I've gotta say, I started with your Chord Dave/M Scaler review and you've quickly become one of favorite audiophile equipment reviewers on the platform. I love the Zeos-style headcam, I love that we have similar music taste, I love that you can present important information in casual/easy to listen to manner, I just love this. Cheers, and I'd love to see your thoughts on the Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir.
When you say "you are there" pointing to the position of the volume knob, may I suggest you call out the position verbally as well? 11 o'clock to 3 o'clock for example. I watch videos on my phone and the little white dot of the indicator mark can be confused with a mark on my screen at times. Love the reviews, just wanted to offer a suggestion that may help some viewers. Just consider not everyone watches videos. I know, strange.
I‘m running my A90 stacked balanced with a D90 MQA and my dark Sony MDR-Z1R and it‘s a fantastic combination in my eyes! Great review, totally agree with you.
Hey man, I have seen all of your videos and you have quickly become one of my top 5 YT audio reviewers. I am currently borrowing an Mscaler from my local hifi shop to try with my TT2 because of your review and now having heard it I agree with every word you said.
I am enjoying your reviews. I hope you would be able to get you hands on a Jotunheim 2. (UK and all) but I am interested in the comparison with the A90. Your review style between the two would be interesting.
This is probably the best review of the A90 I've seen. However, I think it was unfair to compare this amp with the Modi, IMO it should have been better to compare against the Jotunheim 2, as they are in a similar class and price range, so it would be more interesting and useful for potential buyers (like me, *wink*). Nevertheless, thank you, great job!
Finally a reviewer who doesn’t mumble for 45 minutes just to explain 3 key points. Straight to the point, great comparisons, description of sound and functionality. Thanks !
Hi, first of all, excellent work, your reviews are simply fantastic. Are you planning to review the Monolith THX DAC / AMP? I'm thinking of buying one and would like your opinion, especially for the DIRAC thing.
I don't see why people are still on that Z channel with all the gibberish mumbo jumbo when we have this channel that heightens a viewer's intelligence.
I’m hoping and I’ll wait for you to review the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition. Can’t wait to buy but I just have to see and hear your personal thoughts . Thanks !
It is a shame that power supply is not a linear one :(. There would be still some sound upgrade. U can buy good cables (analogue and usb) but that powersupply will still be a bottleneck and weak point.
these+bifrost sounds like a great all rounder. But until I have 2000 to drop on them + a pair of headphones that will appreciate them, I think I'll stick with my mid-low end headphones and IEMs on my portable DAC amp. Thanks for the great reviews!
I'm glad I've stumbled upon your channel. Currently looking for my first set of equipment (DAC + Amp) to drive my headphone(s?). Still have to listen/chose between Focal Celestee and Hifiman Ananda. Perhaps others. Watched a couple of YT-bers and wandered through forums. First I thought about the Bifrost 2 as a DAC combined with the Jotanheim 2 Amp as some say the multi-bit-card in the Jotanheim is ok-ish but the Bifrost 2 is much better. But.... based on price alone it got me thinking: is the Jotanheim 2 the correct Amp for it? The same YT-bers really like the A90 and you just said the A90 sound beautifully with the Bifrost 2. Thanks for that!!
Hey golden I think my ears are fucked beyond repair because the two door cinema club song sound harsh but the second stage sound fine to my ears. Chain is spotify-zencan-magnius balanced HD560s. Am I fucked?
I just did the sibilance test and got interesting results. My chain is allo streamer -> ADI-2 -> Flux labs FA-12. With the LCD-4z I could hear what might come across as sibilance on both tracks but the cymbals with the vocals on the first song didn't bother me and the second song wasn't bad either but it didn't sound great. It wasn't really sibilant it just sounded kind of edgy I suppose. Then I switched to the 800S and the first song was fine again and the second song was worse. I could hear the sibilance but I didn't cringe as much as you did in the video. Maybe my gear is smoothing things out or my high frequency hearing is just bad.
