[Cleo Hoeger]

lol, that guy's long banned from responding. As mentioned earlier in the thread, I had the Topping stack for a while, and it served me well as an entry level option. Depending on your budget there are other options out there for a bit more money that can extract more out of your HD6xx. You'll certainly be able to power them with the A30 though!

Thanks for the input. Well, what other amps do you recommend? Preferably around this price range. Heard pretty good stuff about the emotiva basX a100, Massdrop THX AAA, JDS Atom, and the CTH (heard it pairs well with the 6xx). Problem is that it’d be more of a hassle to have them shipped to where I live, whereas the topping stack is more accessible in my region.

 

[thebkt]

Thanks for the input. Well, what other amps do you recommend? Preferably around this price range. Heard pretty good stuff about the emotiva basX a100, Massdrop THX AAA, JDS Atom, and the CTH (heard it pairs well with the 6xx). Problem is that it’d be more of a hassle to have them shipped to where I live, whereas the topping stack is more accessible in my region.

I wish I could tell you about the A-100, I ordered one late last month, but shipping got delayed and I don't have it yet

If you don't plan on powering speakers and can afford it, I'd suggest getting the Massdrop THX. I've read only good things about it and with that, you won't be in any need of upgrading your amp for a long time, unless you want a different flavour of sound. The atom also seems good for the price. I enjoy my Massdrop Liquid Carbon, but if I had to choose between it and the THX, I'd go THX to future proof myself.

 

[Cleo Hoeger]

I wish I could tell you about the A-100, I ordered one late last month, but shipping got delayed and I don't have it yet

If you don't plan on powering speakers and can afford it, I'd suggest getting the Massdrop THX. I've read only good things about it and with that, you won't be in any need of upgrading your amp for a long time, unless you want a different flavour of sound. The atom also seems good for the price. I enjoy my Massdrop Liquid Carbon, but if I had to choose between it and the THX, I'd go THX to future proof myself.

Thanks for the reply. Both the THX and the liquid carbon are too pricey for me as of now. Looking into the A30, Atom, and the o2.

 

[GirgleMirt]

lol, that guy's long banned from responding.

How/why was he banned?!

Hi, I can get the topping stack fairly easy in my region and I heard that you used to have a Schiit Fulla prior to this setup. I’d like to ask if it’s worth upgrading from the Fulla to this? Is the difference significant? I still think the Fulla does not power the hd6xx properly. If it’s not a significant upgrade I’d probably stick to the Fulla for a few years, and pick out a better combo.

it's a no for me with HE 400/ HD 650 however my mdr1am2 / B&W P7 / ATH ws1100 sounds good with this dac - amp combo
i think just a matter of preference or taste [...] but if you don;t mind with the stereo sound for gaming / movie . YES !! this is a fun dac-amp combo

It would be interesting to hear malazz123 as to why the A30 isn't suitable for the 6xx! To try to answer your question, I think the Magni is an upgrade to the Fulla, from my comparison the A30 sounded superior to me to the Magni (1) and Aune T1, so there should be an improvement vs Fulla, but I honestly couldn't tell you if it would be worth it... Looking at malazz123's pics, I see some tubes in there, so it might be more of a SS vs tube thing.

Google'd o2 vs A30 and;
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/917996-o2-amp-vs-magni-3/

No, the a30 isn't good unfortunately. The 10 ohm output impedance (should be as close to 0 as possible) is a deal breaker.

The O2 clips when using higher impedance headphones or low impedance but hard to drive headphones with it. So it is definitely out of the picture. The best new amp for like 100$ is the magni 3, no doubt about that. I can't recommend topping D30 simply because it colors the sound too much, it has a warm tone to it, I would rather spend a tiny bit more and then get a modi 2 Uber. But it is up to you.

But myself was vs Magni 1... Anyway, as you said availability and taxes, shipping, etc., can really driver the price up, the A30 can be bought from aliexpress and such and the $ you can save on shipping, taxes and brokerage can be significant. There's surely better amps than A30, just a matter of $ and how much you're willing to pay! (I feel your pain, trying to estimate improvement via internet is hard.. )

 

[malazz123]

It would be interesting to hear malazz123 as to why the A30 isn't suitable for the 6xx! To try to answer your question, I think the Magni is an upgrade to the Fulla, from my comparison the A30 sounded superior to me to the Magni (1) and Aune T1, so there should be an improvement vs Fulla, but I honestly couldn't tell you if it would be worth it... Looking at malazz123's pics, I see some tubes in there, so it might not be more of a SS vs tube thing.

