• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Has the Topping A50 headphone amp appeared yet?

will.b

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
32
Likes
33
Location
London
Geshelli Archel 2 is another great candidate, no line out though, requires a switcher for using it with speakers on the same systme.

I think a good comparison with this topping range is the JDS Labs EL range - EL AMP II plus JDS EL DAC II.

The D50s has the upper hand in the DAC department but not sure about the A50 as I’ve not seen any measurements on ASR to compare them.
I think the EL AMP II is going to be hard to beat measurement wise by Topping, but will the difference be audible is to be determined.

JDS have the all-in-one combo of their two as well ELLEMENT II.

I went with the topping range as I had the D50s already and as I’m in Hong Kong, currently, I thought they’d be easier to get and maintain from here.

It’s great to have all these choices.
 

spiritofjerry

Active Member
Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
146
Likes
107
This amp is almost perfect. Tiny enough to get out of the way on my cramped desk, plenty of power, line out to my speaker amp, price is right, build is solid/not plastic, no channel imbalance worries.

My only complaint is the output impedance. It's still too high, even at 4-5 ohm.
 

spiritofjerry

Active Member
Joined
May 8, 2018
Messages
146
Likes
107
I think a good comparison with this topping range is the JDS Labs EL range - EL AMP II plus JDS EL DAC II.

The D50s has the upper hand in the DAC department but not sure about the A50 as I’ve not seen any measurements on ASR to compare them.
I think the EL AMP II is going to be hard to beat measurement wise by Topping, but will the difference be audible is to be determined.

JDS have the all-in-one combo of their two as well ELLEMENT II.

I went with the topping range as I had the D50s already and as I’m in Hong Kong, currently, I thought they’d be easier to get and maintain from here.

It’s great to have all these choices.

I love me some JDS gear, but I find the atom a bit too plastic in build for my taste. I'd rather keep rockin' my more modest O2, which at least has more character. The Element line, while built so incredibly well, reminds me of an external gamer soundcard with its big volume knob. I like the more traditional front facing control aesthetic, as picky as that sounds. Not to mention, I keep my desk amp under my monitor stand, so a top-facing knob won't cut it for my use case anyway.
 
D

Deleted member 12179

Guest
Zeos says it has lots of power. I´m afraid that with say a sennheiser hd660, 150 Ohms, sounds like the volume range it's going to be from 7 o´clock to... 9 o´clock? With such a tiny volume knob... I don't know man. I would like to see this bad boy tested by amir. Seems it's gonna be a decent amp, but price wise, heresy is way cheaper if it has similar performance, no? I also prefer frontal knob, gonna install this right under my desk, like a standing desk controls kind of position.

The black anodized finish also, doesn't seem very thick. This unit already has silver corners from the inner aluminium (aluminum, LOL) showing up.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

GGroch

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 7, 2018
Messages
1,059
Likes
2,049
Location
Denver, Colorado
....I´m afraid that with say a sennheiser hd660, 150 Ohms, sounds like the volume range it's going to be from 7 o´clock to... 9 o´clock? With such a tiny volume knob... I don't know man.....

I agree. It certainly has a lot of power...but that does not mean they had to make high/low gain choices that make the volume control nearly unusable on the majority of my headphones. I really like the aesthetic, but a hair-trigger volume would make it unusable for me.
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
4.4mm out, better than THX noise, THX distortion, relay controlled attenuator
Who want it?
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
4.4mm out, better than THX noise, THX distortion, relay controlled attenuator
Who want it?
Think the balanced out is 2.5mm per Zeos review- more trade for the adaptor sellers!
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,697
A new version is cooking.
@Veri ah yes, there is always faster and better to look forward to. Think I'm amped out for the foreseeable but its fascinating to see the SoA shift (or at least the bang for your buck end of the market).
 
D

Deleted member 12179

Guest
Seems like this is a 69$ amp in a 100$ enclosure, measurements will tell though. Not so sure a new version will be coming, maybe for september or something like that.
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
this or the smsl sp200?
Care about channel imbalance: This.
Need balanced output: This.
Care about lower distortion: Sp200
Care about high power for low impedance headphones:Sp200

Basically headphones like hd660 600 dt880 and moderate sensitivity iems : A50
Headphones like focal, aeon, k701 etc: Sp200.
Very sensitive IEMs: Don't recommend either. Gotta wait for something new.
 
Top Bottom