They would have been smarter to include a high pass filter on the mains and feed the sub-out full range since most subs have filtering built in anyway.
Good review. I wish other audio reviewers would perform ABX tests. That's the only way to truly compare equipment. So few do it though and they even get a bit "testy" when you bring it up.
I think it's fine to keep griping about the subwoofer output not high-passing the mains. It's also not very aggressive at only -3dB, so won't mix well with the steeper drop off from ported speaker designs (or even sealed). Maybe it's meant to be combined with a subwoofer that has its adjustable own low-pass filter?
Thanks very much for including ABX test in your reviews. It's a quantum leap ahead of any subjective or objective reviewer. This industry feels like it's in the stone age sometimes.
Wow, once you delegate bass duty to the subwoofer system, a high pass on bookshelf mains would allow your mains to sound much better, because they're not having to reproduce low frequencies that they weren't able to do a good enough job on anyway. Hence, I have to echo Erin's sentiment 100%; if you're going to have a subwoofer system, you need to be able to filter the mains by default.
To the point and great review, was interested in your take as I have 2 A07 Max running in mono mode and they can't be beat for the $130 I spent. Also all the class D with TPA3255 say they get "300 wpc", not just Aiyima. 😆
I have a denon AVR-X4500H and use 2.1 for music. I have a big pair of tower speakers that are 4ohms and can handle 300w rms each. Do you think it would be worth getting an external amplifier to drive these or do you think I wouldnt notice any difference? I keep getting tempted by all your reviews of these powerful little amps 😂
Thanks for the amp review. Looks like it will work for a system that won’t need a lot of power including power to rock out, as you said. Very reasonably priced which is good news. Consumers need good affordable equipment. Rock on!
This seems like any other Aiyima amp just within another form factor. Maybe we could find some cheap AB amps in the same wattage we could review? All these 3255 amps are good but they have been reviewed to death at this point. I remember talking about this chip on the diyaudioforum many years ago, and we all bought and tested them. Its weird that its taken mainstream purchaser so many years to discover them.
I think the majority of "audiophiles" would never want to do a blind test with their own equipment fearing they would have to admit they basically spent a lot of money where it wasn't necessary. I believe this would really apply to the older guys who won't admit that their hearing abilities just ain't what they use to be. I know mine aren't so I don't get too anal over these things.
I'd love to see a review of the RSL iA225.1 amp. It's a little 55wpc with a sub output / selectable 90Hz HPF, and they publish some specs that look decent given the $110 price. Would be cool to see independent verification of their specs and get some idea of load dependency.
I have one. I’d be surprised if it does more than 40w at 8ohm. The HP is really nice. I wish it was rated for bigger power source. It’s rated to 24v only.
Man, thank you for saying that! I've been trying really hard to get the setup looking good. I tried the green screen route but didn't feel like it fit well. I was really hoping this setup would look good so it's great to hear that feedback.
How do your neighbors rate the amps (from next door and across the street)? Do they hear the dynamic range from that distance? (I'm trying to be humorous).
Well, if u went on ASR, you would hear different stuff, people take his as a sell out cuz he says outloud his subjective opinion... The only point in which I agreed, is the possibility of Erin's bias concerning kef products... The problem is they actually make good stuff. Nevertheless, I read through their arguments, mostly no water in them. What made me furious was Amir, he basically ridiculed Erin's test and opinions, without any examples... I'd only say two things, Thank you Erin Fok of Asr
A compact, quality, utility amp could come in really handy for all sorts of projects ... if it's a good value. Thank you for your endless endurance at making quality reviews (reviews that are of excellent quality ;).
Thanks, and keep hammering the point about the lack of a HPF for the mains. They got SOO close to an awesome product by even having a variable LPF when most others are fixed, but they fumbled on the 1 yard line by not having a HPF as well. Not sure why so many brands keep failing on that feature, but maybe if you beat the dead horse long enough, they will take notice. The WIIM amp is still the only desktop/mini amp that got it right.
I think they’ll sound very similar, but as Erin says it’s all about power, I’d be interested which ones give the most power. I’m still torn between the Fosi V3 mono & the ZA3 paired and used as mono.
TI TPA3255 - Hmmm, the same chipset as used in the new WiiM Amp Pro... I can only hope that the implementation over in the WiiM camp will be equally as good 🤞
Your comparison of the the two amp systems, one with a lot more power, has me wondering about the sound difference between increasing the amp's volume vs increasing the signal volume from the source. Is it better to crank up the amp, or crank up the volume on the pre-amp (for instance)?
Good review 😊 Tho one thing - the video title question: “the Best Budget Amp so far?” … How do you think it compares to Fosi’s new V3 monos? Same chip, similar price
Look up what the typical channel separation (crosstalk) is for even the best audiophile vinyl LP and you'll realize that just about ANY modern amplifier easily bests that spec. 😛 Somehow, even vinyl LPs such as Pink Floyd's DSOTM provide an incredible soundstage and L/R stereo imaging regardless of the medium's channel separation limitations. ;-) In addition, the in-room "acoustic crosstalk" that we live with every day is orders of magnitude above any amplifier. IOWs, for all intents and purposes, the crosstalk on any modern or even vintage amp is a non-issue. And Erin's measurements obviously DO show Distortion vs. Frequency.
Instead of telling everyone every amp sounds the same, maybe ask yourself, why do these amps sound the same? There may be something in your system negating any damping factor/output impedance of your amplifier thus making 2 different amps sound the same. What is it? Your speaker cables. Yes, speaker cables have resistance and can take away any DF and high DF amplifier has. But speaker cables are Snake Oil! 😱 Blasphemy.
@@richardgrant418 ^Pretty much. AND, if you look at 95% of the amplifiers out there, regardless of topology, they pretty much measure FLAT +/- 0.5dB from 20Hz-20+kHz, so THERE'S THAT, LOL. @dicmccoy Yes, when you add nearly any length of speaker wire to the output terminals of an amplifier, that Damping Factor Spec goes out the window. On Andy Wehmeyer's company website, Audiofrog, he has a Tech Brief/Article that explains why the "Damping Factor" is pretty much a non-issue. Andy was a product developer/manager at JBL/Harman for over a decade and worked alongside Floyd Toole, Sean Olive, and many of their other amplifier and loudspeaker engineers. There is also a recent Damping Factor test with measurements on the "RAW-CAt" RUclips channel that might be interesting to watch. Cheers.
Thanks much for the helpful review! I would love to know how differently the A70 would perform with the 10A GaN power supply. Too late for that determination, I guess. Might you hazard a guess, Erin? Or might viewers who have the 10A ps share their experience? I am most concerned to learn if the amp becomes hot with the 10A ps. Thank you!!
