Singxer SA-1 Review (Balanced Headphone Amp)

[MakeMineVinyl]

First, apologies for sounding snarky, you don't necessarily know. Now quote: "But the USA makes almost no consumer electronic parts", WAS the context, you also said: If this was USA, it would means that it containt PARTS that are from abroad.

Just pointing out that USA is, by a good margin the largest semiconductors components manufacturer in the world. Sure, no debate that for everything else, assembly, mechanical parts, Plastic molding, etc, etc, etc, Asia is far far ahead, but it is not the point you first made!

As a manufacturer, I know where the majority of our parts come from. Decades ago, far more basic parts were made here. If you are also an audio manufacturer, I'd love to hear your perspective.

By the way, at least in our case, the mechanical parts, metalwork, chassis etc (and yes, a few plastic parts) are made firmly in the USA.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I'm also not so sure about those toggle switches. In my experience, toggle switches (unless they have gold-plated contacts, which isn't very common) are a bit of a sore spot. Wait five or ten years and there's a good chance you won't be so happy about them.

IMO, for line (and especially mic-level) signal switching, gold-plated contacts are a must. Relays are another solution, but add quite a bit of cost.

Of course relays are used. But you always need an interface to control. Toggle switch is very very durable. Alternatives like push button, click button are far less reliable.

 

[raif71]

Might just have to pick this up, stunning performance. How hot does the unit get?

So far I've used this unit not more than an hour (1 hour at most) and it doesn't get hot...just mild warm to the touch). After I use it, I switch off the unit either by back switch or plug switch coz even though front switch is off I can still feel some heat off the unit when plug and back switch is on. Using this with Gustard X16 and at low gain.

 

[Vini darko]

Wow impressive stuff with discrete trannies. Gain switches in a dumb place would be a no go for me , use them a lot.

 

[PeteL]

As a manufacturer, I know where the majority of our parts come from. If you are also an audio manufacturer, I'd love to hear your perspective.

By the way, at least in our case, the mechanical parts, metalwork, chassis etc are made firmly in the USA.

I used to be a manufacturer yes, but anyway, not saying asia don't produce parts, but if we are talking audio, Texas Instruments, ST Audio are pretty big players, no I don't really remember which brands where all the passive components came from, but the main ones yes (I used Qualcomm Bluetooth chips, for one). I'm not american by the way and have no issue whatsoever with the prowess of Chinese manufacturing.

 

[raif71]

Wow impressive stuff with discrete trannies. Gain switches in a dumb place would be a no go for me , use them a lot.

Agreed...imho they should have made the higz/lowz switch as gain switch as I don't see the point of having impedance switch.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I used to be a manufacturer yes, but anyway, not saying asia don't produce parts, but if we are talking audio, Texas Instruments, ST Audio are pretty big players, no I don't really remember which brands where all the passive components came from, but the main ones yes (I used Qualcomm Bluetooth chips, for one). I'm not american by the way and have no issue whatsoever with the prowess of Chinese manufacturing.

I don't have anything against Chinese manufacturing either - they make some very high quality parts. If this were not the case, we wouldn't use them. The headphone amp in the review is a good example of the high quality and cost effectiveness.

My original post was intended as a joke based on the use by a Chinese manufacturer printing "Designed and Assembled in China" on the chassis - I would have thought that every last part would have been made there and they could say simply "Made In China". If you look, a great number of US (and many foreign) companies cannot legally say "Made in xxx" - "Designed and assembled in xxx From Internationally Sourced Parts" is the law now. That was the intent of my original post to point out that even a Chinese manufacturer is now using the new lexicon.

Things like Allen Bradley resistors, Sprague capacitors made in the US were once the rule rather than the exception - the list of companies like this went on and on. They're for all intents and purposes gone, or have changed their lines of business (Allen Bradley makes PLCs).

 

[JohnYang1997]

I don't have anything against Chinese manufacturing either - they make some very high quality parts. If this were not the case, we wouldn't use them. The headphone amp in the review is a good example of the high quality and cost effectiveness.

