• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Topping A90 Headphone Amplifier Review

August

Active Member
Joined
May 4, 2019
Messages
178
Likes
262
Congratulations. You will tell us how your impressions are. I see that you also have other models to be able to compare.
Could you hear it already?
A comparison with the SP200 would be very interesting.
I have never been a subjectivist, and I believe that it is indistinguishable to perform abx testing under the same spl. The only difference is that the sp200 has a slight noise floor in high-gain mode, and the most sensitive IEM used by the a90 is difficult to detect. I am mainly attracted by the functionality of a90. The low gain mode of -9db allows you to use IEM very comfortably, which is not possible with sp200. This is very critical to me. The low gain mode of +6 and the slight channel imbalance have bothered me for a long time. The 0db gain of atom is still too high for iem. (My English is so bad, forgive me for using Google Translate)
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
Really? That would be wonderful! But I don't see any remote control in the package list on the selling website...
The Pre90 is not released yet. A90 doesn't have remote.
 

NunzioLan

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
Messages
19
Likes
19
I'm curious to see if I will be able to drive my sensitive IEMs just fine with the balanced pentacon output since it is -3.5dB in low gain (not -9.5dB like in SE)
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
I'm curious to see if I will be able to drive my sensitive IEMs just fine with the balanced pentacon output since it is -3.5dB in low gain (not -9.5dB like in SE)
Still fine unless you play very low volume. Even then you are free to use digital volume control. I always use -6dB or -12dB on DAC regardless what headphones/earphones I use.
 

NunzioLan

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
Messages
19
Likes
19
Still fine unless you play very low volume. Even then you are free to use digital volume control. I always use -6dB or -12dB on DAC regardless what headphones/earphones I use.

Is there a technical reason for doing this or is it just a way to have more or less headroom based on the amp you are using? maybe it's a stupid question, I don't know :)
 

nobody

Member
Joined
May 26, 2020
Messages
27
Likes
41
The Pre90 is not released yet. A90 doesn't have remote.
Firstly I want to thank Topping for the D90 DAC. It's fantastic and beats everything I compared it to till this time (even some very expensive DACs, even the little D50s in direct comparison beated a Hegel $4000 DAC!)

Secondly, the Pre90 really interests me, I wanted to buy A90 and use it as preamp to drive my Hypex NC500 monoblocks. My latest setup consists from D90->Monoprice THX 789->2x Hypex NC500->Thiel CS 2.4.

Now the questions, I use the NC500s with bypassed input buffer, so I need lot of gain. I use Monoprice headphone balanced out to drive them.

Will be the Pre90 based on same circuit topology as the A90? Will it be in the same price range as D90/A90? And same case design?
I was ready to buy A90, but the remote control in Pre90 is more important to me, than headphone output.

Thank you and I wish you lot of bussines and personal success.
 
Last edited:

chasefrench

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2019
Messages
29
Likes
18
So I am currently using a D90 MQA with XLRs to drive some active monitors, then using the RCA output to 789 to drive headphones.

Do you think it is worth switching the 789 to the A90 to benefit from a proper pre-amp for the active monitors then also get a proper balanced signal between the DAC and Headphone Amp?
 

chasefrench

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2019
Messages
29
Likes
18
Firstly I want to thank Topping for the D90 DAC. It's fantastic and beats everything I compared it to till this time (even some very expensive DACs, even the little D50s in direct comparison beated a Hegel $4000 DAC!)

Secondly, the Pre90 really interests me, I wanted to buy A90 and use it as preamp to drive my Hypex NC500 monoblocks. My latest setup consists from D90->Monoprice THX 789->2x Hypex NC500->Thiel CS 2.4.

Now the questions, I use the NC500s with bypassed input buffer, so I need lot of gain. I use Monoprice balanced out to drive them.

Will be the Pre90 based on same circuit topology as the A90? Will it be in the same price range as D90/A90? And same case design?
I was ready to buy A90, but the remote control in Pre90 is more important to me, than headphone output.

Thank you and I wish you lot of bussines and personal success.

