Topping A50S Review | Mini but MIGHTY!

This thing is an absolute unit of a tiny little amplifier.
Topping A50s - apos.audio/pro...
Topping A90 - apos.audio/pro...
Headphones Tested On
Arya - apos.audio/pro...
Diana V2 - abyss-headphon...
Diana Phi - amzn.to/35LvzH8
Empire Ears Odin - empireears.com...
Fir Audio M5 - www.firaudio.c...
Moondrop Starfields - apos.audio/pro...
Also Mentioned - THX 789 / 887 - amzn.to/2TwsvZg / massdrop.7eer....
THX Dac Amp - amzn.to/3cHHTJC
Schiit Magnius - amzn.to/3pKdoJw
OPEN BACK HEADPHONES
🥇 Arya - amzn.to/3cDZ0vT
🥈 DIANA V2 - abyss-headphon....
🥉 DT1990Pro - amzn.to/38BN3DM
CLOSED BACK HEADPHONES
🥇 Sony Z1R - amzn.to/3cF6EWX
🥈 M1060C - amzn.to/39vDkQU
🥉 1More Triple Driver - amzn.to/2wGC2ni
BUDGET HEADPHONES
🥇 HD58X - massdrop.7eer....
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🥉 DX3 Pro - amzn.to/2wJGp0X
IEMS
🥇 Fir M5 - www.firaudio.c...
🥈 ZUES - massdrop.7eer....
🥉 Tin T2 - amzn.to/2xeGvxT
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🥈 Vanatoo T1E - amzn.to/2TKEmSl
🥉 Micca RB42 - amzn.to/2wCCO53
ACCESSORIES
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#Topping #A50S #Review
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[@ExSkyCyclePilot]

Josh, some things to keep in mind... Topping has a habit of rating power output with more than the standard 2 Vrms in. Usually between 3 Vrms and 4 Vrms. You have to watch their specifications carefully. For example, the A50s can put out as much as 3.5 watts into 32Ω balanced, if you drive the input hard enough, but with a standard 2 Vrms in, you get just under 2 watts into 32Ω. That said, doubling power only gets you 3 dB more volume, so the difference in maximum volume isn't as much as it might seem - only a couple of decibels in this case. For me, the main takeaway is that Topping amps tend to be gain limited rather than distortion limited, which means that even with the volume knob all the way up, you aren't overdriving the output. And that means there likely won't be any distortion. Of course, do this for long, and you won't be able to hear anything, because you'll be deaf.

[@indranilmitra6535]

Finally someone said it! Tired of reviewers judging amps just by measurement, specs and the sterile soul less sound that comes with such "great" measurements

[@kohlerm113]

But 2w are well beyond what you need for "normal" headphones such as the Sundaras for normal listening. E.g.at 80db volume average, you need MUCH less for the Sundaras even if your peak volume is much higher. I'm driving them with a 300mw amp and that works just fine. Sure if you plan to buy more "exotic" gear than you are on the save side to buy something with morer power.

[@elNan140]

The matching DAC, the Topping D50s, supports BT and LDAC as well.

[@SmashKuro]

A tip for those looking at the P50 Power Supply in combination with the A50 and D50: a standard Smartphone wall charger for the dac and amp is supossed to have like 90% of the quality of the P50 and is much cheaper. The channel Passion for Sound has a great comparision video. The P50 does indeed maximize the quality of the A/D50s-Stack but there may be better price-to-performance options if you don't have the money.

[@fivinh0]

Sorry, how we are supposed to connect the smartphone wall charger on the DAC/AMP?

[@hunter4229]

@@fivinh0 The DAC comes with a USB cable, you just plug the USB to a phone charger while the Amp has it's own power brick.

[@fivinh0]

@@hunter4229 great. I thought it wouldn't work because it's not "conventional" USB. Great to know.

[@AbalMarius]

That is why this updated topping amp is incredibly good value. That is why i bought it in 11.11 for 140. And that is why it is unbelievably good match from value point to d50s and p50. These 3 was built by topping as a whole in their mind. And each is really good but as a whole. Well... no questions at all.

[@HyperOpticalSaint]

It is a TRUE balanced out, 100%, it has the balanced voltage swing, unlike fake balanced amp such as SMSL SP200. It does not have a balanced input so therefore cannot be fully balanced throughout, but that does not make the OUTPUT any less balanced.

