Topping B200 Monoblock Amplifier Review

[BeeKay]

Well maybe on the speaker output.... and its a Switch mode power supply.
So there are Switches but i don't think this is what is meant.

Standby to be precise

 

[Audionaut]

If you buy a burger labeled as 100% beef and later find out it’s actually 25% roadkill, would you not care just because you can’t taste the difference?

I'm not a fan of inappropriate analogies, whether they concern food, the animal kingdom or cars.

I have a PA amplifier here with bridged 2kw, which drives a 18 inch subwoofer via DSP.
Exactly: 2x 1220 W into 4 ohms, 2x 850 W into 8 ohms, 1x 2440 W into 8 ohms bridged (@1 kHz, THD<=0.1%)
Will I measure this? No
Do I care whether the 1000 or 2000 watts is capable? Yes

I can understand to a very small extent why some people are getting upset here, for me personally it wouldn't matter whether the B200 delivers 150 or 200 watts, as long as it does it cleanly and without distortion.

But we tend to trust that a manufacturer capable of building a device with a SINAD of 120 must also be excellent in other ways.

You should stop generalizing and not use the plural. Personally, I don't put Topping or any other company on a pedestal.
I think they mostly build good appliances, some of which I like and some of which I like less.

 

[Burns]

The above does not look right to me, it states 64V/3.75A power supply, not the one provided here which is (at least labeled) 60V/4A.
Maybe the previous one or different one for the internal market?

Making further progress, TOPPING’s new flagship amplifier will be launched in late May!

What do you expect to achieve by bi-amping? If your speakers still have a passive crossover there is really no benefit (plenty of posts to read to understand this) A miniDSP Flex will do exactly what you want. It is also a crossover if you are properly bi-amping. Yup. That's basically what I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Making further progress, TOPPING’s new flagship amplifier will be launched in late May!

What do you expect to achieve by bi-amping? If your speakers still have a passive crossover there is really no benefit (plenty of posts to read to understand this) A miniDSP Flex will do exactly what you want. It is also a crossover if you are properly bi-amping. Yup. That's basically what I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Making further progress, TOPPING’s new flagship amplifier will be launched in late May!

What do you expect to achieve by bi-amping? If your speakers still have a passive crossover there is really no benefit (plenty of posts to read to understand this) A miniDSP Flex will do exactly what you want. It is also a crossover if you are properly bi-amping. Yup. That's basically what I...

www.audiosciencereview.com

64V/4A !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[babadono]

Maybe Topping should handle this with a bit of understatement just like Rolls Royce:

Output Power

Adequate

 

[deitrick]

Hello ASR Members: How would two of these match with a Wiim Ultra? This is what I have been thinking as my next 2Ch system. Any other DAC/PreAmp that has bass management? Please suggest.

My Wiim Ultra feeds a Topping D90 III Discrete via USB. That in turn is hooked up to my B200s via XLR. They run my Revel F206 mains quite nicely. I also have an SVS SB-3000 sub hooked up via the WiiM's sub out.

 

[babadono]

And in Chinglish

 

[Melba59]

The above does not look right to me, it states 64V/3.75A power supply, not the one provided here which is (at least labeled) 60V/4A.
Maybe the previous one or different one for the internal market?

It's the same 240W PSU
Just an update of the sticker on the PSU
In fact it can support 4A, its no-load measurement is almost 64V (63.3 to 63.8 measured) but loaded it only delivers about 60V regulated
What is consumed is the amperage, that's why we focus on the maximum amperage that we can draw from it at a regulated voltage with a tolerance of a few % on its variability.
If the load consumes 4A, it cannot deliver more than 60V
If the load consumes 3.75A, it delivers a slightly variable voltage 60/62V.
If the load consumes barely 2A or less, it delivers a well-stabilized value between 60 and a little less than the value measured at no load.

64V * 3.75A = 60V * 4A = 240VA (or W, cos Phi 1)

It is normal that the manufacturer indicates the maximum amperage that the power supply can support with a stable voltage regulation at 5% (in limit state). As it gives a maximum power at a THD+N of 10%, unlistenable.

See here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ll-be-launched-in-late-may.53675/post-2234360

 

[Audionaut]

Tell me about it , They keep reducing the alcohol content of Stella and other beers . Criminal!