Erin, how would the A70s with upgraded Sparkos compare to an Audiolab 6000a? I'm looking to find out if they're even in the same ball-park of performance. Thank you.
I'm curious if they simply couldn't implement an adequately transparent, switchable, variable highpass in the main output. Is that a fair assessment at this price and output characteristics?
Good to see you doing your things again. Now, compared to the Dayton Audio APA150 I don't see how this product is better. The Dayton can be bridged, has the transformer built in, line sensing on/off and a crossover low pass frequency control all for $199.00. I Would really like to see your comparison video if possible. Oh btw the Dayton claims 75 wpc @ 8 ohms.
Got the Aiyima A70 and love it. I left it on 24/7 for 2 days, just little warm to touch, however on the third day, it gets warmer to touch, so I turn the 07 off after each usage. Then as I soon as I played a few track at low volume, it starts get warm right away. Sound quality is great, just the warm to touch makes me worry abt its longevity. On the other hand, my Fosi ZA3 in stereo mode is not quite that warm as the Aiyima 70. Any thought abt the warm to touch of the Aiyima A70 ?
@DearSX TBF, the March Audio P501 Monoblock amplifiers that Erin used in his Blind A/B/X subjective listening tests are for all intents and purposes considered to be "Audiophile" grade amplifiers. The P501 amplifiers use the Purifi Eigentakt 1ET7040SA modules which are about the closest thing to a pure "straight wire with gain" that you can buy, meaning that the output signal = the input signal with no additional distortion, color/flavor, or deviation. Yes, the March Audio monoblock have more output capability before distortion rises significantly, but all things being equal otherwise, the differences are simply the ability to play a given set of loudspeakers to a bit higher level. An amplifier's output power should be chosen based on the sensitivity of the speakers, their rated power handling, your listening distance/how large your listening room is, and how loud you desire to play said speakers. And with more excellent "real-world" test such as this one by Erin, we can be more confident in our choice when comparing two or more different amplifiers for use in our particular system and listening room. As Erin noted, both amplifiers "sound the same", but his reference March Audio monoblocks can drive his speakers to a bit higher SPL. Whether or not that is necessary in your particular setup depends on the factors previously noted above as well as the dynamic capability/threshold of dynamic compression of your particular speakers. If others are of the opinion that an "Audiophile" amplifier should in some way embellish the sound via some type of affect on or deviation from the source or input signal, that's fine but another topic entirely. An amplifier that isn't neutral or accurate to the original input signal may sound "better" with some music depending on how it was mixed and mastered, but it may also sound worse with other music, so you are giving up any consistency and confidence that you are hearing the true sonics of the source as finalized and approved by the artist and engineer. A recording/mixing/mastering engineer would instead reach for any number of EQs or EFX processors to "embellish" the sound characteristics to their liking, rather than swapping/rolling amplifiers (or cables) to achieve a specific or desired sonic character.
@@bbfoto7248 Speaking of EQ... I found there is a deep division among audio types. The Eq crowd vs the purists that think Eq ruins a system. Just like Jesus would say where the synagogue at? The sound engineer that mastered the recording would say where the Eq at. All systems sound different and need to be tuned for listening volume, distance, room, speakers.
Erin's just invalidated the entire amp industry. Everything over $300 is artifice, and only then if they have all the bells and whistles. Erin - you just took 100K jobs and un-employed those folks. How are they going to put food on their families? It's your job now.
What is a good small amp like this that has XLR inputs and a low pass filter? Preferably even a remote. I have dual TTs with mixer on a bunch of Kallax units for my records thus space is limited. Even considered powered speakers like the SVS.
Good review...looks like it does exactly what it supposed to do ....amplify the input signal unchanged ....nicr that you compaired it to a more expensive and powerful amplifier....don't know if the speakers are hard to drive but it would be nice to have the results with some notoriously hard to drive speakers to push the limits. The 10 amp power supply would also be a useful comparison.
Can you use 2 of the A70's as Mono Blocks therefore doubling power? 2 A 70's with 2 upgraded power supplies only equals $440 USD...a bargain. Great videos...THANKS
This looks super clean for a 200$ stereo amp with a subwoofer out. I use a benchtop power supply with amps like this, and it looks like this thing could easily handle the 48v 10a or even more, as the distortion coming near the max power may very well be from the power supply running out of juice rather than the amp having issues
What the amp can handle from an external power supply is really going to partly depend on the thermal design of the PA.. sometimes a lack of careful manufacturing of the product or the thermal integrity of the design, can limit the amp thermally, which will reward you with a dead amp if pushed too much too often.
Is benchtop power supply a brand or just a type of power supply? What brand and model do you have? I tried to shop for benchtop power supply and got more results for construction power tools and kitchen counter tops.
@@shipsahoy1793 true, but I can clearly see heatsinks that a noctua fan can help along and looking at the amps parts specs, it's capable of taking in nearly 300wpc so running 48v 10a or more is likely to be just fine with some cooling.
@@robertlogue3794 lol benchtop power supply is a generic name for an external power supply in its own case that can fit on the work bench. you need to look for an external power supply that can be adjusted to the voltage that you want and has the current capacity that you need for that voltage while maintaining the size and weight that you find acceptable. A linear power supply will be larger and heavier whereas a switched mode power supply will be smaller and lighter, but you have to be sure that it's not going to introduce any noise or interference. I have a nice clean Daiwa switcher, but I don't think they still make them.
@@Luke-qs2cg sure, if you pull away more heat with convection cooling, of course that will keep the device junction temp down and the device mtbf up, as long as there's a good thermal connection between the device and the heatsink.
How does this compare with Emotiva Basx A2m @$279 or Monolith M2100X @$399? If the form factor is not crucial, I would buy class AB amps over these toys.
@swllz Their are plenty of "crappy" Class A/B amplifiers out there as well, even ones that "look" and have been previously regarded as "high end" or "sound quality" amplifiers. Not all Class A/B amplifiers are created equal! The beauty can be just skin deep. If we put this Aiyima side-by-side with another same Aiyima amp, but place one of them inside a "high end" D'Agostino amplifier housing, I can guarantee that 99% of the listeners in a sighted subjective listening test will choose the "D'Agostino" amp every time, LOL. Search for the following short blog post article that will take less than 5 minutes to read: "Audio Musings by Sean Olive - The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests" (sean olive blogspot 2009/04)
I've got a little SU-1 and an SA300 running my system and sometimes I look at these little things and go "look how big you are! Look at the Wharfies going!"
