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Hayden_Moffett
6
Sep 21, 2018
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I just bought the sennheiser 58x is this a good amp to buy for them? if so what one?
Michael-Q
243
Sep 21, 2018
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Hayden_MoffettI think the Topping A30 is a better value (goes on sale on massdrop monthly'ish with D30 DAC). 3 gain settings vs O2's 2 settings makes it like the medium gain and standard gain in 1. More low impedance power, premium parts (seriously don't know how they sell it for the price), higher quality control in the A30. I think it might even cost less by a few bucks.
The only draw back I saw was that the output impedance is 10 ohms or 30 ohms (it has 2 output jacks) compared to O2's 0.5ohms. This could be looked at as an advantage with the 58x (150 ohm headphone). But with 32 ohm'ish headphones it may sound ever so slightly more sloppy and sluggish (very hard for me to hear those types of things) compared to O2.
The only draw back I saw was that the output impedance is 10 ohms or 30 ohms (it has 2 output jacks) compared to O2's 0.5ohms. This could be looked at as an advantage with the 58x (150 ohm headphone). But with 32 ohm'ish headphones it may sound ever so slightly more sloppy and sluggish (very hard for me to hear those types of things) compared to O2.
FryPhilipJ
1
Sep 30, 2018
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Michael-Q" Topping A30 is a better value " hahaha jokes on you, for me it's actually more expensive than the Objective 2
Caiz
23
Oct 18, 2018
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Michael-Q" higher quality control in the A30" lol, did you even look at topping review on amazon?? Topping has a ALOT of poor reviews for products, some very poor reviews. Secondly value wise Not looking at a massdrop 02, but a mayflower.; im not sure which one has more power, i think the A30 does by a good bit, to serve a niche of very power hungry headphone's, which is cool if it doesn't break, like so many do, and i think massdrop only offers 30 day coverage.., but one thing that's nice is that the 02 has a 10 year warranty out of mayflower electronics, I think the topping has a 1 year warranty from select stores, value? The 02 has a battery, so you can use it as a portable, mobile or desktop amp, and the big argument is the 02 has a nice low output impedance, so it can be used with much more headphones, with the A30, you buy it, then you most likely just need to buy another amp later for "normal impedance" headphones, unless of course you have multiple amps., because the A30 doesn't properly drive normal-impedance-headphones.., Normal being the norm, 32ohms., becuse it's lowest resistance output is 10ohms, The 02 takes care of everything very well to utpo a very high power requirements, and then you need something specialized for high impedance headphones like the A30., then i THINK the A has an advantage fort taking care of hungrier headphones.,.., but these alone are big value differences, 10 year warranty, more uses, low output impedance support for common consumer headphones, i'd say is ways more useful and more value for most people than having more power on tap for VERY HUNGRY headphones, which are rare, but if thats what you need then it's not contest, you have a certain power requirement to fill where the 02 won't work,.., but i think for MOST PEOPLE thats a MUCH smaller value compared to low impedance headphone support the 02 has, and 02 gets way better customer satisfaction.,, To top it off. i think they both offer about the same performance roughly, when they both support the same headphone.., Remember, the 02's SNR is rated to 105db@400mv , however I believe it's 115 a-weighted and 112db@1vrms, and a 130db dynamic range at full power. The A30 doesn't list at what voltage and application it's rated at for it's 126snr, for all we know the 02 could top it at that voltage and application too, or it could be @ 400mv (doubt it),. the voltage setting could make alot of difference, but they dont tell. i mean, the way i look at it is, with the A30, you get high unreliability but the possibility of supporting some uncommon applications really well (and that is only high-impedance-headphones headphones, if 80ohms is the beginning of high, i think, if you consider 8 as low impedance headphones, and 150 as moderately high, and 300 as high, and 600 as very high, since 32is normal for modern "consumer" headphones), otherwise your stuck with the high impedance output and need a new amp, on the other hand, with the Mayflower 02, you've got much greater reliability in warranty, and satisfaction reports, and you can power all typical headphones very well, low impedance headphones to high impedance headphones, so long as it's not too power hungry., now, technically the claim of the