Topping’s new amplifier - Mini300

[Tell]

Yeah I found another comment where he wrote this:

This is a technical assessment, not an official statement from the manufacturer. However, looking at the specifications, power ratings, and the very high SNR and dynamic range in balanced mode, the design fits the Infineon Merus architecture extremely well, such as the MA5332MS. Topping is also known to prefer these Infineon chips, which makes any other solution very unlikely based on the data – even though it remains a well-founded assumption without a teardown.

So definitely a grain of salt!
But sure, as long as it performs as it should it doesn't really matter what chip it is inside. Hopefully we'll see a review from Amir soon! Though for me it doesn't matter since I've already ordered one, first time in maybe fifteen years that I've bought a new fully finished amplifier. Will probably perform better than my TPA3118

 

[Roland68]

According to this german guy on Youtube the Mini 300 uses a Infineon MA5332MS chip and not a TPA325x. He writes in a comment that "My statements are based on the manufacturer’s information", but haven't said anything more after that. Seeing that the PA5 with almost the exact same specs and measurements using a TPA3251 isn't it a bit weird that the Mini 300 doesn't use the same?

I could be wrong, but it can't actually be a MERUS MA5332MS chip in the Mini300.
38 volts single voltage when the minimum required voltage is +/-22 volts or +44 volts?
Four output coils instead of two? The coil values are also three times too low for the MA5332MS.
All the components in the output stage don't match the MA5332MS, but are practically identical to the PA5/II.
I would still guess it's the TPA3251.

 

[Tell]

I could be wrong, but it can't actually be a MERUS MA5332MS chip in the Mini300.
38 volts single voltage when the minimum required voltage is +/-22 volts or +44 volts?
Four output coils instead of two? The coil values are also three times too low for the MA5332MS.
All the components in the output stage don't match the MA5332MS, but are practically identical to the PA5/II.
I would still guess it's the TPA3251.

Seems like you know what you're talking about, and yeah I agree that it very much looks like the insides of a PA5 so it's most probably the Texas Instrument chip

 

[Chr1]

I bought this on the assumption it was basically an updated PA5, but with a more durable design and a lower price.
Here's hoping...

 

[ziggurcat]

I bought this on the assumption it was basically an updated PA5, but with a more durable design and a lower price.
Here's hoping...

I don't think the person's assertions in the video are correct.

 

[OldTimer]

Still can’t match the price of my Fosi Audio V3, $90. Upgraded hardware should match the previous, for example, Apple Mac Mini M4 from M3, M3 from M2, and so on, maintain the same price.

 

[Tell]

Still can’t match the price of my Fosi Audio V3, $90. Upgraded hardware should match the previous, for example, Apple Mac Mini M4 from M3, M3 from M2, and so on, maintain the same price.

Topping is not a straight upgrade from Fosi though since they're clearly not the same brand. But this Topping do have less distortion, noise and ain't load dependent compare to the Fosi V3. Also compared to Toppings previous amplifiers in this class this is quite a bit cheaper.

 

[Roland68]

Still can’t match the price of my Fosi Audio V3, $90. Upgraded hardware should match the previous, for example, Apple Mac Mini M4 from M3, M3 from M2, and so on, maintain the same price.

With a 48V/10A power supply, the Fosi V3 delivers slightly more power thanks to the TPA3255, but it is inferior to the TPA3251-based PA5/II and Mini 300 in all other areas. Load dependency and noise figures are significantly worse in the V3. The V3 is also significantly simpler and more economical in its construction, especially regarding the output coils, preamplifier circuitry and power supply.
The TPA3251-based PA5/II, Mini 300, A5se, and A5 are also somewhat more detailed, which is due to both the IC and the overall design effort.

Previously, such significant improvements in measured performance would have cost several hundred to several thousand euros/dollars; today, they cost only 50 or less. That's certainly a reason to complain.

 

[Tell]

With a 48V/10A power supply, the Fosi V3 delivers slightly more power thanks to the TPA3255, but it is inferior to the TPA3251-based PA5/II and Mini 300 in all other areas. Load dependency and noise figures are significantly worse in the V3. The V3 is also significantly simpler and more economical in its construction, especially regarding the output coils, preamplifier circuitry and power supply.
The TPA3251-based PA5/II, Mini 300, A5se, and A5 are also somewhat more detailed, which is due to both the IC and the overall design effort.

Previously, such significant improvements in measured performance would have cost several hundred to several thousand euros/dollars; today, they cost only 50 or less. That's certainly a reason to complain.

But then one could argue that all these measurable differences is more or less inaudible, especially compared to what speakers and room are producing in terms of distortions and frequency response deviation.
Though personally I want a load independent amplifier just because, and also something that performs good in the treble since I'm planing to use it for a CD in a multiple entry horn, so hopefully a Topping Mini 300 will do it better than a cheaper TPA325x

 

[OldTimer]

With a 48V/10A power supply, the Fosi V3 delivers slightly more power thanks to the TPA3255, but it is inferior to the TPA3251-based PA5/II and Mini 300 in all other areas. Load dependency and noise figures are significantly worse in the V3. The V3 is also significantly simpler and more economical in its construction, especially regarding the output coils, preamplifier circuitry and power supply.
The TPA3251-based PA5/II, Mini 300, A5se, and A5 are also somewhat more detailed, which is due to both the IC and the overall design effort.

