The impact and overall clarity is better on the Topping amp. Am very surprised I was able to pick this up on a KZread video. Good job KMA!

I thought the TP60 sounded better but YT makes it hard to tell for sure. You were in the room so I trust your judgment over what a YT video sounds like. Generally I do like Class A/B over Class D usually anyway. They sound fuller to me. That quality does not come across in the video and I would have to be in the room to hear it

Wow, the difference wasn't that easy to tell in the video! But I'm glad you tested that for us! I now know what my next amp will be!! And I like the versatility of going for a 2nd one in the future and have the bragging rights of a dual mono setup :P !! I wanted to see a comparison of those 2 amps for a long time now, and I'm glad a trustworthy source like you did it!! Thank you Kirby!

Love the speakers. The white cabinets, natural wood faces and deep wave guides look fantastic .

stumbled across your vids randomly and can say I really appreciate how you relay information and the general feel of the video! keen to learn some more random audio shit from your other vids lol.

I am in no way an audiophile... but I do appreciate the Golden Age of Stereo... a 70's Pioneer receiver and Dynaco speakers etc... I inherited a decent pair of definitive technology tower speakers... and was trying to find an affordable amp to hook them up to my home entertainment situation... your video solved my problem... the Dayton APA150 fits the bill perfectly. So thanks! I wish I found this video earlier today.. and I could have saved the hours I wasted trying to figure out what to buy.. and to think I was considering going down the Pyle road...lol Keep up the good work Kirby!

i don't quite understand all the youtube audiophiles commenting shit on this vid like he's doing a full breakdown on every measurable ever conceived for home audio...he's just doing a basic comparison and it seemed pretty clear that he understands you can only perceive so much from a youtube video working with what he has. just fkn relax lol, not everything has to be so serious and tbh heaps of stats and data can feel sterile. just enjoy the vids yo!

@duongle0303

5 жыл бұрын

just compare price / perfomance bros :D

@algadophoto

5 жыл бұрын

The tube amp is done to win even it is worse, it have the emphasis of "vintage" concept and the tubes are red :). But be honest : at the same price, tube amp is always the bad one of both.

thank you bro for the detailed comparison of the class of amplifiers. I enjoyed your channel bigbro

It's incredible just how different the two amps sound. I have a preference towards Class T amps, but each of the two you showed here have their own merits. Very distinctive differences between the two! I've been running a Lepai 2020 (first gen) for years now, and I love the little monster to death. I trialed it and its Dayton equivalent side by side for a few months, and while I liked 'em both, the Lepai won out in the end.

Just bought Dayton Audio APA150. Thanks Kirby.

They both sound just like my sound system!

3 жыл бұрын

Amazin'!

@timeylies

2 жыл бұрын

They both sound like my phone speaker!

Definitely found the first amp to have a bit more low end, and an overall better sound imo. And yes, I'm glad this one was actually in stereo! Lol

Personally I preferred the sound of the Class A/B. It felt a little more open in the treble. I would happily have either of those amplifiers and I currently have the Topping TP30 for small speaker testing!

My unsensible ear doesn't sense any differences, but I really like your video! Thansk for the infos.

Thank for sharing...very helpful

nice comparison , could it be possible to stress test the Dayton Audio APA150 on mono and see if the fan kicks in?

Nice speakers stands, I really liked it!!! Sweet!

nice video Kirby, any chance you have looked at any class d amps from SMSL? they seem to get good feedback against the Toppings etc.

Your speakers are amazing !!!!!

Please do a video/guide on the speakers you use to test the amps. the wooden ones.

Question.! I have a Dayton Audio APA150 Subwoofer Amplifier 1-How do I wire one Bass Shaker into this Amp.? 2- how do I wire two Bass shakers? The directions are kinda confusing please help thank you 🙏

Can you do a Karlson style build or a vintage Klipschorn style build?

Kirby - Thanks for your excellent video! If these are power amplifiers, would one hook up a Preamplifier to them? Or would these be what audiophiles back in the day as 'integrated amplifiers'? I have ordered a vacuum tube preamplifier and was wondering if I could hook it up to one of these 'power amps'? What do you think? Thanks again! I've subscribed to your channel.

Great video buddy question how would you run two of them on bridge mode can you make a video on it or can you send me a message on how to do it

What drivers did you use in the speakers on the background at the beginning of the video? The tall ones... They look interesting. Could you do a 'sound test' video on those?

Topping has more clarity to me as to the Dayton has more power so you would have to turn it up to get the same sound reproduction.