The difference between my amps was the bass. It was a night and day difference. As to why? Was it the difference in Dampimg Factor/Output Impedance? 🤷🏼♂️ I was comparing a pair of Class A/B IOTAXV pa3's in bridged mode vs pair of VTV Purifi Eigentakt 1ET400a's. Anyone and everyone would be able to tell the difference in your ABX test because like i said, the difference in bass isnt subtle. The bass on the IOTA's come across as "muscular" but when you compare it to the bass on the Purifi, thr IOTAs come across as bloated/wooly. The Purifi comes across as lean, but ultra controlled amd detailed. When you stop comparing the amps, then the bass on the Purifi's dont come across as lean anymore. Maybe stop comparing amps with similar Damping Factors/Output Impedances? But also don't use garbage wires that has higher resistance that could negate that Damping Factor. And that could also be the main reason why you're not noticing a difference. Loom at your cables and termination. Gets something that measures fairly low in resistance like .00474 ohms for 6 ft. If you have something that measures .0300 or higher, then you're really taking away any damping factor a class d amps has.
I am pretty sre I am not alone in thinking that a vid on the advantage of high pass filters improving the performance of mains, inclding differences between 2-way v. 3 way, would be very interesting. Love your stuff, I have learned a lot.
@aiyima make it a tiny bit bigger for the power supply!!!??? should work, just add more ventilation. just please, dont make the holes look goofy. charge 300. filter for high-pass to the mains as Erin and ASR ppl suggest. make the knob cool. this could really win lots of sales. let me know if you need some design pointers actually. that is a specialty of mine and i have some ideas. edit: and taller feet!
How would you compare this with the Aiyima 80A Pro? Woukd it be an upgrade? This new unit has balanced imputs which would go nicely with my Pioneer DJM 450.
The power brick delivers 480 watts maximum 🤔 if so then Simply take away the amplifiers inefficiency and a few watts for the preamp section then divide the remaining watts by the channel count and then you end up with a Theoretical max power output for the amp...to do 300 watts, it would need a 700 watt power supply, not 480
Great educational review. Your gentle approach would work with DACs and headphones. And even to products outside audio. Don't limit your talents. Eager to watch your career.
If you wanna rock out with these mini amplifiers you really need 4 ohm speakers I started building my own speakers just to have fun with these little amps 😅
I understand willing to have a low pass AND a high pass. At this price point, I would probably opt out, as the components that would be used would probably be cheap and affect the sound on the mains. Pretty sure that would be audible. If it were to be done in DSP, then, it'd be cool, but this unit has analogue inputs, so it would need to do A/D, apply DSP, then go through D/A before sending it to the amplifier section. I have the little miniDSP 2x4HD and having tried that, I wouldn't recommend the extra A/D-D/A conversions. It does affect the sound. Best combination would be to use digital inputs on a unit like the 2x4HD, then you have one or two channels of subs, and two channels of mains to be amplified by a little unit like the A70. Thanks for the reviews!
The 12V trigger makes this perfect for AVRs that process 2ch more than they power, nice review. When it rains it pours. Hang in there Erin. A rainbow 🌈 brighter than your new background is just around the corner!
How would you compare this with the Aiyima 80A Pro? Woukd it be an upgrade? This new unit has balanced imputs which would go nicely with my Pioneer DJM 450.
@@robertendsley8312 Sounds about right, he’s got so many people fooled into believing the mouth diarrhea he spews on every video. It’s the most cringe audio channel on YT
Hi Erin, an interesting review. I have been using Aiyima's A08pro for almost 2 years and it did wonders to me . I have been using one of the most musical amp from 47 Lab before and this A08pro does the same magic with more power which is truly amazing and go from strength to strength with better front end equipment added onto it. Tried their A07max and never liked it since it is lacking the musicality. So I wonder if A70 sound character is similat to A07max or more musical? If it's a more musical , I may give it a try, thanks in advance!
@@jari121 All amps are not same, or else there won't be tens of thousanads of designs , brandss and models exisiting in this world. I trust my ears when A/B comparing it myself between different models. All cars are equal, why buy a porsche if a cheap but reliable brand can take you from point A to point B safely?
@@ericlo6370 Did you make ABX tests like Erin? It always makes me laugh when someone makes these comparisons to cars, like comparing coffee makers to airplanes 😄.
@@ericlo6370 I also don't think that the current tests can show everything audible, but the ABX listening tests will certainly reveal if there are differences in the sound of the two devices. Maybe it's good to stop here.
Erin, the link to the product is to a page where it is sold out. There are other ones that aren't sold out right now that you could switch over to if you wanted.
Thank You Erin for the unbiased and technically sound review. I have a question about the pre-out connection. Was the pre-out a mono output or does it do stereo signal. I have Aiyima 07 max and pretty much impressed with its capability to drive Wharfedale Lintons. I connected 3.5 mm stereo pin to pre out with stereo RCA ends. I’m getting signal to only one channel. So I presume the pre out is a mono signal. Please correct me if I am wrong. 😊😊😊
@drsuresh9 I would think that the 3.5mm Stereo miniplug AUX OUT jack on your Aiyima 07 Max is stereo...as long as the amplifier itself is not switched to MONO mode. I would confirm that your 3.5mm-to-RCA cable is not defective, and if it is good, contact Aiyima. FYI, on the manufacturer's product page for the amp, one of the diagrams shows the 3.5mm miniplug to Left & Right RCA cable going to a PAIR of Active Speakers, indicating that it SHOULD be Stereo. They also show it going to another amplifier that has Two Knobs and two of something else (RCA jacks maybe), which also suggests that it is a Stereo Output. But they also show it going to a single active subwoofer. Unfortunately, their specs and documentation aren't completely clear about this.
In the A07 it is stereo. It is also a stereo input. I have connected my phone to it via a dongle dac and can thus play music from my phone. I don't know if this is also the case with the A07 max and A70.
Appreciate another detailed review! I was wondering if you left out your multi tone power test for a testing related reason, or just convince / gear setup during moving?
That thing looks like a Fosi. The overall chassis & finish is extremely similar. Starting think both companies are, instead of competing, working together to flood the market with these cheap, small form factor amps. They could be trying to bury the, albeit more expensive, better Western built ones. The same thing appears to be happening with DACs & headphone amps. I've heard these cheap Chi-fi amps are OK for near-field, low volume listening but not much else. I'll be sticking to the Western brands. Even if I have to save for longer. The old saying still rings true - You get what you pay for.
No mention of the balanced connections. Amps should come with at least 2 inputs standard. And did it come with a remote? If not then is it meant for a desktop/near field system?
