Review :Topping T22 Amplifier

[Audio_Freek]

Hi Fm's,

I was behind having a Secondary set-up and after getting rave reviews on the Topping Amplifier ordered via Ebay.com.The Amp came after a month (due to Free shipping option).

Amp was shipped from China and the packing was great with think foam sheet.Small user manual and Adapter came with Amplifier.

Setting up the Amp

Connecting the amp was easy, Just input from DAC to the amp and Output to the speakers.

Source : Pioneer BDP 180
DAC:Modi Shciit Uber
Speakers :Yamaha NS1000

Initial listening experience

I started with some Well recorded CD and first impression was not reat,Since the High frequency was too bright and I need to turn the volume knob upto 2 o Clock to get a decent volume.I thought that the amp needs some burn-in time,Hence just kept the amp on for almost 15 Hours.

Starting to listen music from CD and FLAC by today afternoon, after playing almost 3 Hours with low volume and Switched off.Again I noticed the amp was able to push the speakers well but the Brightness on HF was not much reduced.

Again today at 8 pm I switched on the Amp and played some Pyramid CD's (Tamil) and when the song was played via Yamaha, I felt "Wow". The Voice was perfect and soothing with 11 o clock position and the Imaging was stunning with lot and lot of details. Bass was bit lagging ( we cant expect high bass for 30W amp,though).

1. Stereo image was outstanding.
2.High detail with no distortion.
3.Speakers were well controlled by amp (Speaker are with 89Db ,with 12 Inch woofer)
4.Bass was decent and not going deep.
5.Voice was so soothing and pure with some softness and warm.
6.Lot of Background instruments are in front adding more Presence to the Music.
7.Drums, Guitar (Acrostic) and Cymbal were clear and reveling.
8.I compared with Sansui au719 and Topping 22 and Only on the bass the Topping was bit low but was giving the same impact the Sansui was giving.

Still listening with other genre of music ans still its impressing me:yahoo::yahoo:,Felt that the money was rightly spent.

Overall impression.
This is one of the best amp i have listen for this size and cost until now.Highly recommended for anyone who like to start their audiophile journey with some high sensitive speaker.It got well matched to my Aiwa and Yamaha speaker.It would best for desktop set-up,Since it go loud for this sound and detail like a normal Headphone.

I shall update once I test it with other genre of tracks.

 

[jmascreen]

Can you share the costing part with details?

 

[Audio_Freek]

Hi,

I paid US $83.95 via Ebay including Item and Shipping.

 

[greenhorn]

Topping used to be vfm, but now breeze tpa3116 is a good alternative.

 

[Audio_Freek]

Topping used to be vfm, but now breeze tpa3116 is a good alternative.

Sir, Could you share your thoughts about the "breeze tpa3116", Like the signature of the Amp, the Noise Level and how efficient it is in managing the speakers and do they give 50RMS as mentioned in the spec ?

Probably, I could recommend VFM Amplifiers to few of my friends who likes to have small Stereo set-up.

 

[greenhorn]

Sir, Could you share your thoughts about the "breeze tpa3116", Like the signature of the Amp, the Noise Level and how efficient it is in managing the speakers and do they give 50RMS as mentioned in the spec ?

Probably, I could recommend VFM Amplifiers to few of my friends who likes to have small Stereo set-up.

I have not tried the TPA3116 myself, but have read many good reviews of it online -
FM Superczar had bought one, and compared it favourably with his other setups .
Probably he can give more details

 

[Audio_Freek]

Oh Fine, Looks like they are are within 25USD Budget for 50 W and compact too.If they can run for atleast 2 years, it would be great for the buyer.

 

[drkrack]

Oh Fine, Looks like they are are within 25USD Budget for 50 W and compact too.If they can run for atleast 2 years, it would be great for the buyer.

Please provide a source from where it can be purchased?

 

[Audio_Freek]

Hi Below is the link from Ebay, Where I placed order.

Topping TP 22 Tripath TK2050 T Amp 2 30W Power Stereo Amplifier 2 Way RCA Input | eBay


There are few reasons I ordered this model.
1.This Amp has good reviews among the users (Ebay and other forums)
2.We could connect two source Aux\Tuner,Mob\Player etc.
3.25W per channel, Felt it would be good to run my Small Technics speaker, But I end up connecting my Yummys
4.The Price Falls below the 100USD Slot , So no Customs would be charged.If We go for next model TP30 Its crossing the 100 USD Slot and I might end up paying custom Duties.
5.Initial thought of getting TP60 , Which has high Wats, But I felts better to check with the entry level version on Topping before spending more money+Risk.