Correct me if I've got this wrong, but what I'm getting is that I can use this amp with two non-powered speakers and a self-powered sub-woofer via the bottom-most Line Output jacks? The output of said jack is switchable via the Lowpass filter? This would sorta' kinda' make it a 2.1 amplifier, but the ".1" channel (sub) exists as only max. 1.5v out (or thereabouts)? Appreciate your reviews and your time. Suggest that you skip most of the amplifier "listening / comparison" bits, as we'll never hear a difference on our collective ends. Perhaps replace those audio samples with output test results: say, THD @ 'X' DB level, @ 'X' ft. distance - using white noise / pink noise, or some shaped noise template (as opposed to steady-state tones) plus measure idling DB level / hum etc. Tnx. again Andrew Drouin

T amp maybe retrieved a little more detail? Both sound good.

I put my headphones on to hear better, even though I knew I wasn't getting true high fidelity. In my opinion the Topping amp sounded more lifelike especially on the acoustic examples. I could hear a sense of space where the Dayton amp sounded a bit compressed but not in a bad way. Treble on the topping was bright and clear but some listeners may find this uncomfortable. The Dayton had a solid sound with nice impact on the drums but it made the music sound like a very good recording and not lifelike.

Hey Kirby I have one question which I think you can answer best, I have a speaker configuration of 10""woofer, 6"midrange and a 4"tweet with a small crossover inside the box enclosure. It is ported btw. I need the best amplifier​ that can drive this configuration well (all are coiled for 8ohms). And I like a little bass. Can you please suggest something.

I use a pair of APA150s bridged for mono use (150 watts per channel into 8 ohm speakers) with a few different preamp's and they really sound great. They also have a 5 year warranty and are built quite sturdily. A real bargain for under $150 each.

@holdencaulfied7492

Жыл бұрын

Jimmy, I was about to pull the trigger on a DA HTA200 when I saw APA150. Which would you recommend, the HTA200 or a pair of ATA's?

dayton apa150 what good compact bookshelf speakers with good low end can be matched with it. thanks

I like what Fosi audio is doing they have some good product an are budget friendly.

Did you measure the frequency responses for different impedance loads? Usually digital amps have a low pass filter in line with the output to suppress the carrier frequency. Thus different impedances result in different frequency responses in the highs. There is usually only a small impedance range that works correctly and it is neccessary to know where and how big this range is. Manufacturers normally don't tell you that. The Topping TP60 for example has the flattest frequency response at a little less than 3 ohms. It has +6dB at 40kHz at 8 ohms. (acc. to Hobby HiFi 1/2012) Source of all my knowledge: German loudspeaker magazine Hobby HiFi

Can you please tell me the exact dimensions of the Dayton amplifier ? I'm looking for a subwoofers amplifier , but it has to be compact (not much space available) . Thanks!

To me, the Dayton sounded slightly recessed, but with a broader sound stage and more delicate articulation and greater instrument separation. While I do miss some of the fronting of the mid tones and the apparent fullness offered by that from the Class T amp, I will agree that the Class A/B amp offers a subjectively superior listening experience. I would have to compare it to source, though, to really know if it is closer to a reference signal.

hey there i have sony gr7 few days ago my amplifier dead i am looking for new one but i dont which one or which amplifier can handle my old speakers help me out genesis speakers rated impedance is 6ohm thank you

I didnt think i was going to but i can tell the difference from my phone speaker. Lg g8. The class ab sounds clearer and more natural. Especially precussion track.

I've been using first a Nobsound ns01 bluetooth amplifier 50 watts a channel ( though I don't think it's quite that ) but it does sound good. The other i recently purchased is a Fosi audio bt10 also bluetooth and 50 watts/ channel ( this i think is closer. The first was $39 and the second one was $75. Both are good values for the money

what's your opinion on Mini amplifier?

Nice speakers. what are they? Dayton has fuller sound. Topping sound a bit thin...

I have a Topping TP60 connected to a pair of Polk Audio TSi200 book shelf speakers via a SMSL DAC. The sound is really good, just don't clip.

Padon me, I can't find the build plan of the speakers you played in this vdo ...

I would like to see the hook up too

super sounding

I have the amp., but it doesn't have treble and bass...so music comes out of it in flat quality. I would need to hook up a component with treble and bass to really use and enjoy it.

hi can you use Dayton's amp with Dayton Audio UM12-22 12" Ultimax DVC Subwoofer 2 ohms Per Coil

try to make some speakers using hypex fusion amps.

Hi. What's audio recorder you used in this video?

I liked the fist one, but why no headphone jack? Gorgeous speakers, sound terrific.

