Review and Measurements of Topping A30 and Schiit Magni 3 Headphone Amps

[Grave]

Hi everyone! First time here and would like to congratulate everyone for the high level discussion. I have a D30/A30 stack and just ordered a Mrspeaker Aeon flow closed. A planar HP rated Efficiency: 92dB/mW 13 ohms.

The question is:

Will be A30 able to drive it properly? How to calculate the delivered power under 13 ohms impedance so I could figure it out how loud it'll play

And upgrade it to an used vioeletric v100 at 500 usd would made any sense?

Thanks everyone

The A30 will drive that headphone to >120 dB although the output impedance will change the frequency response. . .

 

[Fabio]

The A30 will drive that headphone to >120 dB although the output impedance will change the frequency response. . .

I think I've read somewhere that it wouldn't happen with a planar headphone because the flat impedance through the frequency curve. But I'll keep an eye on this...

120 dB seems a bit optimistic because one online calculator (digizoid.com) had shown that 0.91 Vmrs (A30 maximum current before clipping under 32 ohms) will be needed to achieve 110 db. I'm thinking that A30 couldn't archive that current under 16 ohms.

This is why i'd asked about the maximum power/current/voltage at 16 ohms. I though it won't play that loud after all.

Maybe I'm guessing wrong

 

[solderdude]

Hi everyone! First time here and would like to congratulate everyone for the high level discussion. I have a D30/A30 stack and just ordered a Mrspeaker Aeon flow closed. A planar HP rated Efficiency: 92dB/mW 13 ohms.

The question is:

Will be A30 able to drive it properly? How to calculate the delivered power under 13 ohms impedance so I could figure it out how loud it'll play

And upgrade it to an used vioeletric v100 at 500 usd would made any sense?

Thanks everyone

Great headphone !
Yes, the A30 can drive it with plenty to spare.
Based on Amir's measurements I calculated the max output voltage to about 3.5V which is about 0.9W in the AEON closed.
The max output current = 700mA so is not a problem
With 112dB/V this means you can reach undistorted peaks of 123dB (@ 3.5V)
Loud enough I would say as that is near the pain threshold.
Tonal balance is not changed by the higher output R in this case.

When it plays loud enough for you I see no reason to upgrade to the v100 unless you like the looks or functionality better.

 

[Fabio]

Great headphone !
Yes, the A30 can drive it with plenty to spare.
Based on Amir's measurements I calculated the max output voltage to about 3.5V which is about 0.9W in the AEON closed.
The max output current = 700mA so is not a problem
With 112dB/V this means you can reach undistorted peaks of 123dB (@ 3.5V)
Loud enough I would say as that is near the pain threshold.
Tonal balance is not changed by the higher output R in this case.

When it plays loud enough for you I see no reason to upgrade to the v100 unless you like the looks or functionality better.

I'll wait for the HP and give this combo a try before commit to any upgrade. Thanks!

 

[Chung Huy Gouy]

The A30 will drive that headphone to >120 dB although the output impedance will change the frequency response. . .

Aeon Flow has a flat impedance curve so it's likely to have little to no change to the frequency response.

 

[Peib]

thanks for the review

 

[mindbomb]

I'll wait for the HP and give this combo a try before commit to any upgrade. Thanks!

I don't think either of these amps would be good for that headphone. The a30 has 10 ohm output impedance, so almost half the power is lost there. Then the magni 3 looks like it has high distortion with low impedance loads.

 

[Fabio]

I don't think either of these amps would be good for that headphone. The a30 has 10 ohm output impedance, so almost half the power is lost there. Then the magni 3 looks like it has high distortion with low impedance loads.

I've just received the HP today. In 2 weeks I'll give my impression.

 

[phantom0sama]

Thanks for your review
I just want to ask which one it's better for dt 770 pro 250 ohm?
and can a30 drive it easily?

 

[spigot]

Is this the same magni 3 unit that you mentioned had smoke pouring out of it a few months ago? If so, couldn't a component, like a capacitor, be missing material. I presume some material from something was converted into smoke. I had an amp years ago that had smoke briefly pouring out of it, and one of the capacitors was damaged. Thanks for the interesting review.

 

[Tortie]

Is this the same magni 3 unit that you mentioned had smoke pouring out of it a few months ago? .

I think that was overblown. The Magni 3 is a respectable product and it's fairly priced.

 

[sittingBull]

Hello everybody, very detailed analysis, thanks for it. I dig whole internets searching any further info about A30, but there is still very little information available.
Does anyone have any experience with AKG K702 (or other K7xx family members) headphones in conjunction with this amplifier? The author of this test: https://www.soundphilereview.com/reviews/topping-a30-review-754/ also used low-impedance headphones with good effect, I do not know if this info can be also be applicable to AKGs.

 

[bboris77]

Hi Amir (and everyone else),

I have a dilemma using my HD600 and LCD2C with the Magni 3. Basically, I can get acceptable volume with these headphones using either low gain or high gain. I know the general principle of always using the lowest gain to get an acceptable volume. However, there has been a number of discussions on many forums where people have suggested that:

1. High gain sounds better (without a technical explanation)
2. Using low gain is not recommended once you go past the 12 o'clock setting on the volume pot as increasing volume further can lead to increase in distortion

My question is both general as I have heard this suggested for many other amps, and specific to the Magni 3 as I know that the answer may depend on the actual implementation. I am wondering if it would be possible to measure the difference in distortion and overall performance between the Magni set at the maximum volume at low gain setting and a volume-matched Magni using a high gain setting. That would provide a definite answer to this question, save for the "sounds better" argument which is subjective.

 

[maverickronin]

High gain sounds better (without a technical explanation)

There's a popular audiophile meme that negative feedback make things sound worse. Higher gain is usually achieved by reducing feedback, therefore it sounds better.

There is no technical explanation. Only a social one.

 

[bboris77]

There's a popular audiophile meme that negative feedback make things sound worse. Higher gain is usually achieved by reducing feedback, therefore it sounds better.

There is no technical explanation. Only a social one.

That is what I gathered too. Nevertheless, I would like to know what the difference in measurements (specifically distortion) would be if one was to level match high gain output with low gain output maxed out.

 

[maverickronin]

That is what I gathered too. Nevertheless, I would like to know what the difference in measurements (specifically distortion) would be if one was to level match high gain output with low gain output maxed out.

I don't have that specific amp to test but distortion would very likely be lower in low gain mode.

 

[amirm]

My question is both general as I have heard this suggested for many other amps, and specific to the Magni 3 as I know that the answer may depend on the actual implementation. I am wondering if it would be possible to measure the difference in distortion and overall performance between the Magni set at the maximum volume at low gain setting and a volume-matched Magni using a high gain setting. That would provide a definite answer to this question, save for the "sounds better" argument which is subjective.

OK, when I get a chance I will test this.

 

[bboris77]

OK, when I get a chance I will test this.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[HeadphoneFan]

Very interesting as always Amir! Thanks for the reviews! I just joined this site (hello all!) but was browsing for several days prior. I'm especially looking forward to the Fiio A3 review, as I have an Xtrempro portable headphone amplifier that seems near-identical in terms of appearance, specs (THD of 0.004% at 1khz, 108db SNR), and components (OPA 1642, AD 8397).

It's a shame the output impedance of the A30 is so high. I had considered buying the Magni 3 a while back but was dissuaded by high shipping costs and a fear of import fees. Looks like I should be saving up for an atom/D30 stack anyway.

 

[Roen]

How do I reconcile the Magni 3's SINAD numbers in this thread with the one from the JDS Atom Thread? 97 vs 123 is a huge difference?