Fa-12 doesn't smooth out treble, it was similar to the a90 but slightly less edgy. The fa-12 is gooey, firey warm yet not rolled off which is magical. The a90 is like a straight line, made of water nothing sticks out and errs on the thin side sometimes but nothing like the 789
Unfortunately that's one of the drawbacks of this amp. The input impedance is only 2kohm so it might not play nice with stuff like denafrips dacs or passive preamps
@GoldenSound thank you for review! From your point of view, if i already have A30 pro and d90 dac, is it worth to change a30 pro to A90? There will be sound quality increase? D90/A90 stack looks beeter than D90/A30 pro, but interesting what it will be in terms of sound? My case is: dac connected to the amp via XLR and headphones single ended from amp. Thank you
Just found your channel and it is very descriptive and communicative . I’d like to add even though I loved my topping D90 mqa, after 4 months it flickered and simply died . It came back for a second but then zilch . As a warning buy this from an American distributor because to return it to China it cost $130 Canadian to get there in 10 days , $80 to take 3 months . They would allow any other way . Usually my China dealings are amazing and positive . Simply take this into consideration. My A90 is still great .
What dac should I look for if I were to pair the a90 with the arya ? Right now I only have mojo as my source. Would it pair well with the a90 or should I look for some other desktop dac for an optimal dac amp stack ?
Next time please do the whole video in your Beats and Bass video voice/style... Don't think I'd be able pick myself up off the floor from rolling about on it! 😁
I believe their specs indicate that this amp operates in Class A mode automatically at 250ohms and greater; likely a significant factor in why this amp sounds great with harder to high impedance cans 👍. FYI, $349 or $399 USD 👍
I just discovered you and subscribed and I find your review style fantastic. 😀 A personal education question: I noticed that you have an XLR to single-ended adapter. Is there any disadvantage or shortcoming in going from balanced to single-ended via an adapter, when one has to, from a performance or fidelity perspective?
Thank you! It is totally fine to go from a single ended output to an XLR input/device. (eg: SE amp to balanced headphones like I did in the video, or from single-ended DAC to balanced amp). Though provides no fidelity/sound benefit. Its just handy instead of fully swapping cables. It is NOT ok to go from a balanced output to single ended (such as balanced amp output to single ended headphones, or balanced dac output to single-ended amp). This can damage or break the source device either instantly or over time as you are shorting it.
@@GoldenSound Watching this again and wanted to ask your opinion about pairing the A90 with the Denafrips Ares II? I’m thinking about getting this combination. Thanks! 😃
Thanks for yet another great video! For reference sound (clear and clean and neutral and natural) to mix and master dialogue and acapella in a small studio. No extra bells and whistles needed, I just want the best possible reference audio. What would you recommend? 1. RME ADI-2 DAC FS 2. TOPPING A90 + D90 3. Or another option?
I would suggest that anybody thinking about this or the THX amps seriously consider the Gustard H16 or H18. Full bodied and not shrill in comparison. Yesterday I received my new Sundara HP's and saw the gent on The Headphone Show state that it would be a mistake to pair this A90 with Sundara's. That really surprised me!
Got to upgrade to the A90 recently because of this review! I am using the Topping Dx7s in DAC mode paired with the A90 and I have thoughts of upgrading the DAC, but wondering if there is anything worth going for? Also limited on desk space so hope to find good upgrades to the Dx7s that won't mean rearranging setup... Which is why the Topping gear always appealed to me. Any suggestions would be helpful!
Awesome review. Could you please do a review of Topping A30 Pro. My budget is around $300ish and I want to be sure I am making a right choice. Thanks 👍
Hey man, I haven't tried the A30, but my stack is an E30 and L30. I am absolutely blown away by the quality you get for a relatively budget price, and couldn't recommend them more to anyone.
I have to disagree, a90 is lacking in detail and in depth, realizm, refinement. If you have headphone like Arya please do your self a favor and get something better. I did AB test between a90 and Burson Soloist 3x and I think until you try you will never know what you are missing and what a headphone like Arya can do. Remember poor man buys twice. Don't be cheepp. Cheers.
I had this AMP which I liked it somewhat but felt it had a WARM SHEEN to all of the frequencies and a bad design volume knob way to small. I would look at a Violectric AMP you get the WARMTH but it separate's the frequencies where it comes across more depth and space by doing so.
nice review , i just bought a topping a90 + chord hugo2 + ifi idsd signature ,and hd800s + arya (i think i will buy a clear in the near future ,maybe a diana v2 later ) i will try them all for a few weeks then keep what i like and sell the rest ..... where can i buy cables like yours pls.
