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Having a Bridge-Tied Load (BTL) output helps achieve this feat which in simple terms means that there are two amplifiers generating power per speaker. I especially like the see-through window and leather details, these make this device a hundred times more interesting. Well done, Topping! Technology During use, the PA5 runs fairly cool and produces no physical noise. However, the instructions warn that the two negative speaker terminals should not be connected together; otherwise, damage might occur. Measured distortion remains low up to about 50W of output, then increases considerably – so it's best used with reasonably efficient loudspeakers. Input sensitivity is given as 2.6V, which is about average for a power amp. THE LISTENING
The analog knob on the rightmost edge is of a pretty high-quality part considering its price point. Aside from the nice size and the already mentioned red ring, it also has very little amounts of play as it smoothly glides across in either direction. The most obvious DAC pairing with the A30 Pro is its complementing DAC, the D30 Pro. With this pairing, I made sure to use a pair of balanced outputs, since the D30 Pro sounds optimal through its balanced outputs. With the slightly drier quality of the D30 Pro, the A30 Pro gives the midrange that touch of richness to make vocals a bit more euphonic. Treble is also controlled, and the slight roll-off on the D30 Pro is compensated by the airiness of the A30 Pro.Electric guitar riffs play with even height and energy with vocals. It layers pretty well as it gives way to the main man singing in front to do his thing while it stays happily in a clear line just a step behind. Received positively, the LA90 Discrete is a reminder that the Chinese manufacturer is also seriously thinking about their home audio fans. Still, it is quite a diversion to their more established lineup of Infineon-based Class-D speaker amplifiers.
The D10s is able to build the bass up well, but the peaking dynamic bass is just a bit shy sometimes. Although the bass is very present and detailed, I would have wanted to have a more dynamic bass. Midrange And meant to be used with the E30 II in mind, there is a lone pair of RCA inputs in the rear which is the only way to pass the signal to the L30 II as a single-ended only device. However, what’s different about the chassis of the A30 Pro is that it has exhaust vents on the sides, and on top. Despite it being a chip-based headphone amp, it still heats up quite a bit due to the 10 op-amps inside the chassis, so the holes are there to ensure it can properly dissipate heat when necessary. To conclude, all four amplifiers within this comparison are high-quality pieces of gear that can be recommended wholeheartedly. It’s just a matter of which features are more important to you and what best fits your particular scenario and needs because they all exceed my expectations as far as headphone amplifiers and quality sound.
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The PA7 in my opinion was released quite discreetly. I didn’t see online campaigns as much as with the LA90 Discrete. Maybe they think the audience for a Class-D power amplifier is less, but the PA7 will surely not disappoint those who will bother to glance. Not much is said about the L70 screen by Topping but it displays a lot of essential information that you need to know to operate this unit efficiently.
I know that there is a debate as to where the volume should be controlled, but one application I see is when using a preamp with a remote for far-field listening.Again, Topping has been able to keep the frequency response of the D10s neutral. The D10s did not color the sound in any way from the bass region all the way to the treble region. I can say that they have done a great job with their output stage when they are able to keep it flat, leaving the coloration to the other components down the stream. This alongside the use of the low gain control, accommodates the most sensitive IEMs alike and keeps the amp from having a hissy fit. The four gain settings accommodate a wide range of efficiency levels and power ranges and that’s alongside a low resistive output stage. Note: amplifiers are some of the least reliable audio gear due to high currents and voltages involved. I short circuited the PA7 Plus and while it created a large spike, it nicely went into protection and recovered. Still, if you are risk averse, you may want to wait a bit to see what the reliability turns out to me.
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