Topping B100 Amplifier Review

[Sokel]

Finally got a chance to try a few calculations in this spreadsheet with my setup (B100s driving a pair of KEF LS50 Metas from my listening position based on speaker placement but not even including subwoofer), and only need somewhere from 7-16 watts (depending on impedance I put in, since KEF rates it 8ohms with minimum 3.5ohms) to hit peak 90dB at my listening position. This is way less than the B100 puts out. Again, this is not even factoring the fact that I have an SVS SB-3000 providing the slam--which means all of my real-world testing was lower wattage still than any of these calculations for the measured sound levels.

Why are people so worried about power? 23-52 watts would be needed if I were even willing to listen with 95dB peaks, which I am not. I was test-listening an orchestral piece yesterday (which is the very loudest material I like listening to), and set the volume to a place where I was already fairly uncomfortable with the loudness, and after an hour of playback, only hit a peak of 92dB (with an average of about 72dB), which translates to 11-26 watts depending on impedance.

At this rate, B200s would be $600 worth of overkill for my setup.

-Ed

Again,the key question here (as with every measurement,conditions are mandatory) is is HOW do you measure.
Of the self SPL meter?Phone?Mic and REW?Calibrated against what?
Fast enough to get peaks?At what weighting?

As @terryforsythe found out lately it takes REW and couple of settings to get there and see the picture (assuming a good calibration)

16 W is a LOT for average or even max but way too little for peaks at demanding works.
And while lows can "eat" a lot of energy it's the midbass too that needs it and spectrum's energy is additive (think of ascending big brass,drums impact,etc) so the mains must be able to follow subs in such a configuration.
Audibly the difference can be small between a clipped amp at these transients and a capable one depending the music at lower levels,but try to go higher and stuff will start shouting to an uncomfortable fashion while a capable amp while just bring the event closer without bothering you.
That's also the value of a low distortion amp,levels.And that is canceled if they clip early.

 

[terryforsythe]

16 W is a LOT for average or even max but way too little for peaks at demanding works.
And while lows can "eat" a lot of energy it's the midbass too that needs it and spectrum's energy is additive (think of ascending big brass,drums impact,etc) so the mains must be able to follow subs in such a configuration.

It cannot be overstated that the amount of power that is needed in any particular system depends on numerous factors. The B100 will have more than enough power for some systems, and will not be optimal for other systems.

When I ran my test I had the volume cranked up louder than I otherwise would listen. I played four complete songs from my playlist, intentionally choosing the last of those to be particularly demanding on my system and which, to me, does not sound like it has a lot of compression. The LZpeak SPL for the different songs ranged from 95.5dB to 97.5dB measured at about 2m. A pair of B100s powering a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers are more than adequate to achieve that. Attached are the measurements, and screenshots for the predicted amount of power needed for a pair of those speakers with those conditions. EDIT: The first set of predicted power screenshots use the nominal impedance of the speakers. I added a second set based on the minimum impedance.

Side Note 1: KEF recommends 40-100W for the KEF LS50 Meta. I also have attached a screenshot of KEF's specifications. IMO, the B100 is a good fit for that speaker.

Side Note 2: Take a look at the teal line (LE) in the measurements, which indicates the sound exposure level. It probably is not good for anyone to listen to music for an extended period of time as loud as I played it for the test.

 

[Sokel]

It cannot be overstated that the amount of power that is needed in any particular system depends on numerous factors. The B100 will have more than enough power for some systems, and will not be optimal for other systems.

When I ran my test I had the volume cranked up louder than I otherwise would listen. I played four complete songs from my playlist, intentionally choosing the last of those to be particularly demanding on my system and which, to me, does not sound like it has a lot of compression. The LZpeak SPL for the different songs ranged from 95.5dB to 97.5dB measured at about 2m. A pair of B100s powering a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers are more than adequate to achieve that. Attached are the measurements, and screenshots for the predicted amount of power needed for a pair of those speakers with those conditions. EDIT: The first set of predicted power screenshots use the nominal impedance of the speakers. I added a second set based on the minimum impedance.

