Topping B200 Monoblock Amplifier Review

[babadono]

Mr Natural says "get the right tool for the job". I use my B200s on horn loaded bass bins. I have not run out of steam yet.

 

[dlaloum]

I was curious because both are rated at 200W (8ohm) to know how a good measurement amp will reveal .

take a look at the 4 ohm rating, compared to the 8 ohm rating, The Krell doubles down, the B200 doesn't... an indicator of limitations in high current situations...

 

[MasterApex]

I wouldn't replace my Anthem STR integrated with the B200's much less that Krell.

I approach this experiment with an open mind and curiosity. The amp is not super expensive and if it sounds good with my center channel then it is an alternative amp that I can keep as spare.

I had tried AHB2 before and it was able to drive the same speaker fine . It has different sonic characteristics than Krell (more details but slightly less slam) .

 

[dlaloum]

I approach this experiment with an open mind and curiosity. The amp is not super expensive and if it sounds good with my center channel then it is an alternative amp that I can keep as spare.

I had tried AHB2 before and it was able to drive the same speaker fine . It has different sonic characteristics than Krell (more details but slightly less slam) .

The AHB2 and B200 are closer to each other in terms of outright power and current.... how did you find those two compared? As opposed to the B200/Krell comparison...

 

[Old_School_Brad]

The AHB2 and B200 are closer to each other in terms of outright power and current.....

Oh no, they’re not comparable at all.

 

[dlaloum]

Oh no, they’re not comparable at all.

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Good point - the AHB2 is much better when it come to high current (low impedance) situations!

 

[ZolaIII]

Oh no, they’re not comparable at all.

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Try to look at it as it is! A bridged stereo A-F G vs the same. Yes AHB2 would have more power in bridged mode but would fall the same on 2 Ohms loads as would any bridged design disreging of class it's based on.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Try to look at it as it is! A bridged stereo A-F G vs the same. Yes AHB2 would have more power in bridged mode but would fall the same on 2 Ohms loads as would any bridged design disreging of class it's based on.

That's quite hypothetical. Benchmark notes 29 A peak into 1 ohm (that's 841 W), so I’d guess it would likely handle it.

In any case, as the measurements show, the B200 is current-limited with anything more challenging than a resistive 4-ohm load, whereas the AHB2 is not.

 

[ZolaIII]

That's quite hypothetical. Benchmark notes 29 A peak into 1 ohm (that's 841 W), so I’d guess it would likely handle it.

In any case, as the measurements show, the B200 is current-limited with anything more challenging than a resistive 4-ohm load, whereas the AHB2 is not.

Until you use AHB2 in bridged mode that is. It goes to the extent that powerful big subwoofer's are designed to have 2x 4 Ohms magnet motors that work together and then 240W 8 Ohms stereo amplifier giving about 2x 400W at 4 Ohms can drive one easily. In order words avoid bridging if you can and in 99% you can. Future more avoid speakers that deep under at least 3 Ohms and it doesn't matter if they kill them self or amplifier first.

 

[Chr1]

Slightly off topic, but I am curious... Is it not a bit extravagant using very expensive, high SINAD amplifiers like the AHB2 on subwoofers? I was under the impression that this was not really necessary as SINAD wouldn't be particularly audible at such low frequencies?

Always figured the B200 would be good for midwoofers, tweeters, CDs etc due to high SINAD and lower current requirements.

 

[ZolaIII]

Slightly off topic, but I am curious... Is it not a bit extravagant using very expensive, high SINAD amplifiers on subwoofers? I was under the impression that this was not really necessary as SINAD wouldn't be particularly audible at such low frequencies?

Always figured the B200 would be good for tweeters, CDs etc due to high SINAD, low current requirements.

Nope, not even for midrange 80 dB SINAD is fine, I am also biased so I look to get there at 90. You need so clean amplifier to drive very high efficiency speakers let's say 90 dB or more per W as they will use 4x less power than average ones for same SPL levels. And when you go down under 1 W noise catches up quickly. You do want good behaving amp in the regard of high frequencies and one that doesn't drop on power for tweeters.

