[adeadcrab]

I don't believe output impedance matters, except the output impedance of the amp to the headphone. That is the 8:1 to 10:1 damping factor you mentioned.

edit: Also, the opamps used in the P26 matter - V6 Classics are quite a bit better than the V6 Vivids. Runing P26 to the A90D and stage is a bit more open but keeping most of the dynamics and resolution.

 

[ezduzit2500]

I have had the Topping A90D for a few weeks now, really enamoured with this piece of tech.

For reference I previously used a Gustard P26 preamp, with Burson V6 Vivid swappable opamps (over $1000 AUD price tag not including the opamps at $100 AUD each) and the THX 789 ($600 AUD price tag at height of 789 mania, arrived to me on December 2019).

This thing is a better preamp than the Gustard P26 and a *much* better amp than the 789.

Layered, open soundstage that envelops the head, balanced tonality from bass to highs, *dynamic* and punchy, all the microdetails I would want and was previously missing. The staging is a little closer to the head than the P26/789 but so much more detailed and dynamic. The P26 with Burson opamps is wide but flat and not engaging, missing some detail also.

Despite the smallish, around the head soundstage, using it as a preamp to my tube amp is *so much* better than the P26 to the OTL La Figaro 339!
Dynamic and punchy, sparkly treble and thick bass hits, Large, all around the head soundstage and I have so much room for volume on tap! No matter where the volume is on the A90D the sound is not affected - this is not the case with the P26 as the Burson opamps can be quite warm and roll off the treble. With the absolute control of volume I now have, I don't have to push the tubes on my OTL amp as hard, reducing tube distortion / clipping and achieving a cleaner and much more detailed tube sound than with my previous preamp configuration.

I am currently using the A90D as a preamp the OTL amp, at 77/99 on Low gain.
Being a logarithmic volume control, as a headphone amp the usable range is 48 to maybe 75/99, ranging from my Meze Rai Penta IEMs on the low end (4.4 balanced cable) to the HD800S (single ended cable). HEDDphone is on the way, but so is a balanced cable, so driving that is no longer a concern for this content audiophile!

Considering I paid $789 AUD (lol) for the Topping A90D, and... $1800 for the kitted out P26 / 789 combo, I can endorse the Topping A90D as it beats both of these at their own games! May be the last Topping product I get, I'm not a fan of their DACs coming from the D50 (using a Soekris 1421 DAC for a few years now) .. but I really enjoy the A90D!




P.S - I also really like the 'discrete' design aesthetic of no levers / switches on the front, and the clean LED dots for volume level and input/output selection.. very clean looking unit in my hi-fi rack..

I'd say the THX 789 was the limiting factor in your previous system. I'm speaking from my experience of using the Gustard H20 daily as my HP amp/preamp - which has nearly the exact same preamp design as the P26. The 789 - like most IC/THX/NFCA based amps - are the limiting factors in many a hifi chain. Plus, from having both the V6 Vivids and the Sparkos Labs SS-3602's - the Sparkos are slightly wider, deeper, and more dynamic, with the Bursons being more mid-centric.

 

[adeadcrab]

Read up on the Burson's flagship amplifier, which has 6 * V6 vivid opamps as stock configuration, and all owners agree that changing those for Sparkos opamps or others (muzg, orange, staccato etc) increase transparency, dynamics, transients of the amp. The Burson opamps can be a limiting factor, but yes the major offender was the 789. Just a thin horizontal line for soundstage..
Went back and forth with the P26 to the A90D yesterday (have 2* Vivids and 2* Classics) and the sound from A90D alone is still better.. sparkling treble, dynamics, imaging, resolution..
Have taken the Burson opamps entirely out of the P26 and retiring it until I have some other opamps to try... but that's for another thread.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Read up on the Burson's flagship amplifier, which has 6 * V6 vivid opamps as stock configuration, and all owners agree that changing those for Sparkos opamps or others (muzg, orange, staccato etc) increase transparency, dynamics, transients of the amp. The Burson opamps can be a limiting factor, but yes the major offender was the 789. Just a thin horizontal line for soundstage..
Went back and forth with the P26 to the A90D yesterday (have 2* Vivids and 2* Classics) and the sound from A90D alone is still better.. sparkling treble, dynamics, imaging, resolution..
Have taken the Burson opamps entirely out of the P26 and retiring it until I have some other opamps to try... but that's for another thread.

Experimentation FTW!!!