Previously, such significant improvements in measured performance would have cost several hundred to several thousand euros/dollars; today, they cost only 50 or less. That's certainly a reason to complain.

I’m also using 48V adaptor. Until now, from Nov 2023, thank God it’s still normally working.

 

[Roland68]

I’m also using 48V adaptor. Until now, from Nov 2023, thank God it’s still normally working.

Why shouldn't it work?
Amplifiers based on the TPA325X are particularly robust and insensitive. I'm not aware of any problems or failures with them, regardless of the manufacturer.

 

[GiBo61]

More than two weeks after its arrival, I finally managed to integrate the Topping Mini 300 into my home office system. It replaces a 25-year-old Hitachi AX-M7 MiniDisc/CD receiver (the Topping is sitting now at the top of the Hitachi, as shown in the picture). My source is an Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen2 streamer, and my speakers are Boston CR57s with a 4½“ woofer and a ¾” Kortec soft dome tweeter.
I connected the Eversolo to the Topping with XRL cables, and the amplifier is powered on via the trigger cable. I am quite satisfied with the final result. It is incredible that such a small “box” can contain this wealth of technology. Although I haven't done any controlled ABX comparison, it seems to me that the system now sounds better, especially when I turn up the volume. This is most likely a placebo effect, although I wouldn't be surprised if there were some audible difference in switching from a 25-year-old consumer receiver to a latest-generation Topping power amplifier. The bottleneck is definitely the speakers now, but I must say that, apart from their limited low-end extension, I have always found Boston speakers quite pleasant to listen to (I have two other models at home).
In the future, I might consider an upgrade (Kef Q3 Meta?), although the forced position of the speakers inside a bookcase and their horizontal arrangement would probably not allow for a significantly better end result. Perhaps the best thing would be to add a small subwoofer (the room is about 14 square meters), although the connection would necessarily have to be wireless.

 

[SlowJim]

If it ain't broke don't fix it! I went through 5 or 6 different sets of speakers, then took a hearing test. Realized I pretty much hear nothing above 10khz so it's unlikely I'd be able to tell a real difference between any of them. Enjoy

 

[GiBo61]

If it ain't broke don't fix it! I went through 5 or 6 different sets of speakers, then took a hearing test. Realized I pretty much hear nothing above 10khz so it's unlikely I'd be able to tell a real difference between any of them. Enjoy

I'm most likely in your same situation

 

[Tell]

Got my Mini 300 today ^^ Not time during they day but managed to install it (temporarily like in the image below, because yes the vents are blocked) after the rest of the family had gone to bed so have only tried it at very low volumes for now.
What first caught my ear, or actually not caught it, was the total silence from the speakers when nothing is playing, compared to the slight noise from my old TPA3118 that I could hear a couple of decimeters from it. Very nice!
The second thing is that I needed to boost my MiniDSP outputs by 12dB to have it play the same volume as my old amp. So I'm at max output now from my DAC so I guess there might be a clipping risk? Anyways, that's all for today I guess, going to have to wait a week before I can really try it out seeing that everyone is home during these two weeks of christmas and new year.

 

[Ahmonge]

So I'm at max output now from my DAC so I guess there might be a clipping risk?

As long as the DAC output at maximum volume does not exceed 2V (unbalanced) or 4V (balanced), you will not have saturation problems in the amplifier.

 

[Tell]

As long as the DAC output at maximum volume does not exceed 2V (unbalanced) or 4V (balanced), you will not have saturation problems in the amplifier.

I'm not worried about the amplifier, just that the unbalanced output clips, or even if there might be some digital clipping because how the MiniDSP 2x4HD works internally.

 

[Ahmonge]

I'm not worried about the amplifier, just that the unbalanced output clips, or even if there might be some digital clipping because how the MiniDSP 2x4HD works internally.

I don't know how the MiniDSP 2x4HD works, but if there is an option to set the output volume, I would set it to 0 dB to avoid clipping. I'm sure someone on the forum has this device and can give you a better answer than mine.

 

[Tell]

I don't know how the MiniDSP 2x4HD works, but if there is an option to set the output volume, I would set it to 0 dB to avoid clipping. I'm sure someone on the forum has this device and can give you a better answer than mine.

Yeah that's just it, I had i at 0dB and now it's at +12dB (which is max), so I guess I just have to test it and see how it performs on louder volumes.

 

[Ahmonge]

Yeah that's just it, I had i at 0dB and now it's at +12dB (which is max), so I guess I just have to test it and see how it performs on louder volumes.

With the MiniDSP at 0dB, do you need to set the volume on the amplifier to maximum?