RSL iA255.1 Integrated Amp Review- More Than What Meets The Eye!
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2025
- RSL iA255.1 Amp: rslspeakers.co...
RSL Speakers: rslspeakers.co...
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The mini amp class D competition is heating up lately between options like this from RSL and others like the new Fosi V3 and Aiyima A07 Pro. I like the direction small class D amps are going, providing more features and producing them with higher quality parts, hope we keep moving forward with this trend.
Sub out and a 90hz filter! Those were the key features for myself on this one. How about you? I am curious if we see more companies just into these types of products as well. Please take a moment to like and subscribe, I would really appreciate it!
I've been using the amp to feed a pair of Sony SSCS5 speakers. It's
connected to a WIIM II Pro and it sounds great. I'm thinking about
buying another one to use in connection with one of my desktop
computers. I've pretty much given up on PC speaker systems
at this point and think I will be much better off with the RSL iA255.1.
I've used all of the various inputs including optical/rca/Bluetooth at
this point and it's nice to have that kind of flexibility.
Bottom line: this is definitely a winner for the desktop or a small
to medium sized room.
Matt - Yo buddy - what about some comments about "sound quality," since this is the ultimate end game of every audio component. Love your reviews and your relaxed (ego-free) style. As an aside, I just purchased this amp from RSL and let it warm up for 24-48 hours before seriously listening. It is a huge cut above the rest of the budget Class D Chi-Fi products, with the exception perhaps of the Fosi V3. Glad to see a US company (besides Micca) jumping into the budget class D fray.
Hey, I will make a point to go a bit deeper on the sound in future reviews, the sound is clean and more detailed then a lot of the 3255’s. The V3 is right up there in resolution and delivery but feature set limited which might be exactly what some people want. I have the RSL amp paired with a fairly dark speaker at the moment the CSS Torii and its a really good fit.
Always enjoy your videos. IMO comparing the RSL iA255.1 integrated amplifier to the Aiymia a07 and Fosi V3 amplifiers in terms of use case is not necessarily the best fit. As you have correctly pointed out the RSL iA255.1 is a fully integrated amplifier, (with builtin pre-amp), with a full function sub-out, hence the .1 designation at the end of its model number.
On the other hand the Aiymia a07 and Fosi V3 are separate standalone power amplifiers with are meant to be frontended by a pre-amp/DAC which provides master signal control i.e. master volume for a powered sub-woofer. This is no different than any other dedicated power amplifier platform on the market by other brands. The pre-out is meant to allow the user to build a multiple amplifier system, by daisy chaining them together and being controlled by a single pre-amp frontend, in addition to being able to feed a power subwoofer. (by the way, you would never want the pre-out signal to be controlled by the level controller of each power amplifier that it passes through, this would be a poor design in this use case.)
I think when viewed in the above proper context, that despite their similar form factor they are not designed for the same primary use case--one is an excellent integrated amp with a sub-out, iA255.1--and the others are excellent dedicated power amplifiers with a local level control and pre-out.
Good listening
Great review, thanks. SMSL A300 has an RCA-style sub out with a toggleable high pass crossover (at 50 hz). It's a bit bigger and $195. Has a remote, internal power source, Infineon chips and sounds amazing.
Hi Matt, just stated watching your channel recently and very much enjoying your reviews and style. Mine just arrived yesterday and as a long time RSL fan, I’m hooked again. I hooked it up to a vintage pair (my all time fav speakers) of RSL tower speakers. Made a small mistake in not adjusting the volume before turning the amp on. Wow! This thing just about blew my ears out. It pumps out way more power than expected with the knob only slightly up from dead off. This one is much more powerful than the V3 with its anemic supplied power brick. Keep up the great reviews!
Glad you enjoyed it! Good to hear your pairing vintage with new tech, always nice to breath some new life into products we have enjoyed over the years.
Thank you for the review! I saw this amp mentioned in an Amazon review (looking at variety of Fosi's, after my Micca OriGain died). Website, photos, specs, price are fantastic. But your review gets into the finer details, which is much appreciated. I'd not heard of Rogersound Labs, but I'm happy to find them and hope a little iA255.1 enjoys its new home here.