Side Note 1: KEF recommends 40-100W for the KEF LS50 Meta. I also have attached a screenshot of KEF's specifications. IMO, the B100 is a good fit for that speaker.

Side Note 2: Take a look at the teal line (LE) in the measurements, which indicates the sound exposure level. It probably is not good for anyone to listen to music for an extended period of time as loud as I played it for the test.

Speaker's ability is also a decisive factor:



(link)

We can clearly see that while it can take a good 96dB (instant) peaks,is just about where the limit is even if steeply hi-passed as high as 200Hz (probably with the sub directly underneath it for such a high freq) .
I suppose it could reach reference levels with such a config but it's borderline and I guess anyone who want to go up there would look at towers or so (probably assisted with subs too if we're talking small towers) .

So yes,everything is about conditions,demands,etc.
As a side note,REW's Exposure Level meters can never be underestimated and depending the freq range,etc sanity should govern any listening session.

 

[terryforsythe]

Speaker's ability is also a decisive factor:

View attachment 398606

(link)

We can clearly see that while it can take a good 96dB (instant) peaks,is just about where the limit is even if steeply hi-passed as high as 200Hz (probably with the sub directly underneath it for such a high freq) .
I suppose it could reach reference levels with such a config but it's borderline and I guess anyone who want to go up there would look at towers or so (probably assisted with subs too if we're talking small towers) .

So yes,everything is about conditions,demands,etc.
As a side note,REW's Exposure Level meters can never be underestimated and depending the freq range,etc sanity should govern any listening session.

From that chart, it looks to me that 96dB/1m probably is as hard as I would push that speaker. Attached are the power calculations for one LS50 Meta speaker at 96dB/1m and at 102dB/1m, using the minimum impedance. Again, the B100 is more than adequate.

EDIT: I had left in the room reinforcement gain in the calculations. I added calculations with the reinforcement gain set to 0.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

From that chart, it looks to me that 96dB/1m probably is as hard as I would push that speaker. Attached are the power calculations for one LS50 Meta speaker at 96dB/1m and at 102dB/1m, using the minimum impedance. Again, the B100 is more than adequate.

I'd say the limit would be somewhere between 76 and 86 dB.

 

[terryforsythe]

I'd say the limit would be somewhere between 76 and 86 dB.

 

[totti1965]

It cannot be overstated that the amount of power that is needed in any particular system depends on numerous factors. The B100 will have more than enough power for some systems, and will not be optimal for other systems.

When I ran my test I had the volume cranked up louder than I otherwise would listen. I played four complete songs from my playlist, intentionally choosing the last of those to be particularly demanding on my system and which, to me, does not sound like it has a lot of compression. The LZpeak SPL for the different songs ranged from 95.5dB to 97.5dB measured at about 2m. A pair of B100s powering a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers are more than adequate to achieve that. Attached are the measurements, and screenshots for the predicted amount of power needed for a pair of those speakers with those conditions. EDIT: The first set of predicted power screenshots use the nominal impedance of the speakers. I added a second set based on the minimum impedance.

Side Note 1: KEF recommends 40-100W for the KEF LS50 Meta. I also have attached a screenshot of KEF's specifications. IMO, the B100 is a good fit for that speaker.

Side Note 2: Take a look at the teal line (LE) in the measurements, which indicates the sound exposure level. It probably is not good for anyone to listen to music for an extended period of time as loud as I played it for the test.

Thank you so much for taking all these efforts! Hope you have worn earplugs during the test all the time!
10 to 15 dB louder than EddNog´s or mine normal peaks!

 

[terryforsythe]

Thank you so much for taking all these efforts! Hope you have worn earplugs during the test all the time!
10 to 15 dB louder than EddNog´s or mine normal peaks!

