Topping A90 Headphone Amplifier Review

[EchoChamber]

Just trying to understand what that accomplishes and how to make that setting?

You can enter the settings menu by turning on the D90 (rear switch) while holding the left button on the front panel. DAC mode is a purist setting where you always have a high output and don’t use the digital volume. I believe it’s equal to having the volume at 0. I haven’t used the volume function in the D90 yet, I’ve set it to DAC mode, XLR only output and Bluetooth off as soon as I got the unit.

 

[rjley]

You can enter the settings menu by turning on the D90 (rear switch) while holding the left button on the front panel. DAC mode is a purist setting where you always have a high output and don’t use the digital volume. I believe it’s equal to having the volume at 0. I haven’t used the volume function in the D90 yet, I’ve set it to DAC mode, XLR only output and Bluetooth off as soon as I got the unit.

Thanks, I'll try that and see if any difference. Too bad the different firmware modes are impossible to tell apart.

 

[rjley]

I also just received the A90 today. Coming from the THX AAA 789, after seeing/reading a couple of rave reviews (including Amir's here), I was expecting an upgrade in audio quality. I've been A/B ing the 2 since earlier today and feel so far the THX 789 may be a little brighter.

Interested in anyone else's comparisons.

 

[auronthas]

I'm assuming you're not using balanced. Go for balanced if you want more power

What other mode ? if you can use preamp mode and raise the output to max.

DAC mode is at fixed volume at 0dB, max volume. Similar to pre-amp max, No ?

I set to DAC mode as I am listening to both speaker and headphone system (not concurrent). Do not want to always change the tedious setting from rear on/off switch and hold the multifunction button.

 

[EchoChamber]

I also just received the A90 today. Coming from the THX AAA 789, after seeing/reading a couple of rave reviews (including Amir's here), I was expecting an upgrade in audio quality. I've been A/B ing the 2 since earlier today and feel so far the THX 789 may be a little brighter.

Interested in anyone else's comparisons.

I got my A90 and D90 MQA this past Saturday. I haven’t listened much to the A90 yet and I placed the D90 in my main speaker system (it performed amazingly well - soooo transparent). I feel that it sounds better after about 30 hours playing so far. So maybe letting the A90 run in for a few days will change its sound a bit.

I love the small form factor (amps are Nord Purifi, they run cool and are inside the cabinets):

 

[rjley]

I got my A90 and D90 this past Saturday. I haven’t listened much to the A90 yet and I placed the D90 in my main speaker system (it performed amazingly well - soooo transparent). I feel that it sounds better after about 30 hours playing so far. So maybe letting it run in for a few days will change the sound of the A90 a bit.

I love the small form factor (amps are Nord Purifi, they run cool and are inside the cabinets):
View attachment 66524

Got the D90 also at beginning of May

 

[auronthas]

I got my A90 and D90 MQA this past Saturday. I haven’t listened much to the A90 yet and I placed the D90 in my main speaker system (it performed amazingly well - soooo transparent). I feel that it sounds better after about 30 hours playing so far. So maybe letting the A90 run in for a few days will change its sound a bit.

I love the small form factor (amps are Nord Purifi, they run cool and are inside the cabinets):
View attachment 66524

Cool setup, i got mine silver colour to match my integrated amplifier.

By the way, may i ask what music streamer or network media player (hardware and software) are you playing?

 

[ReaderZ]

If anyone is looking for more measurements

https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/124309617

It tests lots of the same thing but repeat all test for low, mid and high gain, as well as 32 and 300 ohm load.

 

[EchoChamber]

Cool setup, i got mine silver colour to match my integrated amplifier.

By the way, may i ask what music streamer or network media player (hardware and software) are you playing?

Cool! In my system, DAC is connected to a fan-less computer running MacOS via USB, music comes from either Tidal (shown in picture), Amazon HD or Apple Music (plating ripped CDs from a 6TB HD). And all streaming TV content come from the TV connected via Toslink.

 

[auronthas]

Received my A90 last week, fantastic pairing D90/A90 with my HE4XX and HD650. The D90 is even awesome synergy with my speaker system (Sonus Faber Concertino Domus via Krell 400Xi integrated amp). I choose silver colour to match all three components.

