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Topping A90 Discrete Review (Headphone Amp & Preamp)

Rate this Headphone Amp/Pre-amp

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 16 4.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 13 3.2%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 69 17.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 306 75.7%

  • Total voters
    404

Atanasi

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Why SE IN is higher?
Balanced inputs go through additional op-amps that increase noise floor and may have other effects like lower voltage limit compared to single-ended inputs with A30 Pro. These amps are internally single-ended, and both balanced inputs and outputs are converted.
 

Bow_Wazoo

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Jan 3, 2021
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I thought that the SNR would increase,
if you go in with 4V instead of 2V...
 

Jimbob54

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I thought that the SNR would increase,
if you go in with 4V instead of 2V...
Depends if the amp can get to max output/ SNR from a 2v se input. The old L30 couldnt
 

Atanasi

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I thought that the SNR would increase,
if you go in with 4V instead of 2V...
Often with balanced outputs there is something like 3 dB higher noise floor and 6 dB higher output level, which gains 3 dB more SNR. In this case, balanced inputs don’t take higher voltages, so there is just more noise.
 

Bow_Wazoo

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would the volume be identical at a certain position of the volume knob when comparing se and bal in?
 

Jimbob54

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would the volume be identical at a certain position of the volume knob when comparing se and bal in?
Doubt it. If you are feeding a 2v signal over SE and a 4v over XLR and using the same output, say you're on the unity gain setting at max vol, the output when you select SE input should be 2v and 4v when select XLR input.
 

reter

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Jan 19, 2021
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1
Guys i just bought this amp and got today, it's pretty good for my use but i'm asking to the a90/a90d owners if it's normal that is so warm (more than the jds atom amp+), is it because of the aluminium case? just to be specific, it's not HOT but it's VERY warm
 

carlcamper

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Aug 1, 2020
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163
Location
Cavite, Philippines
Guys i just bought this amp and got today, it's pretty good for my use but i'm asking to the a90/a90d owners if it's normal that is so warm (more than the jds atom amp+), is it because of the aluminium case? just to be specific, it's not HOT but it's VERY warm
Yes mine also get really warm. I already previously owned another discrete amplifier which did get super warm as well (the Gustard H16), so I was not surprised.
 

AlephAlpha001

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Mar 12, 2022
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Location
Hong Kong
Joshua Valor claims a sound difference between the A90 and A90D, hard to believe, he did a blind test to prove it, there is a video , but it was barely scientific to put it mildly.
Anyway I think he is moving to right direction, I guess....

That guy is living proof that not all talents are g-loaded and that one can shoot a brilliant B-Roll and make out like gang busters despite not being what you'd call any kind of extreme RHS outlier on the bell curve.

Every now and then he'll come out with some utterly retarded statement that would get him sent back to manual 3x3 matrix inversion for dummies remedial math class were he in E-school.
 

PointyFox

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Oct 2, 2021
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25
Guys i just bought this amp and got today, it's pretty good for my use but i'm asking to the a90/a90d owners if it's normal that is so warm (more than the jds atom amp+), is it because of the aluminium case? just to be specific, it's not HOT but it's VERY warm
My A90D reaches 98F at 72F ambient.
 

registlse

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Joined
Aug 11, 2022
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9
I let it run all day at 50 with a 32 ohm and it’s just warm...

I have an A90 and I received yesterday the A90D, there is a difference between the two but I let the A90D work a few days before giving my opinion... (with Focal Clear and DAC/Streamer NAIM)
 

Bow_Wazoo

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Good friends right away...

PSX_20220825_180847.jpg
 

reter

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Jan 19, 2021
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I let it run all day at 50 with a 32 ohm and it’s just warm...

I have an A90 and I received yesterday the A90D, there is a difference between the two but I let the A90D work a few days before giving my opinion... (with Focal Clear and DAC/Streamer NAIM)
i don't think high and low gain does make any difference

i can't compare this amp with my jds atom but i don't understand the meaning of "neutral" sounding; i used the fiio k5 and people says that's neutral, afterwards i moved to the jds atom which also people says that's neutral, now this one... i don't understand but i think there's a lot of misconception about neutrality, the three all sounds way different with jds pumping the highs
 
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reter

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Jan 19, 2021
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1
I just leave it on.
do you think it's secure? i mean, warming this much all day in a year... i don't have the knowledge of what's better but i would instinctively turn it off when i'm not using it especially when it's that warm
 

Arnas

Active Member
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Nov 9, 2020
Messages
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198
What i like to see in this amp is better feets... I mean Singxer is cheaper, but have much better feets so...
I would pay premium for that, i mean some people really dig the aestetics.
Wouldnt be too bad if Topping can offer same version of stuff with more expensive parts like Holo Audio are doing with their dacs.
 

Cidious

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Jan 18, 2019
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140
Ordered one myself. I didn't want to.. Got the D30Pro+A30Pro stack already. And lately not been using the headphones as much because the active studio monitors just do fine at lower volumes also.

However I couldn't resist the hype.. I'll give them an A/B and see if it's worth keeping it over the A30Pro.

Sennheiser HD660s, Beyers 600 ohm, Mr Speakers Mad Dogs (Fostex T50rp mod) en thinking of getting the Hifiman Edition XS.
 
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