Topping A50s Headphone Amplifier Review

[Vini darko]

Never forgot the horrors we've endured in the past

 

[Billy Budapest]

I think aune have some of the best looking stuff coming out of China currently. Very similar to musical fidelity in a lot of ways (same industrial designer?). I like the minimalist smsl and topping stuff too. Sound artist have a good looking range of speakers admittedly very tannoy inspired , no bad thing really.

Aune definitely has the best logo—great industrial design with the interchangeable characters.

 

[amirm]

You still have the P50 right?

No, I don't think I ever received one for testing. This review was with the supplied power supply.

 

[Pillars]

The Aesthetics of Topping/SMSL isn't too bad IMO. It's a budget product and the build quality definitely competes in that segment.

 

[Slee_Stack]

Soncoz, Matrix - ok.

Topping, SMSL - not to my taste.

I can name Lumin as one more Chinese company that has pretty good industrial design, but in general most low-cost products look pretty bad (multiple fonts, ugly LEDs and so on).

Its definitely 'beauty in the eye'.

I agree on the Soncoz and Matrix. Some look OK. Others though...well not so much.

I also agree that SMSL is mostly off. Their D1 looks decent though.

I don't particularly care for the Lumin designs. Maybe its the recessed displays that bother me. I also dislike faceplates that extend beyond the body. It makes it look like a rack mount that can't rack mount.

 

[JohnYang1997]

No, I don't think I ever received one for testing. This review was with the supplied power supply.

Alrighty. It doesn't make much difference anyway.

 

[JohnYang1997]

The Aesthetics of Topping/SMSL isn't too bad IMO. It's a budget product and the build quality definitely competes in that segment.

People have preferences. Larger machines look good in pictures but in real life they look quite rough. Look is one of the things that you just can't argue.

 

[Labjr]

I'd rather show off something like Marantz than Loxjie!

 

[w1000i]

I would love to see if ifi iPower X can improve A50s performance better than P50

 

[JohnYang1997]

I would love to see if ifi iPower X can improve A50s performance better than P50

It degrades performance.

 

[SpinifexV]

I've been quite impressed with the measurements of both the A50s and the A90, and I have been debating if I'm getting the first now, or saving to buy the second eventually. At the moment, I am using an Atom headphone amp (great amp, but its lightness makes it wander around my desktop) serving as both an headphone amp for my old LCD-2 and HD600, new Aeon Flow Closed RT and Hifiman Sundara, and serving as a pre-amp for the Koss ESP/95x (so I don't have to play with the energizer volume control).

I'm feeding it with a Gamma2 DAC (a DIY design from AMB Labs), which I may upgrade eventually to a balanced DAC, and which is also connected to Presonus Eris E3.5 monitors.

My main worry is this: if I get a Balanced DAC and an A90, will there be a noticeable improvement over the A50s, or while I just not notice the difference? I have balanced headphone cables for most of my headphones, but I am not using them at the moment with the Atom. I am always using the Atom in low gain and have never had to switch to high gain, so I don't think higher power is all that required.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I've been quite impressed with the measurements of both the A50s and the A90, and I have been debating if I'm getting the first now, or saving to buy the second eventually. At the moment, I am using an Atom headphone amp (great amp, but its lightness makes it wander around my desktop) serving as both an headphone amp for my old LCD-2 and HD600, new Aeon Flow Closed RT and Hifiman Sundara, and serving as a pre-amp for the Koss ESP/95x (so I don't have to play with the energizer volume control).

I'm feeding it with a Gamma2 DAC (a DIY design from AMB Labs), which I may upgrade eventually to a balanced DAC, and which is also connected to Presonus Eris E3.5 monitors.

My main worry is this: if I get a Balanced DAC and an A90, will there be a noticeable improvement over the A50s, or while I just not notice the difference? I have balanced headphone cables for most of my headphones, but I am not using them at the moment with the Atom. I am always using the Atom in low gain and have never had to switch to high gain, so I don't think higher power is all that required.

I don't think you need to upgrade at all. But considering you were talking about it being light, a50s is probably the most suitable replacement for you. Similar size, similar operation for preamp, similar gain settings but with better performance and a balanced output. I think you can either just live with Atom or choose A50s.

 

[GeorgeWalk]

I don't think you need to upgrade at all. But considering you were talking about it being light, a50s is probably the most suitable replacement for you. Similar size, similar operation for preamp, similar gain settings but with better performance and a balanced output. I think you can either just live with Atom or choose A50s.

I ordered an A50s to replace my Atom. Nothing wrong with the Atom, I just wanted the matching amp. I don't expect to hear any improvement, it just satisfies my OCD to have matching components.

So now I am selling the Atom (along with a JDS O2) eBay to help finance it.

 

[Labjr]

I don't want to have buyer's remorse so I'm waiting for the A50s-II

 

[Vini darko]

Hi @SpinifexV this will solve your atom going walkies problem.

 

[Blake Klondike]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping A50s. It was kindly sent to me by the company for testing. The A50s is already available in limited quantities and costs US $199.99.

Despite being small the A50 is rather heavy and sturdy which bodes well for staying on the desk:

View attachment 85126

There is a standard 1/4 headphone socket and a balanced 4.4 mm. Two gain settings are provided: 0 dB (pass through) and 6 dB. The power button cycles through the gain settings.

Even though there are "balanced" outputs, input is limited to RCA unbalanced input:

View attachment 85127

Power is provided by an external 15 volt, 1 amp switching power supply as you see in the picture above.