 

[Sokel]

Slightly off topic, but I am curious... Is it not a bit extravagant using very expensive, high SINAD amplifiers like the AHB2 on subwoofers? I was under the impression that this was not really necessary as SINAD wouldn't be particularly audible at such low frequencies?

Always figured the B200 would be good for midwoofers, tweeters, CDs etc due to high SINAD and lower current requirements.

Hmm it depends, THD as in general may not be so bad but have a look:



That's clean 20Hz, everything is peachy.



That's at about 0.1% THD+N, see the harmonics?



And here is (softly) clipped just above 1% THD+N, a way too often condition when an amp gets out of juice.
So a decent amp (decent, as capable of delivering without a sweat that is) is not the worst idea.

 

[Chr1]

Thanks folks. Yes, I realise bass requires a lot of power. It was just that I was under the impression that you didn't really need relatively expensive, super clean amplification like bridged AHB2s for decent bass.

 

[ZolaIII]

Thanks folks. Yes, I realise bass requires a lot of power. It was just that I was under the impression that you didn't really need relatively expensive, super clean amplification like the AHB2 for decent bass.

It doesn't, a good PA and with DSP integrated will do a great job regarding that at much lower price and much more practical (to EQ and cross). On the other hand there in PA you can find and another extreme of huge speakers with efficiency of 100 dB at 1W but they don't care for static hum when not playing anything and besides are ment to do over 100 dB pretty much all the time.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

Thanks folks. Yes, I realise bass requires a lot of power. It was just that I was under the impression that you didn't really need relatively expensive, super clean amplification like bridged AHB2s for decent bass.

You don't.
What Sokel was showing is clipping in the bass, resulting in distortion in higher frequencies.

 

[Sokel]

You don't.
What Sokel was showing is clipping in the bass, resulting in distortion in higher frequencies.

Yep, it doesn't have to be a SINAD king, just adequate.
I would prefer a 80dB SINAD fully adequate in terms of power amp than a 100dB SINAD one which could borderline clip on occasion.

 

[Chr1]

Apologies. Think I misunderstood. I thought @ZolaIII suggested using bridged AHB2s for subs. Thought it was a bit extravagant!

Got a pretty decent sub amp myself for all of £100 second hand a couple of years back:

Class H, LD Systems PA1600X
(w built in crossover)
2x700Watt / 8 Ohm
2x1100Watt / 4 Ohm
2x1500Watt / 2 Ohm
1x1750Watt / 8 Ohm
1x2250Watt / 4 Ohm

 

[ZolaIII]

Apologies. Think I misunderstood. I thought @ZolaIII suggested using bridged AHB2s for subs. Thought it was a bit extravagant!

No mate I just pointed out B200 is only bridged out (stereo A-F (more than one B stage per chenel) in G typology) amplifier, AHB2 is same stereo amplifier regarding typology and class with default stereo output with bridging support. When you bridge A goes 2x so impedance handling drops 2x. Used sub design example to explain how to avoid bridging even when you need a lots of power. Soft clipping is something you can feel and hear if not by added distortion then by compression and if you ignore it when amp had enough it will hard clip (V collapse) and hopefully go into protection not harming it self or speakers. Having appropriate amount of power for what it does and to what it does is sometimes which should be taken as understood and not hard to determine.

 

[Azrael]

Gut... nichts Besonderes, im Wesentlichen SOTA-Nachrichten. Das Verhältnis von Leistung zu Zerrung ist sehr sauber, der Mehrtonbereich ist großartig und es steht reichlich Leistung zur Verfügung. Danke für den Ausführlichen
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A question from a layman: does convection play so little of a role that a vertical arrangement of the heat sink fins has become superfluous?

 

[misterdog]

A question from a layman: does convection play so little of a role that a vertical arrangement of the heat sink fins has become superfluous?

It works just fine, the power supply is external so the 'warmth' from that is not inside the case.
Neither the PSU or amplifier generate anything more than lukewarm temperature - in mine and others use cases.

IF you look at the heatsink the uppermost fin is the thickest.

It's the coolest running amplifier I have had, of many.