Special use-case? What are you on about?
Using the Topping G5 as a DAC + amplifier with passively powered near-field studio monitors! If you've got some insanely efficient open baffle speakers for use with SET, sure you can fill the room with sound. And also, if you want to use your 91dB/w home theater speakers you can do that too, but don't expect levels much higher than TV listening. Best cases are near field SMs and high efficiency SET compatible speakers.
Now,... before anyone gets too excited about how this kind of use is going to cause damage to the G5's output stage, it's not.
"But it's for headphones!!"
Yes, technically it's for headphones, and that's why I'm calling this a special use case review. Speakers are not much different than headphones, they're both loads.
Now, I'm not saying damage isn't possible. If there's not thermal protection then there is the potential for damage - but only if you're abusing the device by playing it SO LOUD that there's so much distortion, even the stupidest drunkest person would object. Actually, there's one other potentially damaging circumstance: if you play a non-distorted sine wave right up at the level that's juuuust before automatic shutdown.
Otherwise: not.
The G5 features auto-shutdown when too much power is drawn. If you're listening to music with 8 ohm speakers, and there's no audible distortion, the current will be below 0.25A (which is what the output stage of the amplifier section is rated for). Speakers under 8 ohm nominal are not recommended because when you use them, say 4 ohms, it cuts both the power, and damping factor in half. Considering output impedance is a bit under 0.1 ohms, after taking into account connections and wire with the 0.1 ohms, you're likely near 0.2 ohms giving you a damping factor of 40. 4 ohms would give you 20-30 which is really really on the cusp. Some bass will sound a bit sloppy (especially closer to 20).
As I haven't measured the impedance of my speakers over their operating range, I don't know the exact resistance that causes clipping of a sine wave at 3.05V, but it's probably between 6 and 7 ohms - likely closer to 6, but if we want to be conservative about it, 6.8. This gives a 1.4W RMS power rating. Like I said before, if there's no thermal protection (I'm not testing and I doubt there is), it's not wise to play a sine wave at 3V indefinitely with this device, so don't. But the metric is still good and useful to tell you what the useful power rating is.
Now onto the important stuff: SOUND!
How does it sound?
It sounds great! Very clear. It sounds like its specifications imply it would sound. Very clear, complicated passages are kept together, bass is controlled and present in the right amounts. No harshness. It could have a bit more power, but it never lacked impact within its range (of 1.4WRMS)
This here is ZZ Top. You can see that RMS voltage is 0.9873V, even though peak to peak is 8.12V.
RMS of a sine wave with the same peak is a bit under 3VRMS.
Any questions or requests?
Using the Topping G5 as a DAC + amplifier with passively powered near-field studio monitors! If you've got some insanely efficient open baffle speakers for use with SET, sure you can fill the room with sound. And also, if you want to use your 91dB/w home theater speakers you can do that too, but don't expect levels much higher than TV listening. Best cases are near field SMs and high efficiency SET compatible speakers.
Now,... before anyone gets too excited about how this kind of use is going to cause damage to the G5's output stage, it's not.
"But it's for headphones!!"
Yes, technically it's for headphones, and that's why I'm calling this a special use case review. Speakers are not much different than headphones, they're both loads.
Now, I'm not saying damage isn't possible. If there's not thermal protection then there is the potential for damage - but only if you're abusing the device by playing it SO LOUD that there's so much distortion, even the stupidest drunkest person would object. Actually, there's one other potentially damaging circumstance: if you play a non-distorted sine wave right up at the level that's juuuust before automatic shutdown.
Otherwise: not.
The G5 features auto-shutdown when too much power is drawn. If you're listening to music with 8 ohm speakers, and there's no audible distortion, the current will be below 0.25A (which is what the output stage of the amplifier section is rated for). Speakers under 8 ohm nominal are not recommended because when you use them, say 4 ohms, it cuts both the power, and damping factor in half. Considering output impedance is a bit under 0.1 ohms, after taking into account connections and wire with the 0.1 ohms, you're likely near 0.2 ohms giving you a damping factor of 40. 4 ohms would give you 20-30 which is really really on the cusp. Some bass will sound a bit sloppy (especially closer to 20).
As I haven't measured the impedance of my speakers over their operating range, I don't know the exact resistance that causes clipping of a sine wave at 3.05V, but it's probably between 6 and 7 ohms - likely closer to 6, but if we want to be conservative about it, 6.8. This gives a 1.4W RMS power rating. Like I said before, if there's no thermal protection (I'm not testing and I doubt there is), it's not wise to play a sine wave at 3V indefinitely with this device, so don't. But the metric is still good and useful to tell you what the useful power rating is.
Now onto the important stuff: SOUND!
How does it sound?
It sounds great! Very clear. It sounds like its specifications imply it would sound. Very clear, complicated passages are kept together, bass is controlled and present in the right amounts. No harshness. It could have a bit more power, but it never lacked impact within its range (of 1.4WRMS)
This here is ZZ Top. You can see that RMS voltage is 0.9873V, even though peak to peak is 8.12V.
RMS of a sine wave with the same peak is a bit under 3VRMS.
Any questions or requests?
