Sabaj A30a announced

[m8kbv]

From an "audioscientific" perspective there won't be a lot of alternatives, as we expect decent+ measurements from that device. These Auroras, don't get me wrong, won't be able to reveal the tiniest differences between different kind of quality gear. Sonically it should be a huge step forward upgrading from your Onkyo.

I know that aurors are nothing extraordinary, simple columns that "can be liked". I will probably one day replace them with better ones.
So you are saying that it makes sense to replace the onkyo with sabaj a30a? I would like to buy an amplifier with dac for years.... I think I will make the purchase in the evening

 

[pickyAudiophile]

I know that aurors are nothing extraordinary, simple columns that "can be liked". I will probably one day replace them with better ones.
So you are saying that it makes sense to replace the onkyo with sabaj a30a? I would like to buy an amplifier with dac for years.... I think I will make the purchase in the evening

In one word: yes.
With regard to price it's all the same at USD500 as there are no promos on right now. hifi-express.com with that everlasting USD5 "MANDYCODE" voucher should come in first.

 

[m8kbv]

In one word: yes.
With regard to price it's all the same at USD500 as there are no promos on right now. hifi-express.com with that everlasting USD5 "MANDYCODE" voucher should come in first.

I bought, I wonder when it will come (DE--> PL).... I also bought on the site ieast audiocast pro m50.

 

[Katji]

Kinda reminds me of Edifier S3000Pro I previously owned.

What did you think of it? ...

 

[SiamXIII]

What did you think of it? ...

It's awesome for it's price. Good for jazz, vocals and rock. Good for movies. On other side little slow for fast genres, like metal. Instrument separation mediocre comparing to KEFs. But all in all it's very good proposal for the money, as you don't need separate DAC.

 

[Sound86]

Interesting package, I do wonder about the quality of the DAC though and if its satisfying enough to use the A30a as a standalone unit.

 

[SiamXIII]

Interesting package, I do wonder about the quality of the DAC though and if its satisfying enough to use the A30a as a standalone unit.

It is meant to be used as standalone unit. External DAC is pointless.

 

[Sound86]

I did some more reading and realized I and many other people did not actually understand how different to usual integrated amplifier designs this is. So basically its not just a DAC and an amplifier in the same case, but rather a fully digital amplifier with no need for a DAC, because by some sorcery it creates an analog speaker signal directly from the digital source. I guess I still dont understand, but I guess this is something completely new in Hifi...

Well anyhow, I am using a Topping MX5 with SMSL Tabebuia speakers right now. Should I upgrade? I guess I should...

 

[SiamXIII]

I did some more reading and realized I and many other people did not actually understand how different to usual integrated amplifier designs this is. So basically its not just a DAC and an amplifier in the same case, but rather a fully digital amplifier with no need for a DAC, because by some sorcery it creates an analog speaker signal directly from the digital source. I guess I still dont understand, but I guess this is something completely new in Hifi...

Well anyhow, I am using a Topping MX5 with SMSL Tabebuia speakers right now. Should I upgrade? I guess I should...

This is not something new. It's widely used in Edifier active speakers.

 

[Snoopy]

This is not something new. It's widely used in Edifier active speakers.

Technics as well if I'm not totally wrong. And lyngdorf.

 

[Jimster480]

This is not something new. It's widely used in Edifier active speakers.

It just means that the DAC is integrated. Just like a sound bar or some sets of active monitors like my Klipsch R15 p.m.

 

[pickyAudiophile]

I guess this is something completely new in Hifi...

It's almost vintage, just e/g his one here dates back to 2007 (see data sheet) https://www.cirrus.com/products/wm8805/ , combine that one with a controller and a sound terminal (STAxxx) and you're ready to go.

 

[Katji]

Get away from imagining DAC like some type of "tuning" device.
Do not confuse DSP and DAC.

I did some more reading and realized I and many other people did not actually understand how different to usual integrated amplifier designs this is. So basically its not just a DAC and an amplifier in the same case, but rather a fully digital amplifier with no need for a DAC, because by some sorcery it creates an analog speaker signal directly from the digital source.

Most amplifiers have analog inputs. DAC is done before the amplifier/s.
Other amplifiers ("chips") have digital inputs, DAC is done after the amplifier/s.
if you look around Texas Instruments website, for instance, you will get to more explanation, or just via Google.
The confusion arises because the word "amplifier" is also used for the whole unit, the box containing the various devices.

 

[Toku]

The A30a I ordered from HiFi express arrived and I immediately tested it, but found a serious defect.