@@stopthecap2644 The red one was a couple hundred iirc. The susvara one was a fair bit more but i'd rather not say exactly how much :P. The cost from skedra will vary depending on the core material, connectors you choose etc. He has some which are pretty affordable and some which will cost more than most headphones
@@GoldenSound oof... my insides hurt because it's so beautiful... i appreciate the honesty though) may have to save some nickels and dimes to eventually grab that red cable.. or at least the adapter
I bought the A90 & D90SE stack, purely based on reviews and in some parts, due to measurements. My warmest headphones can’t work with the stack, several were too bright and “piercing” for me. So I put both on sale, the D90SE was sold to a gentleman who uses it with his “warm” floor standing speaker systems and he loves the clarity and details. The A90 has not found a buyer yet but I’ll be ok to keep it to pair with warmer DACs and to enjoy music with my warmer headphones. Now, even my bright headphones do “ok” with it. If I can’t find a buyer, I’ll just keep it and use it this way. Cameron, I connected with what you said about measurements doesn’t if my ears disagree in your video chat with Lachlan. Are you planning a Gustard R26 review soon?
So I have 2021 LCD Xs currently off a Schiit Magni Heresy Modi 3 Plus stack. They sound great however I am looking at an upgrade. Would they benefit from an upgrade to the A90 and maybe a D90SE stack? Do the LCD Xs get the same benefit in the low end from more power as say something like the Arya? This is the amp I am currently looking into getting and seeing that you have the same headphones I do I'd like your opinion. Thanks. :)
You mentioned that they are amplifiers out there that can deliberately smooth out harshness (sibilance test #2). What are some of your recommendations under $1200-ish ? Thanks!
Hi, i just found this channel because of the MQA story and also found this review, which was interesting to hear. I had a sabaj d5 at home one andalways thought good measure tech would sound the same and it was for me for a lot of amps, couldnt not tell them apart (Headphones Hifiman Arya). But the sabaj d5 was super harsh and fatiguing, i had to stop listening after just 10min., never happend to me before. I had not the chance to just listen to the DAC or Amp alone, so my question would be, what could be the cause for that? The difference was so huge, that it left me speechless.
At the moment I have the e30 + a90. What would be a good upgrade for my e30? For me the a90 is my personal endgame amp and I want a dac on that level. You are my most trusted reviewer. I hope you can answer my question 😁 Would the khadas tone2 pro be a good enough dac for this?
my very first audiophile amp dac journey started with fiio k5 pro and theres a ton of great reviews about fiio k5 pro on youtube as well. But in my experience, they are overhyped, yes they have details but cuts the low end fun from the headphones, sibilant at times, and i dont know much about soundstage yet! Do you think i'm going to notice better sound performance on these a90 if paired with any decent dac? Do you feel like topping a90 does cut the low end fun from the headphones as well? Do you think ifi micro idsd sig would be better option for me if im looking the low end fun sound to stay there with my headphones?
Je ne comprend plus rien ! Je me souviens du temps ou j'aimais écouter mes cassettes audio sur mon Walkman Sony. Je voudrais savoir combien d'argent devrais-je dépenser pour aimer ma bibliothèque ? Nous sommes dans une époque ou on écoute plus de la musique mais plutôt du matériel.
absolutely brilliant video. Loved how you provide lots of example songs and specifics of what to listen for. MOAR. It's also great because I have a 789, an A90 AND aryas.
Arya scales quite a bit with more power. Even on a speaker amp it gets a bit more oomph. But other than power, and speaking strictly in terms of SQ, the se is just as good. Balanced will of course have more power which for planars in particular will be a benefit
Love your reviews! I run an A90 with an SMSL M400 and it sounds excellent! Which gain are you running your Arya with? I plan on upgrading to that from the Sundara.
I bought the Modius and the Topping a50 (which I’m told has a similar house sound to the A90). I think the warmth of the Schiit with the dry us of the Topping give me the combo that suits my meagre budget. Are you going to review hifi systems as well? I love to your insights, but I’m not so much a headphone guy even though I own a few pair.
I have the A90 and totally agree with this review. Detailed without being warm yet leans in towards bright/clinical. I have had many much more expensive headphones amps any the Topping A90 is my endgame amp for AKG K812 headphones... That said these headphones are leaning towards bright/clinical.
