Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

[Toku]

Sounds really good, that seems a really good performance to do better than Merus chip with a TPA325X

When listening to the sound of PA5, you can feel the measurement result of amirm.
More and more I want to know what magic Topping used for this amp.

 

[pma]

We already know all the data we need to know, now we potential buyers would like to hear what owners think in comparison with other amps they own. I for one would like to know does it sound like an upgraded A07 or something more similiar to the DA9/AO200. Yes, this is ASR, where Amir includes a subjective test in all his reviews.

I wonder if we shall see even one single result of a proper controlled DBT test between the PA5 and the mentioned amplifiers. My qualified guess is NO. Instead, we shall read myriads of excited sight test reviews which would just reflect new users enthusiastic about a new component at their home.

 

[pma]

When listening to the sound of PA5, you can feel the measurement result of amirm.
More and more I want to know what magic Topping used for this amp.

Did you do a controlled level matched DBT test vs. another amplifier? My guess is you did not.

 

[Lambda]

and still have, service manuals but those never were public domain during the active period of the products, you had to order and pay for them and sometimes even sign an NDA.

Some times but not always As seen in the video this recent professional Sony camera comes with publicly available service information.
List of parts and you can order Modules and individual components from them.
I have mobile Consumer TV ( from the 90s) that came with a schematic in the manual.
I have a old audio mixing console that came with schematics.
Many tube Radios had schematics painted inside the box.
If I buy a car i can exactly look oh what kind of valve Spring they used and the normal allowed tolerances.

Would you say https://neurochrome.com/ is insane?

 

[DanielT]

Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

@pma thanks for the link! i would like to see this measurements for this amp compared to an Class AB Also this looks like it would be a nice addition to the measurements:

audiosciencereview.com

Not so long ago they all did...
Many high end products or specialized products still do.



Now this is some real useless information why would you want to here this? i thought this is audiosciencereview where data is king..
If i want to read subjektive listening test impressions from guys with there new toys i would go to *other hifi forum*

Uh, let people express their joy and tell how they experience the sound. We all know that it is subjective experiences that should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Amir tells about subjective listening impressions when he performs his measurements, so?

In addition, in any case, I am curious about how PA5 performs with speakers that make real demands on amplifiers. Impedance curves that go up and down a lot, low-impedance speakers, speakers with low sensitivity.

 

[pma]

Uh, let people express their joy and tell how they experience the sound. We all know that it is subjective experiences that should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Amir tells about subjective listening impressions when he performs his measurements, so?

In addition, in any case, I am curious about how PA5 performs with speakers that make real demands on amplifiers. Impedance curves that go up and down a lot, low-impedance speakers, speakers with low sensitivity.

Amir does not tell much about his listening impressions, hopefully. Remember this forum is called Audio Science Review. User's excited sighted impression is all but Science Review. The ASR has diverted from its initial intentions.

 

[jokan]

PA5 arrived from Aoshida HiFi and I immediately tested it in combination with E50. This is an intermediate report.

1. There is no noise when turning the power on/off and switching the input.
However, if the AC plug is suddenly unplugged while the power is on, noise will be generated for a moment. The noise level isn't high, but this is a bit disappointing.

2. Noise from the speaker when there is no sound cannot be heard even if the ear is in close contact with the speaker unit.

3. In this season, the heat generated by the amplifier case is a little warmer, but in midsummer, the heat generated will be even greater and the slits in the case will be effective. It is a fever situation similar to AIYIMA A07. (In my research, I think the chip used is TPA3255)

4. The volume change of the volume changes linearly and smoothly. The volume change is the same as TP60, PA3, PA3s, etc. Probably the taper A for audio is adopted for the volume pot. I don't feel any gang error.

5. It is pointed out that PA5 has a low gain, but it is not a problem for home use in the test in combination with E50.

6. Regarding the sound quality that is most worrisome, I compared it with PA3s, AO200, A20a, and AIYIMA A07/A04, but PA5 produces a different dimension of sound from these amplifiers.
The energy of the mid-low range, the transparency of the high range, and the resolution are improved. It sounds like an upgraded version of the highly acclaimed MA12070 chip amp. The first thing I felt when I heard the sound of PA5 was the size of the sound stage. When you hear this sound, you are satisfied with the price of PA5. However, how you feel the sound varies from person to person, so please understand it for reference only.

I am a fan of the current crop of class-d amplifiers for their ability to fit in a confined space on our desktops, offer superior performance for the size and price. There will inevitably come a point where the technology surpasses our own ability to hear. This is already the case with 4K tv etc. Our eyes literally can't see that well but with 4K we can plus a very large screen. 8K and higher are already a reality though it will take time to upgrade the infrastructure necessary for 8K broadcast to become an everyday, every screen thing. I suspect audio is going down the same rabbit hole. I enjoy the hobby, will carry on enjoying it but I'm also a Tube/Valve fan as well as Class AB transistor fan. There's something nice about the old ways and there's something excellent about the new methods. I don't think that there's a winner or clear loser when comparing different classes of amplifiers.

The PA5 will inevitably change the industry for the better as a whole. I welcome such changes and expect more improvements to come within a few months of the PA5, be it an improvement in packaging or connections, whatever the case maybe, this is clearly just the beginning!

Hopefully we will learn more about the chipset being used and how it's implemented.