RSL makes great products, I have no doubt you will enjoy it.
Great review and video! Noticing the bonus bits of editing and excellent dry humor - your videos are looking great! If I didn’t already have several of these class D from Dayton and Aiyma lying around unused, I’d consider this one. My Dayton DTA 2.1BT2 has a passive subwoofer output with a control, which is unique and useful if you have a passive sub. I power my old Radio Shack Maximus Sub 12 with a pair of B652 Air. The setup rocks my garage! Keep up the great reviews!
Thanks for watching, I will check out the Dayton amp as well, surprisingly haven’t had any of those in yet.
That particular sub out makes a big difference. Been wanting a cool little amp for our living room/ht setup. Dumb question: can tv volume still work from tv remote depending on input used? Imagine would need to be careful with setting the amp at the right “gain”. Great review, as always! Thanks for looking into the unique choices out there 🙏🏼
Awesome review sir! Picked one of these up and love it!
Glad to hear!
Looks like it's already time for a new budget class D amp showdown and the last one wasn't even that long ago.
I'm glad I held off on the Fosi V3 although that prime day sale was very tempting. This RSL with a real sub out is more in line with what I'd want.
Yeah, I think you would be happy with either amps but certain feature sets will pull people one way or another.
Hey Matt, I am a recent subscriber to the channel. Look forward to more reviews and some possible woodworking builds in the future. 2 things…. How does it sound? I understand that sound is subjective but there are things that just sound terrible to everyone. Also, I wish they made the filter adjustable. 90hz is pretty high even my desktop speakers. If they had a switch and a small pot on the back to adjust the filter point from say 50-100hz, I think it would be a better feature.
On it, I will offer a bit more on the actual sound in the future releases, trying to find the right blend of objective and subjective so stay tuned for that. As far as the sound the implementation has a really clean straight forward sound, detailed without any extra bloat added. Its more of an analytical sound as far as detail retrieval than something like the V3, so I would say this would pair fantastically with any speaker that has warm or darker characteristics. A selectable filter would be great I agree, but we are certainly moving in the right direction. Thanks for watching!
@@MattCoykendall1 My thought on this is as subjective as it is if I'm watching someone talk about an amplifier I want their opinion on how it sounds within the context of the specs and objective measurements if available.Just running through the specs sheet and going over features isn't super useful as I can get all all that just by looking at the product page.
Around 90hz is a pretty standard filter. I think the trick is what the roll off is like - I doubt it is a sharp cutoff.
Great review. Thinking of ordering one. Have you tried them with that Emotiva B1+ you showed in the video?
Yes I have, that combo works well, easily drives those.
Too much focus on the hardware specs and no talk about how it actually sounds. Does it sound good? Comparable or better to the current top dogs in Class D Chi-Fi? (V3 and etc.)
That’s fair, I will keep this in mind for future reviews coming. It’s very much on par with the V3 as far as the actual sound, it’s clean, detailed, more top end clarity than the V3. The V3 has a bit more of a smooth delivery that doesn’t jump out at you. All of this will be dependent on your other audio equipment pairings as well, especially the speakers, something like an ELAC would review very differently than say a Klipsch.
@@MattCoykendall1
Good to know, since the company's website shows it didn't do so well on the Audio Precision's SINAD scores.
@@MattCoykendall1 How did it do with the B1+? (Possibly could of been B2+. Hard to tell the difference by seeing them in your video). I have a pair of B1+ that are being pushed by a Douk Audio X1 tube amp. Looking to upgrade from that. (Using it with a Fluance RT85 and IFI Zen Phono Preamp) I have the V3 and I love it. But that’s on another setup. And I rather have tone controls when pushing the B1+.
@@Douglas_Blake_579106db is "didn't do so well"?
First ... that's a nice looking little amp. Gonna have to check this one out.
