Great review, thank you for your detailed insight. I actually just moved up from A50s D50s to A30 pro D30 Pro. Your reviews on both were very instrumental. Thanks
I really appreciate your description of the sound and especially love the recommendations of music genre. Not enough reviewers talk about what kind of music goes best with the equipment they showcase.
Loving your reviews. This channel will go places! Just ordered a Topping A30 Pro and Denafrips Ares II to be my new bedside stack, based on your reviews. Also ordered Moondrop Variations. My listening is mostly post-rock and post-metal. Some EDM and classical. Will be replacing a Topping NX4 portable dac/amp and Moondrop Katos / Tin T4 / Tin T3.
@@vaksilvaksil9939 I love the match. The Ares 2 creates a warm and full sound, and the A30 delivers that sound completely unchanged, with endless power and headroom. Whatever you send into the A30 is exactly what it sends to the headphones.
@@roadfordays which music you hear, I have all kinds, so this match need to go from classic rock to folk acoustic 🎸, it wil work for your opnion, which headphone you have. Thanks for answering 🙂
Thank you for your video. At time of viewing I had just purchased the Su9 and Sh9n stack and your hearing observations are right on. I'm glad i made a good choice. I also have the Ananda. Thanks once again
You earn a new-ish subs! Amazing review! Regarding power, you should try SPL (Sound Performance Lab) Audio lineup, especially Phonitor with 120V technology (Phonitor 2 or Phonitor X would be a great start). It sound powerful but not forceful. It doesn't force you to listen, it just present it to you with 'militant-style' but with much better controlled sound (the price reflect that obv.). When I listening to SPL Phonitor (the original one before Phonitor 2) back then, I can safely crack the volume up and the sound doesn't 'burst out' uncontrollably. It's one hell of an amp for sure, and I think it'll pair greatly with your Denafrips Ares II+ :D
Great Video. Thank you. I have a pair of Sennheiser hd820. A pre amp Emotiva PT-100 Do you think plugging the preamp into the Topping using the rca leads would work OK? Thanks again for the review just using the headphones in the emotiva seems pretty flat although as I don’t have anything else to compare them with at the moment I’m hoping the headphones can sound better than they currently do
Strident as in treble leaning: use Meze 99? Or "strident" as in "analytical"? It's hard for me to imagine highly detailed sound as "strident" (which is a very pejorative tag). But tastes differ.
Dt1990 and A30 Pro are not an ideal pairing, because the DT1990 is a bright headphone and pairs better with something like a Jotunheim 2 which adds warmth, body, and soul that you simply do not get on the A30 Pro, regardless of pairing.
Many thanks for your review. I have this amp and use it with a Marantz Dac-1 and Hifiman Arya headphones. The Marantz has a smoothness and the Arya’s benefit from power and it’s a great mix. Always wanted a Chord Qutest but wonder whether it would be too analytical for the A30 pro?
Thanks. Yeah, I believe that Qutest could improve detail retrieval and layering but it would certainly push overall tonality to the leaner side of things.
newbie question, do you need a balanced dac for that? I only have an unbalanced dac and I want to upgrade my L30 II's to either a50s or a30pro. I kinda do not want to buy a balanced dac since its going over my budget. Thanks for the future response!
@@iiWiReviews woah. Did not expect a response. So if you a reviewer says that L30 II is a better amp than the A50s, then I should go with A30pro(rca cable connected to my dac)? Appreciate the feedback, I may plan to sell my L 30 II but now contemplating due to what you said. Really thanks again for the answers.
I'd like to produce melodic house & techno, would you consider this a good choice to power krk g4 rp5 studio monitors and a few headsets or is it overkill? I am also looking at the motu m2 device, or is motu m2 'garbage' :) compare to this device?
I haven't tried all Toppings but looking at the price and reviews, Topping D90se is their best DAC ever and A90 is the best amp. From the ones I tried personally, my favorite DAC is D70s and this A30 pro is their best amp I've tried so far.
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 :)
I had to return D70s to its owner so haven't had a chance to try it out with A30 pro... Slam would certainly be improved but the overall presentation would tilt even more to being fast/forward sounding.
@@iiWiReviews For headphones I wouldn't want forward sounding but more space between instruments and a larger stage. So the D30pro or perhaps a Schiit Modi MB might work better with this amp? A d50s might be too forward as well? (I have that one).
The benefit of using differential (balanced) wiring to headphones is a considerable power increase for hard to drive 'cans'. (Provided the hp offers the right wiring for the job. Beyer dt880 600 Ohm would benefit from this but don't allow cable swapping)
I've never heard Ananda myself but see no reason why they wouldn't go well together. A30 pro has loads of power and neutral tonality so it blends well with almost any headphone I tries it with. Still using it myself in my desktop rig.