During the test I had the microphone in my listening position, and I stood back and off to the side. It still got to be a little uncomfortable, and by the end of the test I was ready for it to be over.

 

[terryforsythe]

It cannot be overstated that the amount of power that is needed in any particular system depends on numerous factors. The B100 will have more than enough power for some systems, and will not be optimal for other systems.

When I ran my test I had the volume cranked up louder than I otherwise would listen. I played four complete songs from my playlist, intentionally choosing the last of those to be particularly demanding on my system and which, to me, does not sound like it has a lot of compression. The LZpeak SPL for the different songs ranged from 95.5dB to 97.5dB measured at about 2m. A pair of B100s powering a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers are more than adequate to achieve that. Attached are the measurements, and screenshots for the predicted amount of power needed for a pair of those speakers with those conditions. EDIT: The first set of predicted power screenshots use the nominal impedance of the speakers. I added a second set based on the minimum impedance.

Side Note 1: KEF recommends 40-100W for the KEF LS50 Meta. I also have attached a screenshot of KEF's specifications. IMO, the B100 is a good fit for that speaker.

Side Note 2: Take a look at the teal line (LE) in the measurements, which indicates the sound exposure level. It probably is not good for anyone to listen to music for an extended period of time as loud as I played it for the test.

One more thing that I just realized...

LZpeak is a peak measurement, not RMS. So, the actual maximum Z-weighted RMS values are about 1.5dB lower than what I used for my initial calculations. Adjusting my LZpeak values to RMS, 94dB and 96dB respectively, I get the following RMS power requirements for the LS50 Meta at 2m to reproduce the listening volume of my test: 18W/ch and 29W/ch.

(While I was in the spreadsheet I also added some additional notes).

 

[Usatencu]

I have a pair of Topping LA90D amplifiers and a Hypex Nilai Stereo amplifier, and they all sound fantastic. I assume they are using negative feedback, but that may or may not be the case.

Hi! I m glad i found you on this forum.. Maybe you can help me. I just bought a pair of kef r3 meta, paired with a topping pa7 and wiim ultra, sound it s nice but i m thinking to upgrade my amplifier. I have on my list hypex nilai and topping b200 monoblocks. I don't know wich one to choose. Can you tell me topping class ab it sounds more fuller than nilai? They have different sound signature? Wich one it s more lively? Wich one it s more detailed? Wich one it s more fullest sound? Thanks in advance!

 

[Sokel]

@terryforsythe that's for you.
In order to eliminate speaker/amp/room contribution from the equation and see what it really takes I recorded just the electrical response of a play and let REW translate it,straight from the pre-outs of my pre.
It's 11 minutes of one of the greater plays in existence,Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, op. 35: II. The Story of the Kalender Prince by Frietz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

I made it so the lowest level (THIS violin!) is at the 55dB ballpark and let it go from there.
Here's how it looks like (note the scale) :

Now,if someone wants to elevate it to say,65dB for the lowest,well...
(note 2,there's not much bass in it,everything plays in mid-bass and upwards so the (C) weighting looks reasonable)

 

[terryforsythe]

Hi! I m glad i found you on this forum.. Maybe you can help me. I just bought a pair of kef r3 meta, paired with a topping pa7 and wiim ultra, sound it s nice but i m thinking to upgrade my amplifier. I have on my list hypex nilai and topping b200 monoblocks. I don't know wich one to choose. Can you tell me topping class ab it sounds more fuller than nilai? They have different sound signature? Wich one it s more lively? Wich one it s more detailed? Wich one it s more fullest sound? Thanks in advance!

The manner in which I am using the amplifiers is using the Nilai for the woofers and two LA90Ds for the midranges and tweeters. I listened to the Nilai on the speakers full range for a very short time before I removed the crossovers and went all active, and it sounded excellent. I have the LA90Ds operating down to 400Hz, and they also sound excellent.

