Topping A30Pro Review (Balanced Headphone Amp)

[Labjr]

Any update on where the D10 Pro can be purchased or it's price?

$139 from Shenzen Audio.

https://shenzhenaudio.com/collectio...2m-dac-xu208-pcm384khz-dsd256-support-decoder

 

[Veri]

$139 from Shenzen Audio.

https://shenzhenaudio.com/collectio...2m-dac-xu208-pcm384khz-dsd256-support-decoder

I also saw it appear under Audiophonic's new products to order from within EU.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/new-products

 

[Sharur]

any idea when d10 balanced will release on amazon?

 

[Sharur]

for anyone who is curious about how they would look together

 

[usern]

From Topping website: https://nwzimg.wezhan.net/contents/sitefiles3604/18020413/images/4615180.jpg

 

[JohnYang1997]

I'm almost maxing out the volume is hte problem, I'm on High gain and can push it to 100% volume and still be at normal listening volumes.

I tested these headphones on my Atom Amp which is far less powerful and while the loudness in the mids and highs can get about equal to the A30 Pro, the bass is non existent.

Going from a max of 2 watts at 2v in put to 3.4 watts with a 4 volt input should give me a lot more headroom for the bass hits and my bass shelf on my EQ, should it not?

Setting volume to max doesn't strain the amplifier. So you can max it out without worrying about anything.
The headroom is always there. You don't lose headroom giving it lower input voltage and you don't gain headroom giving it a higher one.
Unless what you are thinking is being able to use more agressive eq in the future then yes. It's just a gain problem.
As long it's loud enough and you are not actually maxing out, what input voltage does not make any difference.

 

[Leiker535]

Hey mr @JohnYang1997 , I have a bit of a question regarding some electronic matching: I have a DT880@600 and I've saw your comment earlier in the thread that the A30Pro power specs were designed to match that Headphone.

Thing is, I've been researching a bit over the DT880 recent fame (I've owned mine for 10+years) and I stumbled upon an argument that states that in fact they wouldn't need much power, but more (in this case less) damping factor coming from amps with high Output Impedance. Beyerdinamic recommends their own amps to drive it (duh ), and they're all 100ohm or higher; they say that the same result could be accomplished with high current/power, but that that would be brute forcing a more nuanced problem. What's your take on that?

I don't mean to affront you with this info, it is a legitimate question. This argument of higher OI for high Z headphones like the Senns 6x0 and 8x0s and the beyers does pop up a lot, but it is often made by the same persons that spend more money on cables and tube rolling than on headphones and amps themselves.

I myself own a L30 and I wonder if I'd benefit from the upgrade, as both measure great and the difference then boils down to power output differences (or doesn't it?).

 

[Sharur]

Hey mr @JohnYang1997 , I have a bit of a question regarding some electronic matching: I have a DT880@600 and I've saw your comment earlier in the thread that the A30Pro power specs were designed to match that Headphone.

Thing is, I've been researching a bit over the DT880 recent fame (I've owned mine for 10+years) and I stumbled upon an argument that states that in fact they wouldn't need much power, but more (in this case less) damping factor coming from amps with high Output Impedance. Beyerdinamic recommends their own amps to drive it (duh ), and they're all 100ohm or higher; they say that the same result could be accomplished with high current/power, but that that would be brute forcing a more nuanced problem. What's your take on that?

I don't mean to affront you with this info, it is a legitimate question. This argument of higher OI for high Z headphones like the Senns 6x0 and 8x0s and the beyers does pop up a lot, but it is often made by the same persons that spend more money on cables and tube rolling than on headphones and amps themselves.

I myself own a L30 and I wonder if I'd benefit from the upgrade, as both measure great and the difference then boils down to power output differences (or doesn't it?).

I know you tagged John, but this topic has been discussed on these forums multiple times. The DT880 600 Ω has no audible changes in damping from a near 0 Ω output impedance source vs a 120 Ω output impedance source. Here is a measurement done by @solderdude

 

[Sharur]

Hey mr @JohnYang1997 I myself own a L30 and I wonder if I'd benefit from the upgrade, as both measure great and the difference then boils down to power output differences (or doesn't it?).

The only real point in upgrading to the A30Pro would be because you aren't getting enough loudness from the L30 on quieter recordings, but you would need a balanced DAC as well to get a significant increase in power.

 

[Leiker535]

I know you tagged John, but this topic has been discussed on these forums multiple times. The DT880 600 Ω has no audible changes in damping from a near 0 Ω output impedance source vs a 120 Ω output impedance source. Here is a measurement done by @solderdude
View attachment 143031

Thanks for the response!