I am with KMA favoring a class A/B amp. It has bloom, warmth and depth. All our amplifiers are class A/B with with a fully regulated power supply (add-ons). I pick the Dayton Audio.

Liked the first amp better. Just seemed to have a fuller but lighter tone to it. The second amp was kind of muddy and base, but not in a good way. Yep, Class T has a brighter sound to it.

@andyrobertking

4 жыл бұрын

Totally the 2nd amp struggling with timing, 1st amp sounded clear, with dynamic clarity and decent timing.

Nice video 👍🏼

Is this a 2.1 channel amp? Can I run 2 full range speakers and a powered sub? I read it can be used as a sub amp but don't need a sub amp

for me i definitely preferred the A/B. that first song with the out of time snare drum really grinded my gears tho

@oscarjung5405

4 жыл бұрын

I really dislike those Snare Drums.... they are so hard on the ears. Sometimes, I think there is something wrong with the speaker

@thasickest

3 жыл бұрын

...ground your gears, it has? Fixed it for you, I have.

They did a “blind” amp shootout in Stereo Mojo and the class t beat out much more expensive amps of a/b topology. Stereo Mojo is no more but you can still find the article.

Have you ever considered building a Pass Labs ACA Class A amp? They are not hard to build and sound amazing. You do need pretty sensitive speakers though. 91db or better, due to the fact that they only put out 8 watts. But you could spend $2000 on an amp that is not as good.

Somebody know the first name track. tankyou

the top end on the dayton is a little cleaner in my opinion, but both sound good.

I think that fi thi is a test, you should use the same track on both amps! just an Idea...

For all the "objectively better" comments, just remember that these are subtle changes against some artist's recording, against someone else's mix, against someone else's audio mastering. Different? Yes. Objectively better? I don't think so. Some music I listen to actually /hurts/ my ears on my preferred nameless reference headphone/amp combo, and I grab my used Amazon special Skullcandy Aviators instead. Audiophile headphones? Definitely not. Do they color the sound? In a huge way. And for /some/ of the music I listen to, that's a good thing! Is one of these amps better? It depends on what you're listening to!

@07zx14White

7 жыл бұрын

Jonathan Sias I couldn't of said it better myself. Different natural colorations of different styles of amps will sound better with different types of music, different recording mixes, different speakers, boxes, acoustic placement and so and and so forth. We all have certain amps or receivers that we appreciate the most. I do certainly enjoy having different devices for different things.

Class a/b plays a little cleaner and has a bit more dynamic swing (last track opening with the drums) Class T sounds a little bit noisy but in a good way (like old school analog sound) Both sound good, very close to each other, bar a few minor differences.

Greaat vid. I agree with you on the sound. Class T sounds beautiful, but a litttle thin...depending on the drivers. One critique though... you didnt mention if you worn in the A-B amp. Both amps change in sound after burn in.

Listening through my Sennheiser HD598s through a Creative Soundblaster Z PCIe sound card with equalizer set to flat, it sounds like the Class-T amp is a little more pronounced in the higher frequencies. The first recording was even a bit harsh on my ears. I do think the bass felt a bit punchier though? To be honest, I'm not really sure what to be listening for. My observations could just be speaker related. In general, the Dayton Audio amp didn't feel oppressive in any way. Highs felt tame rather than pronounced. Perhaps it is more balanced at greater volume?

@vahvelpoiss

7 жыл бұрын

my speaker setup plays better than my Sony MDR-XB400's, using Creative X-Fi 5.1 Pro external USB soundcard. mids and highs are currently played by Edifier R1280T-s and lows from 28 to about 45Hz are played by Samson Rubicon R10S active woofer. all frequencies except the lowest (31Hz bar is set +1,5dB) are flat, no sound processing via software, just 99,9% digital to analog setup. I experienced the same as you did - the Topping amp sounded a bit more meaty and enjoyable especially with the first track, especially the lows were a bit more noticeable.

@practicalguy973

7 жыл бұрын

+JesseArt I have the same experience using the ASUS Xonar STXII sound card, set to flat and using the very flat Audio Technica ATH-M40X headphones. The Topping was stronger in the higher frequencies and a little thin sounding. I prefer the Dayton here. In regards to what to listen for, just concentrate on what sounds correct and natural. The drum cymbals on the topping don't sound real to me, it sounds a little artificial with too much of that pronounced higher frequency as you said.