The Toppings have a slightly lower noise level, but both are so low that I doubt you will hear the difference - perhaps, maybe, if you put your ear right next to the tweeter. Doing so I cannot hear any noise from the LA90Ds, but I never put my ear right next to the tweeter when I had the Nilai full range, so I don't know whether you would be able to hear any noise. Certainly, you would not hear any noise at your listening position.

Both amplifiers sound fantastic and have the same sound signature - meaning none, just transparent. Seriously, I doubt you would hear any difference in a blind A/B test. The caveat is that I have never heard the LA90Ds playing lower than 300Hz but, based on Amir's measurements, there should be no difference.

Which way to go is a very tough call. Though I have not had any issues with any of my Topping products, many people in the forum have. For that reason I would lean toward the Nilai.

FYI, Alpha Audio tested the Nilai on numerous speakers, including the R3 Metas, and they were impressed with it. You can find the video on YouTube if you search for it.

 

[Usatencu]

The manner in which I am using the amplifiers is using the Nilai for the woofers and two LA90Ds for the midranges and tweeters. I listened to the Nilai on the speakers full range for a very short time before I removed the crossovers and went all active, and it sounded excellent. I have the LA90Ds operating down to 400Hz, and they also sound excellent.

The Toppings have a slightly lower noise level, but both are so low that I doubt you will hear the difference - perhaps, maybe, if you put your ear right next to the tweeter. Doing so I cannot hear any noise from the LA90Ds, but I never put my ear right next to the tweeter when I had the Nilai full range, so I don't know whether you would be able to hear any noise. Certainly, you would not hear any noise at your listening position.

Both amplifiers sound fantastic and have the same sound signature - meaning none, just transparent. Seriously, I doubt you would hear any difference in a blind A/B test. The caveat is that I have never heard the LA90Ds playing lower than 300Hz but, based on Amir's measurements, there should be no difference.

Which way to go is a very tough call. Though I have not had any issues with any of my Topping products, many people in the forum have. For that reason I would lean toward the Nilai.

FYI, Alpha Audio tested the Nilai on numerous speakers, including the R3 Metas, and they were impressed with it. You can find the video on YouTube if you search for it.

Thanks a lot! I think i will go with b200

 

[totti1965]

Thanks a lot! I think i will go with b200

There will be NO audible differences between the Topping B200 and the Nilai.

If you want to tune the sound a tiny bit, it is worth to look at spinorama.org for equalisation suggestions for the R3 Meta. But the speaker doesn´t need more than
- lets say - 2 dB of equalisation at some points in the frequency range (Bass, if it stands free....)

https://www.spinorama.org/compare.h...ioCorner&version1=eac-v1-ported-10-degrees_eq

Hopefully the Topping B200 will be as reliable as the Nilai amps! We have not enough data to tell.

 

[totti1965]

Thanks a lot! I think i will go with b200

You may look here for equalization suggestions. Good to have a WiiM (e.g. Pro Plus) or using roon for using a parametric equalizer! Some of the newest DAC´s have also a build in parametric equalizer (e.g. the Topping D90 III discrete has a highly precise ten-band equalizer build in).

https://www.spinorama.org/speakers/KEF R3 Meta/ErinsAudioCorner/index_eac-v1-ported.html


thw

 

[ladziuk]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping B100 "monoblock" amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $299.
View attachment 392530
I was surprised by the desktop/low profile of the amplifier. I expected something a lot taller/chunkier especially since this is a class B amplifier and not class D. Power supply is of course external:
View attachment 392531
Nice to see balanced input, three gain settings and trigger input.

The front panel power button is touch sensitive. You have to learn to just touch and remove your finger for it to power on. When it goes into protection, you have to hold it until error codes disappear and then touch again for powering up.