How do you explain the difference in the numbers this amp produces with the difference between balanced and single ended if it is not truly balanced? Those differences would imply that there are of course different layouts at play between single ended and balanced. I really need to know because the only reason I ordered this recently was because it is supposed to be a balanced amp...
Out of respect I am leaving this link in this reply were this amp is tested to it's full potential. You will see the difference in graphs between the balanced and unbalanced outputs if you'd like to see them. Again I'm leaving this link here th-cam.com/video/ZKP5nispe0Q/w-d-xo.html out of respect. Thank you for a very in depth review of this amp and please if you disagree with the testing methods or think they are wrong let me know. The price on this amp although not super high is high for me and if it doesn't deliver truly balanced output I will be sending it back when it arrives. Thank you again.
Output of this amp is not balanced and that's confirmed by the engineer who made it. I believe you can find that info yourself by reading the whole ASR topic on this amp. On the output, SE and XLR connector use the exact same wiring. Truly balanced output stage offers exactly twice the power on XLR, which is not the case here. I wouldn't comment on that ASR video, mistakes happen to all of us I suppose. It was probably just a deviation between measurements that caused that small difference. It still sounds better when XLR on the input is used. That's because of the DAC itself and the fact that input voltage is higher, meaning that the amp needs less gain to achieve the same output level.
Here take a look at this comparison table: cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0225/2721/3642/products/apos-audio-topping-headphone-amp-topping-a30-pro-desktop-headphone-amp-28039005503659_1000x.jpg?v=1631556130
@@iiWiReviews If you've talked to the engineers I have to take that as it is but that link shows this amp being both SE+BA so that doesn't help. I'm taking it that you know the actual layout of the board from talking to the engineers. I guess I'll give it a listen when it gets to me and then decide to either keep it or send it back. This practice of building and labeling different devices as balanced when they're not needs to stop. It is a lie that is being told to the end user. No where on the official info for this Amp does it say anything about not being balanced. Matter of fact it all claims that it is in fact balanced. I believe you and take your reviews seriously. I use your's and others to help me make important, to me, decisions. Thank you for your time with the replies and your review. You should have many more subscribers than you do and hopefully that number keeps growing. I know I tell people about your channel when asked about audio. Please, keep up the great work...
@@PreacherwithoutaPulpit Topping are notorious for not being transparent about their gear. They have been called out by only a couple of people. They release way too many products to care. Is not a bad product but I agree is bullshit marketing. Even if is not truly balance it really doesn't matter the power output is still huge.
I haven't heard Asgard yet. Schiit products are very expensive to get here in Serbia (expensive shipping from the US and import taxes increase the price significantly). I asked Schiit for a review sample but got no response.
Hi, so it means like what I understand sorry if I a sayin it wrong if it's not balanced there is one something taking care of the sound if it's balanced then like two workers😆 are taking care of the sound so the sound is richer...but from what you're saying there is only one worker taking care of the sound but there is a power...so If someone knows true balanced immediately notices this certain 2D effect with the not truly balanced...that's not a good news if it's true... better to get real balanced...sorry ✌️😁
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
Your explanation of why more avaiable power is important is so misunderstood by even many reviewers, and certainly by most listeners. Well done.
Great review, thank you for your detailed insight. I actually just moved up from A50s D50s to A30 pro D30 Pro. Your reviews on both were very instrumental. Thanks
I really appreciate your description of the sound and especially love the recommendations of music genre. Not enough reviewers talk about what kind of music goes best with the equipment they showcase.
Loving your reviews. This channel will go places! Just ordered a Topping A30 Pro and Denafrips Ares II to be my new bedside stack, based on your reviews. Also ordered Moondrop Variations. My listening is mostly post-rock and post-metal. Some EDM and classical. Will be replacing a Topping NX4 portable dac/amp and Moondrop Katos / Tin T4 / Tin T3.
Thanks! And yeah, that's a serious upgrade you're getting. 😃
Did ares2 is a good match to a30 pro
@@vaksilvaksil9939 I love the match. The Ares 2 creates a warm and full sound, and the A30 delivers that sound completely unchanged, with endless power and headroom. Whatever you send into the A30 is exactly what it sends to the headphones.
@@roadfordays which music you hear, I have all kinds, so this match need to go from classic rock to folk acoustic 🎸, it wil work for your opnion, which headphone you have. Thanks for answering 🙂
I saw now your geners , post rock its awesome👌
Found your channel recently- really enjoying your content. Keep up the great work.
Fully agree
Thank you for your video. At time of viewing I had just purchased the Su9 and Sh9n stack and your hearing observations are right on. I'm glad i made a good choice. I also have the Ananda. Thanks once again
You earn a new-ish subs! Amazing review!
