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TOPPING PA7

Dual TPAxxxx chip design?

66EED911-2475-46AC-92CA-6B9F33ECE484.png
 
Don’t think I am aware of any dual TPA325x implementations before this one, so this is going to be first one!
 
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Hopefully Amir has it measured very soon
 
Looks to be on sale on apos, looking fwd to review. I’ve got a great sounding PA5, but it’s a 2nd one, I would expect whatever plagued high rates of early PA5 failures to be fixed by now, but I always buy with a good return warranty. Apos has been good for me.
 
renaudrenaud said:
Yes, but if there is a good explanation why the PA5 was failing and how they solve the problem, it could help.

I think the explanation is here in the previous pages.
Click to expand...
Yep,an official statement about the cause of failure along with the (better rock-solid) fix would definitely help to slowly re-establish some trust.
 
I usually don't hesitate to buy the next offering from a manufacturer immediately following a low reliability product. Most would over engineer and lower their profit margin to turn the tide after their recent failure. My $10 bet would be that PA7 is Topping's attempt at "makeup sex".
 
I have to say I'm quite interested in this one, I've been using my PA5 in combination with the ls50 meta's for some time now and I'm really enjoying it.
I had a worse failure rate on active KEF product compared to any topping product I've bought. Not a single topping device has broken on my, each one of my 3 active kef systems broke withing the year.
 
According to the speaker image in the brochure (websites), the PA7 paired with KEF speakers but the LA90 Discrete paired with ELAC Debut speakers.
 
With tax included the PA7 is the same price as the audiophonics Hypex NC252 amp.

The Hypex has more power, no external power supply and is probably way more reliable than the topping.

I would‘ve considered getting the Topping at 350€ but not for 500€.
 
Toku said:
...My guess is that the PA7 uses the TPA3251 and the PA7 Plus uses the TPA3255 amplifier chip.
Based on his experience with the PA5, the PA7/PA7 Plus seems to have a structure in which the heat from the amplifier chip is dissipated to the case through a large aluminum block so that the heat does not accumulate inside the case.
Click to expand...

Or

Topping PA7 - TPA3255
Topping PA7 Plus - 2 TPA3255 as Audiophonics TPA-S120 but with better implementation.
 
juliangst said:
With tax included the PA7 is the same price as the audiophonics Hypex NC252 amp.

The Hypex has more power, no external power supply and is probably way more reliable than the topping.

I would‘ve considered getting the Topping at 350€ but not for 500€.
Click to expand...
the selling point of PA7 and PA5 previously is that it's extremely clean for an amp. yes it does not really matter as NC252 has ~95dB SINAD, but PA7 likely has 20dB better SINAD, so if you are pursuing the "cleanest" possible sound on a budget.

not saying that PA7 is worth buying over NC252 (my opinion is quite the opposite), but there are some reasons (reliability aside) buying this with a matching DAC ...
 
Well, the audiophonics absolutely needs a pre-amp of some kind. PA7 has volume control and also takes SE. Plus it's smaller.
As for reliability, the 252 is probably a safer bet but we don't know how 7 behaves yet.
 
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