Headphone Amplifier Measurements
As always we start with our dashboard feeding the unit 2 volts and asking for 2 volts out:

View attachment 85128

Distortion is stunningly low at -145 dB, approaching the limit of the analog generator in my Audio Precision analyzer. SINAD which takes into account noise is limited by noise of the amplifier and analyzer and clocks at a wonderful 121 dB:
View attachment 85130

We can examine signal to noise ratio by itself:

View attachment 85131

Even at highly reduced output level of 50 millivolt, noise is very well controlled, providing 16 bits of dynamic range:

View attachment 85129

Frequency response is flat of course to beyond 100 kHz:

View attachment 85132

Power is most important in a headphone amp as if you run out of that, distortion sets it and in a very nasty way. So let's see how much juice the A50s can provide using a high 300 ohm load:

View attachment 85133

It was just yesterday that we were gushing about the Drop THX 789. See how the A50s leaves it in the dust as far as noise not only in low gain but also high gain! Output power is 52 milliwatts in high gain mode. This is due to modest 6 dB gain. If you have a balanced DAC, you can feed it higher voltage than the 2 volts I used to get more power. Alternatively, you can use the 4.4 mm headphone jack:

View attachment 85134

Now you well exceed my threshold of 100 milliwatts and keep noise and distortion absolutely in check.

Using the same balanced output, let's go down to 50 ohm which forces the amplifier to produce more current:

View attachment 85135

Nearly 3 watts of power out of this little amp! Note that the above sweep goes to 4 volts which would represent using a balanced DAC with XLR to RCA out (or if it produces that much output using its RCA Out).

Using unbalanced out and 2 volt max sweep give us:

View attachment 85136

Finally, channel balance is quite good:

View attachment 85137

As noted though, there are sample variations in the potentiometer so your results may not be as good. Fortunately the 0 dB low gain should let the volume control operate in its more linear region.

Headphone Amplifier Listening Tests
As always I start with my inefficient and low impedance Ether CX headphone. The A50s had no trouble handling it with unbalanced 1/4 out. For grins though, I switched to balanced output from it and now we are talking! Incredible and tight bass followed which is evidence of high power with exceptionally low distortion.

I switched to Sennheiser HD-650 using 1/4 out (too lazy to dig up my balanced cable). Power here was just enough to slightly resonate my ear lobes. If you wanted to have more enjoyment at the cost of reducing your hearing lifetime, you may want to use a balanced capable with it. That will give you 4X the power which should be plenty to drive the headphones themselves to distortion.

Conclusions
What can I say? We have another instrument-grade audio product in the form of A50s. You may be getting tired of seeing such exceptional results but I won't. It puts a smile on my face every time an audio product pegs my analyzer to its limits. Whether it is objective testing or subjective, the A50s nails the target of producing state of the art performance.

Needless to say, it is my pleasure to highly recommend the Topping A50s.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

So another day goes by and we are still canning pears. 15 quart jars done yet we still have not made a dent in the harvest. I was going to ask my wife to help me carry a large speaker for testing but once I saw how tired she was after skinning 100+ pears, I decided it would be unwise. This is when I thought I should ask you all to donate enough money so I can hire someone to help us with this massive harvest. That way I can test more audio gear. Assuming you agree, here is the link: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

Super basic question here: What is the difference between balanced and unbalanced in this case? I always thought of balanced as XLR. How would I used a pair of HD800s with this? Stereo phono to 1/4"?

 

[DLS79]

I ordered an A50s to replace my Atom. Nothing wrong with the Atom, I just wanted the matching amp.

I'm going to be doing the same, and also because i want the extra weight. I might even blu-tack them together to make them even less likely to move around.

 

[Berwhale]

Super basic question here: What is the difference between balanced and unbalanced in this case? I always thought of balanced as XLR. How would I used a pair of HD800s with this? Stereo phono to 1/4"?

The balanced output allows the amp to supply more power to the headphones.

You would use this cable...

https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/ch-800...Y29flBv77Xd0THu3Sztl271PFc2-m8axoCBfwQAvD_BwE

Or a much cheaper equivalent...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HiFi-BAL...670842?hash=item289886ebba:g:eLsAAOSwK2hfF9XJ

My HD660s came with a balanced cable with a 4.4mm (pentacon) plug and so does the HD800s.

 

[Jimbob54]

Super basic question here: What is the difference between balanced and unbalanced in this case? I always thought of balanced as XLR. How would I used a pair of HD800s with this? Stereo phono to 1/4"?

If you only have the hd800 cable with the 6.35mm end, you plug into the matching socket. That's single ended. Job done. You can't adapt a single ended headphone cable to balanced socket.

To use the 4.4mm balanced socket you néed a balanced cable for hd800. If this was your only balanced amp you'd get a cable with a 4.4mm male plug. Or a cable with 4 pin xlr and an adapter to 4.4mm if you have other balanced amps.

The balanced connector provides more voltage. So louder for any given point on the volume dial.

 

[Berwhale]

I'm going to be doing the same, and also because i want the extra weight. I might even blu-tack them together to make them even less likely to move around.

That's what I do, but the amp gets hot and the blutack goes gooey...

Here is lots of
new blue goo now.
New goo. Blue goo.
Gooey. Goeey.
Blue goo, New goo.
Gluey. Gluey.

https://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dr+seuss/fox+in+socks_20202887.html