[@enzotibirica8458]

Really looking foward for your L30 review now. You are by far one of the best Reviewers, really awesome content

[@TechnoGuy11]

I bought the A50s over the A90 a few weeks ago and the reason was basically everything Josh just stated, it really is just like a mini A90 and is less than half the price. All the headphones I've used sound great including my Arya.

[@quangnguyennhat606]

I also tried with Arya but I have to agree with Josh about noise and power, the a50s is great but not perfect clean as THX and not enough power to fully drive the Arya, however it is still a good choice!

[@TechnoGuy11]

I think it sounds better than my THX amp with my iFi Neo but other setups might be different.

[@quangnguyennhat606]

yah I guess it might relate to music source. If we want to add somethings to the source then other amps will help to improve it, if the source is sometimes so good, or you usually have good source that we shouldn't change it so THX series will do the job because THX & Arya will keep the source unchanged. However THX 789 or 887 has double power at 32 ohm compare to THX 888 so it may depends on which THX do you try.

[@ShankerPaarey]

@@quangnguyennhat606 what amp would you recommend for the Arya? Want to move on from my JDS Atom.

[@quangnguyennhat606]

@@ShankerPaarey Something transparent, enough power clear and no background noise imo because you may want to hear quality music from the Arya, so you can try THX 789, THX 887, or the topping A90 in this video, they all are recommended by many people for the Arya, you heard what Josh said, so no worry about choosing among these, the last thing is what your ear like the most, hope you can find the best for you :)

[@gatobakuniano]

It has been said, but it's worth repeating: **the D50s DAC has also LDAC Bluethoot**, and remote control. So, in theory you should have all the features of the Dx3 pro. Only difference would be that remote volume affects only the DAC, not the amp...

[@dajikbatarang1]

The d50s DAC that goes with this amp has Bluetooth

[@spiderweb3525]

Thanks for the info!!!

[@Rubiks_LIVE]

"Hello? What about me?!" - L30

[@waynejrice]

If I don't need balanced, shouldn't; I just get this instead of the A90? I need it to run an HD600 and a LCDX.

[@xOogieBoogie3x]

@@waynejrice Asgard 3 >

[@mmorales508]

@@xOogieBoogie3x That's a sleeper beast of an amp!

[@qazxswedcxzaqws]

The "bassier" sound you get with IEMs is probably due to differences in the output impedance :)

[@DBSTH0R]

Was just thinking the same when he said it...

[@nitromenoob]

Damping factor

[@koerel]

@@nitromenoob The damping factor is the ratio of the headphone impedance to the amp's output impedance.

[@rsolsjo]

Love that you call Sundaras and HD6XXs "normal headphones". 😂

[@hal9xxx321]

welp, almost everybody has one. Atleast on the audiophile world...

[@RussianWarClub]

@@hal9xxx321 I have both lmao

[@Blsnowball]

Yea considering a lot of people (not only audiophiles) have the 6XX, I'd say that they are pretty "normal" headphones.

[@MiloTheFirst1]

great video and thoughts Josh. one thing you got wrong in your research is about the matching DAC, the D50s does have Bluetooth, maybe you mistakenly read the spec sheet for the previos non-s D50. either way, thanks for the great content I am looking forward to the next video

[@renelesch6244]

Just wanted to mention that i think you also get Bluetooth on the d50s...

[@fearmemortals]

Correct, the D50S has bluetooth functionality and is a much better DAC than the one built into the DX3 Pro.

[@HiFiGOAudio]

Topping has launched some really good products this year!! I am rocking a Topping E30+L30 stack, loved the pairing with my Sundaras. This looks like a step up from the L30 with a balanced headphone out. But I would have loved this one even more if they have included a balanced XLR headphone out port on it.