A30 being maybe better, with the 126db claim, again we don't know the settings, and even if it were technically superior,, which i think is very well possible.., not that it's a bad choice, to consider; but that i suggest even pending; in many cases there will stil be no difference still, i suspect, since the noise floor is way down and similar, and the dynamic range of a cd is around 96db, and probably most dvds far below 110, and tidal im sure well below, so if your listening to that source material, i think the end performance will be about the same and the A30 will just limit you in the most common employments of an amp, low impedance(eims, balanced armatures) and moderate impedance headphones (moderate being 32-48 (shures's, 32ohm spec, ect), and probably most new headphones to come out in the future, and not only this, but the battery means you an use it for alot more application with those headphones, on a belt-clip to phone or Bluetooth receiver/dac, or on a plane, on a jog, in your bed, whereas me, i wouldn't move a stationary amp round too much i'd probably buy multiple amps for different stations., with the 02 though, because it's mobile; it's like you CAN cover alot of applications without any trouble., want to occasionally play retro games bring it to your Atari, nintendo, or commodore hardware? 02's got you covered. wanna listen to your audio on the go without dynamic range compression of virtual volume controls? line out your mobile to the 02 and enjoy quality support on the go, Got high impedance output to normal headphones from a common pc soundcard? 02' solves the problem.,., Watch to output your tv receiver or bl;uray player occasionally ()where you might not want to buy a stationay amp for occasional use?) no problem, 02's go your temporarily covered. Need more juice for some moderately power hungry cans? 02's got you covered. Got any 5 headphones which arn't super power hungry,. 02's got it covered. Need to power moderately power-hungry high impedance headphones? 02's go you covered. Need to power power-hungry hungry headphones which are high impedance? A30's got you covered. Need to power high impedance headphones? A30's got you covered. Willing to gamble for possibly better performance for high impedance headphones? A30's the mystery! But a moderate impedance headphones' better with the 02, due to the output impedance, generally speaking BY FAR. It's actually an "in spec" implementation. Now, if the A30 is performing better at a common application (headphone they both drive without being power compromised..) thats kind of a serious deal, especially perhaps with some really great headphones and some really quality audio source, but were just inferring this from a put up number, since measurements and real specs and real numbers have been withheld by topping so far as i seen. 126 what, a-weighted? allegedly? Notice how they only list the output impedance of the nx4s? Wonder why that is? We'll i'm sure they know the figure is "undesirable", for harshly limiting applications. I haven't seen the two amps compared properly, verbosely, with given measurements and whatnot at various settings; so it's hard for me to say which one is actually preferable at a common demonstrator. the a30 could be a moderate step up in cross compatible applications, not sure, but were not sure, what we do know is that the 02 covers way more applications, but that might not serve someone as well with a high impedance power-hungry headphone collection. So put simply, i think these amps for for two different applications just even in headphones, 1(02): General headphones barring high power requirements. 2(A30): High-impedance only headphones, and high-impedance power hungry headphones. I mean, that's my take away. Also, 02 is made in the usa for 100 bucks with a 10 year warranty, A30 is made in china for 100 bucks with a 1 year warranty. You wanna say the topping with all it's complaints is a better value, i don't think i could say that, at least until we see the A30 clean the floor with the 02 with a common denominator, and even then, i think that will probably be only for rare cases and mabe not even an end result., One think i do think we know, is that the A30 has more power on tap for high-power-requirement headphones., to speak in laymans terms., So however, this uncommon application of the a30 effectively lowers the overall general value i think, except for those with certain cases. Topping hints that the A30 is superior at a common application, however withholds specs, 02 by the designer lists specs in fairly robustly, but still a touch lacking i think, especially by stores like massdrop mayflower, ect., I feel listing the uncommon 400mw snr rating at 105snr certainly hurts 02 sales, as compared to the commonly compared to 1vrms rating, other amps are now rated at, which i believe is 112 or 115 for the 02.