I am waiting for Amirm's A50 measurement and review .

Here's one of my headphone setup. The bottom tier is my integrated amplifier as base for the top three-tier

 

[auronthas]

Cool! In my system, DAC is connected to a fan-less computer running MacOS via USB, music comes from either Tidal (shown in picture), Amazon HD or Apple Music (plating ripped CDs from a 6TB HD). And all streaming TV content come from the TV connected via Toslink.

Wow, may i know what's the fanless computer... Mac Mini?

 

[shiroang]

I'm still quite new to the headphone side of equipment, but would appreciate if you guys or @JohnYang1997 could help on this, because if it works I might consider getting a D90 to combo with my incoming A90.

Headphone part no concern, so I would skip that. Will be more on how the D90 + A90 can link to my AV Receiver (Yamaha A3020), and then output to my passive speakers.
I was wondering if it is possible to use the preamp out from A90 to link to my AVR (A3020), but only to:

1. Utilise the DAC of D90, as the A3020 only has 96/24.
2. Power wise using my AVR (A3020) to power the passive speakers

Thanks in advance!

 

[auronthas]

1. Utilise the DAC of D90, as the A3020 only has 96/24.

If I can assist, it is your digital source which determine the music format 96/24 or higher, your AV receiver A3020 is an amplifier which received signal from DAC. Question: What is your digital source? USB or S/PDIF (max 96/24)) ?

 

[shiroang]

If I can assist, it is your digital source which determine the music format 96/24 or higher, your AV receiver A3020 is an amplifier which received signal from DAC. Question: What is your digital source? USB or S/PDIF (max 96/24)) ?

My AVR is quite old already, so it only supports up to 96/24.
That's why I'm thinking if D90/A90 can somehow link to my AVR, and only used AVR for the power to power passive speakers, and data part uses the D90 DAC, I would consider this setup.

Currently, I'm using Macbook Pro USB C out to D10 USB B in, and then D10 SPDIF out to AVR SPDIF in.

 

[hmscott]

My AVR is quite old already, so it only supports up to 96/24.
That's why I'm thinking if D90/A90 can somehow link to my AVR, and only used AVR for the power to power passive speakers, and data part uses the D90 DAC, I would consider this setup.

Currently, I'm using Macbook Pro USB C out to D10 USB B in, and then D10 SPDIF out to AVR SPDIF in.

Sure, you can use the non-volume controlled "Pre-out" from the A90 to feed into one of your AVR inputs. Even better you can skip the conversion to AVR SPDIF and go direct USB to the D90 -> XLR -> A90 -> RCA -> AVR.

My A90 / D90 will be dedicated to driving Headphone's only for now...

 

[shiroang]

Sure, you can use the non-volume controlled "Pre-out" from the A90 to feed into one of your AVR inputs. Even better you can skip the conversion to AVR SPDIF and go direct USB to the D90 -> XLR -> A90 -> RCA -> AVR.

My A90 / D90 will be dedicated to driving Headphone's only for now...

Hi, that is exactly what I'm thinking of whether it is feasible. So I can utilise the high-end DAC tech from D90 (if I decide to buy it, if this setup is possible).

So from A90 RCA out to AVR, I can just link to any of the AVR RCA in right? Or is there any specify ones for such setup?

Thanks!

 

[EchoChamber]

Wow, may i know what's the fanless computer... Mac Mini?

I built a miniITX PC using a i5 CPU (Coffe Lake) in a Streacom FC8 fanless case (that was 2 years ago... I don't have all the specs of my built handy but I'm happy to provide if there's interest). It's a PC running MacOS - a Hackintosh, not as elegant a solution as a Mac mini IMO.

 

[ReaderZ]

Hi, that is exactly what I'm thinking of whether it is feasible. So I can utilise the high-end DAC tech from D90 (if I decide to buy it, if this setup is possible).

So from A90 RCA out to AVR, I can just link to any of the AVR RCA in right? Or is there any specify ones for such setup?

Thanks!

Any RCA should work.

 

[RickSanchez]

So maybe letting the A90 run in for a few days will change its sound a bit.

It will not.

 

[rjley]

Anyone else have the THX AAA 789 and the A 90?