Regarding power, you should try SPL (Sound Performance Lab) Audio lineup, especially Phonitor with 120V technology (Phonitor 2 or Phonitor X would be a great start). It sound powerful but not forceful. It doesn't force you to listen, it just present it to you with 'militant-style' but with much better controlled sound (the price reflect that obv.). When I listening to SPL Phonitor (the original one before Phonitor 2) back then, I can safely crack the volume up and the sound doesn't 'burst out' uncontrollably. It's one hell of an amp for sure, and I think it'll pair greatly with your Denafrips Ares II+ :D
Very good review. I enjoyed it. Thanks!
Your videos are excellent! Do you have plans to review the Xduoo xa-10?
Great Video. Thank you. I have a pair of Sennheiser hd820. A pre amp Emotiva PT-100 Do you think plugging the preamp into the Topping using the rca leads would work OK? Thanks again for the review just using the headphones in the emotiva seems pretty flat although as I don’t have anything else to compare them with at the moment I’m hoping the headphones can sound better than they currently do
I had tried this with cayin idac in a studio with HD 599 incredible soundstage .. but I don’t know if it was DAC or amplifier doing magic
Thank you for the intuitive review! How would you compare the sound quality of Topping A30 Pro + D30 Pro combo VS a standalone Topping DX7 Pro?
Unfortunately, I have never heard DX7 pro... Only the DX3 pro which is clearly inferior to this.
Hi, thanks for the great review. Wish you could compare it with Drop AAA 789.
Great review. Do you think the DT880 600 will be a good pairing with this stack? Will it be too bright? I like warmer sound in the highs.
Strident as in treble leaning: use Meze 99?
Or "strident" as in "analytical"? It's hard for me to imagine highly detailed sound as "strident" (which is a very pejorative tag). But tastes differ.
I am pairing this with a topping d10 balanced with beyer dt1990 headphones. Hopefully it sounds good..
So this is a bad choice for DT1990? What kind of head amp should i pair with it? Asgard 3 and THX 789 are about the same price for me.
Dt1990 and A30 Pro are not an ideal pairing, because the DT1990 is a bright headphone and pairs better with something like a Jotunheim 2 which adds warmth, body, and soul that you simply do not get on the A30 Pro, regardless of pairing.
planning on paring this amp with my HD800s, what is your though?
My fav: L30 and A50. I wish you could compare it to L50 :).
D30pro with A30pro VS E70v with L70...which combo?
E70V/L70
Many thanks for your review. I have this amp and use it with a Marantz Dac-1 and Hifiman Arya headphones. The Marantz has a smoothness and the Arya’s benefit from power and it’s a great mix. Always wanted a Chord Qutest but wonder whether it would be too analytical for the A30 pro?
Thanks. Yeah, I believe that Qutest could improve detail retrieval and layering but it would certainly push overall tonality to the leaner side of things.
@@iiWiReviews what about ares2 is it will be leaner also or like the marantz dac smooth
How does the Topping L50 and A30 Pro compare in sound?
I will have L50 for testing soon and I'll compare them in detail.
newbie question, do you need a balanced dac for that? I only have an unbalanced dac and I want to upgrade my L30 II's to either a50s or a30pro. I kinda do not want to buy a balanced dac since its going over my budget. Thanks for the future response!
You don't need it, you can use RCA (unbalanced) connection and it will be just fine.
@@iiWiReviews thanks for the confirmation. Been scouring the internet for answers, thanks for being direct!
@@iiWiReviews also i think I am going to go with a50s, i saw your review on that. A30pro is kinda overkill for me and my budget. Thanks again
Don't let bigger number trick you. A50s is older and it's not better than L30 II. Actually I consider L30 II a better amp.
@@iiWiReviews woah. Did not expect a response. So if you a reviewer says that L30 II is a better amp than the A50s, then I should go with A30pro(rca cable connected to my dac)?
Appreciate the feedback, I may plan to sell my L 30 II but now contemplating due to what you said. Really thanks again for the answers.
great video. what brand of xlr cables are those?
Nordost Blue
would you please review Tempotec Serenade idsd Sir, i found it very rare review bout it
I'd like to produce melodic house & techno, would you consider this a good choice to power krk g4 rp5 studio monitors and a few headsets or is it overkill? I am also looking at the motu m2 device, or is motu m2 'garbage' :) compare to this device?
Clicked here on LIGHTNING speed. Insane amp for $349...maybe even partly used for $200. What's the best Topping product, AMP or DAC wise??
I haven't tried all Toppings but looking at the price and reviews, Topping D90se is their best DAC ever and A90 is the best amp. From the ones I tried personally, my favorite DAC is D70s and this A30 pro is their best amp I've tried so far.
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 :)
Only asking because im gonna purchase this amp after watching your review.
If you have only RCA (single-ended) out on the DAC, than you have to use RCA cable. XLR only when both devices support it.
Power. Control. Discipline.