Great review. Looks like class D amps are way past being only for subwoofers, this looks like great value. Just need to find something with a remote (preamp/TV) to hook it up to.
The fact that MANY professional Active/Powered Studio Monitors used for recording, mixing, and mastering music are primarily using built-in Class D amplifiers, even in products like the $16k Kii Audio Three monitors that several respected mastering engineers use, is a confirmation and endorsement that Class D is NOT inferior to other topologies. Most of these active studio monitors are using some variation of the Hypex Class D modules (UcD/Ncore/Nilai), or the Purifi Eigentakt 1ET400A Class D modules similar to Erin's "Reference" March Audio P501 monoblock amps which use the Purifi 1ET7040SA.
How big is a 'medium sized' room in your estimate. I can use my basement as my music room but I am not sure if you categorize that as 'small, medium or large'. Affiliate link will be nice.
In other reviews, I think Erin stated that his main listening room was ~14' x 17' x 9' and he considered that to be "Medium" size, but don't quote me on that. It's all relative to the size and S.F. of the type of home you live in (an apartment in Japan, an average older war-era suburban home, or a more modern McMansion), but IMO, a room that's 12' x13' x 8' (LxWxH) or smaller is a "Smallish" Room, 15' x 18' x 8'-9' is a "Medium" Room, and 18' x 24'+ x 8-12' is a "LARGISH" Room. Having said that, a typical basic no-frills 2-car garage is 24' x 24'. And I'm not sure I would consider that very Large. 😛
@@Openeyesopenheart42 Potentially. In my own personal experience I've purchased some more traditional established and "reputable/high quality" name-brand amplifiers and integrated amps second-hand only to have them fail, have a channel imbalance, noisy pots/switches, or some other issue that was not worth the money to repair or at least nullified my "good deal". If the unit has been tested by a qualified service tech and/or stress tested, listened to, and measured as Erin has done here to confirm its performance, I'd have no issues buying second hand more often. But in reality that is almost never the case when purchasing "affordable" second hand gear. For reference, I've probably owned 30+ different amps/integrated amps throughout the years and wasted a sh!t ton of money on repairs/refurbishing/upgrading them. This includes McIntosh, Marantz, Parasound, etc. It's a Catch 22. Right now, in my main system I'm using the Hypex Nilai500-based Class D stereo amplifier kit from DIYclassD which cost about $1300 USD and took about half an afternoon to assemble with no soldering required. And this amp has equalled or bested every other -"high end" amplifier I've ever owned, even some significantly "modded/upgraded" Class A/B amps. Over the years I've easily spent 10x that amount on second hand integrated and separate power amps...some of which were excellent (but I needed more output power), and some that were lackluster even given their supposedly high end pedigree. Just to say that choice is good, and as Erin said, you can't possibly know which actually SOUNDS BETTER unless you do proper blind A/B/X listening tests. Search for the following short blog post article that will take less than 5 minutes to read: "Audio Musings by Sean Olive - The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests" (sean olive blogspot 2009/04)
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
They would have been smarter to include a high pass filter on the mains and feed the sub-out full range since most subs have filtering built in anyway.
Good review. I wish other audio reviewers would perform ABX tests. That's the only way to truly compare equipment. So few do it though and they even get a bit "testy" when you bring it up.
I think it's fine to keep griping about the subwoofer output not high-passing the mains. It's also not very aggressive at only -3dB, so won't mix well with the steeper drop off from ported speaker designs (or even sealed). Maybe it's meant to be combined with a subwoofer that has its adjustable own low-pass filter?
Thanks very much for including ABX test in your reviews. It's a quantum leap ahead of any subjective or objective reviewer. This industry feels like it's in the stone age sometimes.
Thanks erin for addressing hi-pass filter.
Wow, once you delegate bass duty to the subwoofer system, a high pass on bookshelf mains would allow your mains to sound much better, because they're not having to reproduce low frequencies that they weren't able to do a good enough job on anyway. Hence,
I have to echo Erin's sentiment 100%; if you're going to have a subwoofer system, you need to be able to filter the mains by default.
Getting measurements & your thoughts on these affordable amps is fantastic. Thanks Erin!
To the point and great review, was interested in your take as I have 2 A07 Max running in mono mode and they can't be beat for the $130 I spent. Also all the class D with TPA3255 say they get "300 wpc", not just Aiyima. 😆
I have a denon AVR-X4500H and use 2.1 for music. I have a big pair of tower speakers that are 4ohms and can handle 300w rms each. Do you think it would be worth getting an external amplifier to drive these or do you think I wouldnt notice any difference?
I keep getting tempted by all your reviews of these powerful little amps 😂
Thanks for the amp review. Looks like it will work for a system that won’t need a lot of power including power to rock out, as you said. Very reasonably priced which is good news. Consumers need good affordable equipment. Rock on!
Sir ,Which one would you recommend between This one and the aiyima a07 max ,purely based on better sound quality , accuracy and warmth ?
Which amp has a high pass feature for mains?
Do you use the stock 48V 5A or the upgraded 48V 10A ? Is it safe to use the 48V 10A power supply ?
This seems like any other Aiyima amp just within another form factor. Maybe we could find some cheap AB amps in the same wattage we could review? All these 3255 amps are good but they have been reviewed to death at this point. I remember talking about this chip on the diyaudioforum many years ago, and we all bought and tested them. Its weird that its taken mainstream purchaser so many years to discover them.
Integrated high pass/sub out is one of my top wish list items on an integrated. I'll probably end up going the MiniDSP Flex route.
Really appreciate the educational aspects tacked on the review ones. It makes your videos so paletable. Thanks Erin!
I think the majority of "audiophiles" would never want to do a blind test with their own equipment fearing they would have to admit they basically spent a lot of money where it wasn't necessary. I believe this would really apply to the older guys who won't admit that their hearing abilities just ain't what they use to be. I know mine aren't so I don't get too anal over these things.
O I guess you know the “majority” of audiophiles. This is an idiotic comment, you sound like a pouty child.
I think your wrong about the “majority” of audiophiles.
@@Harrisongrey19
Well if I am I sure would like to see a lot of the experts actually do it.
@@chrislj2890 that would be useless bc it’s what they would hear, not what you would.
@@Harrisongrey19
I don't think you comprehend the concept of what I am saying.
I'd love to see a review of the RSL iA225.1 amp. It's a little 55wpc with a sub output / selectable 90Hz HPF, and they publish some specs that look decent given the $110 price. Would be cool to see independent verification of their specs and get some idea of load dependency.