[@RAW_Reality]

@HiFiGo Just curious about a couple things... First off, I'm considering buying the E1DA 9038D as a portable pairing with my BLON BL-03's, and I hoped you might be able to give some insight on the E1DA or possible other alternatives in that price range... Secondly, when it comes to a more "desktop" system, I'm looking at the S.M.S.L. SP200 THX AAA-888 and wanted an outside perspective on whether or not it'd be comparable to a stack like yours... Pros and cons of either setup? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@HiFiGOAudio]

@@RAW_Reality Hey How you doing?? E1DA 9038 series of portable DAC/AMPs are some of the finest sounding in their budget. Their performance is simply unmatched at their price point and above too. Though if you want brand name and aesthetics then you can also consider the Lotoo PAW S1. About SP200, SP200 can be an amplifier that one can be considered as an end-game material for one. The Topping E30+L30 stack works fine for up to mid level headphones. Though the best part with L30 is you can also use it with sensitive IEMs. I hope this answers your queries well :)

[@keithjohnson2863]

The D50S is an upgrade over the L30 sound wise, but not in form factor. I had the E30+L30 and I loved the sound. However the serial number on my L30 was in the range for those that were frying headphones. I decided to upgrade to different device rather than replace it, so I got the D50s. The preamp on the D50S is a definite upgrade over the L30, no need to switch back and forth to compare them, the difference is noticable right away. For headphones I needed to use a balanced cable to feel like the D50S was an upgrade over the L30. The L30 is a clear winner regarding form factor, I could leave the headphones plugged in and use the toggle switch to select between them and the preamp output, and the volume control is better. On the the D50S I have to unplug the headphones in order to enable the preamp output, and, I got a small shelf to elevate it to make the volume control useful.

[@keithjohnson2863]

Just replaced A50s with A90. The bass is more natural sounding on the A90. Not a noticable difference with Sundaras on the 4.4 jack. The RCA preamp out powering active desktop speakers is a huge upgrade over A50s. And the user controls are much better. Of the A50s had toggle switches like the L30 and the A90 I might still be using it.

[@nathan6801]

L30 still wins from a features / real world use perspective. 3 gain settings, larger volume knob, and a physical switch to control output.

[@johnellison3173]

Agreed but you really dont need 3 gain settings on an amplifier as low powered as the L30

[@nathan6801]

@@johnellison3173 I disagree. 0 and +9 are great for headphones and -9 for iems. I think it makes the unit much more diverse.

[@johnellison3173]

@@nathan6801 But the noise floor is so low and the amp is so underpowered that even if it had just 2 gain settings it would still be fine for IEMs.

[@testek3053]

a50s still wins for footprint and build quality (no plastic).

[@Tealc2323]

@@johnellison3173 You're wrong. The -9.9 dB Gain setting is really worth it for IEMs compared to something like Atom.

[@Mistio.]

I have the A50/D50s & the regulated PSU. The products measure extremely well and the build quality is amazing. For the price, this is one of the best offerings you can find however you need to accept that while the output is detailed it has a peculiar sound signature. A good pair of headphones will point out the “metallic” sound coming out of the product. Have listened to the Topping stack for over 200 hours and my AHD-9200 with Forza Hybrid balanced cable sound nice but I would not recommend this as a blind purchase.

[@-nepherim]

Shame it's lacking a physical switch to select output. Pulling the headphone jack out of the socket is a big ole meh.

[@RayCabrera1]

I agree my A50s D50s P50 Stack does make my Focal Celestee and Clears sound fuller in the bass when playing on the 1/4" single feed. I really enjoy this stack.

[@Chorgy]

The Topping D50s which is the matching DAC for the A50s does have bluetooth capability.

[@AbleCho]

Another thing that a50s excels is crosstalk through bal output. Being -128db at 1khz, it is even far better than its bigger brothers over 20db margin. At least thats how the specs are. I wonder how...

[@Vantavimeow]

The Topping D50S has bluetooth, you're thinking of the D50. I have the D50S/A50S/P90 stack lol

[@weih723]

is P90 necessary? I am thinking to add it to my stack and it looks amazing too.

[@Rayman30]

@@weih723 No difference in measurements with the P90.

[@weih723]

@@Rayman30 thank you! might skip p50 first for now :)

[@Glokta]

Josh, what DAC did you use to get the signal into A50S? It's worth mentioning that if you feed this thing from a "normal" DAC that outputs 2.0V 0dBFS the max power is 200mW at 300 Ohm and if you do it from a DAC with higher output voltage (> 3.8V) it would do 700mW at 300 Ohm. (these values are for the Pentaconn output, on high gain). All of this raises the question...what DAC has 4V on the single ended output...?

[@alexlazenby]

Small volume knob for sure - but, likely - due to the form factor, most will have a DAC into this unit as a desktop unit , and can use the volume on that (likely a remote).

