Topping B100 Amplifier Review

[SashaR]

Please tell me if I can use a system equalizer in Android (if such EQ exists) that is external to the UAPP PRO with direct access to the TOPPING D90SE DAC (I use it in order to keep sound out of the Android track) or do I have no other way to use the equalizer in Android other than the one that is built in in my player - in the UAPP?

Probably, with direct access to the DAC, the only equalizer can be the one that is built into the player (or into the DAC) - is this correct?

I have a ToneBoosters Equalizer built into UAPP PRO with ten bands - will ten bands be able to provide room correction?

Are there any other tools for correcting the room?

Thank you!

@antcollinet @Old_School_Brad @staticV3 @jae

 

[antcollinet]

or just a bunch of good opamps in parallel to drive low impedances

Definitely not that.

Most likely a discrete amp.

Please tell me if I can use a system equalizer in Android (if such EQ exists) that is external to the UAPP PRO with direct access to the TOPPING D90SE DAC (I use it in order to keep sound out of the Android track) or do I have no other way to use the equalizer in Android other than the one that is built in in my player - in the UAPP?

Probably, with direct access to the DAC, the only equalizer can be the one that is built into the player (or into the DAC) - is this correct?

I have a ToneBoosters Equalizer built into UAPP PRO with ten bands - will ten bands be able to provide room correction?

Are there any other tools for correcting the room?

Thank you!

@antcollinet @Old_School_Brad @staticV3 @jae

Sorry - can't help you with Android.

 

[SashaR]

Sorry - can't help you with Android.

will ten bands be able to provide room correction?

 

[Old_School_Brad]

will ten bands be able to provide room correction?

It depends on:

• Your room acoustics
• Your speakers
• Your goal for room correction -whether you’re targeting only low frequencies or the full range
• Whether the ten-band equalizer has fixed frequencies or allows user selection

 

[staticV3]

Probably, with direct access to the DAC, the only equalizer can be the one that is built into the player (or into the DAC) - is this correct?

Correct.

I have a ToneBoosters Equalizer built into UAPP PRO with ten bands - will ten bands be able to provide room correction?

Yes.

 

[howard416]

Two of my least favorite things in an amplifier combined: monoblock and external PSU
And it barely has enough power to drive some bookshelves. Well, one. Not exactly sure who this product is aimed at.

Active multi-way speakers... seems to be a perfect tweeter/compression driver amp. Reliability issues notwithstanding.

EDIT: Reading more of the thread. Unfortunately, I remain convinced that no Topping amps are ever worth buying.

 

[peniku8]

Active multi-way speakers... seems to be a perfect tweeter/compression driver amp. Reliability issues notwithstanding.

That's arguably the most cumbersome amp if you want active(?) speakers.
Active speaker means powered aka the amp is built into the speaker, so you're probably thinking of active crossovers, but this amp doesn't have dsp so you'd need an external solution for that. Then you'd also need 3-4 amps per speaker depending on the size and configuration, so the cost, complexity and wiring required will be enormous.
If I want an active multi way speaker, I'll put a Hypex FA123 in it. Nearly 400W across three channels, dsp, XLR, digital I/O, can be remote controlled and you can upload roomEQ onto them... And the higher noise floor can be mitigated with a simple series resistor on the tweeter, because I'll surely not need 100W on the tweeter alone (at home). And if you do, chances are that you're either deaf or sitting very far away, both of which will reduce the amp hiss you'll be able to hear

 

[DavidMcRoy]

That's arguably the most cumbersome amp if you want active(?) speakers.
Active speaker means powered aka the amp is built into the speaker, so you're probably thinking of active crossovers, but this amp doesn't have dsp so you'd need an external solution for that. Then you'd also need 3-4 amps per speaker depending on the size and configuration, so the cost, complexity and wiring required will be enormous.
If I want an active multi way speaker, I'll put a Hypex FA123 in it. Nearly 400W across three channels, dsp, XLR, digital I/O, can be remote controlled and you can upload roomEQ onto them... And the higher noise floor can be mitigated with a simple series resistor on the tweeter, because I'll surely not need 100W on the tweeter alone (at home). And if you do, chances are that you're either deaf or sitting very far away, both of which will reduce the amp hiss you'll be able to hear

You just described my DIY open baffles. They use Fosi Audio V3 Monos and V3 Stereos. It was definitely a complex project, but I knew what I was getting into and it was well worth the effort. Obviously, not for everyone.

