AIYIMA T20 Tube Pre-amplifier Review

[Multicore]

The tubes and display are incongruous nostalgia eras. Should be nixie tubes for the digital display.

 

[Newman]

Seeing the trigger support reminded me that I need to ask: how does trigger support work? What does one need to connect to what, and what does it allow one to do?

 

[PhnomPenhPaul]

Aiyima, for those of us in need of a line input please make an affordable, audibly transparent solid state pre-amp with the same functionality and design aesthetic (which I love) as this and I promise to buy one! [And I suspect it would be an even better seller since tube gear is a bit niche]. It would compliment the signature DAC you are developing beautifully. Thanks!

 

[pma]

Seeing the trigger support reminded me that I need to ask: how does trigger support work? What does one need to connect to what, and what does it allow one to do?

Let the tubes glow (= use filament heating only) and let the opamps to do all the signal job .

 

[morillon]

Let the tubes glow (= use filament heating only) and let the opamps to do all the signal job .

(are perhaps not even responsible for the gain...(?) Tension? )
Gain?

 

[Power Pop 23]

Occasionally I have been asked for comment on a piece of consumer electronics using tubes. Knowing I can suggest the Aiyima T20 preamp as an alternative may save me time in the future.

Thank you Aiyima and @amirm

 

[Ajax]

Thanks for the review Amir, although not a product I would consider.

Coutos to you that the company would send to you such a product to measure, knowing that it would fall well below Solid State. It demonstrates the high regard your factual and unbiased reviews are held.

 

[totti1965]

All fine and good, but as a tube aficionado I would have hoped for a tube amp with k2 distortion dominating
and every next k then 10 dB or perhaps 20 dB lower than the k before.
Something like k2 - 60 dB; k3 - 80 dB and k4 - 100 dB
because of warmer sound of k2.

k3 domination may sound a bit brighter.

But: 80 dB SINAD is respectable nonetheless and the differences between the Ayima T20 and a perfect -120 dB Transistor device will be more than sublime.

However I stay with no preamp at all and the WiiM Pro Plus directly connected with the Topping B100 Monos.

If Distortion must be added, I highly recommend the YouTube video of audiomasterclass in which David Mellor suggested for these cases an extra device (like it is used in studios) for adding the exact amount of distortion you want.

Summary:
From 5.50 min on, David shows 3 possibilities to add „tube warmth“ - he seems to like the flexibility of the freqtube FP1 device which he shows deeper:

1. Analog Processing box by MAC DSP
2. Analog heat by electron
3. Freqtube FP1 (with sound samples) by Freqport

 

[Multicore]

Looks like the 4 op-amp chips are in sockets and the spec sheet lists them before the tubes and (supposed) measurements so I guess this is a customization platform. Maybe a bit analogous to a game PC case. Allows you to futz until you have something more personal. This perspective sorts out the aesthetic incongruity I mentioned above. Gamer aesthetics is not exactly purist.

 

[Arthur Edwards]

Thanks for the testing... not my cup of tea, but I gather this has a market.

Pics;

View attachment 482065

View attachment 482068

View attachment 482069

View attachment 482070


JSmith

From the photos, it looks like the inputs and outputs are buffered with op-amps. The tube is just in the signal path between the op-amps. A low output impedance might be due to the op-amps at the output side. I am just guessing without a schematic.

 

[Sokel]

THD+N at 80's-90's with no H2 dominant is a disgrace for tubes, real ones do 40's

Seriously now, but a pre using tubes (even as a trick somewhere in the path) combined with digital VC???
Make it analog and even the ones on the far-subjective camp would grab two or three as they do with the cheep DACs, just for the fun of it.

Thank Amir!

 

[Nzama]

Ye

Who on earth does need this thing?
It is just a volume control that adds a little distortion - too little to be heard. Two inputs, one balanced, other unbalanced so can it be used an converter?

Yes it can. You can enter RCA and exit XLR

 

[Nzama]

From the photos, it looks like the inputs and outputs are buffered with op-amps. The tube is just in the signal path between the op-amps. A low output impedance might be due to the op-amps at the output side. I am just guessing without a schematic.

There is a basic schematic on their website and that is indeed the case.

 

[Nzama]

Aiyima, for those of us in need of a line input please make an affordable, audibly transparent solid state pre-amp with the same functionality and design aesthetic (which I love) as this and I promise to buy one! [And I suspect it would be an even better seller since tube gear is a bit niche]. It would compliment the signature DAC you are developing beautifully. Thanks!

Maybe with 2-3 RCA ins?

 

[solawind]

i do not get the point of such devices. Distortion is too low to hear any "tube sound" anyway. So why would anyone buy it instead of solid state preamp which would be cheaper and have excellent performance. It's just because of tube aesthetics? or is it marketed for ppl who are looking for tube sound and do not realize it is not there

 

[EJ3]

i do not get the point of such devices. It's just because of tube aesthetics?

I could be wrong but I believe that you stated the point with those words "tube aesthetics".

 

[Kaiju]

I love em' Tubes, thank you for review Amir.

 

[Saponetto]

Well, I currently don't use preamps but have to say:
It's a nifty thing to play with, and it clearly shows that tubes are not the ultimate evil, if well implemented.

Thanks a lot for this appreciated review @amirm !

 

[teched58]

They should make a T20PN, for phono. It'd make much more sense and I think would sell much more if it had a phono section. I don't see how a preamp is appealing if you're just running your AUX-level inputs through there. OTOH, phono and tubes go together perfectly. Legacy technologies kept alive in their old age with some help from buffering op amps.

 

[Ropeburn]

Wow. Really nice not only for a tube preamp, but perfectly fine in absolute terms too. This is how a proper tube preamp stage should perform. Nice functionality too, and cheap on top.

The only thing I wonder about is the overtone spectrum. 3rd harmonic being the loudest is suspicious and points towards it really being solid state "with tube support", instead of the tubes doing the actual work. And turns out, that exactly is the case. Odd.