My original post was intended as a joke based on the use by a Chinese manufacturer printing "Designed and Assembled in China" on the chassis - I would have thought that every last part would have been made there and they could say simply "Made In China". If you look, a great number of US (and many foreign) companies cannot legally say "Made in xxx" - "Designed and assembled in xxx From Internationally Sourced Parts" is the law now. That was the intent of my original post to point out that even a Chinese manufacturer is now using the new lexicon.

Things like Allen Bradley resistors, Sprague capacitors made in the US were once the rule rather than the exception - the list of companies like this went on and on. They're for all intents and purposes gone, or have changed their lines of business (Allen Bradley makes PLCs).

It probably just means it's proudly designed in China.

 

[Celty]

Just for a reminder, the topic of this thread is "Singxer SA-1 Review (Balanced Headphone Amp)". Hopefully those posting on tangential or off topic subjects can create their own threads for those.

 

[Acerun]

Topping going bananas on a well-reviewed competitive amplifier?

 

[bequietjk]

FFFFF YESSSS!!!!!

Singxer F1 was the first product to get my excited about their company and to see them creating a stellar amp such as this blows my mind. Absolutely beautiful display of numbers.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Topping going bananas on a well-reviewed competitive amplifier?

Emmm. No. A long time ago, Wolf already measured it. If I was going banana I was going to a long time ago.

 

[mrmoizy]

Amir manually turns the volume knob from down from maximum to zero over a period of just under 20 seconds (red line, left axis, time on the bottom). The the blue dotted line shows the difference between left and right chanels over the same period - note that the right axis is showing decimal places of a dB vs the left axis showing 10's of dB.

Hey, that makes sense. So at about 9 o'clock volume position, this amp displays it's greatest channel disparity, but it's only a .75 db difference between channels and gets better from there. If I'm understanding correctly. Thank you!

 

[H-713]

Of course relays are used. But you always need an interface to control. Toggle switch is very very durable. Alternatives like push button, click button are far less reliable.

If they're using relays / FETs for doing the actual switching, then it's absolutely no problem. I haven't had this unit in my hands, so I don't know whether that is the case or if they're using the contacts in the toggle switches for signal switching.

Toggle switches are mechanically quite robust, but in my experience they very often become intermittent after a few years when used for switching small signals, especially if they're infrequently used. I see it most in outboard gear (compressors/equalizers/preamps) or instrumentation that only sees occasional use, since an individual control switch might go years on end without getting used.

 

[GWolfman]

I'll have to give their other products a look over.

Thanks!

 

[Nango]

Not a single one certification, no CE-label nor it is mentioned in the review like before. This one won't be allowed to be imported into EU nor to be sold here.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Toggle switches are mechanically quite robust, but in my experience they very often become intermittent after a few years when used for switching small signals, especially if they're infrequently used

Toggle switches in general do not wipe the contacts during make/break, so any corrosion doesn't get dislodged by the action of the switch. Rotary and slide switches have wiping contacts which are better in this regard. Personally I've never witnessed a problem with a toggle becoming intermittent, but I take pretty good care of my gear and keep it away from corrosive air.

Gold contacts are better, but can still get coated by crud from cigarette smoke or salt air from being by the ocean. For low level audio switching, sealed inert gas filled relays are best.

 

[YSC]

Really nice one! The pot balance actually is surprisingly good, seeing the channel balance at first I was suspecting some sort of stepped attenuator were used

 

[vkvedam]

Interesting, any benefit in getting this over Topping A90? It's cheaper as well if not mistaken.

 

[Tks]

Emmm. No. A long time ago, Wolf already measured it. If I was going banana I was going to a long time ago.

We're going bananas wondering where that power amp at tho :}



As for this amp, I could forgive the odd SE performance drop and the switches on the bottom for gain settings. If only they provided a R2R volume control. Hate channel imbalance, and hate pots going scratchy.