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The USB audio standard specifies either 96ksps 24bits 6 channels (USBA1) or 192ksps 24bits 11 channels (USBA2) depending on the audio standard used by Windows (et al). Limiting that to 48khz is a bit weird. I think a clarification might be in order for various OSs.
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Now about the 55watts ... I'd bet that's an honest rating (as opposed to all the exaggerations on other amps) ... that's the same output as you can expect from a V3, TB10d, A07 etc. on the stock 32 volt supplies. Even against the TPA3255s with a 48 volt supply, your only going to get about 100w on 8 ohms... which is only a 3db increase in overall loudness and unless you are directly comparing it is unlikely you would even notice it.
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And finally, here's a little "trade secret" for putting knobs onto those fluted pot shafts with the cut in the center....
Use a straightened paper clip in the cut in the knob shaft. Line it up to be horizontal (that only works one way so you won't be half a turn off) then start the knob on the shaft with the indicator straight up.
If you have more than one knob (like tone and volume) to line up feed the straight piece of wire through all the cuts and start the knobs onto their shafts with the indicators straight up.
Then gently slide the wire out and press the knob(s) home ... centered, every time!
Of course on the half round shafts, you can only put the knob on one way... problem eliminated.
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Thanks for another interesting review, Matt!
Right, a bit more clarification on the USB is needed. Overall I am really happy with it, clean realistic power and a few new features. Thanks for the tip on the alignment as well, I'm sure many others will find that useful too.
@@MattCoykendall1
If I was even a little bit more paranoid, I would swear there is a committee someplace that requires manufacturers to include at least 1 dumb decision into each new product... In this case the USB thing is kind of a deal breaker, especially for people who have 96k high res music.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 i want to be on that committee, just for fun I would occasionally release products with only left channel speaker outs or no inputs, ect…keep people guessing haha
@@MattCoykendall1
Me too ... and just imagine the conversations! 😁
I don't know why but it seems that as they improve these little amps, there's always that one thing...
Great take as usual
Thanks!
I think people like TPA 3255 because they have a timbre that is a bit warmer for Class D. I tried a SMSL MA Infineon chip amp and tonally it was cooler and leaner sounding…actually on the sterile side of the menu…but squeaky clean.
Yeah, I think it can be challenging for someone new to this shopping for one of these amps unless they have a good idea of what sound they prefer. I feel like you should establish the speaker characteristics you prefer and then pick out an amp that best suits it, more detail, rolled off highs, V shaped EQ ect...
For desktop use would you say the built-in DAC is sufficient or is it still worthwhile purchasing a standalone DAC and then connecting it to the RSL iA255.1 and then to my bookshelf/sub speakers?
0:11 I watched this video entire video just for this answer at the very beginning. How has the amp held up over the last year? Any issues?
Also, please do me a favor in future vids, blink at least once every 30 seconds.
Haha give me a break, it was one of my earlier videos, I am a work in progress. The amp is still working fine, I can’t say I use it regularly having so many in to review but I did have it up and running last week for a test.
The DAC is piggybacking off of the Bluetooth chip.
Is the extra headroom due to the crossover or is that the case even without it? It’s only 24v power supply so it seems like it would be very limited compared to a Fosi V3 or other 3255 amp
That proper pre out is really nice
I haven’t found any cons of a RCA splitter on an output to control subwoofer volume 🤷🏻
Yeah that’s fine too, some prefer speaker level inputs too but it’s just nice to have a dedicated connection that allows a crossover, just a move in the right direction I feel.
@@MattCoykendall1 yeah there is a trade-off putting a full range signal through a cheap analog filter…but probably worth it for a typical mini monitor.
Do I switch the toggle up or down to enable the cross over?
Its not available in the UK seemingly...
Is this better than the Fosi BT20A Pro ?
I think that the reason a remote is not included is that this would require a motorized volume potentiometer, and they are larger and more expensive?
I would love the speaker binding posts to be larger / more easily used - maybe a stagger? Though obviously space is limited.
What op-amps does it use? And what voltage is the power supply, and what is its amperage capability? Possibly a linear power supply, or a Noise Nuke (a DIY DC power filter) would make it sound even better?
