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ok only A90 amplifier is ordered i will use only e30 it dont bother me its sound good it good for me. i plan not upgrade this in very long time
ypa
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Topping A90 Headphone Amplifier Review
- Thread starter amirm
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ok only A90 amplifier is ordered i will use only e30 it dont bother me its sound good it good for me. i plan not upgrade this in very long time
ypa
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Sorry- walk me through those connections again? You'll plug the headphones into the 4.4mm pentacon- fair enough.
But whats that about USB cable from a90 to computer?
yes this is my mistake
the rca cable in a90 and e30 then usb in e30 into back of computer
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Makes more sense!
Possibly, same probably goes for the Drop THX, seems people are unloading them too.
o7_brother
Active Member
Got my A90 mere moments ago, so I have not tested all the features yet. Looks and feels pretty sexy. I was surprised by how small it was, only a little deeper than the ADI-2 DAC.
However, I wanted to report that my unit has a minor problem with the volume pot. It does not attenuate all the way to zero; there is still music playing faintly when turned all the way down. This is with XLR inputs, SE output. Have not tested RCA inputs yet. I just turn the amp off entirely as a mute function and that works well enough for me.
Edit: on a more positive note, there is hardly any noticeable channel imbalance even at the lowest possible setting, so that's something.
However, I wanted to report that my unit has a minor problem with the volume pot. It does not attenuate all the way to zero; there is still music playing faintly when turned all the way down. This is with XLR inputs, SE output. Have not tested RCA inputs yet. I just turn the amp off entirely as a mute function and that works well enough for me.
Edit: on a more positive note, there is hardly any noticeable channel imbalance even at the lowest possible setting, so that's something.
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Tachyon88
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@o7_brother what’s it like compared to the adi and what HP are you using to compare. Why did you get the a90 ?
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o7_brother
Active Member
Presently, I haven't tested the A90 with anything special or hard to drive, just my AKG K371 and Etymotic ER2XR. I have not noticed any sound quality difference between the ADI-2's amp and the A90.
The ADI-2's amplifier is more than powerful enough for 99% of headphones out there, however I'm interested in that remaining 1%. I'm looking at some low-sensitivity planar magnetics like the Audeze LCD-4, which hasn't arrived yet.
Having done the math, the ADI-2 is likely sufficient. However, these headphones could, in theory, benefit from a more powerful amp for the quietest classical music with very high dynamic range, especially because I use EQ and that requires some more headroom.
I did not buy the A90 expecting sound quality differences, since these are both clean solid state amps and I've never heard much of a sound quality difference from any amp of this type. Not a fan of "warm and musical".
If it turns out the ADI-2 is sufficiently powerful for my needs, I can easily sell the A90 since they it's a popular amp.
Tachyon88
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@o7_brother Doh, I guess you did just get it ! Hey you dont need to justify wanting the power to me. ;p Better to have and not need than need and not have. I considered the adi2 for an all in one solution and the pre-amp function, but I wanted more power and balanced......just cause ya neva know.
I have a meaningful response to this one, having sold my A90.
I really liked the A90 at first. I was a shorter session listener and it sounded great. With more time at home and longer sessions I would fatigue though. It was insanely clean, fast and accurate however I just couldn't listen for too long. I couldn't make it through more than a few songs especially if I was distracted doing other things while listening. On the flip side I loved it as a pre for my studio monitors so I gravitated in that direction for listening. My headphone use with it became viewed more and more as...harsh. I had to keep my Sundara/HD600 listening volume low as it would be uncomfortable to my ears when turned up a bit. The initial holy crap I can hear everything it's so clean clear woah feeling would eventually give way to discomfort and fatigue.
With my previous setup of the Bifrost 2+Gilmore Lite MKii I did not suffer from this issue. I could listen to moderate volumes for a long duration. Quite the opposite I had to make sure I didn't crank the volume too loud. Less accurate, less sharp but tolerable. As another point of reference I also have an iDSD BL. This unit does not fatigue me either.
So, I took the dive on a Headamp GS-X Mini with DACT volume control. It paired nicely with the D90 and all of my headphones, especially the Sundara. The DACT is incredible as I've been tired of dealing with crappy pots on my amps of late. It was much less sharp up top, I'm sure there is some measurement out there to support this characteristic but I don't care at this point. It sounds better especially since I can listen at decent volumes and for as long as I'd like. In testing I was able to consistently identify which amp I was listening to with help of the AV blind switcher wife edition. Voltmeter matching was done beforehand. I picked a moderate volume on the Mini and adjusted the A90 there. It was like Tyll's video back in the day of the Ultrasone Edition 10. Again, I could listen to low volumes just fine.
From this experience I've learned while measurements can keep companies honest, maybe help you avoid a heavily distorted or low powered pieces of garbage.. they are not the end all when it comes to audio enjoyment. At least not for me. I'll leave you with this:
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Why are you doing this to me?
Are you uhh, having this same experience? Minus the more expensive amplifier purchase? lol
With sound perception I find it difficult to put it into words but although I like A90 and I think it is a very good amp, I feel that something is off to my liking. Your description sounds like something that I may be experiencing. I guess amp goals updated...
and I've only had A90 for a couple of months
With sound perception I find it difficult to put it into words but although I like A90 and I think it is a very good amp, I feel that something is off to my liking. Your description sounds like something that I may be experiencing. I guess amp goals updated...
and I've only had A90 for a couple of months
Aah, kind of the urge to not listen to headphones anymore? Or discomfort? Mine started with the prior ended with the latter.
It's the good measurements tricked your brain thinking it's fatiguing.
Or it's the months of ownership
Can't abandon the headphones cause the only time that I can enjoy my music and FPS is when the three kids are asleep
it is rather something about the sound of the headphones, not the amount of details but the way they are presented.On the other hand I am still trying all the various combinations of my setup (dac output, amp gain, 5 sets of very different headphones, tons of very differently recorded tracks = a lot to thoroughly try) which may eventually lead me to the sound that I like from all of them.
Initially I thought that gain mainly influenced the volume but on some good headphones it changes the sound a lot and they sound bad above low gain even at lower volume. Turns out it's complicated
But... the Headamp GS-X Mini with DACT volume control theoretically sounds very intriguing especially after your comment, if I do not find my sweet spot with combination at hand.
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