Topping A900 released: insane beast

[J-Fly]

Many other people have the same problem with SMSL.
Which topping machines have you broken or had QC problems with?

A50 III, L70, and A70 Pro. Returned all three.

 

[Roland68]

A50 III, L70, and A70 Pro. Returned all three.

You seem to have been really unlucky.
The A70 Pro initially experienced crashes, presumably due to the module issue.
There are no known such failures with the A50 III and L70. Among my acquaintances, there are many A50 III and even more L70 that run without problems. My own L70 has also been running without issues for two years.
What problems did the A50 III and L70 cause for you?

 

[TTT15]

Does the A900/D900 sound better than other Topping and SMSL products for the price and if so how and why if all well measuring dacs and amps sound the same?

 

[J-Fly]

You seem to have been really unlucky.
The A70 Pro initially experienced crashes, presumably due to the module issue.
There are no known such failures with the A50 III and L70. Among my acquaintances, there are many A50 III and even more L70 that run without problems. My own L70 has also been running without issues for two years.
What problems did the A50 III and L70 cause for you?

All three amps had the exact same problem. With low impedance planars, these Topping amps would go into a “safe” mode when turning the volume up to a certain level and start cutting out the audio. The firmware update for the A70 Pro didn’t resolve this issue. I have no such issues with the S.M.S.L H400 and it’s performing well.

 

[Roland68]

All three amps had the exact same problem. With low impedance planars, these Topping amps would go into a “safe” mode when turning the volume up to a certain level and start cutting out the audio. The firmware update for the A70 Pro didn’t resolve this issue. I have no such issues with the S.M.S.L H400 and it’s performing well.

But that has nothing to do with quality or quality control, but rather with the circuitry/circuit technology used.
The circuitry and chip amplifiers used don't handle very low impedances very well, especially with power. Furthermore, these headphones often have a frequency-dependent impedance curve, which leads to an even lower impedance minimum and causes problems.
That's the price you pay for these very low-noise and high-performance circuits, and it only affects a very small portion of headphones on the market.
Transistor circuits like those in the H400 can have advantages in this regard, but they have other limitations.
I'm glad you're happy with them. I'd also like to hear the H400 and compare it.

 

[J-Fly]

But that has nothing to do with quality or quality control, but rather with the circuitry/circuit technology used.
The circuitry and chip amplifiers used don't handle very low impedances very well, especially with power. Furthermore, these headphones often have a frequency-dependent impedance curve, which leads to an even lower impedance minimum and causes problems.
That's the price you pay for these very low-noise and high-performance circuits, and it only affects a very small portion of headphones on the market.
Transistor circuits like those in the H400 can have advantages in this regard, but they have other limitations.
I'm glad you're happy with them. I'd also like to hear the H400 and compare it.

My post wasn’t exactly accurate. I have a variety of headphones (mostly planars). Not all were as sensitive but suffered from the same issues of the audio cutting off and this was definitely common as I searched other forums. It’s a Topping QC problem. For me, purchasing a Topping product is like a dose of anxiety honestly. But the A900 seems so impressive.

 

[PacketofCrisps]

My post wasn’t exactly accurate. I have a variety of headphones (mostly planars). Not all were as sensitive but suffered from the same issues of the audio cutting off and this was definitely common as I searched other forums. It’s a Topping QC problem. For me, purchasing a Topping product is like a dose of anxiety honestly. But the A900 seems so impressive.

Agreed, it most definitely is a topping problem.

I really would like to try A900 and D900 stack but I've also experienced an issue with every single Topping amp that has came across my desk, may just grab the DAC for now and pair with my HPA V550 as I feel the amp will be a side grade at best.

 

[J-Fly]

Joshua Valour finally reviewed both the A900 and D900....sort of on YouTube. Z Reviews already reviewed the D900 and is supposed to review the A900 soon. You can see my comments under JohnnyParker. I'm very critical.

 

[J-Fly]

Passion for Sound review also coming soon.

 

[jmdesignz2]

View attachment 463393
"PRE output" = Preamp output

= input signal passes through the Preamp with -0.1/+10.3/+19.8dB gain and the relay attenuator, but not through the headphone Amp.

Hmm. Too bad it doesn’t do dual channel output like the A70 pro. I use the RCA outputs to drive a sub. The XLR are used to drive my speakers

 

[J-Fly]

I’m going for even more overkill. My Flux Labs M-Field dual stack should be arriving in a few days. I’ll see how it compares to the SMSL H400.

 

[Chagall]

I’m going for even more overkill. My Flux Labs M-Field dual stack should be arriving in a few days. I’ll see how it compares to the SMSL H400.

If you're expecting a sound-quality jump, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. As long as an amp is operating within its specs and measures cleanly, it’s going to sound the same as any other transparent amp. Of course, this also depends on the headphones you're using and how hard they are to drive.

The real benefits of expensive gear aren’t in the sound - it’s the build quality, longevity, serviceability, headphone versatility, and overall peace of mind - reliability. That alone can make it worth it, IMO.

 

[J-Fly]

If you're expecting a sound-quality jump, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. As long as an amp is operating within its specs and measures cleanly, it’s going to sound the same as any other transparent amp. Of course, this also depends on the headphones you're using and how hard they are to drive.

The real benefits of expensive gear aren’t in the sound - it’s the build quality, longevity, serviceability, headphone versatility, and overall peace of mind - reliability. That alone can make it worth it, IMO.

I’m also getting the SJY Horizon Closed Back Carbon and I knew those were difficult to drive.

 

[IgorD]

I'm more interested in the possible upcoming AX00-series models like an A700 or A500.

Topping usually releases replacements for their current models every 3–4 years, so around 2026–2027 would be a reasonable time to expect something like an A500. It would replace the L70 in that price range while offering performance of the A70 Pro.