well i am not a pro @mid-fi thing ... the reason is simple actually,
it is because hd650 with my ifi micro black edition + tube valhalla2 sounds better than topping d30+a30 combo
but like i said it's just a matter of preference .

yeah don;t make it like SS vs tube thing . d30+a30 combo are good budget dac-amp combo for everyone


sorry for the broken english here ... read and write @ tipsy condition LOL

 

[Cleo Hoeger]

Hey thanks for replying and doing a bit of research into this.
Audio-science’s test seems to contradict with what the guy has to say. It seems like the A30 is not as incompetent as he made it out to be. The only real downside I can see is the high output impedance. Running the a30 with headphones with >80 ohms impedance should not be an issue.

Certainly there MIGHT be better options out there like you said. Perhaps the jds atom? It performs really well when tested. Tbh the only significant edge that I can see it has is lower output impedance. I’d really like to get my hands on it but the shipping and taxes bother me. The A30 is easier to acquire. But, if it’s really worth it I might get it shipped from the states.

 

[thebkt]

How/why was he banned?!

Shouldn't be too hard to get the gist of it if you see any of his later posts. The dude was just a drain on the community. The most contentious stuff got deleted.

 

[greenarrow]

Greetings guys ..

Just off-loaded my Modi3/Magni3 combo as I've problem using them with my DT880Pro and ATH-M50x. Need some advice on the setup of the A30/D30 combo to replace the M&M combo.
Which is the best setup to drive my two cans? I'm using this for my music and gaming needs. For music, I listen to the 60s,70s and 80s - a senior citizen with a pair of non-audiofile ears

Any advise appreciated.

 

[thebkt]

Perhaps you could look into the JDS labs gear, or something from Drop such as the SDAC or LCX. The topping stack is... Ok. It'll power your cans just fine, but it's nothing remarkable. I haven't heard the JDS stuff personally, but their gear gets consistently high praise and no dingd the build quality is higher than the topping stack.

For context, I enjoyed my stack while I had it. I'm kind of confused why you're making a side grade in sound and a downgrade in build from the schiit gear. Well, unless the 880's are too sharp with that stack, then I totally understand.

 

[Xyrium]

Greetings guys ..

Just off-loaded my Modi3/Magni3 combo as I've problem using them with my DT880Pro and ATH-M50x. Need some advice on the setup of the A30/D30 combo to replace the M&M combo.
Which is the best setup to drive my two cans? I'm using this for my music and gaming needs. For music, I listen to the 60s,70s and 80s - a senior citizen with a pair of non-audiofile ears

Any advise appreciated.

I had the DT880/600's, and my Fiio A5 did fine by them. Now, those are far higher in impedance than the Pro's that you have, which I believe are 250Ohms. So, I'd wager that the A5 would do very well with the 880 Pros. That said, the A5 is very neutral to my ears. I also run a pair of Senn 580's and a pair of AT M40x on the A5 with excellent results. I leave the A5 connected to a USB power supply and use it as a desktop amp with zero noise problems. Keep in mind, the 880's don't have a high power rating, so as long as the amp can handle the impedance and sensitivity, the overall output should be rather sufficient IMO.

 

[pauldoni]

hi guys i wanna ask, u want to drive my ATH-R70X 470ohm with 98dB sensitivity.
is this amp (topping A30) + dac (topping D30) still worth it to buy in 2019 for $145 USD?
or any better option for amp + dac combo for maximum $150? Thx
btw, how a30+d30 compared to jds labs c5 in terms of sound quality?

 

[fokta]

Maximize a 3 years old setup...
Better late then never... join the BUrson V5i dual Opamp upgrade...




Now is in too this setup....




DX220 via optical cable - > Topping D30 - > AMP A30 (Burson V5i Dual Opamp mod) - > Elear...

more power = more dynamic is damn true...

 

[Murrfk]

Hi. First post. Could someone who has one of these tell me whether both headphone jacks can be used at the same time. I am looking for a unit that I can listen to tracks with my partner. I realize that there is an ohm difference in the 6.5 and the 3.5mm headphone output, but what happens if both have headphones plugged in? Will it even work?

 

[MisterMudd]

Hi. First post. Could someone who has one of these tell me whether both headphone jacks can be used at the same time. I am looking for a unit that I can listen to tracks with my partner. I realize that there is an ohm difference in the 6.5 and the 3.5mm headphone output, but what happens if both have headphones plugged in? Will it even work?

Just try it. Probably works.

 

[Murrfk]

I would like to know this BEFORE I buy it! lol.