Great reviews, the first time i hear a reviewer mention null testing (magnius video) and that the measurements on ASR are too limited to tell the whole story. Although those measurements do show if something is is objectively altering the sound in even the simplest tests (like a sine-wave). I'd be absolutely thrilled if you could do a null test with the A90, the magnius and (if you have one of them) the Gustard H16, Singxer SA-1 and Topping A30pro :)
great stuff goldensound, i sometmes would talk to you on discord and you are open and friendly guy!!! would get myself an a90 in the distant future , keep up the great work brah!!
How can speaker amp or 6W power improve sound of Arya? Is it actually taking that much power? Do these have Hugh variation in their impedance across the frequency.
Some planars need high current because of the voltage sag due to having low impedance, but also low efficiency (like the ayras). Low end Chinese amps from the likes of topping and smsl will make them sound loud, but suffer from heavy compression due to not having the capacitance to offset the voltage sag. Speakers amps offer much higher capacitance than most headphone amps (expecially for the cost) at the cost of noise, but most modern amps are low enough that they are practically inaudible with headphones. Dynamic headphones can be run off anything that will get them to your desired volume because they are almost never low impedance AND low sensitivity, so no voltage sag.
Nice reviews :) I love my a90. I'm not a hater like others but are you actually trying to copy Zeos's presentation? Even if you arent it really looks like it 😂😂
![SingXer SA-1 vs Jotunheim 2 vs A90 vs THX AAA 789 [ Solid State Showdown Pt.1 ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/429AMOXdYZY/mqdefault.jpg)
I've gotta say, I started with your Chord Dave/M Scaler review and you've quickly become one of favorite audiophile equipment reviewers on the platform. I love the Zeos-style headcam, I love that we have similar music taste, I love that you can present important information in casual/easy to listen to manner, I just love this. Cheers, and I'd love to see your thoughts on the Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir.
You should totally keep the reviews up. You could potentially run half the YT reviewers out of business.
The Zeos headcam is what I like least about his videos...nauseating. He moves around too much and doesn't care enough to be steady.
@@sthr2110 I don't fault you at all for that. It doesn't bother me personally, but I've never been prone to nausea.
I really like that you post what music you used for the review and with a real link. That is next level, compared to other reviewers.
At the end of the day, the music is what it's all about! If the review can also share some good music then that's a very good thing in my opinion :)
Those foals remixes are great, I can already tell this will be another great review
This is like watching a refined Zeos after he finally took a vaccation :D I love it. Very nice review. Keep it up, can't wait to here more.
This is the "English" Zeo's.
@@sp6450 Except more knowledgeable and with better ears.
i wanted to say this too, same thought :D
Let’s not degrade this channel by comparing it to that other pervert.
@@SkywhiteChannel he himself trying to be other guy
When you say "you are there" pointing to the position of the volume knob, may I suggest you call out the position verbally as well? 11 o'clock to 3 o'clock for example. I watch videos on my phone and the little white dot of the indicator mark can be confused with a mark on my screen at times. Love the reviews, just wanted to offer a suggestion that may help some viewers. Just consider not everyone watches videos. I know, strange.
That's a good suggestion, I hadn't thought about that and will make sure to call it out verbally in future
You’re in my Top 3 YT Audio Gear reviewers…👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Very informative, direct and honest.
I‘m running my A90 stacked balanced with a D90 MQA and my dark Sony MDR-Z1R and it‘s a fantastic combination in my eyes!
Great review, totally agree with you.
Hey man, I have seen all of your videos and you have quickly become one of my top 5 YT audio reviewers.
I am currently borrowing an Mscaler from my local hifi shop to try with my TT2 because of your review and now having heard it I agree with every word you said.
Jesus. That song is rough. Maybe first time I've heard any sibilance on my chain. Holy hell
I am enjoying your reviews. I hope you would be able to get you hands on a Jotunheim 2. (UK and all) but I am interested in the comparison with the A90. Your review style between the two would be interesting.
This is probably the best review of the A90 I've seen. However, I think it was unfair to compare this amp with the Modi, IMO it should have been better to compare against the Jotunheim 2, as they are in a similar class and price range, so it would be more interesting and useful for potential buyers (like me, *wink*). Nevertheless, thank you, great job!
Finally a reviewer who doesn’t mumble for 45 minutes just to explain 3 key points. Straight to the point, great comparisons, description of sound and functionality. Thanks !
