Topping PA7 Plus Amplifier Review

[Te0s]

Today I started my brand new topping pa7plus with wiim pro plus and wharfedale evo 4.4. I wanted to ask, if this thing needs some time to warm up to start working at its best perfomance? I ask because I've expected more from it. I have aiyima a08pro and I like its sound more. It looks more detailed and strong and clean comparing to topping. I don't know why. Can in be like this because my aiyima had time to work and topping is just playing for a couple of hours? I also thought, that topping must be much more powerful (it should have twice more watts i guess), but my aiyima on max volume plays louder than topping on its max... Strange to me... Is it a question of time or any trouble with topping? How do you think?

 

[mike70]

Today I started my brand new topping pa7plus with wiim pro plus and wharfedale evo 4.4. I wanted to ask, if this thing needs some time to warm up to start working at its best perfomance? I ask because I've expected more from it. I have aiyima a08pro and I like its sound more. It looks more detailed and strong and clean comparing to topping. I don't know why. Can in be like this because my aiyima had time to work and topping is just playing for a couple of hours? I also thought, that topping must be much more powerful (it should have twice more watts i guess), but my aiyima on max volume plays louder than topping on its max... Strange to me... Is it a question of time or any trouble with topping? How do you think?

Why do you think Aiyima is more powerful?
Potentiometer position maybe?

And ... the difference in sound signature can be the load dependency in Aiyima vs the NO load dependency in Topping ... I mean, Aiyima have a slightly "boost" in hi frequencies. Add "+2" in high frequency equalizer of the Wiim with the Topping and check it out. Remember, recorded music have no magic, changes in the electrical signal is all the difference ... at least in amplifiers (speakers is another stuff)

 

[staticV3]

I wanted to ask, if this thing needs some time to warm up to start working at its best perfomance?

It does not. Solid-state electronics perform at their best from the get-go.

but my aiyima on max volume plays louder than topping on its max...

Gain dictates volume, output power dictates headroom.

With fixed input voltage, a 50W Amp with 30dB gain can play louder than a 1000W Amp with 20dB gain.

 

[Te0s]

Why do you think Aiyima is more powerful?
Potentiometer position maybe?

And ... the difference in sound signature can be the load dependency in Aiyima vs the NO load dependency in Topping ... I mean, Aiyima have a slightly "boost" in hi frequencies. Add "+2" in high frequency equalizer of the Wiim with the Topping and check it out. Remember, recorded music have no magic, changes in the electrical signal is all the difference ... at least in amplifiers (speakers is another stuff)

It does not. Solid-state electronics perform at their best from the get-go.


Gain dictates volume, output power dictates headroom.

With fixed input voltage, a 50W Amp with 30dB gain can play louder than a 1000W Amp with 20dB gain.

Thank you, guys.

 

[DazST]

Hi everyone, new member here (but been a reader for a while). I'm considering buying a PA7 (not the plus version) to pair with my wiim ultra, Q acoustics 3030i and Tonewinner sub. I have a fairly large space and this would be for my main living room system (not desktop). I'm currently using a NAD c316bee v2 amp (bought used for quite cheap) which has been plenty loud enough, even though its officially only 40w. I'm in Australia and the PA7 is $800AU from a local retailer (Plus version is extra $140AU). For that price I could also get a pretty decent integrated amp (eg a Yamaha as501 or similar), but I do like the idea of a pure power amp (especially with a 12v trigger) because with the WiiM ultra as my preamp/streamer, I don't really need extra features like digital inputs, streaming or sub out etc.
This would be my first every Class D amp so would really appreciate advice on whether the PA7 would be worth considering and suitable to my needs. Thanks in advance.

 

[JeremyFife]

Hi, and welcome

First thought, why do you want a new Amp? What problem are you trying to solve?

The NAD is good and if, as you say, it's loud enough and you don't hear noise in the quiet passages of music... then changing the Amp is very unlikely to make a difference.

Fair enough if you just fancy a change, it's your system.
The PA7 is very good, if you decide to go there.

The biggest impact on your sound is your speakers *in your room*
Have you used the WiiM room correction, how do you find it?
Perhaps start looking at new speakers?