 

[dlelikov]

Yesterday I discovered the new qualities of the A90D as a preamp. Before that, I listened to it in a stack with SMSL SU-10, or EF-400, and I can say that in the first case the sound was detailed, but a little flat and boring. In the second case with EF-400, it is more natural because of the R2R DAC Himalaya of EF-400. I also have a pretty good local craftsman Class A headamp, which, when directly connected to the SMSL SU-10, gives a full sound saturated with harmonics, but with a little weak detail and a narrower scene than the A90D. Yesterday I conducted an experiment and connected the A90D as a preamp in the stack: SMSL-SU10-->A90D-->Class A amp-->Kennerton Heartland. What an amazing sound came out! It seems that all the devices in the stack have opened up to the maximum and the overall picture has absorbed all the best characteristics of each device. The sound has become super saturated with overtones and lively, clear, with detailed positioning, a huge 3D scene. It's just an amazing improvement. I highly recommend trying the a90d as a preamp with any Class A or tube amplifier and sharing your impressions here.

 

[adeadcrab]

Yesterday I discovered the new qualities of the A90D as a preamp. Before that, I listened to it in a stack with SMSL SU-10, or EF-400, and I can say that in the first case the sound was detailed, but a little flat and boring. In the second case with EF-400, it is more natural because of the R2R DAC Himalaya of EF-400. I also have a pretty good local craftsman Class A headamp, which, when directly connected to the SMSL SU-10, gives a full sound saturated with harmonics, but with a little weak detail and a narrower scene than the A90D. Yesterday I conducted an experiment and connected the A90D as a preamp in the stack: SMSL-SU10-->A90D-->Class A amp-->Kennerton Heartland. What an amazing sound came out! It seems that all the devices in the stack have opened up to the maximum and the overall picture has absorbed all the best characteristics of each device. The sound has become super saturated with overtones and lively, clear, with detailed positioning, a huge 3D scene. It's just an amazing improvement. I highly recommend trying the a90d as a preamp with any Class A or tube amplifier and sharing your impressions here.

The A90D has a nice little soundstage; all around the head, but not super wide out far.
If you use A90D as preamp, it adds this little bubble size soundstage onto the staging quality of the amplifier (e.g 2 + 5 = 7, as an arbitrary example)
Nice imaging, positioning, and all the details of A90D with a nice little addition to the soundstage.

 

[jlemaster1957]

The A90D has a nice little soundstage; all around the head, but not super wide out far.
If you use A90D as preamp, it adds this little bubble size soundstage onto the staging quality of the amplifier (e.g 2 + 5 = 7, as an arbitrary example)
Nice imaging, positioning, and all the details of A90D with a nice little addition to the soundstage.

This is a neat use of the amp in a novel way (novel to me anyway). I like the idea. I have the D90SE + A90D stack but also the 3XP so will see how it impacts the 3xP stage with Susvara. @dlelikov, how did you control volume in your chain, did you use the SMSL SU-10 with unity gain, max volume on your Class A amp and control volume via the A90D volume control? With the D90SE->A90D->3XP chain there would be the option to use in 3XP poweramp mode, in that case it seems that how I mention above might give the best result as you'd max signal from the D90SE. However, D90SE also has a pre-amp mode, so one would have to decide to use that DAC in pre-amp or pure DAC mode (not an issue for every DAC, not clear from the documentation if it is an issue for the SU-10).

 

[dlelikov]

I turned off the preamp on the su-10, set the volume of the Class A amplifier to 12 o'clock, and adjust the volume on the a90d (from 60 to 65).

 

[LowBeat91]

Is there an equal performance Amp that sounds more warm?

 

[borkenarrou]

Is there an equal performance Amp that sounds more warm?

Violectric V222 or used V280 if you want to save some money.

 

[LowBeat91]

Thank you sadly the V222 costs double of the A90 Discrete and i dosent find a used V280. Is the Violectric line also sensetive inEar friendly?

 

[borkenarrou]

V202 is also available but single ended only (not a big deal as higher end Vios are also single ended internally), other than very high efficient IEM should be fine, but you can cross check with someone in the thread for V222/V202, I only know about the V550 but haven't tested any IEM yet.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/violectric-v222-and-v202.963504

 

[borkenarrou]

If you are more interested in IEM then Chord Mojo 2 is quite warm too, it drives well some efficient headphones too.

 

[LowBeat91]

If you are more interested in IEM then Chord Mojo 2 is quite warm too, it drives well some efficient headphones too.

I need an balanced Amp (not Amp Dac) for inEars and also Headphones. Searching for one solution. It does not have to be portable

 

[adeadcrab]

Is there an equal performance Amp that sounds more warm?

tube preamp -> A90D