Making further progress, TOPPING’s new flagship amplifier will be launched in late May!

[misterdog]

Mine are due next week, will be comparing to AHB2 through fully tricked out Quad 989 ESL's.

Though I have no trigger cable

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I've had a pair of B200's in continuous service (never powered off) since July 22nd. Nothing has caught fire so far and everything sounds great.

 

[totti1965]

I've had a pair of B200's in continuous service (never powered off) since July 22nd. Nothing has caught fire so far and everything sounds great.

Wow! Perhaps it is time for a poll, if there are more users out there!
AFAIK there is also no poll for reliability of the Topping PA5 in its Mk II Version!

 

[Tovarich007]

Yes, 1200 € for such performances is great !
It would be interesting to hear more indepth feedbacks and comparisons from forum members using these amps and comparisons from members usung these and other(s) amp(s).
As for reliability, for the moment, no claim, no problem posted on this forum, and I haven't read problems with this amp on other sources online. So, "No news good news" it seems ? The integrated LA 90 based on the same type of circuitry and components had some problems, but it seems they have been fixed with the B200, and maybe with LA90 recent production bunchs.

 

[mocenigo]

Topping deserves all this celebration, but let us not forget that the 122dB of SINAD decrease to 113 when the gain is highest. And the newest Purifi and Hypex designs should match it or even surpass it slightly with a proper buffer — say of quality comparable to the Topping NFCA circuit, like Tom Christensen’s buffer, not just a single opamp. So the Toppings are not necessary “better” if we take into account power as well — some speakers have sensitivity in the ‘80s and more power is needed for transients at least. But they have very very humane pricing.

This is an incredible moment, with an inexpensive SotA power amp and sufficiently sensitive speakers one can have quality that a couple of decades ago one could have never thought possible, even at over 10 times the price.

 

[Bleib]

Topping deserves all this celebration, but let us not forget that the 122dB of SINAD decrease to 113 when the gain is highest. And the newest Purifi and Hypex designs should match it or even surpass it slightly with a proper buffer — say of quality comparable to the Topping NFCA circuit, like Tom Christensen’s buffer, not just a single opamp. So the Toppings are not necessary “better” if we take into account power as well — some speakers have sensitivity in the ‘80s and more power is needed for transients at least. But they have very very humane pricing.

This is an incredible moment, with an inexpensive SotA power amp and sufficiently sensitive speakers one can have quality that a couple of decades ago one could have never thought possible, even at over 10 times the price.

Yes, for the price of around 1200 I'd rather get the new Audiophonics instead (especially if living in Europe)

AUDIOPHONICS LPA-S450ET Power Amplifier Stereo Purifi 1ET6525SA

We're proud to present the Audiophonics LPA-S450ET, a Class D stereo power amplifier based on two Purifi 1ET6525SA modules. Electronically similar to the HPA-S450ET, this version is housed in a more compact case...

www.audiophonics.fr

Power

2x230W @ 8Ω, 1%THD 2x450W @ 4Ω, 1%THD 2x510W @ 2Ω, 1%THD

 

[totti1965]

Topping deserves all this celebration, but let us not forget that the 122dB of SINAD decrease to 113 when the gain is highest. And the newest Purifi and Hypex designs should match it or even surpass it slightly with a proper buffer — say of quality comparable to the Topping NFCA circuit, like Tom Christensen’s buffer, not just a single opamp. So the Toppings are not necessary “better” if we take into account power as well — some speakers have sensitivity in the ‘80s and more power is needed for transients at least. But they have very very humane pricing.

This is an incredible moment, with an inexpensive SotA power amp and sufficiently sensitive speakers one can have quality that a couple of decades ago one could have never thought possible, even at over 10 times the price.

Yes, the Bruno Putzeys Designs may have a tiny bit more high frequency distorsion than the B200 but even more power, which is in practice much more relevant.
Not to speak about the incredible stability, the reliability, and the incomparable energy efficiency of the Hypex /Purify amps, which are dominating the market!
The B200 is just another choice - and it is simply nice to have a choice between fantastic (Purify), fantastic (B100, B200), fantastic (thinking about the SONCOZ SGP1!) and fantastic (e.g. Topping PA5 II, $ 179 on Black Friday)………

 

[EddNog]

Yes, the Bruno Putzeys Designs may have a tiny bit more high frequency distorsion than the B200 but even more power, which is in practice much more relevant.
Not to speak about the incredible stability, the reliability, and the incomparable energy efficiency of the Hypex /Purify amps, which are dominating the market!
The B200 is just another choice - and it is simply nice to have a choice between fantastic (Purify), fantastic (B100, B200), fantastic (thinking about the SONCOZ!) and fantastic (e.g. Topping PA5 II, $ 179 on Black Friday)………

Unfortunately, the Soncoz appears to have quite a known reliability issue.