 

[howard416]

That's arguably the most cumbersome amp if you want active(?) speakers.
Active speaker means powered aka the amp is built into the speaker, so you're probably thinking of active crossovers, but this amp doesn't have dsp so you'd need an external solution for that. Then you'd also need 3-4 amps per speaker depending on the size and configuration, so the cost, complexity and wiring required will be enormous.
If I want an active multi way speaker, I'll put a Hypex FA123 in it. Nearly 400W across three channels, dsp, XLR, digital I/O, can be remote controlled and you can upload roomEQ onto them... And the higher noise floor can be mitigated with a simple series resistor on the tweeter, because I'll surely not need 100W on the tweeter alone (at home). And if you do, chances are that you're either deaf or sitting very far away, both of which will reduce the amp hiss you'll be able to hear

OK. I'm personally fine with external filtering and multiple amps... I mean, that's how things were from the get go. Have you seen the level of effort Linkwitz went to with his ASP boards?

And yes, what I meant by "active" was "active crossover filtered". Not "amps built into speakers". I assumed it implied as much but I guess I should have been explicit with it.

 

[SashaR]

REW can create EQ for various devices. It can also be manually set up to match your existing EQ, allowing you to adjust it according to REW's recommendations.

I use a UMIK-1, which has been with me for a long time -it’s what I primarily used on my REW journey, so it should work well for you too.

Now that the UMIK-2 is available, you might be able to find the UMIK-1 at a lower price.

Just search for miniDSP UMIK-1 and choose a retailer that fits your trust and budget preferences.

I will soon receive UMIK-1 -- but I do not know how to perform room optimization in a situation when the player is the UAPP app in an Android device, and REW works in a Windows device.

Do I understand correctly that therefore it is impossible to perform several consecutive optimizations (iterations) or even check the result of using the EQ parameters, but the only possibility is to copy the equalizer parameters from REW (Windows device) to the UAPP (Android device) once (in case I learn how to use REW and UMIK-1) ?

Thank you all in advance for your advices!

 

[staticV3]

I will soon receive UMIK-1 -- but I do not know how to perform room optimization in a situation when the player is the UAPP app in an Android device, and REW works in a Windows device.

Do I understand correctly that therefore it is impossible to perform several consecutive optimizations (iterations) or even check the result of using the EQ parameters, but the only possibility is to copy the equalizer parameters from REW (Windows device) to the UAPP (Android device) once (in case I learn how to use REW and UMIK-1) ?

Thank you all in advance for your advices!

In REW you can export a measurement sweep as .WAV, load it onto your phone/tablet, play it via UAPP with the EQ correction enabled, then record the result by setting REW's Measure dialog to Playback From file.

 

[JeremyFife]

Thanks for the heads up. The problem is that after enabling the Parametric Equalizer with Amir's parameters for the AKG K712 headphones on the LG G7 ThinQ phone, I realized that my room set (TOPPING D90SE, LA90 and ELAC Vela FS 407 speakers) should start sounding better than my mobile kit.
A few years ago I downloaded REW, but did not buy the microphone required to use it. Will REW be able to tell me the equalizer parameters - and if it can do this, where is it described how to ask it to do this?

Which microphone is required to get the equalizer settings using REW? Where is the best place to buy it (if you need it in order to improve the sound quality without replacing the amplifier)?
(I listen to Tidal via UAPP, mostly classics).

Thank you again for your answer to my question!!!

Hi,
As @Old_School_Brad said, the umik-1 is a good choice for a measurement microphone.

Can I just ask: what is your source for music? I'm asking because you need to be able to apply PEQ settings found from REW measurements somewhere. If you use a PC/Laptop as your source then you will be fine.

It might be worth starting a new thread on this, and describing your full system and what you would like to achieve

Good luck

 

[SashaR]

play it via UAPP with the EQ correction enabled, then record the result by setting REW's Measure dialog to Playback From file.

Thank you very much for your answer! Did you describe the iterative process of adjusting the UAPP equalizer parameters?
(I'm confused by the following combination: play via UAPP with PEQ (in Android) but the REW should record something from a file, which (judging by what I see on the dialog screen) should be located (and played) by REW itself. Excuse me, please! I'm trying to visualize things I don't have access to until I get UMIK )

 

[SashaR]

what is your source for music?

Thank you! I use an Android device with UAPP application which have the up to 10 band PEQ.

