- Thread Starter
- #41
Subjective Follow Up after initial use/listening.
1. The a10h sounds great with any phones I have tried. I expected that. Like the Topping L30 it replaces for me, it handles both IEMs and my low sensitivity phones with aplomb. The relay volume steps are small, but I like that, its easy to dial in the perfect volume and of course no issues with channel imbalance.
2. The single knob does everything interface is the biggest change from the L30. It is convenient in a desktop setup to have power, preamp/headphone mode, and gain directly accessible as in the L30. However, in use I have not found this to be an issue, as all mode selections happen quickly with no drama/pops etc. I actually like the always on volume indicator as the lowest brightness setting is perfect for a dark environment. I have only tested the remote, and it works exactly as promised. In some use cases this will be the determining factor, and it does have direct buttons for major functions.
3. I does not seem to get as hot as the L30. I do not know whether that is a good or bad thing. Just an observation.
4. Biggest annoyance so far: the headphone jack is too close to the volume knob. My guess is 1/2 inch or less. You cannot get fingers between a plugged in jack and the volume knob. This matters most when the amp is sitting directly on a desktop or at the bottom of a stack. You cannot get fingers between the desk and the knob either. The knob turns easily and smoothly, but as mentioned earlier, it may take several turn for major volume changes. I have put my D50 DAC below the a10h and stabilized with 3m velcro stuff (the a10h is a lot deeper than the D50). That seems to work fine and solved the issue. At the current price I think the a10h is very competitive.
1. The a10h sounds great with any phones I have tried. I expected that. Like the Topping L30 it replaces for me, it handles both IEMs and my low sensitivity phones with aplomb. The relay volume steps are small, but I like that, its easy to dial in the perfect volume and of course no issues with channel imbalance.
2. The single knob does everything interface is the biggest change from the L30. It is convenient in a desktop setup to have power, preamp/headphone mode, and gain directly accessible as in the L30. However, in use I have not found this to be an issue, as all mode selections happen quickly with no drama/pops etc. I actually like the always on volume indicator as the lowest brightness setting is perfect for a dark environment. I have only tested the remote, and it works exactly as promised. In some use cases this will be the determining factor, and it does have direct buttons for major functions.
3. I does not seem to get as hot as the L30. I do not know whether that is a good or bad thing. Just an observation.
4. Biggest annoyance so far: the headphone jack is too close to the volume knob. My guess is 1/2 inch or less. You cannot get fingers between a plugged in jack and the volume knob. This matters most when the amp is sitting directly on a desktop or at the bottom of a stack. You cannot get fingers between the desk and the knob either. The knob turns easily and smoothly, but as mentioned earlier, it may take several turn for major volume changes. I have put my D50 DAC below the a10h and stabilized with 3m velcro stuff (the a10h is a lot deeper than the D50). That seems to work fine and solved the issue. At the current price I think the a10h is very competitive.