The new sound of China.
Sounds like the CCPee apart from the discipline...😝
It seems the D70S could be a good pairing adding more slam than with D30 Pro?
I had to return D70s to its owner so haven't had a chance to try it out with A30 pro... Slam would certainly be improved but the overall presentation would tilt even more to being fast/forward sounding.
@@iiWiReviews For headphones I wouldn't want forward sounding but more space between instruments and a larger stage. So the D30pro or perhaps a Schiit Modi MB might work better with this amp? A d50s might be too forward as well? (I have that one).
The benefit of using differential (balanced) wiring to headphones is a considerable power increase for hard to drive 'cans'. (Provided the hp offers the right wiring for the job. Beyer dt880 600 Ohm would benefit from this but don't allow cable swapping)
Hello, I own a Hifiman Ananda, and my question would be whether this station wagon would go with it.
I've never heard Ananda myself but see no reason why they wouldn't go well together. A30 pro has loads of power and neutral tonality so it blends well with almost any headphone I tries it with. Still using it myself in my desktop rig.
@@iiWiReviewsThank you for your prompt Reply.
how do you see paring it with smsl su-9 ?
Is HD 800S good with this amp ?
Sorry but I haven't tried it so not sure. It should be a fine combo cause HD 800 is a bit brighter and A30 pro is not.
@@iiWiReviews ok ..
How do you explain the difference in the numbers this amp produces with the difference between balanced and single ended if it is not truly balanced? Those differences would imply that there are of course different layouts at play between single ended and balanced. I really need to know because the only reason I ordered this recently was because it is supposed to be a balanced amp...
Out of respect I am leaving this link in this reply were this amp is tested to it's full potential. You will see the difference in graphs between the balanced and unbalanced outputs if you'd like to see them. Again I'm leaving this link here th-cam.com/video/ZKP5nispe0Q/w-d-xo.html out of respect. Thank you for a very in depth review of this amp and please if you disagree with the testing methods or think they are wrong let me know. The price on this amp although not super high is high for me and if it doesn't deliver truly balanced output I will be sending it back when it arrives. Thank you again.
Output of this amp is not balanced and that's confirmed by the engineer who made it. I believe you can find that info yourself by reading the whole ASR topic on this amp.
On the output, SE and XLR connector use the exact same wiring. Truly balanced output stage offers exactly twice the power on XLR, which is not the case here. I wouldn't comment on that ASR video, mistakes happen to all of us I suppose. It was probably just a deviation between measurements that caused that small difference.
It still sounds better when XLR on the input is used. That's because of the DAC itself and the fact that input voltage is higher, meaning that the amp needs less gain to achieve the same output level.
Here take a look at this comparison table: cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0225/2721/3642/products/apos-audio-topping-headphone-amp-topping-a30-pro-desktop-headphone-amp-28039005503659_1000x.jpg?v=1631556130
@@iiWiReviews If you've talked to the engineers I have to take that as it is but that link shows this amp being both SE+BA so that doesn't help. I'm taking it that you know the actual layout of the board from talking to the engineers. I guess I'll give it a listen when it gets to me and then decide to either keep it or send it back.
This practice of building and labeling different devices as balanced when they're not needs to stop. It is a lie that is being told to the end user. No where on the official info for this Amp does it say anything about not being balanced. Matter of fact it all claims that it is in fact balanced. I believe you and take your reviews seriously. I use your's and others to help me make important, to me, decisions.
Thank you for your time with the replies and your review. You should have many more subscribers than you do and hopefully that number keeps growing. I know I tell people about your channel when asked about audio. Please, keep up the great work...
@@PreacherwithoutaPulpit Topping are notorious for not being transparent about their gear. They have been called out by only a couple of people. They release way too many products to care. Is not a bad product but I agree is bullshit marketing. Even if is not truly balance it really doesn't matter the power output is still huge.
vs SH9?
Haven't heard SH-9 but SH-8s unit is coming soon so I will compare it with A30 pro.
Do You know asgard3? I'm planning gerting this or asgard3! Thks
I haven't heard Asgard yet. Schiit products are very expensive to get here in Serbia (expensive shipping from the US and import taxes increase the price significantly). I asked Schiit for a review sample but got no response.
@@iiWiReviews don't like schiit support. I think they make good products!!!! Thank si much for your answer
Greetings from Argentina!!!!!!!
Hi, so it means like what I understand sorry if I a sayin it wrong if it's not balanced there is one something taking care of the sound if it's balanced then like two workers😆 are taking care of the sound so the sound is richer...but from what you're saying there is only one worker taking care of the sound but there is a power...so If someone knows true balanced immediately notices this certain 2D effect with the not truly balanced...that's not a good news if it's true... better to get real balanced...sorry ✌️😁
Hi . How to connect this amp with sound card AIM SC808 ?