I have one. I’d be surprised if it does more than 40w at 8ohm. The HP is really nice. I wish it was rated for bigger power source. It’s rated to 24v only.
Just wanted to say the video and lighting lately are looking amazing. Great review as well!
Man, thank you for saying that! I've been trying really hard to get the setup looking good. I tried the green screen route but didn't feel like it fit well. I was really hoping this setup would look good so it's great to hear that feedback.
How do your neighbors rate the amps (from next door and across the street)? Do they hear the dynamic range from that distance? (I'm trying to be humorous).
They haven’t complained yet. So the amps must suck. 😂
Erin for President
Erin is not a douche bag. Won’t work.
Well, if u went on ASR, you would hear different stuff, people take his as a sell out cuz he says outloud his subjective opinion...
The only point in which I agreed, is the possibility of Erin's bias concerning kef products... The problem is they actually make good stuff.
Nevertheless, I read through their arguments, mostly no water in them.
What made me furious was Amir, he basically ridiculed Erin's test and opinions, without any examples...
I'd only say two things,
Thank you Erin
Fok of Asr
Creating "fake" detail that isn't there. Sounds about right for him.
@@dicmccoy wait is that something Erin's ever done? I might actually be that retarded...
@@dicmccoy lol what? Has Erin ever done something like that... I have been following him for 2 years and he's never been that deluded
A compact, quality, utility amp could come in really handy for all sorts of projects ... if it's a good value.
Thank you for your endless endurance at making quality reviews (reviews that are of excellent quality ;).
What is the output with 10amp power supply?
@@uribar-ner5055 Audio signal output 250w*2
@@uribar-ner5055 Audio signal output 250w*2
Thanks, and keep hammering the point about the lack of a HPF for the mains. They got SOO close to an awesome product by even having a variable LPF when most others are fixed, but they fumbled on the 1 yard line by not having a HPF as well. Not sure why so many brands keep failing on that feature, but maybe if you beat the dead horse long enough, they will take notice. The WIIM amp is still the only desktop/mini amp that got it right.
How it's sound compared to aiyima A07max and fosi za3 ...does it sounds better?
I think they’ll sound very similar, but as Erin says it’s all about power, I’d be interested which ones give the most power. I’m still torn between the Fosi V3 mono & the ZA3 paired and used as mono.
TI TPA3255 - Hmmm, the same chipset as used in the new WiiM Amp Pro... I can only hope that the implementation over in the WiiM camp will be equally as good 🤞
I would love for you to evaluate a Buckeye amp with Purify modules.
Your comparison of the the two amp systems, one with a lot more power, has me wondering about the sound difference between increasing the amp's volume vs increasing the signal volume from the source. Is it better to crank up the amp, or crank up the volume on the pre-amp (for instance)?
Just buy the 48V 10 Amp power supply for an additional $20.
It's double the power, and I think it'll do a lot more good than you might expect.
😊
Distortion seems to be an issue when you pair these with a higher power supply. Word is.
My friend spent 1$ for a 1000$ 2011 sony amp 6 channel 1 sub channel 180w per channel,works perfectly fine
Good review 😊
Tho one thing - the video title question: “the Best Budget Amp so far?” …
How do you think it compares to Fosi’s new V3 monos?
Same chip, similar price
Good review. I like hearing about the ABX testing.
you have to measure distortion per frequency.. and also crosstalk
Look up what the typical channel separation (crosstalk) is for even the best audiophile vinyl LP and you'll realize that just about ANY modern amplifier easily bests that spec. 😛 Somehow, even vinyl LPs such as Pink Floyd's DSOTM provide an incredible soundstage and L/R stereo imaging regardless of the medium's channel separation limitations. ;-)
In addition, the in-room "acoustic crosstalk" that we live with every day is orders of magnitude above any amplifier. IOWs, for all intents and purposes, the crosstalk on any modern or even vintage amp is a non-issue.
And Erin's measurements obviously DO show Distortion vs. Frequency.
algoritmus (Algorithm in Hungarian)
Look Ma'! Another "Bonsai" Amplifier! (aka "origami" amplifier)
Lol, "more thumbs ups" 🤙
Instead of telling everyone every amp sounds the same, maybe ask yourself, why do these amps sound the same? There may be something in your system negating any damping factor/output impedance of your amplifier thus making 2 different amps sound the same. What is it? Your speaker cables. Yes, speaker cables have resistance and can take away any DF and high DF amplifier has. But speaker cables are Snake Oil! 😱 Blasphemy.
They sound the same because they all have miniscule distortion
@@richardgrant418
^Pretty much. AND, if you look at 95% of the amplifiers out there, regardless of topology, they pretty much measure FLAT +/- 0.5dB from 20Hz-20+kHz, so THERE'S THAT, LOL.
@dicmccoy
Yes, when you add nearly any length of speaker wire to the output terminals of an amplifier, that Damping Factor Spec goes out the window.
On Andy Wehmeyer's company website, Audiofrog, he has a Tech Brief/Article that explains why the "Damping Factor" is pretty much a non-issue. Andy was a product developer/manager at JBL/Harman for over a decade and worked alongside Floyd Toole, Sean Olive, and many of their other amplifier and loudspeaker engineers.
There is also a recent Damping Factor test with measurements on the "RAW-CAt" RUclips channel that might be interesting to watch.
Cheers.
Thanks a lot for the great work as always.
I think coupling this with a wiim pro plus would make a nice low budget setup.
Thanks much for the helpful review! I would love to know how differently the A70 would perform with the 10A GaN power supply. Too late for that determination, I guess. Might you hazard a guess, Erin? Or might viewers who have the 10A ps share their experience? I am most concerned to learn if the amp becomes hot with the 10A ps. Thank you!!
Erin, how would the A70s with upgraded Sparkos compare to an Audiolab 6000a? I'm looking to find out if they're even in the same ball-park of performance. Thank you.
I'm curious if they simply couldn't implement an adequately transparent, switchable, variable highpass in the main output.
Is that a fair assessment at this price and output characteristics?
How "COOL" This amp would be if bridgeable and balanced 200 WATT + MONO MONSTER
Good to see you doing your things again. Now, compared to the Dayton Audio APA150 I don't see how this product is better. The Dayton can be bridged, has the transformer built in, line sensing on/off and a crossover low pass frequency control all for $199.00. I Would really like to see your comparison video if possible. Oh btw the Dayton claims 75 wpc @ 8 ohms.
Agree - I am missing a high pass right now trying to blend my new SVS to subs.