@practicalguy973

7 жыл бұрын

Also with speakers you can play with the resistor value on the tweeters to better match the amp. So if I owned the Topping and I were Kirby I'd use an additional 2-ohms on top of what he already has on the tweeter to balance that high frequency better. 2ohms more would give about 0.5db less tweeter output and you'd be surprised with even that amount removed how your perception of the overall sound changes.

@digi7altrauma792

7 жыл бұрын

ditch the sound card, get a dac..... you are welcome.

@vahvelpoiss

7 жыл бұрын

isn't DAC inside the soundcard? lol

Warning: If you try to "push 150 watts through ONE channel at 4 Ohms" this amp will overheat and most likely die. It's rated at a minimum of 8 Ohms using the 150 watts bridge mode.

@saintjabroni

6 жыл бұрын

Sæbjørn Dvergastein Dahle So that's a warning to this video author as well?

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

You are correct. I caught that also.

@shaan8747

6 жыл бұрын

hey there pls help me out i have sony gr7 few days ago my amplifier dead i am looking for new one but i dont which one or which amplifier can handle my old speakers help me out genesis speakers rated impedance is 6ohm 6ohm thank you

@DodiAndriyanto

6 жыл бұрын

Amazing..

@ferdinandsanchez7040

6 жыл бұрын

yep, btw watts bridge mono 8 ohm is equal to the total of stereo 4 ohm. watts bridge mono 4 ohm is equal to the total of stereo 2ohm. the apa150 is stereo 75w 4ohm min. so bridge mono it is 150 w 8 ohm min.

Nice video! How would you rate the APA150's sound quality compared to the SMSL AD18, feature set aside?

@misterx3666

5 жыл бұрын

better

@jonas190

5 жыл бұрын

@@misterx3666 Thank you!

Through my own kit at home. M-Audio 410 music interface (DAC), Alchemist Kraken Amp and Quad 11L2 apeakers, the Dayton audio sounded better. But with any recorded system, you can only hear what the listener can hear at home though their own music system and the device used to record it. Mine revealing enough to show a difference, but still only my systems representation of that sound. There was a very well known guy in the recording and HIFI circles who did this well Arny Krueger. A reviewer and proliferent writer who debunked and talked a lot of sense about HIFI. His site is down since his death but he's worth googleing to find out what he was about.

Great test. Yes the AB amp sounds better. More natural than class t.

To me, it sounded like the a/b had a hiss to the sound both before the music and during while the T amp only had before playing the music.

It seems to me that the Slass-A/B is more clear in the highs yet let clear cut in the lows compared to the Class-T. I would probably go for the A/B as it is quite a bit cheaper as well. Thanks for the comparison.

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

A/B is not inherently cheaper. The topping is just a bit overpriced to me.

I personally would said transistor in theater equipment is good enough. Unlike all in one theater system with Blu-ray.

if u got dta1 ,, try that,,,, pls use jazz24,,, as source,,, pls try

Class T is built for audiophile which have tube sound like, the real behavior of class T is rising when pushed hard to limit, it produce 2nd harmonic + soft clipping, something that class AB don't have. For precision sound choose AB, for warmer sound choose T...

w00t!!!! Love the Red Sox representation

track id ?

It only bridges at 150rms at 8 ohms 2:20

T amp is brighter be great for warm speakers the AB amp much warmer sound better on bright speakers it's about synergy not classes

Class T all the way. You can easily tell even by listening to your (youtube video)music with my crappy laptop speakers that Class T is way-way better. Clearer but not stronger base. Much much clearer mids and a more refined high tones.

With your'e microphone, recording your'e setup. Playing through You tube, on my amplifier and speakers. The Dayton sounds better. Subjective isn't it. The day's of monster size amps has come to a close though, maybe. Carver had it right when they created the "Carver Cube" in the 70's. 400 wpc and used the line transformers on the pole as capacitors. 8x8x8 beast.

Dayton Audio APA150. Should also include a song with vocal too.

Would have been a better comparison with the turntable, (all analog).

track id pls :(

Hi Kirby, Are people actually trying to compare the sound of these two amps through this video ?? Is that your intention?

@slayyou

7 жыл бұрын

because if that is the case epic fail :D

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

So True! Ridiculous actually.

@miskone1044

6 жыл бұрын

it seemed like he was pretty clear about it not being an accurate representation of what he is hearing in person, its still an interesting video...