Michael-Q
243
Oct 19, 2018
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CaizWhat are you on and where can I get some :D.
I did a quick search on amazon out of curiosity. JDSLABS Objective2 Black Edition By NwAvGuy for $139 got 3.4 stars. Topping A30 HiFi Headphone Amplifier (A30 Silver) for $109.99 got 4.3 stars. Now I didn't do an extensive search so perhaps there's massive negative reviews under another seller for A30 (and/or lots better reviews for O2) but that literally was my first results with actual reviews (searched "Objective 2" for O2 and "A30 amp" for the A30).
As far as quality goes, yeah I would be thinking more about the lowest bid China hand soldered O2s. Mayflower's QC is probably much better. But.. China manufactures a shit ton of amazing electronics so it's hit or miss. It's not all that dissimilar to US manufacturing....
I value the 3 gain options hugely valuable. Just look at how many comments here are asking about what gain option they should get. Granted, these days 6.5x or greater gain is probably way too much but perhaps not, I don't know what everyone everywhere is using.
The portability might be important to some, but if someone is asking for amp to use with an open back headphones I assume he won't be using it while traveling. It's a lot of cumbersome wires to be carrying around as well. It's a neat feature but not useful for many.
The 1/8th rule comes from comes from the limit of what becomes audible to a trained ear. Most of us aren't trained or know what to listen for. But I can respect those wanting the best possible experience.
The OP was asking for pairing with 58x -> 150ohm. 10/150 -> 1/15 well bellow audible. Other audiophiles would argue O2's dampening factor would be too much. Some might actually prefer the 30ohm output 30/150 -> 1/5. Its kind of subjective to what you like. I'd be hesitant to believe any worse dampening actually sounding better to someone -> example 10/32 or worse yet 30/32. which could happen with the A30 if the user unknowingly plugs his low imp headphones into the wrong output.
I did a quick search on amazon out of curiosity. JDSLABS Objective2 Black Edition By NwAvGuy for $139 got 3.4 stars. Topping A30 HiFi Headphone Amplifier (A30 Silver) for $109.99 got 4.3 stars. Now I didn't do an extensive search so perhaps there's massive negative reviews under another seller for A30 (and/or lots better reviews for O2) but that literally was my first results with actual reviews (searched "Objective 2" for O2 and "A30 amp" for the A30).
As far as quality goes, yeah I would be thinking more about the lowest bid China hand soldered O2s. Mayflower's QC is probably much better. But.. China manufactures a shit ton of amazing electronics so it's hit or miss. It's not all that dissimilar to US manufacturing....
I value the 3 gain options hugely valuable. Just look at how many comments here are asking about what gain option they should get. Granted, these days 6.5x or greater gain is probably way too much but perhaps not, I don't know what everyone everywhere is using.
The portability might be important to some, but if someone is asking for amp to use with an open back headphones I assume he won't be using it while traveling. It's a lot of cumbersome wires to be carrying around as well. It's a neat feature but not useful for many.
The 1/8th rule comes from comes from the limit of what becomes audible to a trained ear. Most of us aren't trained or know what to listen for. But I can respect those wanting the best possible experience.
The OP was asking for pairing with 58x -> 150ohm. 10/150 -> 1/15 well bellow audible. Other audiophiles would argue O2's dampening factor would be too much. Some might actually prefer the 30ohm output 30/150 -> 1/5. Its kind of subjective to what you like. I'd be hesitant to believe any worse dampening actually sounding better to someone -> example 10/32 or worse yet 30/32. which could happen with the A30 if the user unknowingly plugs his low imp headphones into the wrong output.