Got the Aiyima A70 and love it. I left it on 24/7 for 2 days, just little warm to touch, however on the third day, it gets warmer to touch, so I turn the 07 off after each usage. Then as I soon as I played a few track at low volume, it starts get warm right away. Sound quality is great, just the warm to touch makes me worry abt its longevity. On the other hand, my Fosi ZA3 in stereo mode is not quite that warm as the Aiyima 70. Any thought abt the warm to touch of the Aiyima A70 ?
Great that you did the objective and Subjective tests. Love this. Wish you had an audiophile amp with similar power to really shut em up.
@DearSX
TBF, the March Audio P501 Monoblock amplifiers that Erin used in his Blind A/B/X subjective listening tests are for all intents and purposes considered to be "Audiophile" grade amplifiers.
The P501 amplifiers use the Purifi Eigentakt 1ET7040SA modules which are about the closest thing to a pure "straight wire with gain" that you can buy, meaning that the output signal = the input signal with no additional distortion, color/flavor, or deviation.
Yes, the March Audio monoblock have more output capability before distortion rises significantly, but all things being equal otherwise, the differences are simply the ability to play a given set of loudspeakers to a bit higher level.
An amplifier's output power should be chosen based on the sensitivity of the speakers, their rated power handling, your listening distance/how large your listening room is, and how loud you desire to play said speakers.
And with more excellent "real-world" test such as this one by Erin, we can be more confident in our choice when comparing two or more different amplifiers for use in our particular system and listening room.
As Erin noted, both amplifiers "sound the same", but his reference March Audio monoblocks can drive his speakers to a bit higher SPL. Whether or not that is necessary in your particular setup depends on the factors previously noted above as well as the dynamic capability/threshold of dynamic compression of your particular speakers.
If others are of the opinion that an "Audiophile" amplifier should in some way embellish the sound via some type of affect on or deviation from the source or input signal, that's fine but another topic entirely.
An amplifier that isn't neutral or accurate to the original input signal may sound "better" with some music depending on how it was mixed and mastered, but it may also sound worse with other music, so you are giving up any consistency and confidence that you are hearing the true sonics of the source as finalized and approved by the artist and engineer.
A recording/mixing/mastering engineer would instead reach for any number of EQs or EFX processors to "embellish" the sound characteristics to their liking, rather than swapping/rolling amplifiers (or cables) to achieve a specific or desired sonic character.
@@bbfoto7248 Speaking of EQ...
I found there is a deep division among audio types. The Eq crowd vs the purists that think Eq ruins a system. Just like Jesus would say where the synagogue at? The sound engineer that mastered the recording would say where the Eq at.
All systems sound different and need to be tuned for listening volume, distance, room, speakers.
Erin's just invalidated the entire amp industry. Everything over $300 is artifice, and only then if they have all the bells and whistles.
Erin - you just took 100K jobs and un-employed those folks. How are they going to put food on their families? It's your job now.
I'm so glad you're doing these amp reviews.
What is a good small amp like this that has XLR inputs and a low pass filter? Preferably even a remote. I have dual TTs with mixer on a bunch of Kallax units for my records thus space is limited. Even considered powered speakers like the SVS.
Am I hearing things did I just hear a RUclips reviewer talk honestly about amps. It can't be!
Not RUclips, but honest, very knowledgeable and comprehensive
Reviews by Amir at ASR
A good amplifier should impart no sound of its own. However, can amplifiers increase sound stage width and depth?
Good review...looks like it does exactly what it supposed to do ....amplify the input signal unchanged ....nicr that you compaired it to a more expensive and powerful amplifier....don't know if the speakers are hard to drive but it would be nice to have the results with some notoriously hard to drive speakers to push the limits. The 10 amp power supply would also be a useful comparison.
Excellent review! If possible can you do a similar review/test of the RSL mini amp?
Can you use 2 of the A70's as Mono Blocks therefore doubling power? 2 A 70's with 2 upgraded power supplies only equals $440 USD...a bargain. Great videos...THANKS
Good question
But i don’t think he mentioned a mono switch
This looks super clean for a 200$ stereo amp with a subwoofer out. I use a benchtop power supply with amps like this, and it looks like this thing could easily handle the 48v 10a or even more, as the distortion coming near the max power may very well be from the power supply running out of juice rather than the amp having issues
What the amp can handle from an external power supply is really going to partly depend on the thermal design of the PA.. sometimes a
lack of careful manufacturing of the product or the thermal integrity of the design, can limit the amp thermally, which will reward you with a dead amp if pushed too much too often.
Is benchtop power supply a brand or just a type of power supply? What brand and model do you have? I tried to shop for benchtop power supply and got more results for construction power tools and kitchen counter tops.
@@shipsahoy1793 true, but I can clearly see heatsinks that a noctua fan can help along and looking at the amps parts specs, it's capable of taking in nearly 300wpc so running 48v 10a or more is likely to be just fine with some cooling.
@@robertlogue3794 lol benchtop power supply is a generic name for an external power supply in its own case that can fit on the work bench. you need to look for an external power supply that can be adjusted to the voltage that you want and has the current capacity that you need for that voltage while maintaining the size and weight that you find acceptable. A linear power supply will be larger and heavier whereas a switched mode power supply will be smaller and lighter, but you have to be sure that it's not going to introduce any noise or interference. I have a nice clean Daiwa switcher, but I don't think they still make them.
@@Luke-qs2cg sure, if you pull away more heat with convection cooling, of course that will keep the device junction temp down and the device mtbf up, as long as there's a good thermal connection between the device and the heatsink.
How does this compare with Emotiva Basx A2m @$279 or Monolith M2100X @$399? If the form factor is not crucial, I would buy class AB amps over these toys.
@swllz
Their are plenty of "crappy" Class A/B amplifiers out there as well, even ones that "look" and have been previously regarded as "high end" or "sound quality" amplifiers.
Not all Class A/B amplifiers are created equal! The beauty can be just skin deep.
If we put this Aiyima side-by-side with another same Aiyima amp, but place one of them inside a "high end" D'Agostino amplifier housing, I can guarantee that 99% of the listeners in a sighted subjective listening test will choose the "D'Agostino" amp every time, LOL.
Search for the following short blog post article that will take less than 5 minutes to read:
"Audio Musings by Sean Olive - The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests"
(sean olive blogspot 2009/04)
Why would A/B generally be better?
And why are these toys?
Aren’t you aware that Class D has progressed a lot?
@@richardgrant418 I am referring the Emotiva and Monolith that I mentioned.
Thanks Erin, nice to see you finishing a review without frying an amplifier this time ❤
I've got a little SU-1 and an SA300 running my system and sometimes I look at these little things and go "look how big you are! Look at the Wharfies going!"