-Ed

 

[totti1965]

Unfortunately, the Soncoz appears to have quite a known reliability issue.

-Ed

Oh, have not known this! Have not read so much in the discussion after it was tested by @amirm.

 

[mike435]

I will chime in on the B200 discussion. I spent the last few months replacing my entire setup, tens of thousands of dollars of "conventional" gear of the HiFi salesman world of "listening tests" and replaced it entirely with measurement based, data-driven, ASR approved gear. Each piece I replaced did not make much of a difference because the sound you get is affected by the entire signal path from source to speakers. But I have to tell you, when I swapped out the last piece and pressed play I quite literally dropped my jaw at the sound quality and performance. Amir's saying "if it measures well, then it will sound great" is 100% true and I'm a true believer now. The sound blows away systems I have heard costing several hundred thousand dollars, with cryogenic cables and everything else.

Apple Music Lossless > Topping D70 Pro Sabre > Topping A70 Pro > Topping B200 Monoblocks > Revel F226BE
w/ Blue Jeans Cable Interconnects

The B200 monoblocks are absolutely incredible, at low gain the noise floor is nonexistent. I can turn all the way up to 0dB, play a silent track and put my ear right next to the tweeters and you don't hear a thing. Nothing but the music you are playing, no coloring, no distortion, no "warm tube feelings". If you are looking for an endorsement of the B200s and the ASR approach, this is it! I am a true believer.

 

[welwynnick]

I will chime in on the B200 discussion. I spent the last few months replacing my entire setup, tens of thousands of dollars of "conventional" gear of the HiFi salesman world of "listening tests" and replaced it entirely with measurement based, data-driven, ASR approved gear.

Thank you!

Would you mind telling us what was the equipment that you replaced?

 

[mike435]

Thank you!

Would you mind telling us what was the equipment that you replaced?

I have had different gear scattered all across my living room for the past few months lol. I came from a full tube setup, Audio Research VS115 amplifier, SP17 preamp, beautiful Sonus Faber Cremona towers. I also mailed in the Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II to Amir a few months ago to have him test it, and that unit I specifically compared side-by-side to the Topping in the "0dB put your ear up to the tweeter test", it wasn't even close. I owned many cables from Kimber Kable, the famous PBJs that have no shielding whatsoever, other "directional cables", I've had the opportunity for some extensive listening on Vandersteen loudspeakers with Balanced Audio Technology amps and preamps, and as a fun bonus I am actually a professional electrical engineer who designs analog and digital circuitry all day long for a living, which is what makes this hobby so fun for me personally! After all that I can tell you again.... Amir is right, the sound follows the measurements.

If you are interested, take a read of some of the articles from Blue Jeans Cable, they are fantastic!

 

[Monk]

I had a pair of B200 for 5 days…very clean sound..very detailed….good power…never shut down…..compared with/to a couple class A Pass amps, F5M, Alpha J, F6, all dual mono. Used a Schiit Saga2, & Iron pumpkin as preamps.

B200, to me, was clinical sounding. So I sent them back. I put about 8 hours before driving them hard.
Was using ZU DWX for all reviews. Again just me.

My only gripe were the PS connections. Pitiful. Size is a plus as they are compact….but ya gotta deal with bricks which didn’t bother me…but those connectors!!!
Cheers

 

[misterdog]

B200, to me, was clinical sounding

That is the joy of removing the distortion though.
To me the definition of Hi-Fi is to not add distortion to the playback chain.

 

[Monk]

I agree.

 

[welwynnick]

It could be that it was the rest of the system that sounds clinical.

 

[Negatywny]

B200, to me, was clinical sounding.

so the blue pill?

 

[Monk]

I prefer the red pill…ymmv

 

[misterdog]

Maybe musicians record with extra low distortion, in the hope that most people will play using systems that add distortion, to ultimately sound as they had intended ?

So my aim for ultra low distortion is incorrect.

 

[valcon]

Anyone knows whether the B200 is in Amir's review pipeline?