Caiz
23
Oct 19, 2018
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Michael-Q"I did a quick search on amazon out of curiosity. JDSLABS Objective2 Black Edition By NwAvGuy for $139 got 3.4 stars. Topping A30 HiFi Headphone Amplifier (A30 Silver) for $109.99 got 4.3 stars. Now I didn't do an extensive search so perhaps there's massive negative reviews under another seller for A30 (and/or lots better reviews for O2) but that literally was my first results with actual reviews (searched "Objective 2" for O2 and "A30 amp" for the A30)." lol okay okay, but firstly, lol, in my first sentence i said in regards to the MAYFLOWER 02, the people who made negative/critical reviews for the JDS labs o2 all complained about 1 thing, lack of power supply provided, something which the mayflower version does include, so those negative reviews arnt applicaable with my comparison, and ALMOST alll the negative reviews of the A30 have been it going caput (malfunctioning) withing a few weeks of use.., those are big differences,., plus if you go to the headfi sites, you'll see tons of praise for the mayflower 02's, im certain.
" As far as quality goes, yeah I would be thinking more about the lowest bid China hand soldered O2s. Mayflower's QC is probably much better. But.. China manufactures a shit ton of amazing electronics so it's hit or miss. It's not all that dissimilar to US manufacturing.... " Yeah, i can say i kinda agree with the sentiments " The portability might be important to some, but if someone is asking for amp to use with an open back headphones I assume he won't be using it while traveling. It's a lot of cumbersome wires to be carrying around as well. It's a neat feature but not useful for many. " I'm just peaking in general, however, if he took your recommendation then needed a protable, and still wanted qulity, he'd have to pickup the 02 then later anyhow ;-) or something very similar. Its a bit of a strectch i think to assume non portable use because of an open back,. i'd assume if he's looking at headphone amps, he probably has numerous models, if i were to guess, and that he probably has alot of applications, like moving around a home.., it's a big deal for Bluetooth receivers to lounge on the couch, and for phones both or walking the dog, are fine for open back portable use. Way more value. " The 1/8th rule comes from comes from the limit of what becomes audible to a trained ear. Most of us aren't trained or know what to listen for. But I can respect those wanting the best possible experience. " No, it's comes from whats necessary to properly dmpen a driver, so that response is not crippled and coloring the music, thats why we buy nice amps after-all, the hear the original material, isnt it? Poor impulse response is highly corruptive, and so is poor dampening., and i suggest you consider the 1/20 rule, as prefferable. Thats hat Benchmark recommends., you know benchmark, benchmark dac? Or do you think you have a better idea than the Benchmark company? For good response it's 1/20 bud, unless you know a ton about the specific driver, because thats the golden rule., ;-) " The OP was asking for pairing with 58x -> 150ohm. 10/150 -> 1/15 well bellow audible. Some might actually prefer the 30ohm output 30/150 -> 1/5. Its kind of subjective to what you like. I'd be hesitant to believe any worse dampening actually sounding better to someone -> example 10/32 or worse yet 30/32. which could happen with the A30 if the user unknowingly plugs his low imp headphones into the wrong output. " 1/15 well bellow audible. ?!?!? how do you know this? Do you have meaurements? " Other audiophiles would argue O2's dampening factor would be too much. " people can argue anything, i'd listen to the respected engineers, for a long time damping factors have been recommended, for good reason. i dont think accuracy in response is subjective at all, and i think people want good quality instruments, not fuzz. ;-) Most credible engineers and companies i'd read in the audio industry recommend good dampening, not gambling around, I think this whole, it might sound "better" if you cripple it, might be a bit of a strech., :P But hey, im not going to say 1.,, im not gonna say the recommendation for an A30 is "not good" just the the value is probably way better with an O2, i'd think, actually. especially considering toppings device failure rates and questionable histories.,, You see how poor their Taishan dac performed at the audiosciencereview forum? People in asia are literally sacred of the nx5, the topping flagship portable amp; for it's frequent failure rates and possibly dangerous battery power circuit. Look around d10, lots of fails. Whats the point of a brand if your going to go willy nilly and do everything? 1 minute terribly performing products, the next saying you got the best(value), but hide figures..,