I would suggest this amp, Since the sound stage has improved compared to the first impression. But Matching speakers is challenge, Since these are 25W power and any speaker with more than 89Db would be amazing.

N.P :Greenhorn suggested an Amp ""breeze tpa3116" and I gone through the review and looking promising for 24 USD+Free shipping.This is available via Aliexpress.

 

[elt93]

I have a topping tp20 and a tpa 3116 amplifier. The topping does have a tendency to sound thin and bright with some speakers but decent with others. The tpa 3116 is definitely far better. Muscular and warmer than the tp20 imho.

 

[Audio_Freek]

Elt93,
I got addicted towards Class D amp on the performance and Price wise.Now looking for high variants with 60-80 W per channel, Which can comfortably run big Speakers.

Any Idea which are the best models available in Market?

I had auditioned few entry level Amplifiers from NAD\Marantz\Cambridge Audio\Yamaha which are almost 3 to 5 times the price of Topping T22 and found Topping has kind of signature which I prefer (Slightly bright+smooth vocal and decent Bass).I personally feel these are good system to start, I dont know about the reliability since they use Chipset and may stop working after the warranty period.

With 10K Budget, I hope anyone could start a very good set-up, in stead of going for Big Brands ( This is my opinion and pls dont take this to an argument )

 

[elangoas]

With 10K Budget, I hope anyone could start a very good set-up, in stead of going for Big Brands

I got this recently...SMSL Q5 Pro.. Got it from UK. for 90 Pounds.. (8K INR)

Right now paired with Klipsch RP 160M (96db) also paired with Sonodyne Sonus 1501 BS (86db).. Very good Digital stereo amplifier(DDX).. Actually there is no DAC in it..

Been using it for more 2 months and happy with it..

SMSL Q5 PRO Stereo Amplifier USB Optical Coaxial DAC with Subwoofer Output 2x40W

For the features it offers and the price i paid, absolute steal IMO..

 

[Audio_Freek]

In our Forum, I have seen most of the advice the Newbies to start with popular brands entry level Amplifiers which costing 15k Plus.Instead we could suggest to start up with these Small Class D Amps So that investment would be withing the Budget and they could start with a fair Note.

I almost came to a conclusion to get a nice powered Class D amps of nice chipset and Brand instead of investing *3\5 on the well known Brands.

I have not gone for many auditions, but have visited the Audio shows and felt the even Systems which costing in Lakhs we not up VFM.(This is my Opinion).

One of the best system I ever heard was FM Vikramdesigner's, Luxman L3 +Modi bifrost+Kef Q300 , I didn't the same feel even in any of the What hifi Show,Stall's too.
(This is again my opinion) But someone I feel that these days all the known\popular brands are trying to make the max money "with Brand Name,which they got initially" and not focusing much on the audio quality.

Sorry for long post , Just shared my thoughts after listening to a Small sized (in appearance and cost) comparing the Most popular brands (Entry level systems).

 

[drkrack]

In our Forum, I have seen most of the advice the Newbies to start with popular brands entry level Amplifiers which costing 15k Plus.Instead we could suggest to start up with these Small Class D Amps So that investment would be withing the Budget and they could start with a fair Note.

I almost came to a conclusion to get a nice powered Class D amps of nice chipset and Brand instead of investing *3\5 on the well known Brands.

I have not gone for many auditions, but have visited the Audio shows and felt the even Systems which costing in Lakhs we not up VFM.(This is my Opinion).

One of the best system I ever heard was FM Vikramdesigner's, Luxman L3 +Modi bifrost+Kef Q300 , I didn't the same feel even in any of the What hifi Show,Stall's too.
(This is again my opinion) But someone I feel that these days all the known\popular brands are trying to make the max money "with Brand Name,which they got initially" and not focusing much on the audio quality.

Sorry for long post , Just shared my thoughts after listening to a Small sized (in appearance and cost) comparing the Most popular brands (Entry level systems).

