Topping A50s Review head fi

Although a dead ringer for its predecessor, the TOPPING A50s is a headphone amp with specs that outshine the A50 in nearly every way.

Don’t Look Down

With a THD+N of 0.00007% and SNR of 143dB, the TOPPING A50s’ noise floor is so far down you might get dizzy. Compare this to the original A50, which has a THD+N of <0.0004% and an SNR of 123dB.

The Power Hitter

The TOPPING A50s swings for the fences with its output power, driving a whopping 3,500W x2 @32Ω (more than 1,000mW more powerful than the A50). With that sort of power, you can drive anything from sensitive IEMs to power demanding headphones.

6.35 Single-Ended and 4.4 Balanced Outs

The A50s offers both a 6.35 single-ended and a 4.4 balanced out on its front plate. Both options deliver stellar dynamic range (138dB/144dB) and output impedance (<0.1Ω/0.2Ω).

High-Low Gain Setting

Drive high impedance headphones with ease thanks to the A50s’ high-low gain setting of 0dB/6dB at the SE output and 6dB/12dB at the balanced output.

Specs

• THD+N @1 kHz A-wt
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• <0.00007% @Output=850mW(32Ω)
• <0.00006% @Output=90mW(300Ω)
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• <0.00007% @Output=3.4W(32Ω)
• <0.00006% @Output=367mW(300Ω)
• THD ©20-20kHz 90kBW
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• <0.0004% @Output=720mW(32Ω)
• <0.0002% @Output=77mW(300Ω)
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• <0.001% @Output=2.88W(32Ω)
• <0.0005% @Output=307mVV(300Ω)
• SNR @MAX OUT 1 kHz A-wt
• 6.35mm headphone jack: 137dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: 143dB
• Dynamic Range @1 kHz A-wt
• 6.35mm headphone jack: 138dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: 144dB
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-200kHz(±0.05dB)
• Output Level
• 6.35mm headphone jack: 21Vpp
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: 42Vpp
• AP measured noise level @A-wt
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• <0.7uVrms @G=L
• <0.8uVrms @G=H
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• <0.9uVrms @G=L
• <1.1uVrms @G=H
• Actual noise level * @A-wt
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• <0.3uVrms @G=L
• <0.45uVrms @G=H
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• <0.6uVrms @G=L
• <0.95uVrms @G=H
• Channel Crosstalk @ 1kHz
• 6.35mm headphone jack: -86dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: -128dB
• IMD CCIF@(18kHz + 19kHz)
• 6.35mm headphone jack: -116dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: -116dB
• IMD SMPTE @(60Hz + 7kHz)
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• -110dB, SMPTE4: 1
• -118dB, SMPTE1: 1
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• -110dB, SMPTE4: 1
• -118dB, SMPTE1: 1
• Input Sensitivity
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• 7.5Vrms @G=0dB
• 3.8Vrms @G=6dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• 7.5Vrms @G=odB
• -3.8Vrms @G=6dB
• Gain
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• 0.0dB @G=0dB
• 6.0dB @G=6dB
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• 6.0dB @G=0dB
• 12.0dB @G=6dB
• Output Impedance
• 6.35mm headphone jack: <0.1Ω
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: <0.2Ω
• Output Power THD+N<1%
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• 1.4W x 2 @32Ω
• 192mW x 2 @300Ω
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• 3.5W x 2 @32Ω
• 760mW x 2 @300Ω
• Output Power @2Vrms
• 6.35mm headphone jack
• 485mW x 2 @32Ω
• 52mW x 2 @300Ω
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack
• 1950mW x 2 @32Ω
• 208mW x 2 @300Ω
• Load Impedance
• 6.35mm headphone jack: >8Ω
• 4 4mm Balanced headphone jack: >8Ω

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Top positive review

All positive reviews›

Theo Scheepers

4.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Headphone Amp

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020

Bang-for-buck the A50 is probably one of the (if not *the*) best headphone amps you can get for its asking-price. It sounds great (meaning it sounds transparent...doesn't add anything to the sound from the source) and has really decent amount of power available too which can easily outdo similar amps from the likes of Schiit and JDS.The build quality is also really good. It feels solid and perhaps even premium. There are no rattles, the volume knob is smooth, and the finishing is very well done. It's also a pretty compact unit, making it perfect for smaller desks.There are only 3 downsides, really. The first is that the rear outputs are just a pass-through which means that the incoming signal is sent straight to the output RCAs when the A50 is turned off...there's no preamp feature. So, if you don't have a source device (DAC) which has a volume control, then you'll need to control it from the software on your computer.The second negative is that the power button is also the only button on the device. So, since it features both a low (0 dB) and high (9 dB) gain option, you need to press the power button once (when the device is on) to switch between the gain modes. To turn off the amp, you need to hold the power button in for a bit longer. This can be really dangerous, because if you forget to hold the button in and you accidentally switch from low to high gain, you could potentially damage your headphones or your ears. SO BE CAREFUL!The third con is the output impedance. at 4.7-ohm for the single-ended (3.5mm and 6.5mm) outputs and 9.4-ohm for the balanced output, it may result in the frequency response of your headphones changing. This will depend from headphone to headphone though, and the change might be pleasant or not. The Sennheiser HD6-series, for example, might sound a little warmer and have a touch more bass, especially with the balanced output. Your mileage may vary.

Overall, it's a great little amp and I find it highly unlikely that most people (even audiophiles) will need more than what the A50 has to offer. Highly recommended.

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