Piotr
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Could you shed some light for what are we waiting for? Any headapm+dac units? Let's say dx7pro replacement with ak4499 and MQA?
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Topping A90 Headphone Amplifier Review
- Thread starter amirm
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I'm willing to listen. Do you have some use case examples? I have read the small signal book but not thoroughly.Yes I think you mentioned ealier you would be ready to make some tradeoffs for superior noise performance. I respect that. My preferences are a little different, but the environment most people use their equipment in is also more controlled than mine. I am always looking more from the view of pro audio and studio equipment, I am willing to give up some noise performance for better protection. Mainly because Douglas Self warned in his Small Signal book about some of the unexpected behaviours of what was supposed to be properly designed "pro equipment".
A few new dedicated DACs. Can't give any more details sorry.
Well I meant a low budget DAC with balanced output. An answer to the Soncoz LA-QXD1. I love the competition in this field. Thanks.
I respect that too, especially since the trade-off is clearly assumed by JohnYang. Just that 20 years in automotive made me quite paranoid with these things (16 kV ESD pulses anybody?).
Maybe.
I think he just said there was obscene amounts of DC offset present on some of the equipment he saw and that EMI is a whole different thing in a studio or pro environment. Not all devices were designed to what he would have expected basically. I don't think it's really that relevant for the HiFi world, more the pro audio aspect. And I see Toppings target audience firmly within the HiFi world, unlike for example RME who come from the pro-audio world.
Edit: That being said, I also don't AC couple all the inputs on my projects and put extensive filtering. It is also a question of PCB area, cost. Tradeoffs everywhere.
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ohhhhh NO……look at the 4-channel slide potentiometer! This is definitely not a good choice for a true differential amp. For this very headamp, you could see there is a 0.25db deviation on the -30db volume (witch could be a very usual position).
Let's do some math——0.25db≈3%, obviously the signal will be distorted while the hot and cold phase signal meet in a subtractor opamp or a speaker driver.
The DC blocker is implemented for unbal input so no issue there. If the bal output of a device has large DC the unit is faulty.
In terms of EMI, it's actually not that hard to deal with. In the worst environment, A90 won't do the job because it has ground pin. A totally floating device will be immune to the actual issues in the studio. And usually it's the instruments(pickups), the boutique devices themselves have the inherent issues in these respects.
The 4 gang pot is parallel wired to a two channel pot. So no issue there. The differential signals are summed before converting again to balanced signal. Ha fooled you!ohhhhh NO……look at the 4-channel slide potentiometer! This is definitely not a good choice for a true differential amp. For this very headamp, you could see there is a 0.25db deviation on the -30db volume (witch could be a very usual position).
Let's do some math——0.25db≈3%, obviously the signal will be distorted while the hot and cold phase signal meet in a subtractor opamp or a speaker driver.
good news
Theriverlethe
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What's the headphone output impedance?
<0.1Ohm for 6.35mm (0.06Ohm typical)
<0.2Ohm for 4.4mm/ 4pin XLR (0.13Ohm typical)
You might have to google that son.
Human Bass
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What the E30 needs is bluetooth with ldac, then it will be the do-it-all budge king of unbalanced dacs.
Betcha if it was boutique they would love it,I've gotta dust off the DX7 Pro now,she's expecting a companion any day now,ta ta.
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Amazing work by @JohnYang1997 and Topping - wow!
I am struck by that 4.8W output figure - I know it’s a different application, but I could almost see someone using it to drive super-efficient horn speakers. Would certainly be more hi-fi than the 5-watt SE tube amps folks often drive such speakers with.
I am struck by that 4.8W output figure - I know it’s a different application, but I could almost see someone using it to drive super-efficient horn speakers. Would certainly be more hi-fi than the 5-watt SE tube amps folks often drive such speakers with.
Can someone explain the output connectors on the back?
There is a set of XLR and RCAs on the back. I assume you can use these to drive a power amplifier/speakers? Do they come on when there is no headphone plugged in? Can you use them simultaneously, with the rcas for a subwoofer and the xlr for speakers?
There is a set of XLR and RCAs on the back. I assume you can use these to drive a power amplifier/speakers? Do they come on when there is no headphone plugged in? Can you use them simultaneously, with the rcas for a subwoofer and the xlr for speakers?
Amazing work by @JohnYang1997 and Topping - wow!
I am struck by that 4.8W output figure - I know it’s a different application, but I could almost see someone using it to drive super-efficient horn speakers. Would certainly be more hi-fi than the 5-watt SE tube amps folks often drive such speakers with.
Horn speakers aren't exactly hi-fi. And that's not what SET amps are made for. They have a seductive quality that's unequaled by any solid state gear I've ever heard. Though not for everyone.
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