The 45 minute mumble to explain 3 points is exactly why people watch his videos. ;)
Hi, first of all, excellent work, your reviews are simply fantastic. Are you planning to review the Monolith THX DAC / AMP? I'm thinking of buying one and would like your opinion, especially for the DIRAC thing.
there is 1 good THX amp and it’s $4000 all of the others are cheap shit that sounds like knives mixed with a dried out lake
Love to know how it compares to the Jotenheim2
Yeah, the Modi is in a different class, not fair. If you see that comparison elsewhere please let us know.
Not first but most important
I don't see why people are still on that Z channel with all the gibberish mumbo jumbo when we have this channel that heightens a viewer's intelligence.
Great review ! Are you going to review the Topping D90 too ?
I'd definitely like to do so yes. Need to see if I can find a friend who would be willing to lend me one for a bit
@@GoldenSound Amazing, I hope it happens ! :D
I'm really curious about your thoughts on the A90/D90 "stack".
I’m hoping and I’ll wait for you to review the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition. Can’t wait to buy but I just have to see and hear your personal thoughts . Thanks !
It is a shame that power supply is not a linear one :(. There would be still some sound upgrade. U can buy good cables (analogue and usb) but that powersupply will still be a bottleneck and weak point.
I appreciate the explanation of what to look for and the specific tracks (sibilance in this case) for gear evaluation. Please continue doing so.
these+bifrost sounds like a great all rounder. But until I have 2000 to drop on them + a pair of headphones that will appreciate them, I think I'll stick with my mid-low end headphones and IEMs on my portable DAC amp. Thanks for the great reviews!
I'm glad I've stumbled upon your channel.
Currently looking for my first set of equipment (DAC + Amp) to drive my headphone(s?). Still have to listen/chose between Focal Celestee and Hifiman Ananda. Perhaps others.
Watched a couple of YT-bers and wandered through forums. First I thought about the Bifrost 2 as a DAC combined with the Jotanheim 2 Amp as some say the multi-bit-card in the Jotanheim is ok-ish but the Bifrost 2 is much better. But.... based on price alone it got me thinking: is the Jotanheim 2 the correct Amp for it?
The same YT-bers really like the A90 and you just said the A90 sound beautifully with the Bifrost 2.
Thanks for that!!
Review GSX-mini pls.
Hello! Did you listen to the Topping E30 by any chance? Do you think it is "warm" enough to pair well with the A90 ?
Thanks 😊
Hey golden I think my ears are fucked beyond repair because the two door cinema club song sound harsh but the second stage sound fine to my ears. Chain is spotify-zencan-magnius balanced HD560s. Am I fucked?
I just did the sibilance test and got interesting results. My chain is allo streamer -> ADI-2 -> Flux labs FA-12. With the LCD-4z I could hear what might come across as sibilance on both tracks but the cymbals with the vocals on the first song didn't bother me and the second song wasn't bad either but it didn't sound great. It wasn't really sibilant it just sounded kind of edgy I suppose. Then I switched to the 800S and the first song was fine again and the second song was worse. I could hear the sibilance but I didn't cringe as much as you did in the video. Maybe my gear is smoothing things out or my high frequency hearing is just bad.
Fa-12 doesn't smooth out treble, it was similar to the a90 but slightly less edgy. The fa-12 is gooey, firey warm yet not rolled off which is magical. The a90 is like a straight line, made of water nothing sticks out and errs on the thin side sometimes but nothing like the 789
I thought i was on Zeos' channel until he spoke
Hi guys. Could someone please help me compare the sound of a SMSL SP200 compared to the Topping a90 using a clean dac like the D90.
P.s. Amazing review. You are the best reviewer by a long shot
Can anyone tell me what the input impedance is? I am hugely impressed by this amp but I need quite a large input impedance.
Unfortunately that's one of the drawbacks of this amp. The input impedance is only 2kohm so it might not play nice with stuff like denafrips dacs or passive preamps
@@GoldenSound thanks for answering that! It was one of the specs that was missing on the website.
@GoldenSound thank you for review! From your point of view, if i already have A30 pro and d90 dac, is it worth to change a30 pro to A90? There will be sound quality increase? D90/A90 stack looks beeter than D90/A30 pro, but interesting what it will be in terms of sound? My case is: dac connected to the amp via XLR and headphones single ended from amp.