Probably even better, just enjoy the music

 

[MBO]

Today I started my brand new topping pa7plus with wiim pro plus and wharfedale evo 4.4. I wanted to ask, if this thing needs some time to warm up to start working at its best perfomance? I ask because I've expected more from it. I have aiyima a08pro and I like its sound more. It looks more detailed and strong and clean comparing to topping. I don't know why. Can in be like this because my aiyima had time to work and topping is just playing for a couple of hours? I also thought, that topping must be much more powerful (it should have twice more watts i guess), but my aiyima on max volume plays louder than topping on its max... Strange to me... Is it a question of time or any trouble with topping? How do you think?

Hello! I have Topping PA7 Plus, to achieve optimal sound quality PA7 needs about 100 hours of operation, the changes are very big. The high frequency range also improves.

 

[JeremyFife]

Hello! I have Topping PA7 Plus, to achieve optimal sound quality PA7 needs about 100 hours of operation, the changes are very big. The high frequency range also improves.

Umm ... unlikely ... actually burn-in is just a myth - do some research, read and learn.

What kind of electrical change could possibly make those sort of 'big' changes? (none!)

 

[MBO]

Хм... маловероятно... на самом деле выгорание - это всего лишь миф - проведите исследование, прочитайте и научитесь.

Какие электрические изменения могут привести к таким "большим" изменениям? (нет!)

A training period is a completely normal process for electronic circuits and components, this mainly affects analog processes and less visibly for digital electronics. Capacitors and coils in particular need a long time. HF electronics are even more "mysterious" in this respect... But this has long been known...

 

[DazST]

Hi, and welcome

First thought, why do you want a new Amp? What problem are you trying to solve?

The NAD is good and if, as you say, it's loud enough and you don't hear noise in the quiet passages of music... then changing the Amp is very unlikely to make a difference.

Fair enough if you just fancy a change, it's your system.
The PA7 is very good, if you decide to go there.

The biggest impact on your sound is your speakers *in your room*
Have you used the WiiM room correction, how do you find it?
Perhaps start looking at new speakers?

Probably even better, just enjoy the music

Thanks for your response. I do like the NAD sound, but it seems to have an issue that is causing speaker pops/crackling. I've tried a few things to resolve it (different cables, separate power point etc) without luck, so I think it could be a fault and I'm not sure it's worth repairing (I got it quite cheap). I would consider getting a new version of the NAD but am also interested in a pure power amp for the reasons stated. I was particularly curious about the power (for a main system) and reliability of the PA7 after seeing some comments here.

 

[JeremyFife]

Thanks for your response. I do like the NAD sound, but it seems to have an issue that is causing speaker pops/crackling. I've tried a few things to resolve it (different cables, separate power point etc) without luck, so I think it could be a fault and I'm not sure it's worth repairing (I got it quite cheap). I would consider getting a new version of the NAD but am also interested in a pure power amp for the reasons stated. I was particularly curious about the power (for a main system) and reliability of the PA7 after seeing some comments here.

Fair enough, good reasons for a replacement.

The PA7 seems like a nice choice and I haven't seen issues with reliability reported - aside from people commenting erroneously about Topping in general (the PA5 was badly designed, period, but that was an isolated mistake). There will always be a few defective units, but that applies to all manufacturers.
Buy from somewhere with warranty and a return policy - just good practice.

The PA7 gives you more power, and the input gain is the same (25dB single ended) for both amps so it's comparable. However, even that increase (60W up to 200W, into 4Ohm @ 1% THD+N) is a modest increase in actual volume - it's about 6dB SPL.

Crown Audio - Professional Power Amplifiers | English (US)

www.crownaudio.com

Summary: Topping PA7 sounds like a nice choice and it'll give you more power, just might not actually sound all that much louder (expectation management). I'd be happy with that

 

[Roland68]

Umm ... unlikely ... actually burn-in is just a myth - do some research, read and learn.

What kind of electrical change could possibly make those sort of 'big' changes? (none!)

Burning in of electronic components is not a myth, but common practice, e.g. in industry, medical technology, measurement technology, aviation, aerospace and many other areas. However, this is called premature aging. There is an industry worth millions to billions of dollars attached to it.
Whether this has an effect on the sound is another story.