Wharfies? Wow bud. Let me guess you have pronouns too
@@Harrisongrey19 lol, forgot to take your meds?
@@Harrisongrey19 you should ask for them then, if "wharfies" gets you so easily triggered
@@Hirnlego999 you snowflakes love that word “triggered”
Solid review. Thanks for your no nonsense opinion.
I like that they list the replaceable opamp chips
Proper bass management remains a dream.
for some reason there's a war on bass... ? crazy how hard it is to get the bass things to all work out smoothly!
The difference between my amps was the bass. It was a night and day difference. As to why? Was it the difference in Dampimg Factor/Output Impedance? 🤷🏼♂️ I was comparing a pair of Class A/B IOTAXV pa3's in bridged mode vs pair of VTV Purifi Eigentakt 1ET400a's. Anyone and everyone would be able to tell the difference in your ABX test because like i said, the difference in bass isnt subtle.
The bass on the IOTA's come across as "muscular" but when you compare it to the bass on the Purifi, thr IOTAs come across as bloated/wooly. The Purifi comes across as lean, but ultra controlled amd detailed. When you stop comparing the amps, then the bass on the Purifi's dont come across as lean anymore.
Maybe stop comparing amps with similar Damping Factors/Output Impedances? But also don't use garbage wires that has higher resistance that could negate that Damping Factor. And that could also be the main reason why you're not noticing a difference. Loom at your cables and termination. Gets something that measures fairly low in resistance like .00474 ohms for 6 ft. If you have something that measures .0300 or higher, then you're really taking away any damping factor a class d amps has.
I am pretty sre I am not alone in thinking that a vid on the advantage of high pass filters improving the performance of mains, inclding differences between 2-way v. 3 way, would be very interesting. Love your stuff, I have learned a lot.
@aiyima make it a tiny bit bigger for the power supply!!!??? should work, just add more ventilation. just please, dont make the holes look goofy. charge 300. filter for high-pass to the mains as Erin and ASR ppl suggest. make the knob cool. this could really win lots of sales. let me know if you need some design pointers actually. that is a specialty of mine and i have some ideas. edit: and taller feet!
How would you compare this with the Aiyima 80A Pro? Woukd it be an upgrade? This new unit has balanced imputs which would go nicely with my Pioneer DJM 450.
The power brick delivers 480 watts maximum 🤔 if so then Simply take away the amplifiers inefficiency and a few watts for the preamp section then divide the remaining watts by the channel count and then you end up with a Theoretical max power output for the amp...to do 300 watts, it would need a 700 watt power supply, not 480
Great educational review. Your gentle approach would work with DACs and headphones. And even to products outside audio. Don't limit your talents. Eager to watch your career.
If you wanna rock out with these mini amplifiers you really need 4 ohm speakers I started building my own speakers just to have fun with these little amps 😅
I understand willing to have a low pass AND a high pass. At this price point, I would probably opt out, as the components that would be used would probably be cheap and affect the sound on the mains. Pretty sure that would be audible. If it were to be done in DSP, then, it'd be cool, but this unit has analogue inputs, so it would need to do A/D, apply DSP, then go through D/A before sending it to the amplifier section. I have the little miniDSP 2x4HD and having tried that, I wouldn't recommend the extra A/D-D/A conversions. It does affect the sound. Best combination would be to use digital inputs on a unit like the 2x4HD, then you have one or two channels of subs, and two channels of mains to be amplified by a little unit like the A70.
Thanks for the reviews!
Thanks for the video! Were all your tests done using the XLR inputs? Did you try the RCAs at all?
Great one, thank you.
Thanks Erin for the review. Any chance you can review RSL iA255.1?
The 12V trigger makes this perfect for AVRs that process 2ch more than they power, nice review.
When it rains it pours. Hang in there Erin. A rainbow 🌈 brighter than your new background is just around the corner!
hey Erin , Thanks for reviews , could you please review Eris Sub 8 BT subwoofer as well ? i'll appreciate it
Great to see the complex load measurement give a lot more insight.👍
Oh should add harmonic distortion to make it more complete 😉
How would you compare this with the Aiyima 80A Pro? Woukd it be an upgrade? This new unit has balanced imputs which would go nicely with my Pioneer DJM 450.
I’m sure cheap Amazon man, could answer that for you, check out his train wreck of a channel.
@@Harrisongrey19
I tried. He is about as helpful as Gary Coleman's wife. Dude does not answer questions or do anything unless you give him money.
@@robertendsley8312 Sounds about right, he’s got so many people fooled into believing the mouth diarrhea he spews on every video. It’s the most cringe audio channel on YT
@@robertendsley8312 lol you can get realness from him with money? even then theres no way he'll keep his stories straight !
@@Harrisongrey19 LoL amazon man. his stuff is infuriating!
Another feature I'd love to see included in modern amplifiers is an adjustable damping factor.
Hi Erin, an interesting review. I have been using Aiyima's A08pro for almost 2 years and it did wonders to me . I have been using one of the most musical amp from 47 Lab before and this A08pro does the same magic with more power which is truly amazing and go from strength to strength with better front end equipment added onto it. Tried their A07max and never liked it since it is lacking the musicality. So I wonder if A70 sound character is similat to A07max or more musical? If it's a more musical , I may give it a try, thanks in advance!
What is musical? The function of the amplifier is only to amplify the signal as it comes from the source, not to change the sound.
@@jari121 All amps are not same, or else there won't be tens of thousanads of designs , brandss and models exisiting in this world. I trust my ears when A/B comparing it myself between different models. All cars are equal, why buy a porsche if a cheap but reliable brand can take you from point A to point B safely?
@@ericlo6370 Did you make ABX tests like Erin? It always makes me laugh when someone makes these comparisons to cars, like comparing coffee makers to airplanes 😄.
@@jari121 It always makes me laugh seeing people looking at bench test results to judge a product. Let's agree to disagree and rest the case
@@ericlo6370 I also don't think that the current tests can show everything audible, but the ABX listening tests will certainly reveal if there are differences in the sound of the two devices. Maybe it's good to stop here.
Erin, the link to the product is to a page where it is sold out. There are other ones that aren't sold out right now that you could switch over to if you wanted.
nice explanation, well done, love the part of buzzwords :)
chinese companies are so good at making good value products. we saw this in iems and gaming mice and now speaker amps
Thank You Erin for the unbiased and technically sound review. I have a question about the pre-out connection.
