Spl amp reviews8/27/2023 ![]() ![]() Next up is the 12 V trigger section with its own dedicated on/off switch. If your DAC supports a preamp output mode, for example, you could then have the EHA5 be in the middle of the DAC and other amplifier and thus choose to have e-stat or DD/planar headphones running depending on what you want to listen to. This is where the "off" state on the switch in the front comes in since the TOPPING EHA5 has a pass-through mode allowing you to use it with DACs and a more standard headphone amplifier. On the back we see the various analog inputs on offer-balanced via dual 3-PIN XLR or 1/4" TRS combo connectors and single-ended RCA-in addition to analog outputs too via balanced dual 3-pin XLR and single-ended RCA. The wheel is smooth in use and feels recycled from other TOPPING amplifiers-not a bad thing. In the middle is the expected 5-pin STAX Pro Bias-style e-stat headphones output and rounding off the front is a volume knob on the right with a marker to help indicate the current level. We see two switches on the left with one controlling the input mode (single-ended, balanced, off) and the other allowing you to choose between low and high gain (+14 dB). Branding comes in the form of a TOPPING logo at the top left corner and the product name at the bottom. The front panel is slightly larger than the rest of the body and has a bottom metal section in contrast to an acrylic top section that gives a sneak peek at the internals. ![]() There's the usual CNC machined aluminium chassis given a sandblasted matte finish that is quite resistant to fingerprints and the black color also helps hide dust and other scratches over time. ![]() The form factor is a standard box and the design language reminds me of the various TOPPING DACs and amps I've tested too. This is still quite small compared to the vast majority of electrostatic headphone amplifiers though and I agree with the brand's marketing assessment that this can be a space-saving source on your desk. Be sure to click the image twice to fully open it and go through all the details.Īt ~23 x 17.5 x 9.5 cm and weighing approximately 2.5 kg, the EHA5 is the largest TOPPING product I have reviewed to date. Let me clarify right now that the TOPPING EHA5 is a solid-state amplifier too and there's plenty to talk about in this quick look article so let's thank TOPPING, via SHENZHENAUDIO, for providing a review sample to TechPowerUp and begin with a look at the product specifications below. All initial photos showed an acrylic chassis with what looked like an orange glow from tubes insides, as seen in my own photo above. So when TOPPING started teasing an e-stat amplifier, I was extremely interested to see how this would perform and be priced at. This creates a vicious cycle of few headphones owing to few amplifiers on the market which in turn means there isn't a strong incentive to develop more e-stat amps, all contributing to a scenario where we have very few affordable e-stat amps and nothing really that breaks the price barrier to get a newcomer to justify going down the e-stat route from scratch. E-stats differ from dynamic or planar magnetic headphones in requiring a different type of amplifier altogether with most e-stats on the market opting to be compatible with the STAX 580 V Pro Bias connection to drive the high capacitive load in electrostatic transducers. I've covered three different electrostatic headphones by the time this article goes live, including a recent review of the impressive Dan Clark Audio CORINA. ![]()
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