[@iPain3G]

The D50s is the perfect DAC for this AMP. Both are designed to work together and you also have bluetooth on the D50s! What you mean is the D50 but the D50 is no longer produced.

[@borbetomagus]

Can you do a tier review of DAC/Amplifier combos? Or recommend your top 3 favorite DAC/Amplifiers under $150 or $100? Thanks for your videos.

[@fearmemortals]

You're really only looking at E30+L30 or Magni+Modi for ~$200 dac/amp stacks. Under $200 for dacs with integrated amps, you're really playing the game of 'how much power do I need' because most dacs with integrated amps tend to have a good (in some cases really good) dac component, but under powered amps. Something like the dx3 pro is decent but there really aren't alot of good choices in this price bracket that have both good measurements and good (and clean) power outputs. It's hard to go past something like the Magni+Modi or E30+L30 because of the massive increase in power output combined with clean measurements you want from a solid state dac/amp set up. Topping generally have better measurements, but the Schiit has more power (the Topping still has a lot of power and the Schiit still has more than acceptable measurements). So basically it wouldn't be much of a list. I'm hoping S.M.S.L comes up with something good in the $200 space that can rival these two combos.

[@emmanuelferguson]

The iFi Zen DAC is honestly a big hitter for $130. I run my HD 660s balanced off of it at 10 o'clock low gain and so far it's been treating me wonderfully.

[@mmorales508]

Magnius/Modius stack is just the damn benchmark for $200ea stacks. Just unbelievable power to price ratio.

[@kcfish4862]

would be interesting if they instead use push start on the volume knob as well, and allocate the start button to XLR (if too thin then increase the thickness of the unit a bit)

[@adaboy4z]

According to the designer JonnyYang it is balanced out as it has quad amps. He and Amir over at ASR forum explain it in detail.

[@blobeyeordie]

Should give the Fiio K5 pro a shot. Another surprisingly good dac/amp combo

[@comradestrawberry1876]

Damn it Josh! I just bought the L30!

[@fearmemortals]

I would hands down buy the L30. They both have class leading measurements, and the biggest perk of the A50S is the balanced output - which is basically useless. The power output of the unbalanced output is uninspiring and puts out far, far less power than the unbalanced output on the L30. All for $70 dollars more money? The L30 made this amp irreleveant and I don't know why this wasn't Josh's conclusion in all honestly. If you want balanced outputs there are also far better options for $200 USD. I thought the A50S was a good amp because of the insanely high measurements - until the L30 came out. You got the better product.

[@comradestrawberry1876]

@@fearmemortals Yeah you're right, I just like the A50s since it's square and cute lol. I don't even use balanced on any headphone so A50s is really just the looks to me ;p

[@testek3053]

@@fearmemortals plastic build and higher footprint makes the L30 irrelevant for me. i much prefer the metal build and the small form factor of the a50s; and the balanced output is a nice bonus.

[@chefsteve8381]

@@testek3053 L30 is not made of plastic its solid metal !

[@eetu2532]

@@testek3053 Huh..? The L30 is aluminum, and they are nearly the same size (A50s is wider than the L30).

[@topspin4hand]

The single ended performance should be much better on this than the Magnius.

[@SmashKuro]

Saw the DMS Review on the A50s and was intrigued by it. After your Review on the A90 i wanted to buy that one but it's too pricy so I got the A50s and D50s instead. Ordered them yesterday. Thank you for your convenient Review. I need to buy that XLR to 4.4 Adapter you have though, or order some Hart Audio Cables later on. Btw at the end you say, you can pair the A50s with the DX3 Pro because it has Bluetooth. The D50s does have Bluetooth 5.0 with LDAC and everything, so that argument is kinda invalid. Did you miss that feature on the D50s?

[@AbalMarius]

Yeah good point and from design perspective d50s and a50s was made for each other. I also bought these also with linear supply p50 that from what i heard even more upgrades the sound from usual power switches.

[@SmashKuro]

@@AbalMarius Really like the look and the form factor. You can stack all 3 or put the D50 and A50 together and the P50 next to it, it all looks good.

[@fieldcar]

Yeah. I thought the same. The D50s is the obvious pairing. It does make sense though if you want to start with the DX3 pro by itself, and then eventually upgrade to the A50S when you want more oomph.