I'd be interested to see a spectrum average performed with the OmniMic in combination with these comparisons. However, I'd also be worried that the coloration of the room and the speakers themselves will influence what people think the graph is telling them. But, to see the differences represented and to have a way to calibrate the loudness between the two amps would probably be beneficial. An idea at least!

you can have similar differences with 2 AB of different brands

ytb max 224kbps audio impossible hear diiff Codecs vp09.00.51.08.01.01.01.01 (244) / opus (251)

I think the class t wins it for me , I like amplifiers to be rhythmic and musical the topping was better in that respect than the Drayton ..

I own a Topping TP-60 too. Great amp if your speakers have no bass reproduction: this is because it hums like crazy at mains frequency (50hz in UK) . Very bad design, AC power very close to signal level stuff on the PCB. Replaced it with a Yamaha integrated amplifier from the AS range, which is better in every way. More power, more inputs and outputs, much better sound quality, and no noise floor. No hums or hisses. 0.019% THD+N@50w/8 ohm.

@shannonopel9345

7 жыл бұрын

Running an a-s301 as well, hooked up via optical, and it's simply amazing.

@johnbeer4963

7 жыл бұрын

for me my 501 lacks a bit of sparkle but i think that's because i'm used to the Topping and amps like it which increase volume as frequency increases..

@kenweller2032

6 жыл бұрын

This isn't the first time I've heard this issue raised about hum and the TP-60. I've been using one for going on two years with an SMSL M8 DAC and Snell QBX monitors. All I can say is that for me the amp has been dead quiet. If I literally turn the volume to full I can just barely hear a hint of 60hz when my ear is right against the driver. Perhaps the amp is somehow very sensitive to ground loops, but I've had no noise issues and I've been very happy overall. IMO one of the best non-valve amps I've heard shy of a grand.

@cukedaddy

6 жыл бұрын

Gotta love SMSL...I have the M6

First time watching your videos and I have to tell you Dude, I'm looking forward to learn a lot from you brotha!! I love your channel!!!!

@dougg1075

5 жыл бұрын

Dream Diction you have a real problem with this guy huh? Just don’t come here and don’t comment.

Like the review, but I gotta be honest, I don’t see the point of me listening to the song recording. Should I be able to really tell anything about the sound by listening to your recoding of it through my iPhone?

@c0c0asauce

3 жыл бұрын

I could tell the difference in them when I played the video through my stereo. It sounds similar to the difference between my T class amp and my other AB amps irl so I think it's a fairly accurate representation. I could barely tell the difference on my phone and I knew what I was looking for too.

Glad to hear both..sort of. As far as music goes you went from slow piano to slow piano. Some hard rock and even anything with more ...ummm..just more I guess would be appreciated. As far as giving you a dollar I'd rather spend it washing my ears out..jk. i like soft music just not when I want to hear how good an amp performs.

I like your other hat better....

The biggest problem with this test is that we are hearing what goes through the microphone on your field recorder. That is a bigger factor than anything else in this test chain. At least you told us what you thought when you heard it for yourself in your commentary though.

Major difference for me is the Topping has 2 Line-ins vs only 1 on the Dayton..I need 2 inputs for Turntable/ Bluetooth in from computer..

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

neither of these has a phono preamp.

so, in very very simple words, class T amps are better that class A/B amps ?

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

Not at all, nearly every higher end amp is A/B.

, love the rubber duck on your right speaker

hands down T wins :)... thanks Kirby

@gregkramer5588

6 жыл бұрын

Hopefully you are not basing this on listening to an amp remotely over your computer?

The main issue I have with class-D or T amps is that all these mini amps are rated at some insanely high level of distortion like 10%. They're trying to inflate their power ratings. Those 120 watt x 2 amps are actually not even half as powerful as one might imagine. This is why I'm interested in the Dayton class A/B amp. It is rated the way an amp is supposed to be rated at less than 1% THD (0.01% actually). There needs to be an amp dyno database so that the playing field can be leveled. There are lots of guys that do this with car audio amps. Someone needs to do it for home amps.

@Trunks9us

Жыл бұрын

You see wrong about at least one class t amp. Back In late 90s early 2000s in car audio look up zapco c2k 9.0 does 300x2 or 2200x1 and that’s rms a seriously underrated amp usually does around 3200rms with peaks up around 4000-5000. Look it up though but the distortion is up I think 10% she. Using it in mono but it’s pretty low on thd when in stereo.

@thingsdemystified

Жыл бұрын

@@Trunks9us that's a car amp. I'm referring to these mini desktop amplifiers that run off a low power AC adapter.

Dayton amp in UK is around £200, and Topping - £150-160🤔

well sadly as nice as your speakers are your not going to notice a sound difference because both amps can drive both without an issue but from my listening the dayton has a much tighter tone of bass but a/b amps are less efficent than class t