New Topping B200 Mono Amp

[WillBrink]

My search didn't turn up any threads. New Topping B200 Mono Amp looks good and "on paper" excellent performance for $. I know the brand seems to measure well, so I'm taking their performance claims at face value currently. Anyone have experiences yet? https://www.toppingaudio.com/product-item/b200

 

[Bleib]

My search didn't turn up any threads. New Topping B200 Mono Amp looks good and "on paper" excellent performance for $. I know the brand seems to measure well, so I'm taking their performance claims at face value currently. Anyone have experiences yet? https://www.toppingaudio.com/product-item/b200

More discussion here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...er-will-be-launched-in-late-may.53675/page-11

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

My search didn't turn up any threads. New Topping B200 Mono Amp looks good and "on paper" excellent performance for $. I know the brand seems to measure well, so I'm taking their performance claims at face value currently. Anyone have experiences yet? https://www.toppingaudio.com/product-item/b200

I bought a pair. I plan to eventually use them to power the back surround speakers in our home theater, but I've been testing them out with some desktop passive speakers. So far, they sound fine. No worse than the Topping PA5 that I usually use at my desktop. Nothing has caught fire yet.

 

[totti1965]

I bought a pair. I plan to eventually use them to power the back surround speakers in our home theater, but I've been testing them out with some desktop passive speakers. So far, they sound fine. No worse than the Topping PA5 that I usually use at my desktop. Nothing has caught fire yet.

What I didn’t understand: Is the price ca. USD 600,— a pair or USD 600,— for a single monoblock?

 

[JustJones]

They are USD 600 per monoblock. $1200 for a pair.

 

[RoA]

I bought a pair. I plan to eventually use them to power the back surround speakers in our home theater, but I've been testing them out with some desktop passive speakers. So far, they sound fine. No worse than the Topping PA5 that I usually use at my desktop. Nothing has caught fire yet.

That's hardly a glowing endorsement, pardon the pun

 

[da Choge]

What I don't get about this amp are the 3 inputs; that's OK, but without without the ability of remote control/selection of these inputs, what good is this unit in a comprehensive audiovideo setup? I think 2 inputs would have been sufficient, but it would still need the ability to control input selection remotely. If you intend to use only one input, then this could be a great amp, as long as the specifications and durability findings hold up.

And I imagine Amir has already been sent one of these (just a supposition on my part). I know he has an actual life and limited time, but this would be an important unit to review in my thinking. However, I'm sure he has a big backlog of equipment already waiting review.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

I think 2 inputs would have been sufficient, but it would still need the ability to control input selection remotely.

Agreed. Presumably, folks who buy the B200 will be running a pair of them, if not more. Practically speaking, switching the input on one should trigger other B200s in the same system to follow the input selection. I've not tested this with my pair, but I seriously doubt the trigger input can be used for anything besides waking from standby.

Manual input selection on the B200 monoblocks makes even less sense than having no remote control for the volume control on the LA90.

 

[Diseasex]

Can this thing (two) drive something like focal scala ? Sorry if daft question

 

[Deleted member 72219]

Can this thing (two) drive something like focal scala ? Sorry if daft question

Don’t see why not.

-Ed

 

[Diseasex]

Don’t see why not.

-Ed

Ok, now that I know I can, question is if I should xD
Sorry, not an expert in audio.

Do I need to spend equivalent money on amp as on speaker ?

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Can this thing (two) drive something like focal scala ? Sorry if daft question

I don't see why not, but this would be an unusual pairing... $1.2k/pair monoblocks with a $54k pair of loudspeakers.

Nominal impedance is 8 Ohms (minimum is 3.2 Ohms), and efficiency is relatively high at 92 dB (2.83V at 1m). So, the B200 should be more than adequate in most rooms.

 

[Diseasex]

I don't see why not, but this would be an unusual pairing... $1.2k/pair monoblocks with a $54k pair of loudspeakers.

Nominal impedance is 8 Ohms (minimum is 3.2 Ohms), and efficiency is relatively high at 92 dB (2.83V at 1m). So, the B200 should be more than adequate in most rooms.

Yeah but it measures perfectly , is it not (or will once measured)

What amp would you go for,
I currently have Hegel h390 but don’t know how
It measures

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Ok, now that I know I can, question is if I should xD
Sorry, not an expert in audio.

Do I need to spend equivalent money on amp as on speaker ?

Only if you want to impress your friends with a massive McIntosh stack with green power meters (which is typically what folks who buy Focal Utopia loudspeakers do).

 

[Diseasex]

I don't see why not, but this would be an unusual pairing... $1.2k/pair monoblocks with a $54k pair of loudspeakers.

Nominal impedance is 8 Ohms (minimum is 3.2 Ohms), and efficiency is relatively high at 92 dB (2.83V at 1m). So, the B200 should be more than adequate in most rooms.

You can get less than one year old scala for ~20k

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

You can get less than one year old scala for ~20k

You can buy power amplifiers used as well, so I don't see how that's relevant to this discussion.

It's more meaningful to compare MSRPs if you're going down that route since prices in the used market fluctuate widely depending on supply, demand, and other factors.

 

[Diseasex]

You can buy power amplifiers used as well, so I don't see how that's relevant to this discussion.

It's more meaningful to compare MSRPs if you're going down that route since prices in the used market fluctuate widely depending on supply, demand, and other factors.

So what’s the point of paying shitloads for amp if these seemingly cheap ones are offering perfect measuring ? What do I get? Please explain

 

[totti1965]

Can this thing (two) drive something like focal scala ? Sorry if daft question

It would be the perfect fit: Best Amp in the world to drive a very good and not very demanding speaker (but you will have to deal with the typical Focal 70 Hz Bump). To spend most of the money for your speakers (and room treatment!) is an intelligent choice. To spend more than US $ 2,000 for an amp is foolish.

 

[Diseasex]

It would be the perfect fit: Best Amp in the world to drive a very good and not very demanding speaker (but you will have to deal with the typical Focal 70 Hz Bump). To spend most of the money for your speakers (and room treatment!) is an intelligent choice. To spend more than US $ 2,000 for an amp is foolish.

I use my Hegel that has 2x 250W at 8ohm at 56/100 volume. I assume I need about 150W per channel with no headroom if I was to extrapolate

 

[totti1965]

So what’s the point of paying shitloads for amp if these seemingly cheap ones are offering perfect measuring ? What do I get? Please explain

These seemingly cheap ones did not exist before let’s say 2003 (The Hypex Amp Revolution - Driven by Bruno Putzeys). The other companies who are selling for ten or twenty times the price -snakeoil!
The modern top notch Topping amps: They are existing since 2023/2024. So where is your point?