Chinese products.

 

[DACslut]

I'm very fond of my rolled A07 and think Aiyima does some things really well. For only $26 more (from amazon) you should have picked the LOXJIE A30 which Amir already favorably reviewed recently.

Anyone considering the D03's acquisition would be well advised to hold off until it gets properly (scientifically) reviewed, Many thanks to the OP for the"subjective review" of which I defend it's merits wholeheartedly. It was thoughtfully composed, well written and included useful pics. "General Audio Discussions" might have been a more appropriate forum thread to post it under due to a lack of anything really scientific.

 

[tomtoo]

The power supply attached to D03 is the same as the power supply of A07.
Your opinion applies to A07 as it is.

In the first place, the maximum output that the Chinese manufacturer says is the maximum value of the data sheet of the IC chip, which is posted as it is without meaning. Chinese business practices seem to allow it.
The power supply that comes with the product is a product that can be operated for the time being, and does not satisfy the performance.
I think you should feel free to think about Chinese products.

Sure with the same PSU my 'opinion' also applys to the A07. And to any other amp in this world with this PSU.
And its not realy a opinion, its just a multiplication. And hard to say if the result of a multiplication is a opinion?

I dont know if this practice is legal in china. But i think if you deliver a product with a PSU, you should give the power with that specific PSU. If you dont deliver it with a PSU things are different.

 

[robertospeed]

Hi robertospeed,
The D03 was an amp that I was very interested in and was purchased at the same time as it was released.
Thank you for setting up the forum.

For me, who takes pride in being a pure audio enthusiast, I have always thought that a full digital amplifier like the D03 is a bad idea. However, since full digital amplifiers have recently been adopted in high-end products, I got the newly released AIYIMA D03 and tried using it. And I fell in love with this product, which has higher sound quality and power than I had imagined.

The first thing I felt when I heard the sound of the D03 was that it had the same sound quality and power as the A07 of the same AIYIMA that I praise. I realized the performance of the latest full digital amplifier.
The D03 isn't the perfect product, but I've come across a very good amp.
I will introduce my impressions while comparing this D03 with A07.

There is no pop noise associated with turning the power on and off, which I always care about most. There is no pop noise even if you unplug the AC adapter while playing. Like the A07, this is ideal for applications where the entire system is turned on and off with the master power switch.
I feel that the white noise when there is no sound is less than that of A07.

Since the volume is digitally controlled, the volume change is very smooth. There is no gang error, and the increase / decrease steps can be finely controlled from 0 to 99, making it easy to adjust at low volume at midnight. Adjusting the volume using the knobs may seem a little complicated due to the large number of steps. We recommend using the remote control for frequent operations.

The tone control has a very natural change in both treble and bass. I always use it for loudness. Pure audio enthusiasts hate tone control, but it's nice to have one. When I listened to A07 at a low volume at night, I was dissatisfied with the sound, but with D03, I can enjoy music comfortably using the tone control. However, this unit does not have a function to turn off the tone control.

The input can be smoothly switched between USB> OPT> COAX> BT> AUX and cyclically. There is no noise when switching, but sometimes there is a clicking noise when switching from COAX> BT. This point needs improvement.

The BT connection is displayed as D03 and can be easily connected. There is no PIN code to enter when connecting.

The operation can be done with the knobs and buttons on the main unit, but the remote control is more convenient.
Batteries for the remote control are not included, so prepare two AAA batteries separately.
The remote control was tested in the range of 60 degrees from a distance of about 3 m, but the response was good.

The heat generated by the main unit feels quite hot in a room with a room temperature of 28 degrees.
The AC adapter comes with a 32V/5A one. I feel a little heat here. I think this AC adapter is probably the same as the one that came with the A07.

The USB / OPT / COAX input rate supports all PCM 44.1kHz to 192kHz 16/24Bit. D03 does not support 88.2kHz and 176kHz on the way.
It's perfect. SMSL SA300 displays PCM 44.1kHz to 384kHz 16/24Bit, but I was disappointed that the middle part was actually thinned out.

The sound quality is important, but the sound quality is high enough for USB/OPT/COAX/BT, and there is no difference between them.
You can easily enjoy the sound quality of A07+E30 class.
However, the AUX input is not good. Compared to digital input, the sound quality is much more relaxed and quiet.
Also, the input sensitivity is somewhat lower than the digital input. It is good for applications such as listening to BGM.
Is this amplifier mainly for digital input and AUX is a bonus position? On the SMSL SA300, on the contrary, the RCA AUX input has high sound quality, but the USB sound is poor.

I listened to D03 at a loud volume that would make me complain from my neighbors, but I felt that there was plenty of power and it drove the speakers in a stable manner. It seems that the damping ability is also high. I got the impression that it had more power than A07.

As a point to be worried about D03
The brightness of the display display cannot be adjusted and the display cannot be turned off. The brightness of the blue display can be annoying when connected to a TV.
The white frame of the push button on the front panel and the feel when the push button is pressed feels cheap. I think this spoils the D03 value a bit.
I want you to improve the sound quality of the AUX input a little more. It's a little too bad.
However, you can easily enjoy high-quality sound by connecting to a PC or smartphone without a DAC, it has the same power as A07, there is no pop noise, and I think that D03 is a very satisfying and good product as a whole.

I think you should choose either one according to the purpose of use instead of choosing one.
If you enjoy DIY, A07 is the best, but if you want to enjoy the sound quality of A07 more easily, I think D03 is the best. It's good to enjoy both together like I do.

Unfortunately in my post I wrote that by RCA with the external DAC felt better than the internal DAC of the D03, but so it is not wrong.

I confirm that from USB feels better, instead of RCA is not so good the sound, with the latest version of foobar2000 v1.6.7, from Output Exclusive mode the audio in USB feels very well and encodes the DAC of the D03 a 24-bit and 192000Hz frequency

Sorry for my English, I use the translator.

 

[AdamG]

Let’s move on from all this hurt feelings Drama and get back to Science. Enough already. Please and thank you. Several posts deleted and reply bans are next.