A wish for a follow up version is a series of tall color LED bars going from left to right for visual enjoyment. Kind of like this:

If you are not familiar with my power amplifier audio measurements, please watch this tutorial:

Topping B100 Amplifier Measurements
Let's start with balanced input at low gain:
View attachment 392532
Distortion is vanishingly low at -141 dB. Power supply spikes are taller than it actually. So we are left with noise which is limited by the analyzer. Still, the B100 manages to grab the top spot in our rankings:
View attachment 392538
I know, there is no gain there so let's go up to medium gain:
View attachment 392539
Performance is essentially the same as we again, limited by analyzer inherent noise. This requires a bit higher than 4.5 volt to reach max power. So let's test high gain:
View attachment 392540
Now we see a bit more noise limiting SINAD. But even then, we are better than threshold of hearing.

I hope you are using this amplifier with balanced connection but in case you are not, here are the measurements using RCA at medium and high gains (latter needs less than 1 volt for full power):

View attachment 392541

Edit: this should say high gain, not low:
View attachment 392542

Check out this stunning performance in noise department at 5 watts and max power:
View attachment 392543
View attachment 392544

From here on I will stay with medium gain using XLR balanced input.
View attachment 392545

We can tell from above graph that there is no increase in distortion at higher frequencies. As a result, our 19+20 kHz result remains excellent as well:
View attachment 392546

Not being a class D amplifier, there is no concern regarding load dependency (an issue with some class D amps):
View attachment 392547

The protection circuit is aggressive with 4 ohm load, not allowing the amplifier to go into clipping:
View attachment 392548
This means that if you hear any distortion, it is somewhere else and not in the power amplifier. I tried to measure power at 1% THD but the protection circuit would not allow it. THD would remain incredibly low and then shut down if I increased input voltage. So 86 watts is what you get for max and peak power. Company spec is 83 watts which is an honest assessment. They do spec 100 watts at < 1% THD which I probably could achieve if I tried harder.

Let's not how the B100 blows the competition out of water with respect to noise level. It was so low that I had to move the graph up to see its results above! The analyzer noise actually takes over around 30 watts as it changes its gain to accommodate higher voltage (the step up).

8 Ohm measurement does allow clipping due to lower currents required:
View attachment 392549

Once again we see the massive gap in noise and distortion vs our reference blue line. We are talking 25 dB!

Even more amazing is the fact that B100 maintains its superlative performance at all frequencies, down to 20 Hz!
View attachment 392552

Amplifier is ready on power up although I did overserve a tiny improvement after a few minutes:
View attachment 392550

The amplifier only got modestly warm after the power testing:

View attachment 392551

P.S. I don't have PowerCube measurements for you due to aforementioned aggressive protection circuit, not allowing me to measure peak power.

Edit: forgot the power on/off noise:
View attachment 392594

EDIT 2: Power Consumption
Standby power consumption is around 1.5 watt. Powered on but not playing, 9.1 watt.

Conclusions
Topping is clearly its own competition, constantly pushing the envelop in noise and distortion. Even when you get used to them delivering on these fronts, they come up with this amplifier where test after test shows excellence in engineering and utmost dedication to highest levels of fidelity. All of this comes in a compact enclosure with a reasonable cost. I have no choice but to bow to their mission and abilities.

It is my absolute pleasure to recommend the Topping B100 monolock amplifier.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

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amirm: "..A wish for a follow up version is a series of tall color LED bars going from left to right for visual enjoyment.."
_______________________________________​

Sorry, but I very doubt it's a good idea..

 

[EddNog]

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amirm: "..A wish for a follow up version is a series of tall color LED bars going from left to right for visual enjoyment.."​

_______________________________________​

Sorry, but I very doubt it's a good idea..

That part may be a stab at humor.

-Ed

 

[totti1965]

amirm: "..A wish for a follow up version is a series of tall color LED bars going from left to right for visual enjoyment.."​

_______________________________________​

Sorry, but I very doubt it's a good idea..

Buy one before they will implement it!

 

[Sokel]

Buy one before they will implement it!

There are nice ways to do it though:

 

[bobgraw]

Anyone has done any listening tests on this Topping B100 compared to other class D power amplifiers?