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Topping Pre90 Review (preamplifier)

strada

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Can anyone make any suggestions as to how I connect my TV to this? Because it remembers volume settings of different inputs its perfect! But my TV can only output optically or by HDMI.....
 

arcamfan1989

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Can anyone make any suggestions as to how I connect my TV to this? Because it remembers volume settings of different inputs its perfect! But my TV can only output optically or by HDMI.....

Then cant, you need to see whether the TV has RCA L and R audio out. Otherwise you need to send the Optical signal from your TV to the AVR
 

strada

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I realised its a stupid question as the TV should input into the DAC shouldn't it (as it does at the moment into my Benchmark)...

I just wish a DAC could remember the amount of volume attenuation coming from a channel as the Pre90 does.
 

Yogi

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Hello,
i have a question about the umbilical cord to connect the pre and de ext.
Is it a solid core cable ?
regards
Juergen
 

F1308

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How funny....as soon as I saw "EXT90" I thought it was an extension providing four different output destinations, such as four pairs of monitor speakers to be used on different working sessions choosing the one needed by a single click...lovely !!!!
But it turns out it is meant to extend the inputs !!!!
Yes, it clearly says so next to EXT90: Input Extender.
Lovely !!!!

Well, now, what about surrounding the basic preamplifier with an EXT-Out (go ahead, Topping, oh, please ) and EXT-In (congratulations, Topping, you have already done it) ?
 

Peternz

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You can get a cheap DAC to convert your TV's digital signal to analog and then feed that to Topping pre-amp.

I do that, but I use an expensive dac, hahahaha.

Anyway, now that I have had the chance to enjoy the pre90 for a few weeks I must declare that I am well impressed and deeply satisfied. What an awesome component it is. It does not hurt that it is light and does not need much space. Super!
 

wizardofoz

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How funny....as soon as I saw "EXT90" I thought it was an extension providing four different output destinations, such as four pairs of monitor speakers to be used on different working sessions choosing the one needed by a single click...lovely !!!!
But it turns out it is meant to extend the inputs !!!!
Yes, it clearly says so next to EXT90: Input Extender.
Lovely !!!!

Well, now, what about surrounding the basic preamplifier with an EXT-Out (go ahead, Topping, oh, please ) and EXT-In (congratulations, Topping, you have already done it) ?
I use a Coleman Audio M3 which has 4 XLR in and 3 out all switchable to any combo single in single out. It also has a SE HP amp and fully balanced volume (DACT - IIRC) plus Mono and L/R mute buttons, but its replaced with a new model now. Studio level kit - mine came out of a recording studio and is great to have a round. I also have the Pre90/EXT90 combo, D90SE and A90 stacks too.
 

F1308

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I use a Coleman Audio M3 which has 4 XLR in and 3 out all switchable to any combo single in single out. It also has a SE HP amp and fully balanced volume (DACT - IIRC) plus Mono and L/R mute buttons, but its replaced with a new model now. Studio level kit - mine came out of a recording studio and is great to have a round. I also have the Pre90/EXT90 combo, D90SE and A90 stacks too.
Lovely. Many thanks, wizardofoz.
 

Jimbob54

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Then cant, you need to see whether the TV has RCA L and R audio out. Otherwise you need to send the Optical signal from your TV to the AVR

If youre spending $900 on a pre amp just to remember a volume setting, may as well get a $100 dac to put in the chain. A D10/ Atom+ or similar.
 

arcamfan1989

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If youre spending $900 on a pre amp just to remember a volume setting, may as well get a $100 dac to put in the chain. A D10/ Atom+ or similar.

I sold my Topping Pre90 as its not compatible with myTube DAC. Causr of its low input impedance. I bought an used Gustard Pre 26 and it has 49kohm input impedance and it works nicer with my tube DAC. This is one of the glitch that I observed with Topping pre 90.
 

IronPyrite

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@JohnYang1997 If I use both XLR and RCA outputs at the same time (powered monitors + subwoofer), will the XLR remain balanced? I've seen other manufactures claim their product will output both XLR and RCA simultaneously, but with the caveat that doing so will result in the XLR output switching to unbalanced single signal 2V.
 

Veri

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@JohnYang1997 If I use both XLR and RCA outputs at the same time (powered monitors + subwoofer), will the XLR remain balanced? I've seen other manufactures claim their product will output both XLR and RCA simultaneously, but with the caveat that doing so will result in the XLR output switching to unbalanced single signal 2V.
That sounds very weird, the kind of circuitry to do such a switching would be way too elaborate. Where did you hear this? :p
 

IronPyrite

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That sounds very weird, the kind of circuitry to do such a switching would be way too elaborate. Where did you hear this? :p

PS Audio specifically, the following is a quote from one of their forums:

"The two outputs are in parallel. Specifically, the unbalanced output is in parallel with one-half of the balanced output. Thus, using both outputs at the same time unbalances the balanced outputs. This defeats the common mode noise rejection of the balanced outputs.

This does not hurt anything. It would matter only if common mode noise rejection is needed in your system."
 

arcamfan1989

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@JohnYang1997 If I use both XLR and RCA outputs at the same time (powered monitors + subwoofer), will the XLR remain balanced? I've seen other manufactures claim their product will output both XLR and RCA simultaneously, but with the caveat that doing so will result in the XLR output switching to unbalanced single signal 2V.

Not really, both are separate outputs and depends on the implementations. May be applicable for PS Audio.
 

Veri

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Thus, using both outputs at the same time unbalances the balanced outputs. This defeats the common mode noise rejection of the balanced outputs.
It specifically says it does not "hurt" anything though. It says nothing about voltage, only about noise rejection. And frankly, this looks to be simply a result of a design decision in that PS Audio DAC.
 

JohnYang1997

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@JohnYang1997 If I use both XLR and RCA outputs at the same time (powered monitors + subwoofer), will the XLR remain balanced? I've seen other manufactures claim their product will output both XLR and RCA simultaneously, but with the caveat that doing so will result in the XLR output switching to unbalanced single signal 2V.
XLR is always balanced.
 

Red@

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Hello @JohnYang1997 can you please inform me if the pre90 would suffer from xlr conection from the Gustard x26pro ?
NB: I would like to add it in the chain before my headphone amp (SP400) in order to increase gain to drive the susvara.
 
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