The Mayflower 02 has more power then those headphones would ever need, so fully satisfies the power spec, by far, and offers support alot more applications, has a much better track record, come with a x10 longer warranty, is made in the U.S.A, and can be used with waaaay more headphones properly, inline with top industry recommendation, in a properly working and consistent implementation, for a solid "reference" for material reproduction. :P But then gain, with the A30 people get to go gambling with under dampening.., What fun. :P
" As far as quality goes, yeah I would be thinking more about the lowest bid China hand soldered O2s. Mayflower's QC is probably much better. But.. China manufactures a shit ton of amazing electronics so it's hit or miss. It's not all that dissimilar to US manufacturing.... " Yeah, i can say i kinda agree with the sentiments " The portability might be important to some, but if someone is asking for amp to use with an open back headphones I assume he won't be using it while traveling. It's a lot of cumbersome wires to be carrying around as well. It's a neat feature but not useful for many. " I'm just peaking in general, however, if he took your recommendation then needed a protable, and still wanted qulity, he'd have to pickup the 02 then later anyhow ;-) or something very similar. Its a bit of a strectch i think to assume non portable use because of an open back,. i'd assume if he's looking at headphone amps, he probably has numerous models, if i were to guess, and that he probably has alot of applications, like moving around a home.., it's a big deal for Bluetooth receivers to lounge on the couch, and for phones both or walking the dog, are fine for open back portable use. Way more value. " The 1/8th rule comes from comes from the limit of what becomes audible to a trained ear. Most of us aren't trained or know what to listen for. But I can respect those wanting the best possible experience. " No, it's comes from whats necessary to properly dmpen a driver, so that response is not crippled and coloring the music, thats why we buy nice amps after-all, the hear the original material, isnt it? Poor impulse response is highly corruptive, and so is poor dampening., and i suggest you consider the 1/20 rule, as prefferable. Thats hat Benchmark recommends., you know benchmark, benchmark dac? Or do you think you have a better idea than the Benchmark company? For good response it's 1/20 bud, unless you know a ton about the specific driver, because thats the golden rule., ;-) " The OP was asking for pairing with 58x -> 150ohm. 10/150 -> 1/15 well bellow audible. Some might actually prefer the 30ohm output 30/150 -> 1/5. Its kind of subjective to what you like. I'd be hesitant to believe any worse dampening actually sounding better to someone -> example 10/32 or worse yet 30/32. which could happen with the A30 if the user unknowingly plugs his low imp headphones into the wrong output. " 1/15 well bellow audible. ?!?!? how do you know this? Do you have meaurements? " Other audiophiles would argue O2's dampening factor would be too much. " people can argue anything, i'd listen to the respected engineers, for a long time damping factors have been recommended, for good reason. i dont think accuracy in response is subjective at all, and i think people want good quality instruments, not fuzz. ;-) Most credible engineers and companies i'd read in the audio industry recommend good dampening, not gambling around, I think this whole, it might sound "better" if you cripple it, might be a bit of a strech., :P But hey, im not going to say 1.,, im not gonna say the recommendation for an A30 is "not good" just the the value is probably way better with an O2, i'd think, actually. especially considering toppings device failure rates and questionable histories.,, You see how poor their Taishan dac performed at the audiosciencereview forum? People in asia are literally sacred of the nx5, the topping flagship portable amp; for it's frequent failure rates and possibly dangerous battery power circuit. Look around d10, lots of fails. Whats the point of a brand if your going to go willy nilly and do everything? 1 minute terribly performing products, the next saying you got the best(value), but hide figures..,
The Mayflower 02 has more power then those headphones would ever need, so fully satisfies the power spec, by far, and offers support alot more applications, has a much better track record, come with a x10 longer warranty, is made in the U.S.A, and can be used with waaaay more headphones properly, inline with top industry recommendation, in a properly working and consistent implementation, for a solid "reference" for material reproduction. :P But then gain, with the A30 people get to go gambling with under dampening.., What fun. :P
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