Topping A30 PRO Headphone Amp Review

[@juliangst]

My A30Pro arrived today. I really like that the RCA out is a paththrough that only outputs when the amp is off so I can easily integrate my speaker amp

[@clan_biblioteke]

Your honest assessment, topping a30 pro or Smsl SH-9? What is your proposal? Thank you

[@Soundnews]

I would go with the A30 PRO and if you can stretch your budget a little bit, then I would get the Singxer SA-1

[@clan_biblioteke]

@@Soundnews Thanks. I enjoy following all your reviews. Greetings from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[@clan_biblioteke]

@@Soundnews Please, Singxer Sa-1 vs Topping A90D??? Thanks

[@Soundnews]

@@clan_biblioteke If you need gobs of power go with A90D and if you need a warmer & smoother tonality at the cost of lesser power, then SA-1 would be nicer

[@clan_biblioteke]

@@Soundnews I don't think I need much power for AKG k702, Beyerdymic dt770 - 250ohm and beerdjnamić dt 900 pro x, for now, the headphones I own. I believe that the topping a30 pro and d30 pro is more than enough for me? Please give me more of this answer. Really sincere thanks and good luck in your future work👌👏👍

[@weiyoong1994]

Really good review from you brother @ Soundnews. I am just wondering does the A30 and D30 Pro combo able to power and drive the Hifiman Arya easily?

[@Soundnews]

No problem for Arya, drives them easily. A30 PRO has lots of juice.

[@Flavius7]

I think having a good single ended amp with power under its belt helps in the world of midrange headphones. You can drive Akg& Beyer at their fullest, no headaches with balanced cables for Sennheisers and so on. With balanced amps the single ended is wicker, less refined. A good competitor for the Smsl Sp200 or other Topping amps. Good review, man!👍

[@Soundnews]

Agree on this, on SE A30 PRO is more powerful than most amplifiers out there.

[@vasilistzannetis8286]

I want to buy one of them, I would like to tell me your opinion Topping a30pro or Smsl SH-9? I don't care about the screens, remote control etc, which one sounds better and which one feels more durable constructed? Many thanks!!!

[@Soundnews]

Honestly, they are more alike than different. Their technicalities are neck and neck, both are single-ended designs and both have the same power output. I slightly prefer the NFCA sound (A30 PRO) to entry level THX-AAA designs (SH-9). Why? NFCA isn't bright at all with Hifiman headphones and THX could be a little dry and harsh, but just a little. There is a higher midrange presence on A30 PRO and that makes it a little more fun. A30 PRO can pair well with pretty much anything, while SH-9 would need warm and smooth sounding sources.

[@vasilistzannetis8286]

@@Soundnews many thanks!!!!

[@MsSaxist]

To be honest I have no clue with regards to balanced and single ended setup. Since this is not a true balanced amp, does it mean that it will not make a difference whether I use RCA or XLR input?

[@ironinthesoul9680]

Correct

[@bigjt37]

Thanks for the review. 👌🏼 If you were buying one amp for legit best performance in sound all around and transparency, would you personally, get A90, A30 pro, SP400, or Singxer SA-1 (Granted, slightly different prices, but nonetheless)?

[@Soundnews]

I would get the A90 as the best all-around amp, the Singxer SA-1 if I wanted to tame the brightness a little bit, or the Flux FA-10 for pure engagement and raw power.

[@bigjt37]

@@Soundnews Hey, thanks so much for the straight forward answers and your response, as usual. It's very much appreciated and helps. 👍🏼

[@Soundnews]

@@bigjt37 My pleasure as always ;)

[@adrianmorrish8494]

Another excellent review thank you, is the topping 30 pro stack worth the extra money over the Schitt modius/magni us for instance. I’m afraid after THD drops below 0.1 my bionic ear implants cannot discern any difference🙄

[@chunkylover5367]

Could you suggest an single ended amplifier that around this price range that can fully drive my LCD-4, but isn't made by a Chinese company? I've heard that Topping is making misleading power output claims with the A30 Pro...

[@Soundnews]

Flux Labs FA-10 (it isn't exactly fully balanced) it's a SE design.

[@chunkylover5367]

@@Soundnews They look really great. I always loved the sound of the Deckard Amp when I had it. If I use my single ended DAC that is only 2 VRMS, the D50s ... Will I get full output power of that Flux Amps or would I need a balanced DAC? Like with the A30PRO... I would have to pair it with something like the D30Pro and use XLR connects in order to get 4VRMS and get the full power of the A30PRO.

[@jamescook6890]

Nice to see this reviewed by you thanks

[@potion95]

I've ordered this amp so im gonna order an aftermarket cable for my headphones anyways so should i go ahead and get the XLR Connector since it doesn't cost more than the regular 1/4 jack? Also would be connected to OL DAC with RCA if that is important. Any help is much appreciated :)

[@ahmang]

hi,i've watched your video on xa-10, currently i'm running on the ifi zen dac + zen can combo, would the xa-10 be a significant upgrade over those? i'm thinking to get one after watching your video

[@andjeyvolikov3508]

Interesting, what dac will be the best dac to reveal all potential from this A30 pro amp?

[@HiFiGOAudio]

Well-detailed review of this amazing device!!!

[@EePingLiang]

What power cable are you using? They look nice.

[@Soundnews]

I have three Isotek EVO3 Premier and several DIY that I've made myself out of OCC copper

[@DistroUser]

My two cents! I owned the D30 Pro for a short while and used it as a DAC and also as a PREAMP. I rate it higher as a DAC, however, it seems to lack clarity and openness in the treble. If any of you own Schiit DACS you may know what I am talking about. Otherwise, impressive noise floor in balanced mode that is warm and spacious! Cheers

[@shawnpwatsons1]

Filter 6 helps the treble a bit. And there are firmware upgrades.