[@gatobakuniano]

@@fieldcar I have the Dx3Pro V2. I am very happy with it, and I got it on drop quite cheap, however I have read some heavy criticisms about its headphone output, being too high impedance (not the same as V1, but that have had heavy quality problems...) and since then I am wondering myself if I should try another amp, maybe with the same Dx3pro as a DAC, but i don't know if that would be worth it... The combo A50s and D50s, goes t around 400€ wich is quite a lot of money, compared with the 160€ that I payed for the Dx3Pro, and it has all the features that I need, except that I am annoyed by the headphone output. I dont know if people is too anal about that impendance messurement or I should just enjoy my music, hehehe

[@AbalMarius]

@@gatobakuniano well in some cases high impedance in headphone amp could change sound characteristics so such amps as a50s is better there as it has near zero impedance and will not affect your headphone sound. But this usually related with sensitive iems and not with normal headphones. I usually want to hear original iem sound so want as low impedance as possible. But is it worth to upgrade from your dx when looking at the price. Not in all cases. If listening headphones mainly then in my opinion really not. Dx3pro is really good. ;)

[@nasko9054]

As a FInal E5000 owner, I need this in my life.

[@soulshinobi]

The Topping D50s also has bluetooth, no need to go for the DX3 Pro. On my desk right now is the D50s with the A50 (non-s).

[@help3499]

Love your videos! I just recently came onto the channel and I’m surprised with your overall quality and your videos in general! Did you ever do a review of “the best audio headphones”? Or give a recommendation on such? As a producer, engineer, and mastering/mixing engineer, I want to find the best headphones I can! Thank you!

[@Sporting1210]

ah yes! The mythical "best" headphones, might as well go and hunt unicorns then^^ That said the Audeze LCD XC is the best headphone for mixing, mastering and producing I personally experienced. At a third of that price sits the OLLO Audio S4X with a really, really flat frequency response and very nice build quality (love that you can simply turn one cup outside, when sombody talks to you instead of moving the entire headband). good luck with the unicorns

[@clickbaitpro]

You can try Focal Clear Professional, they are made for mixing and mastering

[@emmanuelferguson]

I'm tempted to get this to add on to my iFi Zen DAC, but I'm not sure how big of an improvement it would be in comparison for balanced performance on my HD 660s and from there I'm not sure what balanced DAC to pair with the A50s or potentially some other balanced amp.

[@panzer3279]

Did you get this? I'm also in the same dilemma now. Not sure how much of an upgrade this would be from Zen DAC v2 for HE 400i 2020.

[@Tigerex966]

Great price performance. An end game amp for many users.

[@MititeluRadu]

Doesn't D50s came with BT or I missed something?

[@cyberstyle2229]

Lol, that comment; "You could hurt somebody! *chuckles" Yes, yes, you could Josh.......

[@exodusvelo]

These topping knobs though... Schitt magnius amp of the year I guess, together with L30 for SE

[@rupert3k]

L30 FTW

[@rudolfaeschlimann6959]

@Joshua Off-Topic: Any chance you would do an audio test on the PS5. Mark Cerny talked in his presentation, that Sony wants to up the game in sound quality on the new generation of consoles... I would be very interested if you would give your opinion on it. Strategically thinking I think such a video would put you in the spotlight, which would most likely help to grow your channel. I would be happy for you if that would happen, as I do enjoy your content. I really enjoy the respectful but honest way you present your experiences. I wish more people would do it this way but it is most likely down to preferences.

[@Imabanana847]

I love topping

[@theSeventhDruid]

Note: a50s needs 4V from dac to run at full performance. Most of dacs does only 2V. Check ASR comments in the review of this topping to get full info.

[@theSeventhDruid]

@Oscar no

[@blehblahwufwoof]

This is the same price as the Topping L30. Can you compare the two?

[@dannybos7024]

The L30 is 100-130, this one is 160, idiot

[@Tealc2323]

@@dannybos7024 A50S is $170 and L30 is $140

[@dannybos7024]

@@Tealc2323 Still; not the same price

[@eetu2532]

If you have SE headphones/cables the L30 is an easy choice. If balanced get the A50s. The L30 is better for single ended and has 3 gain settings, the hp/pre/off switch is also very nice. If you have sensitive IEMs the L30 is also better thanks to its negative gain option. The A50s is solid metal, L30 is also aluminum, front panel is plastic. Both very well built for the price. They are some of the cleanest amps ever made so no audible difference between the two in normal use.