Thanks @Toku for your swift review of the PA5. I'm sure you will have more to report on as time goes by. I take it you are selling your DA-9 and AO200 now

 

[DanielT]

Amir does not tell much about his listening impressions, hopefully. Remember this forum is called Audio Science Review. User's excited sighted impression is all but Science Review. The ASR has diverted from its initial intentions.

Amir:

Polk T50 Listening Tests and Equalization

Subjective Speaker Listening
Out of box experience with the Diamond 220 was very good


And so on ..

 

[BoredErica]

Amir:

Polk T50 Listening Tests and Equalization

Subjective Speaker Listening
Out of box experience with the Diamond 220 was very good


And so on ..

Those are speakers, not amps. Speakers have differences that are audible. No point introducing human bias into something that should be audibly transparent. Very different things.

 

[F1308]

Amir does not tell much about his listening impressions, hopefully. Remember this forum is called Audio Science Review. User's excited sighted impression is all but Science Review. The ASR has diverted from its initial intentions.

Audio Science Review....
Therefore when we read "no hiss is heard" we should be provided with data such as age of the listener saying so or perhaps the results of an audio test of his hearing capabilities made no more than some minutes before the test on hissing was made...

 

[Mulder]

It’s amp specific ofcourse but class D has the most issues with it. With the ICE the distortion is not controled not at even at 1W while with the topping it’s incredibly low at 1W.

1W is where the amp will stay 99% of the time.

The graph shows harmonic distortion, but since the measurements are bandwidth-limited, we do not know what it looks like with the internodulation distortion in the higher registers.

 

[BoredErica]

Audio Science Review....
Therefore when we read "no hiss is heard" we should be provided with data such as age of the listener saying so or perhaps the results of an audio test of his hearing capabilities made no more than some minutes before the test on hissing was made...

I think more important is simply the background noise. But people don't have sensitive db meters to measure quiet rooms. Ideally somebody would do measurements with a standard speaker, but if reviewers aren't doing into, randos surely aren't doing it.

 

[abdo123]

The graph shows harmonic distortion, but since the measurements are bandwidth-limited, we do not know what it looks like with the internodulation distortion in the higher registers.

neither measurements are bandwidth limited, and i was talking purely about THD because the comment i was replying to was talking about THD.

Unlike a lot of Class D amplifiers the PA5 does not have frequency dependent HD in the 1-5 Watt range, which makes it miles better than anything other than the Purifi Eigentaakt.

 

[abdo123]

Audio Science Review....
Therefore when we read "no hiss is heard" we should be provided with data such as age of the listener saying so or perhaps the results of an audio test of his hearing capabilities made no more than some minutes before the test on hissing was made...

is S/N not enough of an objective metric for you?

 

[DanielT]

Those are speakers, not amps. Speakers have differences that are audible. No point introducing human bias into something that should be audibly transparent. Very different things.

Have you ever heard an amplifier driven into clipping.?It sounds really bad and yes it is absolutely audible. Tests to listen on your mobile phone or tablet. Turn up the volume a lot and you will see what happens.

 

[BoredErica]

Have you ever heard an amplifier driven into clipping.?

Just look at specs and run the numbers for yourself. There's no need to rely on random people's subjective opinions about things that have nothing to do with clipping. If you're going to only bring clipping up, then you automatically rule out all subjective opinions about the sound of the amp apart from that which is caused by clipping.

 

[MarkWinston]

Amir does not tell much about his listening impressions, hopefully. Remember this forum is called Audio Science Review. User's excited sighted impression is all but Science Review. The ASR has diverted from its initial intentions.

Initial intentions of ASR? That will include listening. And listening. And listening. Period.

 

[BoredErica]

I dunno why subjectivists are in ASR of all places, but they seem to think if they complain enough about the lack of subjective reviews they'll get their way when the vast majority of audiophiledom has what they're already looking for.

Time and time again we have seen people who claim to hear all kinds of things which are not possible. Or rave about a product that actually measures poorly. The Audioholics/Starke fiasco is a recent example. People's subjective opinions are worth very little.

This thread gets more and more bizarre. And that's all I will say on the subjectivist matter because I know it's a bad use of my time.

 

[DanielT]

Just look at specs and run the numbers for yourself. There's no need to rely on random people's subjective opinions about things that have nothing to do with clipping. If you're going to only bring clipping up, then you automatically rule out all subjective opinions about the sound of the amp apart from that which is caused by clipping.

It's subjective, of course. So you have a point.

Speaker, 85 dB sensitivity at 2.83V / 1M. Normal listening volume, normal-sized listening / living room, music with a high crest factor. Is PA5 then driven into clipping? Is it audible?

Of course it is probably possible to calculate (maybe), song by song (for those who can do it).

That's the most important thing for me to figure out when it comes to amplifiers. In which case the answer tends to be hedroom. Plus the usual with class d, what about the reproduction of the higher frequencies.

By the way, I do not consider myself subjective. Can easily kill my preconceived ideas, subjective experiences:

What is this? No golden ears!

Got an idea last week. Connected a Blu-ray, Sony BDP-S570, and a CD- player Marantz CD5001 to the pre amp. It has line selectors. Went to the local flea market and managed to find duplicates, CDs. Exactly the same CDs, the same recording on the discs. Same master. Enter with the discs in the...

audiosciencereview.com

Edit:
Certainly well-constructed amplifiers with enough clean watts where you can most certainly hear the difference between them (given inaudible, distortion, noise,). Not to mention DACs.

 

[Frank Sol]

I dunno why subjectivists are in ASR of all places...

Allegory of the Cave ??