Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

[qec]

I would prefer not to have 2 different volume controls but I will make due. My Adcom 555 amp just lost the left channel this morning. I plan on fixing it but in the mean time the PA5 needs to fill in

 

[antcollinet]

The preamp is an Adcom GTP-500. The main output level is listed as 2.0V to 10.0V.

Problem solved

 

[HammerSandwich]

That is, what would a PA5 add if you have an a800?

The PA5 easily wins ergonomics, if you need 2 inputs or to adjust volume on the amp.

If you have sensitive speakers, the A800's noise could be audible. OTOH, if your speakers need a lot of power, the PA5's <17dBW might be a problem.

(dBW is decibels normalized to 2.828Vrms. IOW, the Topping can drive speakers 16-17dB louder than their sensitivity.)

 

[anotherhobby]

Here is an interesting data point on the shifted sound stage. Dirac on my new miniDSP Flex pulls 1.2-1.4 dB off the right channel of my PA5 on every calibration I've ran. This is a near field calibration from my seated position at my desk, just 3' from each speaker. I agree with the calibration that the image is better centered after reducing the right channel.

EDIT: I'm striking out my above comment because I swapped speaker sides and inputs on the amp, and the dB cut applied by Dirac stayed with the same speaker and NOT the amp channel. The cut was also the same, and thus my PA5 does not have shifted sound stage, and clearly the shifted sound stage I was hearing is environmental, or one of the speakers is a little louder/quieter.

I went back and edited this post to make sure the record is straight, and I'm replying to myself to bring my edit up to the top. As requested I ran another Dirac calibration with the amp channels flipped and the dB cut that Dirac applied to the right channel last time stayed with the right speaker, so anything going on there is clearly not my PA5 amplifier.

 

[DanielT]

The PA5 easily wins ergonomics, if you need 2 inputs or to adjust volume on the amp.

If you have sensitive speakers, the A800's noise could be audible. OTOH, if your speakers need a lot of power, the PA5's <17dBW might be a problem.

(dBW is decibels normalized to 2.828Vrms. IOW, the Topping can drive speakers 16-17dB louder than their sensitivity.)

Exactly, the right type of amplifier for speaker X and the needs you have and how / what you listen to for kind of music.

 

[gfinlays]

I went back and edited this post to make sure the record is straight, and I'm replying to myself to bring my edit up to the top. As requested I ran another Dirac calibration with the amp channels flipped and the dB cut that Dirac applied to the right channel last time stayed with the right speaker, so anything going on there is clearly not my PA5 amplifier.

Thanks for the clarification and for taking the time to do this. It did seem strange that channel balance on a PA5 could be that far out.

 

[ralph]

Great review @amirm! And fantastic job @JohnYang1997 - apologies if this has been asked already but any chance that you release something similar with fixed volume and fancier case work - may be the case from the Ext90 with a power button? And an internal power supply?

 

[Ciobi69]

do you think this amp could be a good replacement for my class A tubes on my klipschorn?

 

[Nonick]

I've got iFi Zen Blue Bluetooth streamer/DAC:
It has Balanced 4.4 mm outputs, Single ended RCA outputs.

Output voltage (RCA presumed, not stated for 4.4mm): 2.05 V, Output impendance: <50 Ohm

Can this balanced 4.4mm output be used to connect with Topping PA5?
With 4.4mm Balanced Male Plug to Dual 6.35mm 1/4 TRS Stereo?

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[Zek]

do you think this amp could be a good replacement for my class A tubes on my klipschorn?

If someone asks me - NO.

 

[cybernaut667]

But wouldn't it be a smart move if these
high performance class d amps as topping and nCore had an optical input? To get toshlink from a streamer/pre and get rid of the analogue connections altogether. Some active speakers even have it.
I don't get why this is not the case ?

 

[Gio]

do you think this amp could be a good replacement for my class A tubes on my klipschorn?

I guess it depends on your personal taste: if you love a colorful sound signature like tube amps, no. If you prefer a more faithful sound to the original then yes.

 

[bsas]

But wouldn't it be a smart move if these
high performance class d amps as topping and nCore had an optical input? To get toshlink from a streamer/pre and get rid of the analogue connections altogether. Some active speakers even have it.
I don't get why this is not the case ?

Well… because they are just amplifiers and not DACs??? I hope you understand that toslink is digital, so, to have a toslink input you must have a internal DAC.

 

[gfinlays]

do you think this amp could be a good replacement for my class A tubes on my klipschorn?

There'll certainly be no audible hiss or noise from the PA5. Whether the neutrality of the PA5 will be to your taste compared to the sound of your tubes is something only you can decide.

 

[mocenigo]

What I was really trying to say in the initial posting is that any kind of subjective evaluation of electronic equipment [...] is virtually impossible, and all that we have to rely on is measurement. Anything else I have come across is either useless or extremely hard to do - to determine which is better, not just different, or more pleasing in a particular environment. And of course "better" can be along many different dimensions. Their combining into one global metric is hard, which is why SINAD has become the generic initial "filtering" mechanism.

I agree 100% with you.

 

[mocenigo]

Unfortunately, prior to Melody coming on stage, we had to endure 'Astrian Crooner', Louie Austen's support act. He was spectacularly awful and insisted on recounting numerous times the story of 'Wann George Benson hat mich angerufen' ('when George Benson called me')

The Austrian audience applauded him immensely - to this day, I'm still not sure whether they were just being typically polite, or whether indeed, they actually thought he was that good....

It was "Als George Benson mich angerufen hat" and it was awful.

 

[mocenigo]

I'm 52 years old and my hearing tops out at 16kHz. THD at 20kHz is meaningless.

You are lucky. Perhaps because I had otitis when I was younger but I am 51 and top at 14khz (with some holes around 12Khz).

Roberto

 

[gfinlays]

It was "Als George Benson mich angerufen hat" and it was awful.

Despite 100 hours of German lessons by a language teacher who lived in Austria for 10 years and living out there myself for 2 years, I still struggled with the language and grammar.

Were you there?

 

[mocenigo]

Despite 100 hours of German lessons by a language teacher who lived in Austria for 10 years and living out there myself for 2 years, I still struggled with the language and grammar.

Were you there?

NO

 

[0bs3rv3r]

do you think this amp could be a good replacement for my class A tubes on my klipschorn?

I run a Class A SET (2A3 tube) system into efficient speakers. I substituted a small class D amp to see what it would sound like and was very impressed. I would expect the PA5 to do an excellent job.