[@chefsteve8381]

I like reading the comments more than the review, pity the reviewer seldom responds to his OWN reviews

[@ashtonmurch2142]

Joshua, if I use an unbalanced dac with 1/4 out for HD6xx, do you recommend the A50s or the Magnius?

[@Tealc2323]

Topping L30 next?

[@waynejrice]

What I need to know is this: Will it drive an LCD-X and an HD600 as well as the A90?

[@hunter4229]

Got this amp for my Sundara and they power them really well. I do wonder how well they can run a pair of Aryas as I'm seriously considering them down the road but don't want to spend another thousand on a DAC/Amp.

[@haloxman1973]

Your LG CX OLED might get burn in if you keep same background for long period at high brightness. I say this because I care about your work and OLED as well.

[@kokyong2011]

Hi Joshua. Is the D50s DAC worth getting? I have the A50s and I am sending signal to it using a Creative ZxR soundcard on my desktop PC. I wonder if the D50s will be a worthwhile replacement for my Creative soundcard. What do you think?

[@nl_2652]

Josh since the bicycle video prob isn’t gonna happen, maybe a motorcycle one just for fun? 😜

[@f1shb0n3d]

When you compare headphone amps do you use an A/B switch? This would allow you to hear any differences more precisely.

[@matthewhilty4209]

How are those Odin's holding up ? Did the sound change since the first review ? Looking for an endgame IEM and just wondering.

[@testek3053]

6:44 stronger bass? i'm in!

[@nitromenoob]

Before you do that, amps aren't eq. Just because 1 headphone sounds bassier on these doesn't mean another will also behave the same.

[@testek3053]

@@nitromenoob still worth the try!

[@nitromenoob]

@@testek3053 yeah I'm just saying to keep your expectations within reason. It's still a fab amplifier.

[@testek3053]

@@nitromenoob np, i didn't expect that much of a bass boost, that's why i use eq with it. but i'll take any chance to add some bass slam to my cans, even by a tiny bit.

[@adams.555]

You could spend around $5-$10 for much better knob ( longer) and swap it.

[@matthewhilty4209]

Could it be the 1/4" adapter is starting to go bad and you are hearing a little bit of crosstalk? I have a had a similar experience with almost all of my 1/4" adapters. DeoxIT may help.

[@carlsitler9071]

Why would I get the $200 a50s with 3500mV when the $200 Magnius has 5000mV? I think I will get the $100 2500mV Magni to go with my $110 Sanskrit Mk2. My $40 amp cranks pretty good and is clean up to around 3 o'clock. Time to upgrade.

[@iamroberty]

The Topping D50s does have bluetooth.

[@edhirxtrastrange]

Is it worth it to get this over A50? Sadly where I am Schiit Magni and A50S is almost the same price while A50 is way cheaper

[@msteele0]

Suggest a really good fully balanced DAC to match with the A90 please.

[@reedo253]

The companion D90 is excellent.

[@titienne3931]

SMSL m400 or the SU9 are probably your best bet, along with the Topping D90.

[@cirotube74]

if i connect the a50s to the d50 dac i will not have more power for the balanced 4.4mm output?

[@soulshinobi]

Peal the white sticker off the side of the Topping products, please. It comes off clean, and if you want to keep it I put mine on the bottom of the amp.

[@ozunkeskin6919]

I think Josh is just done with speakers and headphones :p

[@titienne3931]

That's to be expected I think. It gets a bit old after a while in the audio world, at least in my opinion.

[@Nomorecry]

The middle child from topping family, blalance out you got A90 single ended you got L30. This unit is like do everything but ok for the thing that he do.

[@jeffreyallison771]

I just picked up the D50s/A50s/P50 on a bundle this weekend.

[@davideduardocardenasavila1242]

If I may ask, where?

[@harryrupam01]

When is the A30 Pro review coming?

[@ADesertVoice]

So what's the point of this device when there's already a L30 for cheaper?

[@testek3053]

better build quality, smaller footprint, balanced output.

[@ADesertVoice]

@@testek3053 yes yes, but sound wise? No difference at all, yes? So I guess if you want a balanced output...that's the only gotcha I see here.

[@testek3053]

@@korbenuber build quality is not the same: L30 has plastic front panel and plastic volume knob front panel, whereas the a50s is a solid block of metal with a solid metal volume knob, no plastic. another pro is that it's less long than L30 so you can stack it with some schiit.

