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Topping PA5 is incredible.


CoryGillmore

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Like most of you guys I bought a mini amp, in my case an eSynic 100 wpc mini-amp for $100 just to play around with.  It sounded pretty good with my RP-600M but not so good with the CF-4's.  The CF-4's sound very nasal with the amp.  This Topping PA5 is something I would consider as an upgrade.  I have a couple of questions.

 

It looks like the PA5 is a $350 integrated amp with balanced inputs.  It seems pretty clear that it is designed to be used with the companion E50 DAC for $269 which also features a balanced output to connect it to the PA5.

 

I would be using a computer setup 2.0 or 2.1.  Since there is only Balanced TSR I presume I would need an adapter cable for RCA to TRS.  My question will be about the need for the DAC and how that works.  IE, Computer --> DAC ---> Integrated ---> speakers.

 

What do you guys think?  Would the E50 give me better sound from the computer output?  Is the DAC required for a more complete pre/pro and amp solution?

 

 

 

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Or go to a Raspberry Pi4B with Moode or Volumio, feed that to a DAC via USB, use the mconnect app for a phone to control the Pi4B accessing Qobuz, Spotify, JRiver, etc., and forget the PC doing it.  Sooooo much handier.  There's an mconnect HD app for iPad's that can use iOS 12 and up or for Android OS 5.1 and up.  Those two apps cost $599 each.  I have mconnect for my phone and mconnect HD for my older Samsung Tab 4 8" tablet; the perfect thing to repurpose old tablets with.

 

What are you doing for "computer music"?  Streaming something like Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, etc?  If Amazon Music HD, get rid of that trash.  lol.  

 

I was using an i5 Lenovo Tiny PC (and a Dell i5 SFF before) and just finished this up last night.  I now wonder what took me so long.  I also use a Topping D10S USB DAC and am thoroughly happy with it.  Was well worth the sub $100 price tag.

 

Those little amps are really cool but I just don't care to give up 460 wpc of my modified Carver M-1.0t any time soon.  I did order a little Fosi Audio BT amplifier that has the TPA3116 chip, I believe, that will run a pair of ads L300C's in the "workout room" we set up for my son.  But that's about all I will have for a tiny amp.  They are cool, though.

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2 hours ago, avguytx said:

What are you doing for "computer music"?  Streaming something like Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, etc?  If Amazon Music HD, get rid of that trash. 

I play almost exclusively Youtube vids from the computer.  I can't get the drum corps selections I like from the streaming services.  Think jazz, trumpets, horn line etc times ten.  I like a big sound from my system and I like articulate.  Sub bass is least important.

+++

 

I'll need some time to digest the rest of your post, thanks for taking the time to type all that up.  There's a lot of good stuff there and I'm not familiar with most of it, so research is needed.  Good advice is always taken to heart by me.

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wvu80, I think a Topping D10B (USB in Balanced output - https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-d10-balanced-review-usb-dac.25094/ ) and a pair of TRS to TRS cables to the Topping PA5 would be the simplest.

 

I am a sucker for new toys and have a PA5 on order to , as you put it, "play around with", should be down under in a week or two.

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I'm not sure how crazy I would go on a system streaming band music from YouTube.  Not sure that's much better than Spotify at 320kbps but I would bet more like 128 to 192kbps.  I could be wrong.  At that rate, I'd just use an 1/8" jack out of the computer to an amp and call it good.  That's pretty poor audio quality.  Like 1990's mp3 stuff.

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I can agree with that.  The point of diminishing returns with an input signal that is low-res definitely makes for not having to go with quite so revealing of a system.  I'm sort of in that boat as I have tinnitus and upper HF hearing loss which saves me tons of money on higher end equipment that I can't hear the difference in.  lol  

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1 minute ago, 000 said:

check with @Westcoastdrums   ,  he uses TOPPING products

That's a negative. I have owned two DACs from them, the DX7S and the DX7S PRO.   I highly recommend, the second DAC for the money, it's incredible, honestly.   I wouldn't buy that amp mentioned above for the sold reason that I don't have TRS Cables.  They should make it a smudge larger and use XLRs.   They make great bang for the buck gear that sounds excellent for the money.  I'm sure this little guy punches well above its price tag however.  

