Topping A90 Discrete aka A90D

[hsg120]

That is a nice looking stack. What are you using between the devices?

Hey thanks! Apologies though--are you asking what is the device in the middle of the stack?

 

[Riversalt]

Hey thanks! Apologies though--are you asking what is the device in the middle of the stack?

He asked what the lifting brackets are there, Spikes.

 

[hsg120]

He asked what the lifting brackets are there, Spikes.

Ohhhh!! Thank you very much xD

They are just cheap furniture feet that I bought off of Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LDT7UHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm really just sort of using them as spacers though because the components are just sitting on top of those feet with a little bit of blue tack in between so they don't slide around. It's pretty warm in my house in the summer, and so without the feet the stack gets hotter than I'm comfortable with.

 

[TommehHiFi]

10 months owning later:
Man every time I think about upgrading to a higher end solid state amp, I take a listen to my A90D and forget about it. What a great little amp. I love the aesthetics, size and volume knob/click. The reported flat/2D sound can be fixed with better headphone synergy. It sounds great with my Caldera and pretty good with my HD800S for the type of music that shines on the 800S. Not a fan with my other dynamics that "need" tubes anyways. Was just listening to my RU7 with my 64a nios then sat down at the computer and plugged into my A90D (fed by Geshelli J2 akm 4493) for the first time. Immediately better punch and tone and the RU7 is about the best portable setup you can get short of a high end DAP.

I disagree with anyone saying the amp is just a less sterile version of the original A90. It's got a smooth and warmish tilt with minimal perceived detail loss, which I've come to find in my audiophile journey is very important for my tastes. A bad comparison but similar to my ears would be the timbre of the Susvara. Admittedly, I got the amp off of popular youtuber hype and measurements, but while they oversold the thing, I think it's here to stay in some way or another in my collection.

 

[Lightspeed12]

Hello I have a a90 discrete hooked up using xlr cables in balanced mode to a schiit Lokius equalizer. I use a astell&kern sp1000m dap to the a90 descrete using a 4.4 to xlr cable.
I will soon be adding the d90se dac to my stack & am not sure how it will fit into the setup, has anyone got pictures or illustrations on how the connections look.
I am new to the desktop configurations & have mostly been using ifi micro idsd signature & the fostex mobile dac/amps with my astell&kerns. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CT007]

D90se (xlr) -> Lokius (xlr) -> A90, should be the ticket.

 

[Lightspeed12]

D90se (xlr) -> Lokius (xlr) -> A90, should be the ticket.

Ok thankyou & I presume my astell&kerns will connect to the D90se via usb cable & that should complete the balance mode.

 

[CT007]

Ok thankyou & I presume my astell&kerns will connect to the D90se via usb cable & that should complete the balance mode.

Can't comment on adding a DAP to this. DAPs are standalone portable things, AFAIK... So I would guess nothing connects to it, unless to a PC, to transfer songs onto it.

 

[Lightspeed12]

Can't comment on adding a DAP to this. DAPs are standalone portable things, AFAIK... So I would guess nothing connects to it, unless to a PC, to transfer songs onto it.

Ok thanks, This pic shows how I have my dap connection to my schiit Lokius & it can also connect to the a90 discrete the same way or by the daps usb C port to either of the a90 discrete usb ports.Thanks again.

 

[N0sferatu]

D90se (xlr) -> Lokius (xlr) -> A90, should be the ticket.

You don't say...early adopter pages and pages back...found an old photo of the setup when I bought it.

 

[Lightspeed12]

Do you have a photo of the rear wiring by any chance ?
Did you buy the d90le or the d90se ? I'm thinking of the le model. Thanks.

 

[Lightspeed12]

Can anyone tell me when stacking the d90le & the a90 discrete together which remote control do you use for volume control ?
I suppose both will need to be used at some stage to alter different settings
I am just getting use to the equalizer/a90 discrete/astell&kern & now I have the d90le in the post just to complicate things.
Anyway thanks for any help much appreciated.

 

[N0sferatu]

Can anyone tell me when stacking the d90le & the a90 discrete together which remote control do you use for volume control ?
I suppose both will need to be used at some stage to alter different settings
I am just getting use to the equalizer/a90 discrete/astell&kern & now I have the d90le in the post just to complicate things.
Anyway thanks for any help much appreciated.

It's been a while but I'm fairly certain it's the A90D with the volume. I don't use the remote I just spin the volume pot but the DAC is a set it and forget it for the most part. It's used via USB and even powers on when my PC turns on.

 

[Lightspeed12]

It's been a while but I'm fairly certain it's the A90D with the volume. I don't use the remote I just spin the volume pot but the DAC is a set it and forget it for the most part. It's used via USB and even powers on when my PC turns on.

THANKS for that.

 

[fidgeraldo]

I have it the same as above, except I use a remote. I have an E70+A90D, and I always use the remote of the A90D to change the volume. I set the volume on E70 at -0.0db and left it that way.

Cheers!