Thank you
would be interested in a Singxer SA-1 comparison
Just found your channel and it is very descriptive and communicative . I’d like to add even though I loved my topping D90 mqa, after 4 months it flickered and simply died . It came back for a second but then zilch . As a warning buy this from an American distributor because to return it to China it cost $130 Canadian to get there in 10 days , $80 to take 3 months . They would allow any other way . Usually my China dealings are amazing and positive . Simply take this into consideration. My A90 is still great .
What dac should I look for if I were to pair the a90 with the arya ? Right now I only have mojo as my source. Would it pair well with the a90 or should I look for some other desktop dac for an optimal dac amp stack ?
I really like your Holo May!
Next time please do the whole video in your Beats and Bass video voice/style... Don't think I'd be able pick myself up off the floor from rolling about on it! 😁
I have actually been thinking about doing a parody review of the beats, so I might just do that :P
I believe their specs indicate that this amp operates in Class A mode automatically at 250ohms and greater; likely a significant factor in why this amp sounds great with harder to high impedance cans 👍. FYI, $349 or $399 USD 👍
RCA inputs have noise issues ? I have read on head-fi forum...
I just discovered you and subscribed and I find your review style fantastic. 😀 A personal education question: I noticed that you have an XLR to single-ended adapter. Is there any disadvantage or shortcoming in going from balanced to single-ended via an adapter, when one has to, from a performance or fidelity perspective?
Thank you!
It is totally fine to go from a single ended output to an XLR input/device. (eg: SE amp to balanced headphones like I did in the video, or from single-ended DAC to balanced amp). Though provides no fidelity/sound benefit. Its just handy instead of fully swapping cables.
It is NOT ok to go from a balanced output to single ended (such as balanced amp output to single ended headphones, or balanced dac output to single-ended amp). This can damage or break the source device either instantly or over time as you are shorting it.
@@GoldenSound Thank you!
@@GoldenSound Watching this again and wanted to ask your opinion about pairing the A90 with the Denafrips Ares II?
I’m thinking about getting this combination.
Thanks! 😃
@@Ali_Shafai It's great but remember to use the RCA connection between the Ares and the A90 because of the Ares's very high output impedance.
Thanks for yet another great video!
For reference sound (clear and clean and neutral and natural) to mix and master dialogue and acapella in a small studio. No extra bells and whistles needed, I just want the best possible reference audio. What would you recommend?
1. RME ADI-2 DAC FS
2. TOPPING A90 + D90
3. Or another option?
I would suggest that anybody thinking about this or the THX amps seriously consider the Gustard H16 or H18. Full bodied and not shrill in comparison. Yesterday I received my new Sundara HP's and saw the gent on The Headphone Show state that it would be a mistake to pair this A90 with Sundara's. That really surprised me!
Have you compared the 2?
Why a mistake? I have a30 pro and Sundara and I don't think it sounds bad
Got to upgrade to the A90 recently because of this review!
I am using the Topping Dx7s in DAC mode paired with the A90 and I have thoughts of upgrading the DAC, but wondering if there is anything worth going for?
Also limited on desk space so hope to find good upgrades to the Dx7s that won't mean rearranging setup... Which is why the Topping gear always appealed to me.
Any suggestions would be helpful!
Would you review the newer A90D please ,some say it’s better
Awesome review. Could you please do a review of Topping A30 Pro. My budget is around $300ish and I want to be sure I am making a right choice. Thanks 👍
Hey man, I haven't tried the A30, but my stack is an E30 and L30. I am absolutely blown away by the quality you get for a relatively budget price, and couldn't recommend them more to anyone.
@@werdfeefs7027 thanks. I will definitely consider the stack
What about pairing Topping A90 with Denafrips ares 2 ?
Could you try the a30 pro
new video yay!
Really great review mate. Your gonna blow up in time with constant great content like this
I have to disagree, a90 is lacking in detail and in depth, realizm, refinement.
If you have headphone like Arya please do your self a favor and get something better. I did AB test between a90 and Burson Soloist 3x and I think until you try you will never know what you are missing and what a headphone like Arya can do. Remember poor man buys twice. Don't be cheepp. Cheers.
no one wants your erroneous opinions. Cheers
@@enjoshi-godrez8775 well you obviously don't but maybe someone else will, God bless.