Sounds like you and I have a similar problem!?
 

escalibur

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Messages
236
Likes
161
@JohnYang1997 Can you reveal why Topping is so limited in Europe? Currently there is only a few shops selling it with pretty much 0 competition in terms of best prices. Ordering it from China is always an option but customs are quite big when we talk about $500+ orders.

PM me if you are interested in 'giant' size local distributor for Europe and the Nordics. I could get you at least two.

ps. For those wondering the physical measurements (which are for some reason missing from the specs):

1590492558221.png
 
Last edited:

Sometimes_nevermind

New Member
Joined
May 26, 2020
Messages
2
Likes
0
It's been a long time coming, but it seems this is just about the perfect option for those looking to drive a Susvara via a headphone amp at a budget under 1k (let alone half of that!)
 

MalinYamato

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
420
Likes
218
Location
東京都世田谷区
You are right ! I confused it with the M500. As far as I know the only dacs with bluetooth 5.0, balanced output and MQA decoding under 1000 € are the D90 MQA and the M400, did I miss any?



I live in Italy, in my experience orders from hifigo usually arrive within two weeks here in Italy. I don't think delivery times would be different from you, but in the current situation one never knows.
besides m400 and D90-MQA, ifi xDSD is my closest find, which has both but lacks LDAC. Ifi does not reveal BT version but I don´t think it has BT 5.0, probably only 4.2.
 

MalinYamato

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
420
Likes
218
Location
東京都世田谷区
@JohnYang1997 Can you reveal why Topping is so limited in Europe? Currently there is only a few shops selling it with pretty much 0 competition in terms of best prices. Ordering it from China is always an option but customs are quite big when we talk about $500+ orders.

PM me if you are interested in 'giant' size local distributor for Europe and the Nordics. I could get you at least two.

ps. For those wondering the physical measurements (which are for some reason missing from the specs):

View attachment 65532
great, I am in.
 

3125b

Major Contributor
Joined
May 18, 2020
Messages
1,352
Likes
2,204
Location
Germany
It´s 499€ on Audiophonics, wich seems to be one of the few retailers stocking Topping and SMSL products in the EU, I bought my E30 and some other things from them and did't have any problems. Even on Amazon there appear to only be chinese sellers with very long delivery times.
 

MalinYamato

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2020
Messages
420
Likes
218
Location
東京都世田谷区
It´s 499€ on Audiophonics, wich seems to be one of the few retailers stocking Topping and SMSL products in the EU, I bought my E30 and some other things from them and did't have any problems. Even on Amazon there appear to only be chinese sellers with very long delivery times.
price + tax + TNT-shipping charge = $565.
Note, audiophonics.fr has a €10 discount coupon code.
 

auronthas

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
231
Likes
123
What is the recommended stack setup ? D90 on top A90? I am concern about Bluetooth antenna and heat dissipation issue.
 

mt196

Active Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2019
Messages
229
Likes
156
Location
Rome, Italy
What is the recommended stack setup ? D90 on top A90? I am concern about Bluetooth antenna and heat dissipation issue.

D90 can be on top to have free antenna space and to add weight to the A90 so when you plug and unplug your headphones' jacks it won't move. But having the A90 on top will make it cooler. Anyway I don't think there will be issues since it has heatsink inside it, maybe avoid to leave it on for weeks without powering it off of you put it under the D90
 

auronthas

Active Member
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
231
Likes
123
D90 can be on top to have free antenna space and to add weight to the A90 so when you plug and unplug your headphones' jacks it won't move. But having the A90 on top will make it cooler. Anyway I don't think there will be issues since it has heatsink inside it, maybe avoid to leave it on for weeks without powering it off of you put it under the D90
Thanks, what about the volume dial operation, will it be difficult to turn the volume pot ?
 

xhattan

Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Messages
51
Likes
27
Would love to see measurements of the old Beyerdynamic A1, which seems to have disappeared from market as of a few years now. The pairing with the Beyer T90 and T5p is impressive. Don´t own the T1´s but soon enough...
 
Top Bottom