Topping Mini 300 Amplifier Review

[SoySalsaPicante]

…g-e-t-D-S-P-b-o-x…
Noted.

Here you go, less than ten bucks:

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For the longest time, I have been in search of the “perfect” inexpensive audio DSP device. Something with user friendly control software that could accept a USB input, apply PEQ, delays and other essential processing and then produce a digital output. Over the holidays, I was (un)fortunate...

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[Julf]

…g-e-t-D-S-P-b-o-x…
Noted.

TAP TubeWarmth

 

[Jarrett]

I've been using it everyday for a couple of months now. It's fed by my E30 II and it drives my Dynaudio BM6 speakers. It replaced a Sony TA FA30ES.

It's very nice and clean sounding, almost too perfect, to the extent that it becomes almost a bit too boring, lifeless. I find I miss the 'warmth' of the old Sony, how it was kind of 'louder' at low levels, and easier to listen to at loud levels. I don't miss the dirtier, duller highs, though.

So, I'm actually looking for a way back into class A amps again. I almost went for a 25yr old Electrocompaniet AW 60 last weekend, but it needed service, so I dropped it. Might explain the low asking price of ~$400usd.

That's a good observation. I like to play ASMR stuff for background occasionally, and my Class AB was more comfy sounding at low levels.

 

[somebodyelse]

Here you go, less than ten bucks:

Introducing DSPi | A powerful, user friendly and open source DSP for less than a cup of coffee

For the longest time, I have been in search of the “perfect” inexpensive audio DSP device. Something with user friendly control software that could accept a USB input, apply PEQ, delays and other essential processing and then produce a digital output. Over the holidays, I was (un)fortunate...

www.audiosciencereview.com

That'll let them change frequency response, but not add distortion (yet...maybe another feature request?) - PKHarmonic would be an option for that.

 

[Ben Jenssen]

TAP TubeWarmth

Listen, I've been a studio engineer for decades and have experienced the analog-to-digital transition first hand, and I have most of the top-tier analog simulation etc softwares/plugins, and I know how to use them on my main output - I'm not going to use dsp to compensate for the lackings of a $150 class D amp.

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

Listen, I've been a studio engineer for decades and have experienced the analog-to-digital transition first hand, and I have most of the top-tier analog simulation etc softwares/plugins, and I know how to use them on my main output - I'm not going to use dsp to compensate for the lackings of a $150 class D amp.

If you’re so against it, why are you even in this thread? Happy to discuss the Topping B200 with you instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Ben Jenssen]

If you’re so against it, why are you even in this thread? Happy to discuss the Topping B200 with you instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The thread topic is "Topping Mini 300", and I replied to someone asking for others' experience with it.

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

The thread topic is "Topping Mini 300", and I replied to someone asking for others' experience with it.

Frankly, I'm surprised you even got one with your anti-Class-D perspective.

 

[ziggurcat]

So... has anybody actually given this little amp a go and can they share their experience with it?
I'm very tempted!

Lots of people have given accounts of their experience with this amp. It's a great little amp. I had the PA5 II, and the 3e Audio A7 prior to this, and it's indistinguishable from either of those amps from a sound perspective (all three exhibiting very low levels of distortion, no load dependency in the audible range, etc...), outside of the A7 being a little bit louder at the same volume level (but that is to be expected, I think, with the A7 being a beefier amp).

The only thing I would "complain" about is the audible tick/louder pop when powering up/down that seems to be different than what the measurements suggest, but I also think that that could be a product of my environment. At least one other person has reported similar behaviour with their unit in that regard, but others have reported no startup/shutdown pops or ticks at all.

 

[EPICURIOUS007]

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Topping Mini300 balanced stereo class D amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and is on sale for US $128 (normal $139).
View attachment 501252
While in the typical desktop configuration, there is a level of polish to the look and feel of the mini 300. Controls are what you need in the form of input selection, power and trigger. The amplifier gain is appropriately on the low side so I performed all of my testing at maximum volume.
View attachment 501253
It is a relief to see an external amplifier power supply that is manageable in size and weight. It is Topping branded with extensive regulatory certifications. Nicely so, it comes with a screw on, locking power connector.