The power supply is 24V 7.0 amp. Model W1682P.
The amp is silent. Sounds great to me.
I'm just an old guy though.
@@UltraMEGAMAGARandy Right, well the Noise Nuke adds quite a bit of capacitance - 13,600uF - which can improve dynamics etc. Electronic noise from switch mode power supplies is about the resolution and soundstage etc. when the noise is reduced.
Hi. Looking for an amp for my nearfield pc desktop setup. Using a schiit hel as a dac and need something to power my philharmonic true minis w/my svs sb-1000 pro. I have it between this one and the fosi za3. Which way would you go?
You will have more power and scalability with the Fosi but miss out on the crossover advantage that the RSL is equipped with may be a key point for you since your bringing in a sub.
@@MattCoykendall1 yeah. The hpf is what's catching me. The true minis need about 40-45 at 4 ohms. Can't really decide. Did one sound better to you than the other? I saw the RSL at the beginning of your za3 vid and was hoping you would compare them. Also is the 3.5mm sub pre out on the iA going to affect anything compared to a coax sub out?
Nice!
Very!
Based on your testing, out of the 3 speakers you showed ( BS41, B1+, CG3M) which one pairs better with this amp?
Depends a bit on your favorite house sound, the bs41 will have the most bass out of these three if you don’t intend to get a sub, the b1+ will be the most detail focused and the CG3M will pair well with the crossover if you plan to add a sub, good sound just won’t reach very low.
Please test WiiM amp...BTW it's price is 299 US $
Done and done
do any of these Chinese companies do a two-input option? I recently bought a Fosi amp which is great but I'm finding myself frustrated with the single input as I like to stream and play records.
A Schiit SYS would give you two inputs but of course an extra charge involved.
RSL is an American company.
And RSL offers a military discount.
Would like to hear more about the sound 🤔 This is nit picking but they need to work on their generic looking logo.
Fair point, will get a little more subjective on the sound in some of my future reviews, I try to find a blend of objective and subjective but the people have spoken and they want a bit more on things like sound quality. What might be a fun one is bringing together all my little class D amps (around 10 models) and doing a large showdown between them. Thanks for watching, appreciate the feedback as well, its all good.
@@MattCoykendall1 I've been watching for a while and you do a good job 👍
Thanks Calvin!
They need to work on the look of the whole thing, it's ugly
@@crazyprayingmantis5596 It's an amp and it costs $110 - it's made out of aluminum. What more could it be?
Aiyima dac-01 😀
Plenty of details, remote, tone controls, etc, how it sounds compared to others is not really important.
Now hide the ugly front screws
Remove the cheap ugly looking model number from the front faceplate
Replace those diy looking toggle switches with something nicer
Because I can't have that ugly thing on display in my living room.
(Gee you really like Garth Brooks don't cha? 😄)
Ha you spot that box set, a little Garth never hurt anyone. Truthfully I listen to everything, you might find a Lynyrd Skynyrd album next to it or Tool, Sublime, 3rd Eye Blind , Nirvana, pretty much open to all genres.
@@MattCoykendall1
I found more Garth than just the box set 👀
My parents used to do linedancing back in the early 90s, I'd get dragged all over the place with them so I grew up listening to a lot of country.
My first concert was actually Garth Brooks in Sydney, I've been to hundreds since but I've always said that Garth concert is the best live show I've ever seen, he had a special talent of making a huge arena feel small and intimate, had the ability to seem to make eye contact with everyone no matter if you were sitting in the backrow in the corner it felt like he connected with you, I'll never forget it.
And "ain't going down till the sun comes up" is my go to karaoke track
Even though my genres of choice are pretty out there psych, avante guarde jazz, stoner, spacey stuff I still rip into Garth
@@crazyprayingmantis5596 Thanks for sharing that, I finally did attend one of his live shows around 5 years ago, couldn’t believe how much he ran around that stage, a great entertainer.
Is this better than the Fosi BT20A Pro ?
The high pass filter is the key on this one. If you take advantage of that it can be.