[@testek3053]

@@korbenuber yes, and reviewers don't bother to mention it. if you do not care about plastic parts then it's not important. but i do care: my schiit is all metal too. so, even though i use se output and it has a more powerful one, i couldn't go with the L30... reasons for my choice are: i prefer all metal build over plastic parts + i prefer all silver matching color over silver/black of L30 + a50s is wider and shorter so i can stack it with my schiit.

[@loucipher7782]

can this pair with fiio k5 pro?

[@6276ede]

Please help someone! Do you have the dac turned to max and then control the volume with the amp once connected.

[@benson1608]

Is the Topping A90 powerful enough for the Sennheiser HD800?

[@jon08rock]

Yup, that's what she said

[@Michael-dm9dx]

What are great dacs for shp9500 for usual music listening and gaming?

[@bobhopfner3812]

can you roll the op amps in the A50s?

[@lirag435]

Hi Joshua, I've been using the dac/amp creative XG6 on my computer with a beyerdynamic 990pro, i might upgrade to the 1990. Have you ever tried a dac/amp like this and is it good enough for a headphone like the 1990 ? Thx

[@testek3053]

i use this amp with my dt1990pro, fantastic sound!

[@joshuayeong]

A50s + D50s or THX 789 + Grace Design Balanced?

[@JM-sn5eb]

Is volume knob affecting rca outputs?

[@MachielGroeneveld]

The price for excellent audio keeps dropping.

[@wongpantai9710]

Can i pair it with type c DAC like ibasso dc03?

[@harackmw]

would these be good for the HD600?

[@yotday]

6:30 How is the single ended performance worse than the "balanced", this amp isn't truly balanced.

[@MintShows]

SE has a good bit less power

[@MrLimaify]

Is this a good amp for HD6XX? Any better amp in this price range? Thanks!

[@kasperjansen5126]

HD6XX loves tubes. It is actually incredible !

[@evallesg]

Hi, where can you purchase that XLR => 4.4 adaptor cable? Thanks in advance

[@SmashKuro]

I found two options on Amazon, I need that same adapter. Just look up XLR to 4.4mm.

[@JPC326]

Magnus vs A50S for DT 177X GO ?

[@alivm8088]

i think i perfer schiit magnius and ifi zen can for less price

[@BillBynum]

D50s HAS Bluetooth...

[@jvc32sx5]

想知道A50S 的前級驅動後級的表現!

[@hcseanwu]

Is this ideal for iem?

[@nhatminhle4450]

Borrowed this from a friend. I'm not impressed. Tried with my HD800 and the bass just seems bloating and weird. Bloating bass on a 800 is really weird.

[@MsDaydream]

How does it compare to the JDS Labs Atom?

[@Vantavimeow]

I didn't notice much/any difference in unbalanced audio but the build quality is worlds apart, you also have the option of balanced in the future. For the upgrade in build alone it was worth it in my eyes.

[@marcelbraendli3862]

Mine just died after about 2 years... hmmmm....

[@howglucosemoves]

a50s/d50s or magnius/modius?

[@iVironment]

magnius 100% if you're using balanced

[@SebastianPerez-uo8is]

the fact that you laughed when you said "hurt somebody with this" worries me

[@RussianWarClub]

That's for when someone talks shit about the Hifiman Arya

[@VJA74]

Lost trust in Josh, with his A50s review. Despite rave reviews and measurements, A50s are not transparent. They make sound smoother and take musicality out of the original. I doubted Sundaras due to these when found that its A50s that is the issue! They sound good with ifi hip dac. Same issue with other IEMs. Sound just after DAC is great but becomes smoother after A50s. Will compare it with O2. But A50s is definitely not transparent. It changes sound. Despite the rave reviews and measurements, so far I could find only one site mentioning the same issue!

[@annelouisemendoza394]

Me likey

[@stephencosta6814]

🦃🍁🍗🍷🦃🍁🍗🍷🙏🙏👍👍💪💪👋👋 Happy Thanksgiving Josh you and your whole family God's peace love and happiness always a big fan Steve Costello yes thank you for your major contribution and find audio and fine audio products

[@thedeanalex]

yeah yeah yeah it's the single-ended portion of the A90, we know that already, someone beat you to it a couple of weeks ago, guess who