I got this recently...SMSL Q5 Pro.. Got it from UK. for 90 Pounds.. (8K INR)

Right now paired with Klipsch RP 160M (96db) also paired with Sonodyne Sonus 1501 BS (86db).. Very good Digital stereo amplifier(DDX).. Actually there is no DAC in it..

Been using it for more 2 months and happy with it..

SMSL Q5 PRO Stereo Amplifier USB Optical Coaxial DAC with Subwoofer Output 2x40W

For the features it offers and the price i paid, absolute steal IMO..

Very good inputs and observations,

If transport and DAC is handled by a premium device say, Marantz CD 6005 and connected to a cheaper Amps like the ones discussed above, how much difference or loss of SQ is observed? When you pit it against a best budget amp like PM 5005 with same DAC and transport used above ?

 

[ssf]

I was using the Topping TP60 for quite a while to drive my Quad 12 L2 6 ohm speakers. Was happy with the sound quality. But I upgraded to get some more power as with the topping, distortion sets in early. At matched volume levels below distortion, I don't think I can tell the difference between the topping , marantz sr7010 in pure direct mode and denon pma 720 also in pure direct mode.

For someone who listens to moderate volumes, the TP60 could serve quite well.

 

[elangoas]

In our Forum, I have seen most of the advice the Newbies to start with popular brands entry level Amplifiers which costing 15k Plus.Instead we could suggest to start up with these Small Class D Amps So that investment would be withing the Budget and they could start with a fair Note.

Established brands are very well received by Newbies then these amplifiers..

Very good inputs and observations,

If transport and DAC is handled by a premium device say, Marantz CD 6005 and connected to a cheaper Amps like the ones discussed above, how much difference or loss of SQ is observed? When you pit it against a best budget amp like PM 5005 with same DAC and transport used above ?

Loss of SQ, am not too sure... Topping only amplifies the signal.. So there shouldn't be much of difference IMO..

With SMSL Q5 Pro, a premium device like Marantz CD 6005 is not reqd.. a basic CD/DVD/Bluray player can just do it.. This unit has no DAC, converts the PCM to PWM is what i read..

An AVR from SMSL with just HDMI Inputs would be wonderful Awaiting it..

 

[Naturelover]

I would say, most of the advice is such because most people do not know of things like Topping and SMSL. Those who know of them are often unsure whether to write about them for fear of being put down or whatever.
Though, a few days back someone did strongly suggest a very cheap amp.

Good sound depends a lot upon room acoustics, speaker placements and equipment synergy. Most of that is missing in audio shows. A carefully setup low budget system can probably upend a far more expensive one that is just thrown together.

But it depends most upon the listener. Good sound from a home system needs lots of patience and time. More than money. One must listen with a knowledgeable person to see what sounds to look out for and how to achieve that. It's a revelation doing that.
Just the other day someone drew an analogy with Matrix (the movie) with the blue pill and the red pill. You take one and that's that. You take the other one and then down the rabbit hole. It all depends how far one wants to and is willing to go.
I would say, it's perfectly fine to be happy with what one has but if one chooses to take the leap, it needs immense patience to see the light at the other end.

Of course, there is always the question, what is good sound? This is very personal. Every person's perception will differ. Well, where does it end?

In our Forum, I have seen most of the advice the Newbies to start with popular brands entry level Amplifiers which costing 15k Plus.Instead we could suggest to start up with these Small Class D Amps So that investment would be withing the Budget and they could start with a fair Note.

I have not gone for many auditions, but have visited the Audio shows and felt the even Systems which costing in Lakhs we not up VFM.(This is my Opinion).

One of the best system I ever heard was FM Vikramdesigner's, Luxman L3 +Modi bifrost+Kef Q300 , I didn't the same feel even in any of the What hifi Show,Stall's too.
(This is again my opinion) But someone I feel that these days all the known\popular brands are trying to make the max money "with Brand Name,which they got initially" and not focusing much on the audio quality.

Sorry for long post , Just shared my thoughts after listening to a Small sized (in appearance and cost) comparing the Most popular brands (Entry level systems).

 

[elangoas]

I would say, most of the advice is such because most people do not know of things like Topping and SMSL.

