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Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

Hipster Doofus

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Just bought mine. It will go with Gustard x16 dac and maybe my tekton Set speakers with 12 in woofer and weight about 70lbs, but a sensitivity of 94…which I run with low wattage tube amps…So let the battle begin between the old and the new. What fun , maybe I can sell my dynaco 410’s and my Crown 300a.

the next question is what do we all do with that nice stereo furniture we have.
 

F1308

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No.
NIOSH-OSHA-Standards.gif


Acording to OSHA 90dBA is fine for 8h
At 50Hz 90dBA is about 120d
There is a huge different if you listen to a view loud tracks a view time a weak wit only a view loud peaks or if you operate a chain saw from 9 to 5. 5 days a weak.

90dB peak power is by no means a lot if you listen to Dynamic music and understand how dBA works.

No, there is not.
Once you have great recordings, great power and great loudspeakers, all on a great scenario, you will have great, undistorted sound at your disposal, and it will most probably ask you for more loudness now and then, only stopping the cycle once your brain detects the first distortions, and that could be too late... Caution. Tchaikovsky in progress...
 

sarumbear

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I'd be interested in output max current. Many of the small chip amps max out somewhere between 3 or so amps in relation to budget class AB which can achieve double/triple that. More expensive gear can achieve well over 30 amp peaks. Not that you need that much, but some speakers really like additional current to perform.
You already have that data. Use Ohms Law.
 

phoenixdogfan

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I think this will start a price war. Only a matter of time until Topping or S.M.S.L. or someone offers one of these with similar performance stats and twice the power for l.t. $300.
 

sarumbear

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I think this will start a price war. Only a matter of time until Topping or S.M.S.L. or someone offers one of these with similar performance stats and twice the power for l.t. $300.
And the consumers will win, thanks to ASR in general and @amirm in particular.
 

jools

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I'd be interested in output max current. Many of the small chip amps max out somewhere between 3 or so amps in relation to budget class AB which can achieve double/triple that. More expensive gear can achieve well over 30 amp peaks. Not that you need that much, but some speakers really like additional current to perform.
The supplied power supply is rated at 4A.
However it may be like the Ayimas and the amp may be able to handle quite a lot more - I have the A04 which uses the TPA 3251 which can output 175W (v. distorted) into 4ohms... so that's about 6.5A per channel. So I used a 350W Meanwell PSU which can deliver almost 15A. You wouldn't want to use it for more than short peaks because the heat sinking is not up to it but you'd be surprised what some of the chip amps can do. And these are continuous figures (aside from the thermal limiting) so momentary peaks will be higher.
 

F1308

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Just bought mine. It will go with Gustard x16 dac and maybe my tekton Set speakers with 12 in woofer and weight about 70lbs, but a sensitivity of 94…which I run with low wattage tube amps…So let the battle begin between the old and the new. What fun , maybe I can sell my dynaco 410’s and my Crown 300a.

the next question is what do we all do with that nice stereo furniture we have.
Let us know your findings, please, while we wait for the 200W...
 

sarumbear

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The supplied power supply is rated at 4A.
However it may be like the Ayimas and the amp may be able to handle quite a lot more - I have the A04 which uses the TPA 3251 which can output 175W (v. distorted) into 4ohms... so that's about 6.5A per channel. So I used a 350W Meanwell PSU which can deliver almost 15A. You wouldn't want to use it for more than short peaks because the heat sinking is not up to it but you'd be surprised what some of the chip amps can do. And these are continuous figures (aside from the thermal limiting) so momentary peaks will be higher.
Unless you increase the supply voltage, I doubt using a beefier PSU will make a difference, nor be dangerous to use.
 

DanielT

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Seems that there are a lot of people wondering if the effect in Topping PA5 is enough for their speakers.
Tip start a new thread about it. It would be interesting to find out. :)

By the way, the type of music you play a big part.Some music (depending on the recording, if it is compressed, "loudness fixed" and so on) places quite high demands on the power of the amplifier.


 

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Ralph_Cramden

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OK, but.... I use powered monitors on my "desktop" system. Topping, please start building excellent, affordable studio monitors with this quality of amplifier built-in. :)
 

jools

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Unless you increase the supply voltage, I doubt using a beefier PSU will make a difference, nor be dangerous to use.
With the supplied PSU you've got 2A per channel before being PSU limited. Thats only 16W into 4ohms.
 

DanTheMan

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So 20 pages and not one picture of this lovely lady’s backside. This is definitely not the Playboy of audio sites. I mean c’mon man.
 

pjug

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Amir commented in the review but the low ultrasonic switching noise is really impressive. Do I have it correct that it is something like 50mV ballpark?
 

abdo123

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As written by @VintageFlanker, why should BP be worried about this?

Honestly the mainstream adoption of Eigentakt has been between slow to non-existent. Not that this one will be more successful than Eigentakt but Topping sells less than a thousand unit per year. I don't think either of them has a big chunk of the market, or consider each other competitors but BP definitely intends to be a big contender, their technology is just usually awkwardly priced.
 

Larry B. Larabee

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OK so please let me do it myself

from the THD+N vs. level at different frequencies
View attachment 168548

this is the derived THD+N vs. frequency at 20W/4ohm
View attachment 168549

It is definitely not bad but not in line with low noise and 1kHz distortion results. It indicates to worsening of linearity with frequency. I do not agree that distortion rise with frequency is to be "normal".
Hi pma, I like your posts.
If you know, it would be interesting to see what the open loop gain of this and the hegel h95 are. You know, just to find out which one is 'defective' because it doesn't have enough negative feedback. lol

L
 

sarumbear

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With the supplied PSU you've got 2A per channel before being PSU limited. Thats only 16W into 4ohms.
How did @amirm measured much higher power then?
 

ClassicGuy

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Seems that there are a lot of people wondering if the effect in Topping PA5 is enough for their speakers.
Tip start a new thread about it. It would be interesting to find out. :)

By the way, the type of music you play a big part.Some music (depending on the recording, if it is compressed, "loudness fixed" and so on) places quite high demands on the power of the amplifier.



I wonder if we can rate each speaker with a headroom rating. We can also apply headroom ratings to music (types) or music sources. Perhaps that can make it easier to evaluate the amplification power needed. Instead of relying on anecdotal evidence or rules of thumb.
 

F1308

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Seems that there are a lot of people wondering if the effect in Topping PA5 is enough for their speakers.
Tip start a new thread about it. It would be interesting to find out. :)

By the way, the type of music you play a big part.Some music (depending on the recording, if it is compressed, "loudness fixed" and so on) places quite high demands on the power of the amplifier.


After carefully placing my towers, inch by inch, I was fully satisfied. Lovely sound. Terrific. Took around a week...
After a trip I returned home and discovered a glitch in the sound...and a chair that had been misplaced by someone...
Now I know what it was: Analysis of the seat-dip effect in an opera house...

Many thanks !!!! My relatives nearly said I was mad, I knew I wasn't.
 
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