So I take it from there that they just need more current? Or is that "transformation" hyped up recently just a fad too (i.e, would these benefit from being fed directly from the wall?)

 

[Sharur]

Thanks for the response!

So I take it from there that they just need more current? Or is that "transformation" hyped up recently just a fad too (i.e, would these benefit from being fed directly from the wall?)

Higher impedance means less current is needed. I think the speaker amp fad mainly comes down to a bigger amp giving the impression of a bigger sound in sighted listening tests.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Hey mr @JohnYang1997 , I have a bit of a question regarding some electronic matching: I have a DT880@600 and I've saw your comment earlier in the thread that the A30Pro power specs were designed to match that Headphone.

Thing is, I've been researching a bit over the DT880 recent fame (I've owned mine for 10+years) and I stumbled upon an argument that states that in fact they wouldn't need much power, but more (in this case less) damping factor coming from amps with high Output Impedance. Beyerdinamic recommends their own amps to drive it (duh ), and they're all 100ohm or higher; they say that the same result could be accomplished with high current/power, but that that would be brute forcing a more nuanced problem. What's your take on that?

I don't mean to affront you with this info, it is a legitimate question. This argument of higher OI for high Z headphones like the Senns 6x0 and 8x0s and the beyers does pop up a lot, but it is often made by the same persons that spend more money on cables and tube rolling than on headphones and amps themselves.

I myself own a L30 and I wonder if I'd benefit from the upgrade, as both measure great and the difference then boils down to power output differences (or doesn't it?).

I remember there is at least one model doesn't have 100 output impedance. I could be wrong.
But the thing is no one really uses them for their beyerdynamics, doesn't it? Most of the recommendation and measurements are done with low output impedance.
If L30 sounds loud enough then there's little benefits from A30pro. Higher maximum power output will not give you better sound at lower power.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Thanks for the response!

So I take it from there that they just need more current? Or is that "transformation" hyped up recently just a fad too (i.e, would these benefit from being fed directly from the wall?)

For some people, when using EQ and listening some types of music, L30 can quickly get not loud enough. This is when a30pro gets useful. If you get enough level then it's fine.

 

[Leiker535]

For some people, when using EQ and listening some types of music, L30 can quickly get not loud enough. This is when a30pro gets useful. If you get enough level then it's fine.

This may come out as a completely noob question, as I've been kind of hardcoded into thinking that more power = better control and perfomance, but isn't power output always constant? I always thought that potentiometers, aside from their name (in portuguese potency is power in physics), only do control output voltage. Is that wrong?

Thank you for bearing with me hahahaha

 

[JohnYang1997]

This may come out as a completely noob question, as I've been kind of hardcoded into thinking that more power = better control and perfomance, but isn't power output always constant? I always thought that potentiometers, aside from their name (in portuguese potency is power in physics), only do control output voltage. Is that wrong?

Thank you for bearing with me hahahaha

Potentiometer controls input voltage that hits the amplifier. The amplifier does it job to keep its output voltage the same as the input voltage as close as possible. So two good amplifiers will always output the same output voltage which is controlled by the potentiometer.

 

[Sharur]

For some people, when using EQ and listening some types of music, L30 can quickly get not loud enough. This is when a30pro gets useful. If you get enough level then it's fine.

When Amir says things like "exception detail...thundering bass...authority" is he only referring to loudness?

 

[JohnYang1997]

When Amir says things like "exception detail...thundering bass...authority" is he only referring to loudness?
View attachment 143037

Reaching the loudness without distortion.

 

[Leiker535]

When Amir says things like "exception detail...thundering bass...authority" is he only referring to loudness?
View attachment 143037

Using your same logic + knowing that the 650 impedance rises up to 600ohm at the low end, I think he meant what he meant: greater drive.

 

[Sharur]

Using your same logic + knowing that the 650 impedance rises up to 600ohm at the low end, I think he meant what he meant: greater drive.

the impedance rising at certain frequencies doesn't mean insufficient power will lead to those frequencies being reduced since the voltage requirement is identical.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Using your same logic + knowing that the 650 impedance rises up to 600ohm at the low end, I think he meant what he meant: greater drive.

That's a common misconception. The rise in impedance doesn't have any negative in frequency response. In contrast the frequency draws less current from the amplifier making it the more current sensitive frequency.

In another way, the frequency response is measured with the same given voltage at different frequencies.