[@4imo37]

My DX7 Pro got lost in transit, (thanks DHL), so now I'm looking at this stack. Great review as always!

[@Soundnews]

Ouch..that sucks...On a positive note, D30 PRO + A30 PRO destroys the DX7 PRO in every possible way.

[@4imo37]

@@Soundnews Yup! Would you say it pairs well with the HD650 & the LCD2?

[@ironinthesoul9680]

@@4imo37 yup.

[@4imo37]

@@ironinthesoul9680 Just got the stack a week ago. Loving it so far

[@ironinthesoul9680]

Happy to hear that! I also have it and I also own hd650 (and Hifiman Sundara). Runs a little hot, doesn't it?

[@TheTechCorner]

Cheers mate, Great review! Keep it up!

[@pokrog]

i'd love to hear how you think it sounds with high impedance headphones. supposedly it goes full class a over 250ohm.

[@jamescook6890]

Would you choose this Stack over the Xduoo Xa 10 you gave a gold award too?

[@Soundnews]

This stack is all about being honest, detailed, but still highly engaging. XA-10 is a different creature, it only wants be engaging without caring much for technicalities. XA-10 is pure fun, nothing more.

[@digitalnation2876]

vs Jotunheim 2 vs Singxer SA1 vs Soloist X3 ? thank you, 🙏

[@aceofspades6667]

The soloist wins on absolute quality but price becomes an issue. I see the Singxer going used for $550 and Soloist for $900 possibly $850 so that is a relative significant gap for those on a budget. IMO Soloist has incredible technical capabilities for the $ competing with the Mini GSX ($1400 used). But "worth it" is highly subjective.

[@spector175]

How would DCA Aeon 2 Noir pair up with topping D30 pro and Xduoo ta-26/Topping A30 pro ? Which would be a better combo? Can Xduoo XD 05 Bal run these ?

[@PreacherwithoutaPulpit]

You should take another look at the numbers as there are differences between the balanced and single ended outputs. I do from those numbers think the amp is balanced thru and thru it's just so powerful the differences are minor. I may disagree with your statements claiming the A30 is not truly balanced I still of course left you a like for your work.

[@rokiedecentra9656]

the designer of the amp said themselves that the balanced outputs are not truely balanced, the amplification stage takes a balanced input. The power on all the outputs is the same, they are wired parallelly and you can drive multiple headphones if the total impedance doesn't get too low

[@MarcoFantin1]

Do you think would pair well: IFI ZEN DAC -> A30 pro -> Arya? Thanks for the review!

[@eugenefudge3685]

I have a question for you. When reviewing dac's What CD transport do you use.

[@dalejail]

how is the transients compared to the a90?

[@momow4023]

Can i pair this with my Dragonfly black?

[@Valeriu225]

Hello, can you please tell me what would you pick between this A30/D30 pro stack vs Rme Adi 2 dac vs Matrix one i mini pro for Dt 1990 headphones used for 50% gaming pc and 50% music? Thank you very much

[@Soundnews]

Your Beyers need a higher midrange presence and less treble bite. Sadly none of those will give you that. Singxer SA-1 is the amp that will tame your cans, pair it with a warmer/smoother source like Topping D30 PRO or D70S and you're good to go. If you need a DAC/Amp in a single box, check the xDuoo XA10 (see my review). XA10 is the pure definition of fun, it was a pleasure hearing it driving hotter headphones like Hifiman...it should work the same with Beyers. PS: I suddenly need some Beyers in my life

[@andjeyvolikov3508]

1990 sounds very balanced with d30 pro/a30 pro, very comfortable sound

[@keithjohnson2863]

I wonder if Topping will release a "Pre30Pro" to add to the stack. There is precadence for this given the recent release of the Pre90.

[@sandy1508]

Hey Sando, really hoping for you to review the Jotunheim 2 and a comparison with these.

[@whigger83]

In times like this it is better to be negativ, than to be positiv ;-D

[@S.G54321]

What is that headphone on the opening image of the video?

[@Soundnews]

It is a headphone that I'm working for about 6 months now. I've tuned it, I've measured it, I've draw those elongated cups. The third prototype will be ready in about 10 days and the final production units will go on sale in about a month. It will be called Caspian and it will be sold on Apos Audio only.

[@S.G54321]

@@Soundnews I was wondering haha, they look extremely nice. I'll be sure to check them out. I got my eye on them 😁😁😁😁. Can't wait for the final result

[@aditya7955]

This or topping a90, I have a sundara

[@ironinthesoul9680]

This. Single ended performance is worse on a90 and you won't have to buy an expensive balanced cable for sundara.

[@ironinthesoul9680]

(I own both A30 pro and sundara)

[@aditya7955]

@@ironinthesoul9680 I already have a balanced cable and also I ended up with singxer sa-1 and am I glad

[@Another_Audiophile]

Looks like another lab amplifier. The A90 has been so far the biggest disappointment in terms of sound quality. Clean? Yes, transparent, Yes, boring as hell? Absolutely yes.

[@aceofspades6667]

I agree but it's all relative to expectations...A clean accurate neutral sound can come across as lifeless and boring just like high end studio monitors. I've come to realize I love distortion but it needs to be the right type. I want a class A or tubes sound where it's literally like slabs of butter on your bread as opposed to something dry sounding.