I had this AMP which I liked it somewhat but felt it had a WARM SHEEN to all of the frequencies and a bad design volume knob way to small. I would look at a Violectric AMP you get the WARMTH but it separate's the frequencies where it comes across more depth and space by doing so.
Do you recommended Topping A90 with Ifi NEO and sennheiser hd 660s ?
Same question (except that I’m using the zen dac v2) with the 660s
Like Zeos but good
SMSL HO200 or Topping a90 ?
I'm glad you didn't crap on it like other subjectivist reviewers that have a problem with TOPPING products for some reason (or chi-fi).
zeus not reviews. copy rights
Reminder set, Grand Master Golden.
nice review , i just bought a topping a90 + chord hugo2 + ifi idsd signature ,and hd800s + arya (i think i will buy a clear in the near future ,maybe a diana v2 later )
i will try them all for a few weeks then keep what i like and sell the rest
.....
where can i buy cables like yours pls.
What red cable is that? i need me one of those in my life
Cable (and adapter) were made by Skedra. He also did my susvara cable. vikingaudioblog.com / vikingweavecables@gmail.com
@@GoldenSound Nice.. i may have to reach out to them and pick one up... what was the damage if you don't mind me asking?
@@stopthecap2644 The red one was a couple hundred iirc. The susvara one was a fair bit more but i'd rather not say exactly how much :P. The cost from skedra will vary depending on the core material, connectors you choose etc. He has some which are pretty affordable and some which will cost more than most headphones
@@GoldenSound oof... my insides hurt because it's so beautiful... i appreciate the honesty though) may have to save some nickels and dimes to eventually grab that red cable.. or at least the adapter
You are using the exact same shots as Zeos.
I bought the A90 & D90SE stack, purely based on reviews and in some parts, due to measurements. My warmest headphones can’t work with the stack, several were too bright and “piercing” for me. So I put both on sale, the D90SE was sold to a gentleman who uses it with his “warm” floor standing speaker systems and he loves the clarity and details. The A90 has not found a buyer yet but I’ll be ok to keep it to pair with warmer DACs and to enjoy music with my warmer headphones. Now, even my bright headphones do “ok” with it. If I can’t find a buyer, I’ll just keep it and use it this way. Cameron, I connected with what you said about measurements doesn’t if my ears disagree in your video chat with Lachlan. Are you planning a Gustard R26 review soon?
So I have 2021 LCD Xs currently off a Schiit Magni Heresy Modi 3 Plus stack. They sound great however I am looking at an upgrade. Would they benefit from an upgrade to the A90 and maybe a D90SE stack? Do the LCD Xs get the same benefit in the low end from more power as say something like the Arya? This is the amp I am currently looking into getting and seeing that you have the same headphones I do I'd like your opinion. Thanks. :)
Review of the Holo May DAC pending? I enjoy your reviews.
Yep! May dac will be reviewed soonish. Need to get through some of the stuff that viewers have sent in but it won't be too long :)
This is like Zeos without the anime 😂
You mentioned that they are amplifiers out there that can deliberately smooth out harshness (sibilance test #2). What are some of your recommendations under $1200-ish ? Thanks!
Hi, i just found this channel because of the MQA story and also found this review, which was interesting to hear. I had a sabaj d5 at home one andalways thought good measure tech would sound the same and it was for me for a lot of amps, couldnt not tell them apart (Headphones Hifiman Arya). But the sabaj d5 was super harsh and fatiguing, i had to stop listening after just 10min., never happend to me before. I had not the chance to just listen to the DAC or Amp alone, so my question would be, what could be the cause for that? The difference was so huge, that it left me speechless.
Do you have any proof about linear power supplies being better than SMPs in terms of producing less noise? How did you come to that conclusion?
@GoldenSound: I keep waiting for the Singxer SA1 review - done by you! iv been holding off my purchase for the same reason :D
At the moment I have the e30 + a90. What would be a good upgrade for my e30? For me the a90 is my personal endgame amp and I want a dac on that level.
You are my most trusted reviewer. I hope you can answer my question 😁
Would the khadas tone2 pro be a good enough dac for this?
my very first audiophile amp dac journey started with fiio k5 pro and theres a ton of great reviews about fiio k5 pro on youtube as well. But in my experience, they are overhyped, yes they have details but cuts the low end fun from the headphones, sibilant at times, and i dont know much about soundstage yet! Do you think i'm going to notice better sound performance on these a90 if paired with any decent dac? Do you feel like topping a90 does cut the low end fun from the headphones as well? Do you think ifi micro idsd sig would be better option for me if im looking the low end fun sound to stay there with my headphones?