Was the pre-out a mono output or does it do stereo signal. I have Aiyima 07 max and pretty much impressed with its capability to drive Wharfedale Lintons. I connected 3.5 mm stereo pin to pre out with stereo RCA ends. I’m getting signal to only one channel. So I presume the pre out is a mono signal. Please correct me if I am wrong. 😊😊😊
@drsuresh9
I would think that the 3.5mm Stereo miniplug AUX OUT jack on your Aiyima 07 Max is stereo...as long as the amplifier itself is not switched to MONO mode. I would confirm that your 3.5mm-to-RCA cable is not defective, and if it is good, contact Aiyima.
FYI, on the manufacturer's product page for the amp, one of the diagrams shows the 3.5mm miniplug to Left & Right RCA cable going to a PAIR of Active Speakers, indicating that it SHOULD be Stereo.
They also show it going to another amplifier that has Two Knobs and two of something else (RCA jacks maybe), which also suggests that it is a Stereo Output.
But they also show it going to a single active subwoofer. Unfortunately, their specs and documentation aren't completely clear about this.
@@bbfoto7248 3.5 Outputs, already making modifications, can be controlled
@@aiyimaaudio8133
Thanks for the quick reply. Please post the information and specs on your product page when the modifications are finalized.
Cheers
In the A07 it is stereo. It is also a stereo input. I have connected my phone to it via a dongle dac and can thus play music from my phone. I don't know if this is also the case with the A07 max and A70.
Would this amp be good for driving my ribbon tweeter that drops down close to two ohms?
Appreciate another detailed review! I was wondering if you left out your multi tone power test for a testing related reason, or just convince / gear setup during moving?
can you combine it with something like a minidsp hd and compare it to wiim amp? simple right 😂
if you get a chance can you kindly test the Samson Servo 120a .👍
I'll put you in my prayers...better days are coming
excelent review!!
Where is the 10A power supply?
@bilguana11
There is a review on ASR of this same amp with the 10A power supply if you must have that data. ;)
It’s so darn hard to do the side by side..lol I’ve tried. It takes hours!
That thing looks like a Fosi. The overall chassis & finish is extremely similar. Starting think both companies are, instead of competing, working together to flood the market with these cheap, small form factor amps. They could be trying to bury the, albeit more expensive, better Western built ones. The same thing appears to be happening with DACs & headphone amps. I've heard these cheap Chi-fi amps are OK for near-field, low volume listening but not much else. I'll be sticking to the Western brands. Even if I have to save for longer. The old saying still rings true - You get what you pay for.
Often cars from different companies look similar
And how much styling can you do with a cheap box?
No mention of the balanced connections. Amps should come with at least 2 inputs standard. And did it come with a remote? If not then is it meant for a desktop/near field system?
Great review. Looks like class D amps are way past being only for subwoofers, this looks like great value. Just need to find something with a remote (preamp/TV) to hook it up to.
The fact that MANY professional Active/Powered Studio Monitors used for recording, mixing, and mastering music are primarily using built-in Class D amplifiers, even in products like the $16k Kii Audio Three monitors that several respected mastering engineers use, is a confirmation and endorsement that Class D is NOT inferior to other topologies.
Most of these active studio monitors are using some variation of the Hypex Class D modules (UcD/Ncore/Nilai), or the Purifi Eigentakt 1ET400A Class D modules similar to Erin's "Reference" March Audio P501 monoblock amps which use the Purifi 1ET7040SA.
Erin,
What is your rec for a DAC/AMP with phono that can also amplify headphones? Is there such a thing?
Any options under $400?
I don’t really have any to be honest.
Nice amp and Bi lighting always looks good.
Great review. Thanks for sharing.
How big is a 'medium sized' room in your estimate. I can use my basement as my music room but I am not sure if you categorize that as 'small, medium or large'.
Affiliate link will be nice.
In other reviews, I think Erin stated that his main listening room was ~14' x 17' x 9' and he considered that to be "Medium" size, but don't quote me on that.
It's all relative to the size and S.F. of the type of home you live in (an apartment in Japan, an average older war-era suburban home, or a more modern McMansion), but IMO, a room that's 12' x13' x 8' (LxWxH) or smaller is a "Smallish" Room, 15' x 18' x 8'-9' is a "Medium" Room, and 18' x 24'+ x 8-12' is a "LARGISH" Room.
Having said that, a typical basic no-frills 2-car garage is 24' x 24'. And I'm not sure I would consider that very Large. 😛
Great review, Erin. Thank you.
Not interested in these crappy cheap things.
@Openeyesopenheart42
Due to their performance, potential longevity, or aesthetics?
@@bbfoto7248 all of the above…
If you have budgetary constraints second hand is a much better option than these mini amps.
@@Openeyesopenheart42
Potentially.
In my own personal experience I've purchased some more traditional established and "reputable/high quality" name-brand amplifiers and integrated amps second-hand only to have them fail, have a channel imbalance, noisy pots/switches, or some other issue that was not worth the money to repair or at least nullified my "good deal".
If the unit has been tested by a qualified service tech and/or stress tested, listened to, and measured as Erin has done here to confirm its performance, I'd have no issues buying second hand more often. But in reality that is almost never the case when purchasing "affordable" second hand gear.
For reference, I've probably owned 30+ different amps/integrated amps throughout the years and wasted a sh!t ton of money on repairs/refurbishing/upgrading them. This includes McIntosh, Marantz, Parasound, etc. It's a Catch 22.
Right now, in my main system I'm using the Hypex Nilai500-based Class D stereo amplifier kit from DIYclassD which cost about $1300 USD and took about half an afternoon to assemble with no soldering required. And this amp has equalled or bested every other -"high end" amplifier I've ever owned, even some significantly "modded/upgraded" Class A/B amps.
Over the years I've easily spent 10x that amount on second hand integrated and separate power amps...some of which were excellent (but I needed more output power), and some that were lackluster even given their supposedly high end pedigree.
Just to say that choice is good, and as Erin said, you can't possibly know which actually SOUNDS BETTER unless you do proper blind A/B/X listening tests.
Search for the following short blog post article that will take less than 5 minutes to read:
"Audio Musings by Sean Olive - The Dishonesty of Sighted Listening Tests"
(sean olive blogspot 2009/04)
@@bbfoto7248 I’m sure it’s all the above, I wouldn’t even use it for a door stop
Cheap. Yep
What are you a snob?
Crappy. In your opinion yes.
In the opinion of nearly every reviewer. Nope
You’re the odd man out
Please, review the Aiyima t9 pro
so, better than the Fosi ZA3 ?
Here is one thing to be thankful for, dinner is on me tonight. Keep up the good reviews.
Dang man. I really, really appreciate this.