Balanced inputs are provided in the form of 1/4 connectors which are quite common in pro industry. You can purchase low cost adapters to XLR or do as I did which is use a cable with 1/4 inch at one and XLR at the other.

There are generous and large vents all around and underneath which managed to keep the amplifier quite cool even after my stress tests.

Topping Mini 300 Measurements
I started with balanced inputs:
View attachment 501254
Distortion is vanishingly low and well below threshold of hearing at -122 dB. Noise sets SINAD to a very respectable 104.5 dB, comfortably landing the mini 300 in the "excellent" category of all amplifiers tested to date:
View attachment 501255

View attachment 501256

RCA input costs you a bit of dynamic range and hence SINAD as usual:
View attachment 501267

EDIT: forgot to post SNR:
View attachment 501440

Post filter feedback seems to have been implemented resulting in almost no load dependency:
View attachment 501257

Crosstalk is better than average amplifier:
View attachment 501258

Multitone and 19+20 kHz show the typical rise in distortion with frequency although they are still excellent for the category:
View attachment 501259
View attachment 501260

Plenty of power is on top for such a small amp and small power supply:
EDIT: graph should say 90 watts, not 104.
View attachment 501261
View attachment 501262

Naturally you loose fair bit into 8 ohm but such a speaker impedance is rare:
View attachment 501263

It was difficult to measure power at 40 Hz as the amp would go into some intermediate protection mode where it would distort but not shut down. Eventually I got a single measurement:
View attachment 501264
Getting another bite at that apple, we see the response in our sweeps vs frequency:
View attachment 501265

I was pleasantly surprised to see the lowest power on/off noise I have ever measured and by a good bit:
View attachment 501266

Edit: as usual, the amp was ready to party on power up even though it dances a bit:
View attachment 502354

Conclusions
The Topping Mini 300 provides a polished execution with excellent implementation of class D using chip amplifier. For the cost of a single meal at a restaurant, you have a stereo amplifier that produces plenty of power yet occupies very little space. It certainly breaks the cliche that you have to spend a lot of money to get good performance.

I am happy to recommend the Topping Mini 300 stereo amplifier. It represent the category excellently, putting a smile on my face in test after test.
------------
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/

Curious on what kind of restaurants Amir frequents?

 

[Julf]

Listen, I've been a studio engineer for decades and have experienced the analog-to-digital transition first hand, and I have most of the top-tier analog simulation etc softwares/plugins, and I know how to use them on my main output - I'm not going to use dsp to compensate for the lackings of a $150 class D amp.

So you see absence of distortion and coloration as "lackings"?

 

[Ben Jenssen]

So you see absence of distortion and coloration as "lackings"?

No, I don't. The suggestion was that I'd use dsp to make it sound the way I would like. That's what I replied to. Also, good measurement numbers does not necessarily equal good sound.
Now let's get back on topic; the Topping Mini 300.

 

[Julf]

Also, good measurement numbers does not necessarily equal good sound.

"Good sound" is a subjective thing that could mean almost anything. Good measurement numbers are an indicator of transparency, accuracy and fidelity - as in "high fidelity".

 

[gwing]

I've been using it everyday for a couple of months now. It's fed by my E30 II and it drives my Dynaudio BM6 speakers. It replaced a Sony TA FA30ES.

It's very nice and clean sounding, almost too perfect, to the extent that it becomes almost a bit too boring, lifeless. I find I miss the 'warmth' of the old Sony, how it was kind of 'louder' at low levels, and easier to listen to at loud levels. I don't miss the dirtier, duller highs, though.

So, I'm actually looking for a way back into class A amps again. I almost went for a 25yr old Electrocompaniet AW 60 last weekend, but it needed service, so I dropped it. Might explain the low asking price of ~$400usd.