 

[GiBo61]

A training period is a completely normal process for electronic circuits and components, this mainly affects analog processes and less visibly for digital electronics. Capacitors and coils in particular need a long time. HF electronics are even more "mysterious" in this respect... But this has long been known...

I do not remember if Amir here or Erin in his blog has tested a brand new speaker and the same one after several hours of use and did not find any significant difference in the measurements. So no evidence for a break-in for both the electronic (crossover) and the electro-mechanical (speakers) components of the device.

 

[JeremyFife]

Burning in of electronic components is not a myth, but common practice, e.g. in industry, medical technology, measurement technology, aviation, aerospace and many other areas. However, this is called premature aging. There is an industry worth millions to billions of dollars attached to it.
Whether this has an effect on the sound is another story.

Fair enough, how about;

The commonly held audiophile belief that electrical equipment requires 'burn in' after purchase before it can produce the best sound ... is a myth

 

[Roland68]

Hi everyone, new member here (but been a reader for a while). I'm considering buying a PA7 (not the plus version) to pair with my wiim ultra, Q acoustics 3030i and Tonewinner sub. I have a fairly large space and this would be for my main living room system (not desktop). I'm currently using a NAD c316bee v2 amp (bought used for quite cheap) which has been plenty loud enough, even though its officially only 40w. I'm in Australia and the PA7 is $800AU from a local retailer (Plus version is extra $140AU). For that price I could also get a pretty decent integrated amp (eg a Yamaha as501 or similar), but I do like the idea of a pure power amp (especially with a 12v trigger) because with the WiiM ultra as my preamp/streamer, I don't really need extra features like digital inputs, streaming or sub out etc.
This would be my first every Class D amp so would really appreciate advice on whether the PA7 would be worth considering and suitable to my needs. Thanks in advance.

You could take a look at the PA5 II/Plus and save a lot of money too. The performance is better than the NAD and the sound quality is the same as the PA7/Plus. The trigger connection in the PA7 is not much use to you as the power supply is still connected to the mains. A switchable power strip would be better.

 

[DazST]

You could take a look at the PA5 II/Plus and save a lot of money too. The performance is better than the NAD and the sound quality is the same as the PA7/Plus. The trigger connection in the PA7 is not much use to you as the power supply is still connected to the mains. A switchable power strip would be better.

Thanks for that. Is the PA5 the one that has had reliability issues though? Also, can you clarify what you mean about the trigger not being much use as I thought I could connect it to the WiiM's trigger out so that the amp would power on when the wiim was activated? I'm pretty new to all this though and have never used a trigger.

 

[Roland68]

Thanks for that. Is the PA5 the one that has had reliability issues though? Also, can you clarify what you mean about the trigger not being much use as I thought I could connect it to the WiiM's trigger out so that the amp would power on when the wiim was activated? I'm pretty new to all this though and have never used a trigger.

The old PA5 had a problem, but this can be solved with a circuit board from @gamerpaddy.
PA7 and PA5 II are constructed in the same way and do not have these problems.
Both amplifiers have external power supplies. You can turn off the amplifier using the front switch or trigger, but the power supply continues to run and consumes power, this also applies to the WIIM and many other devices. A (smart) switchable power strip can do this better.

 

[DazST]

The old PA5 had a problem, but this can be solved with a circuit board from @gamerpaddy.
PA7 and PA5 II are constructed in the same way and do not have these problems.
Both amplifiers have external power supplies. You can turn off the amplifier using the front switch or trigger, but the power supply continues to run and consumes power, this also applies to the WIIM and many other devices. A (smart) switchable power strip can do this better.

Ok thanks. In practical terms, what differences in real world, audible performance would there be between the PA5 and PA5plus? When I look at the sellers website the specs for output power seem to be exactly the same, despite the larger power supply in the Plus. I'm curious if it would be worth the extra $100AU over the base model.

 

[DazST]

Actually on closer look I think the specs table on that sellers site is wrong, because the description content above it says the Plus is 125w/4ohm/1% compared to 100w for non-plus.

 

[Vladetz]

PA 5 II and PA 5 II plus are exactly the same amps but with different power supply
The same is correct for PA7 and PA7 plus
More powerful supply gives you only a bit more headroom for loud peaks
That's all the difference
Sound quality for all PA models is indistinguishable