When playing with USB/Cox/OPT/AUX input, speaker output suddenly stops after a certain period of time. If you turn the power on and off or switch the input, it will return to normal operation. However, the sound soon disappears again. If any one of the inputs is normal, it can be used, but in this state it cannot be used at all.
I've measured the time from the start of playback until the sound stops, but it doesn't seem to be particularly consistent.

Time until no sound comes out
USB 58, 56, 54, 60, 59, 60, 55, 57, 60, 64 (sec)
Cox 31, 30, 33, 32, 34, 34, 32, 30, 71, 32 (sec)
Opt 60, 49, 58, 59, 59, 59, 58, 80, 46, 89 (sec)
Aux 72, 61, 63, 66, 60, 59, 56, 64, 42, 39 (sec)

Other than this issue it works fine.
I was worried about the operation of the DAC function when purchasing, but there is no problem with the connection and playback operation.
We have confirmed that PCM44.1~768kHz/DSD64~DSD512 for USB input and PCM44.1~192kHz for OPT/Cox all work properly.

I've compared the sound quality with the AO200, A300, and A2a 2022, but I think the A30a wins in all respects. The difference in grade is big.
However, it is very disappointing that it is sold with such a problem while having excellent sound quality. I will of course report this to Sabaj. Hopefully it will be fixed with a firmware update soon.

 

[pickyAudiophile]

The A30a I ordered from HiFi express arrived and I immediately tested it, but found a serious defect.

....

Other than this issue it works fine.

Stunning! Simply stunning. Impressive you manage to keep cool and outcome-oriented under these circumstances. Maybe kind of "slowly but steadily" emerging buffer overflow issue with about 89 sec you observed as the absolute maximum to recover and re-synchronize before offset grows too large.

 

[m8kbv]

At my place the package from Sabaj a30a, is expected to arrive within the next 5 working days, I will let you know if I also experience this problem. I wonder if the problem will be solvable through a software update.

 

[muslhead]

Can any owner answer @sarumbear 's question regarding hp filter? Since the sabaj representative failed to answer it would be helpful to know this since it is not addressed in the manual (as far as i can find).
If you set the lp for the sub out to be x hz, does that then automatically provide a hp for the mains at x hz?

 

[Katji]

At my place the package from Sabaj a30a, is expected to arrive within the next 5 working days, I will let you know if I also experience this problem. I wonder if the problem will be solvable through a software update.

If it is not a random hardware defect in that one, i would send it back and demand a refund.

 

[m8kbv]

The A30a I ordered from HiFi express arrived and I immediately tested it, but found a serious defect.

When playing with USB/Cox/OPT/AUX input, speaker output suddenly stops after a certain period of time. If you turn the power on and off or switch the input, it will return to normal operation. However, the sound soon disappears again. If any one of the inputs is normal, it can be used, but in this state it cannot be used at all.
I've measured the time from the start of playback until the sound stops, but it doesn't seem to be particularly consistent.

Time until no sound comes out
USB 58, 56, 54, 60, 59, 60, 55, 57, 60, 64 (sec)
Cox 31, 30, 33, 32, 34, 34, 32, 30, 71, 32 (sec)
Opt 60, 49, 58, 59, 59, 59, 58, 80, 46, 89 (sec)
Aux 72, 61, 63, 66, 60, 59, 56, 64, 42, 39 (sec)

Other than this issue it works fine.
I was worried about the operation of the DAC function when purchasing, but there is no problem with the connection and playback operation.
We have confirmed that PCM44.1~768kHz/DSD64~DSD512 for USB input and PCM44.1~192kHz for OPT/Cox all work properly.

I've compared the sound quality with the AO200, A300, and A2a 2022, but I think the A30a wins in all respects. The difference in grade is big.
However, it is very disappointing that it is sold with such a problem while having excellent sound quality. I will of course report this to Sabaj. Hopefully it will be fixed with a firmware update soon.

Let us know if we could determine anything more/what they answer at sabaj.

 

[Toku]

Stunning! Simply stunning. Impressive you manage to keep cool and outcome-oriented under these circumstances. Maybe kind of "slowly but steadily" emerging buffer overflow issue with about 89 sec you observed as the absolute maximum to recover and re-synchronize before offset grows too large.

Thank you for your message.
I have discussed product issues with Sabaj many times so far, so no surprises. Since the A30a is a newly released product, I bought it with the expectation of trouble.
The A30a is a fully digital amplifier and I still don't fully understand its inner workings. Besides, this strange behavior is the first experience for me, which makes it difficult to estimate the cause. Maybe there is some kind of mistake in the internal settings, and I think that it is making the operation crazy. Based on your symptoms, it shouldn't be a hardware problem.