Class A isn't necessarily/guaranteed to be a solution for that though. I have a 60W valve amp that is pure class A up to the first 45W and I can assure you that there is no apparent difference in warmth, 'life' or transparency even between that and the Fosi V3 monos I run. There are of course amps, particularly cheap modern valve pre-amps, that don't have a flat response and which will give a changed tonal characteristic but please don't assume that class A will of itself sound any different.

Can you get the effect you want with some eq?

 

[Tell]

So... has anybody actually given this little amp a go and can they share their experience with it?
I'm very tempted!

Yes I got one and it delivers power to my speakers, no more no less, ie just like it's supposed too. Nothing lacking, since it's not supposed to be a magic box that colours the sound in any way, that's up the the music and my DSP.

 

[Ben Jenssen]

Well, after a couple of months with the mini300, I switched back to the 30yr old SonyFA30ES, and there is no question; the Mini 300 is nice and transparent, but the Sony gives me a lot more livelyness and punch. I'll be selling the Topping and keeping the Sony. Period.

 

[Tell]

Well, after a couple of months with the mini300, I switched back to the 30yr old SonyFA30ES, and there is no question; the Mini 300 is nice and transparent, but the Sony gives me a lot more livelyness and punch. I'll be selling the Topping and keeping the Sony. Period.

Sure that Sony looks way better and can certainly make it sound better. Though I prefer having a small more or less invisible amplifier so I'm going to rock my Mini300 instead of that 50 year old Marantz 2015 that I had before. Sound wise I don't hear any difference though which shows how solved of an problem amplifiers have been for so long, well sound wise that is, power wise not so much

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

Well, after a couple of months with the mini300, I switched back to the 30yr old SonyFA30ES, and there is no question; the Mini 300 is nice and transparent, but the Sony gives me a lot more livelyness and punch. I'll be selling the Topping and keeping the Sony. Period.

This is an issue of the Mini 300 being…well…mini. It doesn’t have the current reserves and necessary dynamic capacity (ability to swing huge voltage) that bigger amps do, so while it will measure well from a THD+N / SINAD standpoint, once you are playing very dynamic material at higher volumes, and depending on the speakers of course, it can easily lose out on things like punch due to the power gap (note I am only guessing, since I don’t know one iota about the Sony amp you’re comparing to and frankly can’t be bothered to look the specifics up because I was in middle school when you bought that thing).

I myself have just swapped the Mini 300 out for a pair of B200s for this very reason. At low listening levels, I’d be lying if I said I could pick one out from the other blindly, but once cranked up, the Mini 300s can’t push dynamic swings the way the beastly B200s can.

 

[fwwwk]

Do you mean the condition when volume knob and preamp were both maxed out? Or there is any class D design characteristic that limit such transient response you are meaning? there are no linear power amplification stages so i do not understand what you mean with ability to swing huge voltage/signal as it is swinging way faster than ab class

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

Do you mean the condition when volume knob and preamp were both maxed out? Or there is any class D design characteristic that limit such transient response you are meaning? there are no linear power amplification stages so i do not understand what you mean with ability to swing huge voltage/signal

No, I’m not talking about gain limiting.

I’m also not talking about anything related to amplifier class; a Hypex NCx500-based class-D amp would easily out-power my B200 monoblocs, so I would absolutely rank them as audibly transparent and not something I could pick out blindly from the B200s at any sane listening level with my speakers because both amps have sufficient power/drive for my speakers even at the highest levels I personally listen at, including large, highly dynamic orchestral pieces in my room and seating position over two meters away.

Power and gain are two separate issues, but you need the power reserves when you raise the volume. Class-D, in fact, provides said power more efficiently, if anything. The TPA3251 in the Mini 300 simply isn’t designed for that level of power and current demand, and that’s the very basic issue.

I wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to recommend the Mini 300 for driving passive speakers near field. Different horses for different courses.