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6 minutes ago, Westcoastdrums said:

That's a negative. I have owned two DACs from them, the DX7S and the DX7S PRO.   I highly recommend, the second DAC for the money, it's incredible, honestly.   I wouldn't buy that amp mentioned above for the sold reason that I don't have TRS Cables.  They should make it a smudge larger and use XLRs.   They make great bang for the buck gear that sounds excellent for the money.  I'm sure this little guy punches well above its price tag however.  

The Best Chip amps currently manufactured are the Crown Higher end  Drivecore series,  efficiency is above 90% , Phenomenal amps /   -

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's amazing what a low noise and low distortion signal will do for a pair of speakers. My Fortes never sounded so sweet. The bass is very well articulated now, it has better texture and detail. The tweeters have something to do now too, cymbals have sizzle and ring with a nice decay. Detail is amazing, I can hear background sounds on some recordings, players breathing and moving. This amp is dead quiet, absolutely black background at full volume. I think maybe the better upgrade for old Klipsch speakers isn't new crossovers or caps but using a really clean amplifier instead. Compared to the six watt tube amp I was using it is a major improvement. I think my love affair with tubes is over.

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1 hour ago, wetowne said:

It's amazing what a low noise and low distortion signal will do for a pair of speakers. My Fortes never sounded so sweet. The bass is very well articulated now, it has better texture and detail. The tweeters have something to do now too, cymbals have sizzle and ring with a nice decay. Detail is amazing, I can hear background sounds on some recordings, players breathing and moving. This amp is dead quiet, absolutely black background at full volume. I think maybe the better upgrade for old Klipsch speakers isn't new crossovers or caps but using a really clean amplifier instead. Compared to the six watt tube amp I was using it is a major improvement. I think my love affair with tubes is over.

What you describe is what most say with a really good class D amplifier. Reserve judgement on tubes though after a few months listening with your new amp then listen to you tubes again. You may like the difference tubes bring to the table. At least my experience. Your taste in music also contributes to the one you may favor. 

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15 hours ago, wetowne said:

Compared to the six watt tube amp I was using it is a major improvement. I think my love affair with tubes is over

Oh lawd you're trying to start a fight up in here in the New Year haha. 

 

Joking aside, thanks for the impressions! Makes me want to run out and buy a stack! I'm sure it would be a fantastic pair with my CWIVs. 

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Nothing wrong with tubes I think they're great. Over the last few months I've been carrying out a sort of simplification program. I stream-lined all my systems using the least amount of great measuring components possible, just a Pi running Volumio, a DAC, an amp and speakers. I even removed the hats from my Pi's and went to USB connects to the DACs. I'm using balanced connections were possible. I figure the fewer parts the better. In my mind what I'm trying to achieve is the theoretical but impossible "straight wire with gain". I'm pretty pleased with the results so far. 

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7 minutes ago, wetowne said:

Nothing wrong with tubes I think they're great. Over the last few months I've been carrying out a sort of simplification program. I stream-lined all my systems using the least amount of great measuring components possible, just a Pi running Volumio, a DAC, an amp and speakers. I even removed the hats from my Pi's and went to USB connects to the DACs. I'm using balanced connections were possible. I figure the fewer parts the better. In my mind what I'm trying to achieve is the theoretical but impossible "straight wire with gain". I'm pretty pleased with the results so far. 

 

There is a certain satisfaction in getting the most out of the least, isn't there? Anyone should be able to make a $100K system sound great, but can you get 98% of the way there with $5K or less? That's a fun challenge.

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@wetowne as stated prior, I'm a fan of topping gear. I bought one of these last night out of curiosity straight from China. Ordered custom mogami W2549 XLR to TRS cable to go with.   I'll be powering my JBL 4722N speakers and give it an honest opinion.  I really love the hypex, but I'm aware I don't use hardly any power at 104 dB sensitivity.   If I like it, maybe I'll be shocked and it will stay as my main Amplifier. Otherwise, I'll keep it as a backup /portable amp.   

 

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