 

[staticV3]

Thank you very much for your answer! Did you describe the iterative process of adjusting the UAPP equalizer parameters?
(I'm confused by the following combination: play via UAPP with PEQ (in Android) but the REW should record something from a file, which (judging by what I see on the dialog screen) should be located (and played) by REW itself. Excuse me, please! I'm trying to visualize things I don't have access to until I get UMIK )

REW measurements can be made either using REW itself as signal generator, or using an external signal generator, in this case an android phone with UAPP.

You can use the measurement sweep and Measure dialog with playback from file to measure single-point frequency and phase response, distortion, reverb, step response etc all in one go, or you can use pink noise with the RTA function and the moving microphone method to measure the in-room frequency response more accurately.

 

[SashaR]

REW measurements can be made either using REW itself as signal generator, or using an external signal generator, in this case an android phone with UAPP.

You can use the measurement sweep and Measure dialog with playback from file to measure single-point frequency and phase response, distortion, reverb, step response etc all in one go, or you can use pink noise with the RTA function and the moving microphone method to measure the in-room frequency response more accurately.

Thank you very much for repeating your attempt to explain to me something that is impossible for me to understand without having experience using REW. For example, I can easily understand the idea of exporting test audio from REW - but I do not understand why this might be necessary (especially why do this with a WORKING (ACTIVE) PEQ?), and I do not understand why in order to listen to the signal created by REW it is necessary to "record" it, specifying it among your files (here, probably, the local ambiguity of the separation of concepts used to control REW affected - therefore, an inappropriate concept (record) was used to specify the reference file).

A proposal was made to open a thread for training in using REW... Please create such a thread - and fill it with laconic strategies for performing room optimization, which should take into account the lack of several years of operating experience and familiarity with the vocabulary and style of the application!!! For example, many do not use NEUTRON due to the novelty (unfamiliarity) of its UI.

@JeremyFife @Old_School_Brad @antcollinet Please create a thread for introducing the most basic protocol(s) REW, using for room optimization!!!

Thank you all in advance for help!

​

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Thank you very much for repeating your attempt to explain to me something that is impossible for me to understand without having experience using REW. For example, I can easily understand the idea of exporting test audio from REW - but I do not understand why this might be necessary (especially why do this with a WORKING (ACTIVE) PEQ?), and I do not understand why in order to listen to the signal created by REW it is necessary to "record" it, specifying it among your files (here, probably, the local ambiguity of the separation of concepts used to control REW affected - therefore, an inappropriate concept (record) was used to specify the reference file).

A proposal was made to open a thread for training in using REW... Please create such a thread - and fill it with laconic strategies for performing room optimization, which should take into account the lack of several years of operating experience and familiarity with the vocabulary and style of the application!!! For example, many do not use NEUTRON due to the novelty (unfamiliarity) of its UI.

@JeremyFife @Old_School_Brad @antcollinet Please create a thread for introducing the most basic protocol(s) REW, using for room optimization!!!

Thank you all in advance for help!

​

REW help

REW is free software for measuring and analysing room, loudspeaker and device responses

www.roomeqwizard.com

Room Measurement Tutorial for Dummies Part 1

There are few more things transformative in audio than learning how room acoustics works. You never look at any system the same again. Like moving from film photography to digital, measurements give you instant feedback on what your system is doing. Even if you choose to not make any changes...

www.audiosciencereview.com

For newbies: common mistakes with REW, how to ask for help on ASR

I have been helping new users interpret REW measurements on ASR and I see many of the same mistakes being made all the time. Rather than repeat myself, I thought that a guide might help. This is NOT a guide to take measurements or how to use REW. The REW manual is a treasure trove of...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[C0mbat]

Do these have an auto stand by mode? If so how long does it take them to go in to stand by?

 

[Burns]

Do these have an auto stand by mode? If so how long does it take them to go in to stand by?

they don't have. They have a 12V trigger, e.g. Wiim pro and higher, I can turn the B100 on and off at a given time...

 

[C0mbat]

they don't have. They have a 12V trigger, e.g. Wiim pro and higher, I can turn the B100 on and off at a given time...

Thanks for replying. I get that they have a 12v trigger to switch them on. However, if I stop playing music then do I need to go and manually switch both B100s to standby? It doesn't go in to standby automatically after 20 mins like the Fosi Audio V3 Mono? It would seem like a backwards step if they don't.