Changing the type of beer can help

 

[Melba59]

View attachment 434317

Changer le type de bière peut aider

The Stella Artois remains a Pislner
you have to add some picon
all this is not good for gout disease

 

[Burns]

View attachment 434317

Changing the type of beer can help

I see that you have natural circumstances in which B200 may not be able to cope with heat dissipation

 

[boxerfan88]

It's the same 240W PSU

64V * 3.75A = 60V * 4A = 240VA (or W, cos Phi 1)

Yeah. Quite interesting to observe the barking frenzy over the heatsink fin direction & PSU … and to some extent the measured power output… and then there is some accusations of scam/cheating. Gosh…

Doing a theoretical exercise. Assume 5% PSU losses. Assume 70% classAB efficiency. Let’s see where this takes us: 240*0.95*0.7 brings is to about 160W.

I wonder if a 64V 5A PSU brick is used, will it be able to reach the claimed 200W power output, or will it’s design still throttle the power back to the measured 150W++. Hmm…

 

[Audionaut]

I see that you have natural circumstances in which B200 may not be able to cope with heat dissipation

No, I'm German and drink the local beer and occasionally Belgian beers.
I posted the photo because @Thomas savage wrote about Stella beer, which I don't know and googled.
Of course I know Stella Artois.

As you can see, the temperatures in Germany are quite suitable for the B200, even with horizontal fins on the heat sink.
There's plenty of beer here too.

 

[Yevhen]

Wrong

I think that button on the front panel is a Standby mode - low power consumption mode, 1.2W. So while in standby mode, AC is still coming to the power supply, and the power supply still delivers the +/-30V DC to the amplifier. The only way to shut down the AC/DC power supply in to unplug the AC from the 120V / 220V socket.

 

[babadono]

I shut mine down completely with a power sequencer. Hope I am not damaging them. So far so good. I mean are they supposed to be left in standby? Sequencer applies AC to brick then provides 12v trigger after a delay. Upon turn off just the opposite.

 

[Rottmannash]

One argument is that it's illegal, while another is that it's misleading. As you pointed out, it's not the only manufacturer guilty of inflating ratings for marketing purposes.

And is it only 10 W difference?

View attachment 433930
View attachment 433932

At what level of distortion do Topping rate this amp?

 

[Old_School_Brad]

At what level of distortion do Topping rate this amp?

I'm not sure.

W have five different power outputs at 4 ohms:

1. The manufacturer’s claimed 200W
2. 140-150W (power vs. distortion graph)
3. 171-173W (max power graphs)
4. 153-177W (full bandwidth 60-sec total sweep)
5. 210W (reactive load test, 0° resistive 4 ohms)

That’s quite a bit of variation, and calling it a 200W amplifier seems like a stretch beyond reasonable practice. This is why, in post #652, I referred to it as more of a 130W amplifier with limited dynamic headroom.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I'm not sure.

W have five different power outputs at 4 ohms:

1. The manufacturer’s claimed 200W
2. 140-150W (power vs. distortion graph)
3. 171-173W (max power graphs)
4. 153-177W (full bandwidth 60-sec total sweep)
5. 210W (reactive load test, 0° resistive 4 ohms)

That’s quite a bit of variation, and calling it a 200W amplifier seems like a stretch beyond reasonable practice. This is why, in post #652, I referred to it as more of a 130W amplifier with limited dynamic headroom.

Maybe if you could bridge a pair then the current would be ample and all the other issues go away in regard to power.

I think we are spoiled by how good amps are now.

 

[Audionaut]

Maybe if you could bridge a pair then the current would be ample and all the other issues go away in regard to power.

This is a very theoretical or hypothetical discussion, because so far nobody has written about problems with the performance of this amplifier in practice.

Problems are created that do not actually exist, just like the story with the horizontal fins of the heat sink.

 

[Blumlein 88]

This is a very theoretical or hypothetical discussion, because so far nobody has written about problems with the performance of this amplifier in practice.

Problems are created that do not actually exist, just like the story with the horizontal fins of the heat sink.

I most definitely agree with you. Don't know how to get thru to people in this thread who seem determined to not understand the point you write about. It is like the old cliche about don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Some people in the thread seem to have the notion it is only good not perfect therefore it isn't even good. It is flawed and not perfect.

 

[Thomas Savage]

This is a very theoretical or hypothetical discussion, because so far nobody has written about problems with the performance of this amplifier in practice.

I find it a interesting mix of in once sense the over engineered and in anther possibly the under engineered or some would argue well engineered as it fit for application within stated limits .

So Topping have from a purely functional pov over engineered the SINAD etc but to the detriment of ultimate power delivery and then there's the external PSU , is that good engineering?

So is it a well engineered product ? @Frank Dernie , what do think ?

It seems a strange mix of engineering ideals to me. I can't make up my mind on that but for a matching speaker I would consider this .