Topping PA7 Plus Amplifier Review

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Would the vanilla PA7 be enough to drive a pair of Revel M106 speakers, or would I need the Plus version?

 

[staticV3]

Would the vanilla PA7 be enough to drive a pair of Revel M106 speakers, or would I need the Plus version?

Using the M106, the PA7 Plus can play about 5% louder than the vanilla PA7.

To be exact, it'll play 0.9dB louder before reaching 1% THD+N.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Using the M106, the PA7 Plus can play about 5% louder than the vanilla PA7.

To be exact, it'll play 0.9dB louder before reaching 1% THD+N.

To me that look inconsequential. Would I be right? Seating distance would be c.1.2m, and I never play at silly levels.

 

[staticV3]

To me that look inconsequential. Would I be right?

Yes.

 

[Blink Too Fast]

Just checked Apos website

• Apos One-Year Transferable Warranty

Yes, one year original manufacturer, plus one year Apos.

1+1 = 2

 

[Blink Too Fast]

Do you have any substantiation for this? Nothing personal, I just like proof.

Here's a picture of the internals.

I suppose it is possible that Topping actually make two completely different amps and write PA7/PA7plus inside each of them, instead of taking the simple route of making one amp and bundling it with a choice of PSUs.

 

[Guddu]

It is most likely providing positive voltage, negative voltage and ground on the three pins.

1 pin, out of 3, isn’t connected. It’s simply another 2 pin connection, just like PA5 II.

 

[Gambertuni]

I am considering the PA7 to drive a pair of Lintons. In Spain I can buy it for 500€ with a 3-year warranty from the seller.

My other option is Audiophonics HPA-S400ET, which costs 1400€ with 2 years warranty (plus shipping to a different country in case repair is needed)

Does anynody know if the difference between the PA7 and the Audiophonics HPA-S400ET is an audible one?

The latter costs twice as much and according to the measurements in ASR both are in the "excellent" range...

Thank you very much

 

[Vladetz]

I am considering the PA7 to drive a pair of Lintons. In Spain I can buy it for 500€ with a 3-year warranty from the seller.

My other option is Audiophonics HPA-S400ET, which costs 1400€ with 2 years warranty (plus shipping to a different country in case repair is needed)

Does anynody know if the difference between the PA7 and the Audiophonics HPA-S400ET is an audible one?

The latter costs twice as much and according to the measurements in ASR both are in the "excellent" range...

Thank you very much

No audible difference

 

[Gambertuni]

No audible difference

cheers!

 

[Ahmonge]

In Spain I can buy it for 500€ with a 3-year warranty from the seller.

In Zococity, now at 424€

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I’d love to see that sort of price at Amazon uk. That’d be £361.

 

[Gambertuni]

In Zococity, now at 424€

Do you think the PA7 would be enough for the Wharfedale Lintons? They work at 6 Ohms / 90 db senitivity (recommended amplification 25-200 Watts) I had assumed I had to go with the PA7+ version...

 

[Vladetz]

Do you think the PA7 would be enough for the Wharfedale Lintons? They work at 6 Ohms / 90 db senitivity (recommended amplification 25-200 Watts) I had assumed I had to go with the PA7+ version...

My pa7 works with mission 700 which are somewhat close to lintons in some technical aspects and never go higher than -20db on topping E70V working as preamp

 

[Gambertuni]

My pa7 works with mission 700 which are somewhat close to lintons in some technical aspects and never go higher than -20db on topping E70V working as preamp

Thank you for your response. However, I'm afraid I don't really understand what you are saying (I don't know anything about audio) So... when you say your speakers don't go above -20 db, do you mean that they can't reach a high enough volume? Or rather the opposite of that?

 

[Vladetz]

Thank you for your response. However, I'm afraid I don't really understand what you are saying (I don't know anything about audio) So... when you say your speakers don't go above -20 db, do you mean that they can't reach a high enough volume? Or rather the opposite of that?

I mean that i use volume which is -20db compared to max dac output (4V), which translates to about 2-4 watts (8 ohms/4 ohms) per channel on PA7 at signal peaks. There is a lot of headroom in my 17 sq m room for 86 db/1w speakers

 

[Ahmonge]

Do you think the PA7 would be enough for the Wharfedale Lintons? They work at 6 Ohms / 90 db senitivity (recommended amplification 25-200 Watts) I had assumed I had to go with the PA7+ version...

Depends on your room size, listening level and the distance between the listening point and the loudspeakers. A handheld sonometer for measuring the listening level is a useful adition to any HIFI set-up.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Depends on your room size, listening level and the distance between the listening point and the loudspeakers. A handheld sonometer for measuring the listening level is a useful adition to any HIFI set-up.

How specifically would you take the measurement?

Slow or fast setting? How do you work out average? Or you go for peak?

Music or test tones?

Many thanks.

 

[Ahmonge]

How specifically would you take the measurement?

Slow or fast setting? How do you work out average? Or you go for peak?

Music or test tones?

Many thanks.

The objective is to know the maximum sound pressure (peak) at the listening point in order to calculate the required amplifier power. With a hand-held sound level meter, set in C-weighting mode, and if it has the Z-mode, the better, but it is not common in simple sound level meters. In this way we are measuring the sound pressure given by the amplifier plus the loudspeakers, not the one received by the human ear (A-weighting). As we are looking for the peak power, the sound level meter is configured in MAX or PEAK mode, as it is called in the sound level meter model used. As a source, I would use at least two tracks that I usually listen to, one very compressed and the other with the highest possible dynamic range, both played at the usual listening level.

 

[Ahmonge]

Once the peak sound volume at the listening point has been determined, only the sensitivity of the loudspeakers and the distance to the listening point are needed to calculate the maximum power required from the amplifier.