Je ne comprend plus rien ! Je me souviens du temps ou j'aimais écouter mes cassettes audio sur mon Walkman Sony. Je voudrais savoir combien d'argent devrais-je dépenser pour aimer ma bibliothèque ? Nous sommes dans une époque ou on écoute plus de la musique mais plutôt du matériel.
absolutely brilliant video. Loved how you provide lots of example songs and specifics of what to listen for. MOAR. It's also great because I have a 789, an A90 AND aryas.
Listening on Arya I could definitely hear the difference in the low end with A90 balanced vs SE
Arya scales quite a bit with more power. Even on a speaker amp it gets a bit more oomph.
But other than power, and speaking strictly in terms of SQ, the se is just as good.
Balanced will of course have more power which for planars in particular will be a benefit
It should be only balanced. It have problem with RCA input. And output via balanced is 4 times bigger.
Can i connect a turntable phono output to this without a preamp or do i need to have a separate preamp?
turn on subtitles please
Love your reviews! I run an A90 with an SMSL M400 and it sounds excellent! Which gain are you running your Arya with? I plan on upgrading to that from the Sundara.
I bought a SMLS DO200 to pair with this amp, both on order. A good pairing or is the DO200 bright and clinical?
british zeos
I bought the Modius and the Topping a50 (which I’m told has a similar house sound to the A90). I think the warmth of the Schiit with the dry us of the Topping give me the combo that suits my meagre budget. Are you going to review hifi systems as well? I love to your insights, but I’m not so much a headphone guy even though I own a few pair.
What is the mechanism through which amps affect sound stage?
nested feedback means local and global feedback if my electronics education is right lmao
I have the A90 and totally agree with this review. Detailed without being warm yet leans in towards bright/clinical. I have had many much more expensive headphones amps any the Topping A90 is my endgame amp for AKG K812 headphones... That said these headphones are leaning towards bright/clinical.
Audio Muted
"You can hear every element that's going on" :P
ooot ooot love it
Great reviews, the first time i hear a reviewer mention null testing (magnius video) and that the measurements on ASR are too limited to tell the whole story. Although those measurements do show if something is is objectively altering the sound in even the simplest tests (like a sine-wave).
I'd be absolutely thrilled if you could do a null test with the A90, the magnius and (if you have one of them) the Gustard H16, Singxer SA-1 and Topping A30pro :)
What’s your thought if I will pair this with Denafrips ares II?
Nice review, looks like I need a JDS Atom, shame about the postage to my part of the world...
great stuff goldensound, i sometmes would talk to you on discord and you are open and friendly guy!!!
would get myself an a90 in the distant future , keep up the great work brah!!
thanks for your review, I'm planning to upgrade my amp from DX7s' built in amp to this in the future.
And when it malfunctions in a year or two, you are on your own. 🤣🤣
first of all, what is it? what kind of device is it?
have you heard the Burson Soloist 3x ? Any thoughts ?
How can speaker amp or 6W power improve sound of Arya? Is it actually taking that much power? Do these have Hugh variation in their impedance across the frequency.
Some planars need high current because of the voltage sag due to having low impedance, but also low efficiency (like the ayras). Low end Chinese amps from the likes of topping and smsl will make them sound loud, but suffer from heavy compression due to not having the capacitance to offset the voltage sag. Speakers amps offer much higher capacitance than most headphone amps (expecially for the cost) at the cost of noise, but most modern amps are low enough that they are practically inaudible with headphones. Dynamic headphones can be run off anything that will get them to your desired volume because they are almost never low impedance AND low sensitivity, so no voltage sag.
What DAC would pair nicely with this amp?
Would this pair well with the Ares 2 and he5se?
Love the review method. Especially with you making a demo with in-ear mics, love it.
which streamer to use with it?
I bet you that you couldn't pull the board out because it was screwed in by the audio pot.
What about SMSL M400?
Nice reviews :) I love my a90. I'm not a hater like others but are you actually trying to copy Zeos's presentation? Even if you arent it really looks like it 😂😂
Great summary of the product, thanks
can you review the topping e30?