I think these are some of the questions that one can expect if there is a suggestion to newbie for Topping (or) SMSL

- Where can i get it?
- Where can i audition it?
- Who is the dealer in the city?
- How is the reliability compared to established brands?
- Will it pair with xx brand of speaker?
- What abt warranty if purchased online?

Hence the suggestion for established brands..

 

[superczar]

I would say, most of the advice is such because most people do not know of things like Topping and SMSL. Those who know of them are often unsure whether to write about them for fear of being put down or whatever.
Though, a few days back someone did strongly suggest a very cheap amp.

It was probably I who you are referring to
I have dabbled with my fair share of amps, AVRs and speakers

I currently own a Marantz PM17SA and a Marantz SR6010.. Both brought after having gone through a good number of moderately expensive devices

My first tryst with a class D Amp was when I ordered one just for the heck of it for 1500 off ebay India (These are standalone boards and not a finished product - but for anyone even marginally familiar with electronics is almost the same as a finished product like the ones from SMSL)

To cut a long story short, I have tried a few more since and just ordered a SMSL SA-160 (which is a finished product in a casing based on TDA7498) for final production deployment with a KEF Q300 for my kitchen
Not that I mind a bare board but to keep a naked PCB dangling off a kitchen shelf is a sure-fire recipe to get one thrown out of the door by the lady of the house!

I also ordered a 250Wx2 TAS5360 (board) along with it (for ~4K) just to see how it compares..

If you were to ask me, I would go to the extent of saying that the newer class D boards hit 80-90% performance of the traditional high grade AB amps at a cost that is 5%

I'd gladly recommend them to someone trying to put together a stereo setup on a low or medium budget because the money saved vs a traditional amp can then be put towards better speakers - which will yield a far bigger improvement in SQ

PS: The Toppings are based off an older class D design named as class T (popularly known as tripath amplifiers). The newer designs from TI and STM (like the TPA3116) improve significantly upon these older designs. I wouldn't recommend a classical tripath over the newer class D amps

Trivia The eponymously titled Tripath (or class T) were designed by an Indian - Adya Tripathi who patented the original high speed switching class D amps

I think these are some of the questions that one can expect if there is a suggestion to newbie for Topping (or) SMSL

- Where can i get it?
- Where can i audition it?
- Who is the dealer in the city?
- How is the reliability compared to established brands?
- Will it pair with xx brand of speaker?
- What abt warranty if purchased online?

Hence the suggestion for established brands..

Think again sir!
The class D boards cost less than a dinner & drink for two so I guess reliability and warranty can easily take a back seat ..although they are very reliable given the low # of parts and the fact that there is a lot of protection built into the core chip (incl overvoltage/shorts/DC on output etc)

If they could be auditioned locally in a store, they wouldn't be so cheap!

Having said that, they are not meant for the faint-hearted who just want to plug in 2 wires and/or expect the dealer to send an installer to handle the connections that go beyond more than a pair of wires!
If you think about it, one of the reasons white goods/TVs are still expensive in India is because it is almost a given that the dealer/manufacturer needs to send an engineer (?) to install the product and give a so called demo - a cost that needs to be baked into the cost of sale

 

[Audio_Freek]

We getting Fair Deal (Board and Finished once's) for the Class D Amp from few Brands like Topping ,SMSL or Lepai.Which could be recommended for the start-up, Instead of suggesting only infamous brands, which are way costly.I am Not against any brands, But If people have options to buy cheap at the same time decent system, we should recommend them,Later they could save money and go for Famous Brands.

We are in India ;we mostly stick to the myth "Cheap product might not be of good quality".These Class D are looked as DIY stuff and not for any Audio listeners .

We have few flaws when it comes to Class D amp's
1. We need to import and waiting time+risk in transit (Though they are well packed and not too heavy to get damaged easily)
2. There is no Dealers, So No audition possible before purchasing. Only demo at any FM house is possible.
3.No Service Centers available,to fix any fault.
4.In case any issue within the warranty period, We need to ship it back to the seller (includes cost and time).
5.These are Chip Based amps , So we cant expect long life unlike the conventional amplifiers.
6.Finally, CHINESE, The Name keep people away from these brands.


But we can get These amps for 3-10K price range and they are performers,Best for 10*10 Room\Bedroom setp-up.If you have high sensitive speakers, These are best to try once to feel the difference.Adding that its Size attracts you much .