Topping Mini 300 Amplifier Review

[SlowJim]

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

View attachment 510672View attachment 510673Just picked one up to drive my KEF Q Concerto Meta (85dB sensitivity @ 4Ω). It hits peaks of at least 102dB SPL easily—it's absolutely deafening. Aesthetically, it fits right in, and I’d wager it could drive the R3 Meta without breaking a sweat. I was impressed enough that I ordered a batch more, so now I can run identical amplification for my surrounds and height channels.View attachment 510674

That all-white setup, wow!!!

 

[dwkdnvr]

Ordered my Mini300 from Apos in late January, apparently just in time for it to go back-ordered. Looks like I won't get it for a couple months.

 

[fwwwk]

bought too but its quite quiet in my 86db speakers. Do you know if this strangely small input sensitivty of 2.6vrms can be exceeded safely?

 

[Rmjesty]

bought too but its quite quiet in my 86db speakers. Do you know if this strangely small input sensitivty of 2.6vrms can be exceeded safely?

Also, you might need to worry about assembly issues. My friend said that his one seemed to have the volume knob turned to the maximum (the arrow pointed to max), but it could still be turned up to reach the maximum output.

 

[Tell]

bought too but its quite quiet in my 86db speakers. Do you know if this strangely small input sensitivty of 2.6vrms can be exceeded safely?

My speakers with a similar sensitivity do play plenty loud with the Mini300. Did have to turn up my MiniDSP 2x4HD a bit thoigh compared to my previous amplifier, but it works just fine.

 

[fwwwk]

My preamp with 2vrms input dac on mid gain +6db output gives 4vrms on xlr output so i must lower it to approx 92% on pre to get 2.6 max and not to clip and that results with amp max power. I wonder if i can push that higher to 4vrms safely to be louder

 

[Viper780]

Ordered my Mini300 from Apos in late January, apparently just in time for it to go back-ordered. Looks like I won't get it for a couple months.

Audiophonics has them in stock

 

[harkpabst]

so i must lower it to approx 92% on pre to get 2.6 max and not to clip and that results with amp max power. I wonder if i can push that higher to 4vrms safely to be louder

The maximum power output is reached when the input voltage equals the input sensitivity.
When I do the math based on Amir's measurements I end up with an XLR input sensitivity of 2.24 V for 51 W into 8 ohm.
Increasing the input volume any higher will lead to the distortion shown in Amir's graph. There' no way around it.

But the output voltage of your "preamp with 2vrms input dac on mid gain +6db" isn't fixed, of course, but depending on the source and your volume control ...

 

[fwwwk]

Yeah i know i was talking about 100%preamp 0dbfs source

 

[harkpabst]

Yeah i know i was talking about 100%preamp 0dbfs source

Sounds like you know what you're doing and don't need any help. Otherwise you'd be answering the questions.

 

[fwwwk]

sorry i dont get your saltiness (what was your question by the way? cant see one), i simply asked if someone knows from experience, say, how much i can override input voltage over default input sensitivity to get little more SPL without big (audible?) distortion penalty

 

[harkpabst]

sorry i dont get your saltiness (what was your question by the way? cant see one), i simply asked if someone knows from experience, say, how much i can override input voltage over default input sensitivity to get little more SPL without big (audible?) distortion penalty

I don't know from experience. I just know how to read and interpret technical data and measurements.

And sorry, I did forget to add the question how exactly your setup looks like. That's totally unclear to me.

 

[fwwwk]

doesnt look like the topic about your skills but okay, let it be

great amplifier! (so i dont do too much offthread)

 

[Dave TR3A]

i simply asked if someone knows from experience, say, how much i can override input voltage over default input sensitivity to get little more SPL without big (audible?) distortion penalty

I hooked up several of my amps (not a Mini300) to an oscilloscope using a differential probe. I input a 1 kHz sine wave at various amplitudes so that I could see if the input sensitivity I measured was the same as what the manufacturer specified.

In every case, I saw clipping on the ‘scope well before the rated inputed sensitivity. For my Aiyima A07 amps, which are supposed to have a .775 VRMS input sensitivity (IIRC) I would see clipping at just a little above .5 VRMS amplitude. I saw some variation among the three A07s that I tested.

Clipping isn’t just audible, it can be damaging to speakers.

You could perform a similar measurement to test the Mini300. However, based on what I saw, I do not think one can expect to exceed the input sensitivity without incurring distortion. My practice is to attenuate the signal going to the amps so that I stay below the amplitude at which I started to see clipping.

If you want more SPL you should consider an amp with more gain, use more efficient speakers, or sit closer to the speakers.

 

[Bleib]

If you connect the balanced output to the balanced input of the mini300, then 4Vrms should be an acceptable voltage. Considering the compatibility with the preamplifier performance of most of the company's DAC, its maximum input should be 5Vrms

Is this true though, I was told 5v was a no-go for TP RA3 (which is PA5 II) and many DACs are even 5.2v

 

[Rmjesty]

Is this true though, I was told 5v was a no-go for TP RA3 (which is PA5 II) and many DACs are even 5.2v

Sorry, I confused PA7 plus with this product when searching for the topping power amplifier specification chart before. This product does not seem to support inputs higher than 2.6v

 

[antcollinet]

sorry i dont get your saltiness (what was your question by the way? cant see one), i simply asked if someone knows from experience, say, how much i can override input voltage over default input sensitivity to get little more SPL without big (audible?) distortion penalty

Not at all. Once you hit maximum power - going higher results in massive distortion. That is what maximum power means.

 

[Julf]

Clipping isn’t just audible, it can be damaging to speakers.

Yes, just like excessive power even without clipping. Clipping just makes it possible to exceed the rated power of the amp and thus produce excessive power.

 

[harkpabst]

Sorry, I confused PA7 plus with this product when searching for the topping power amplifier specification chart before. This product does not seem to support inputs higher than 2.6v

As I wrote above, it's rather 2.24 V if we go by Amir's definition of undistorted power output (51 W into 8 Ω), not Topping's specs.

2.6 V of input voltage will result in 1% distortion, already. And all this is related to the balanced inputs! 4 V or even more would probably fry it. Practical experience with this particular model is not needed to see that, I promise.