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The output terminals of the PA7 accept most types of speaker cable connectors from banana type to even bare wire. The binding posts are also suitably sized and feel solid when linking with my speaker cables. You could hear nuances and soft passages within the loud passages very well with this setup. This L70 / E70 combo does well as far as micropositioning since I can detect high notes, position-wise, and also good panning.
The immediate headline as always with Topping’s amplifiers is the continuously evolving NFCA module, which, you guessed it, has also been fitted to the L30 II. Separately, the headphone outputs have a 2-step selectable gain which uses unique settings for the balanced and single-ended sides. It employs a low gain of +6 dB and a high gain of +19.8 dB on the balanced side and the single-ended side has a low gain setting of 0 dB and a high gain of +13.8 dB. This particular feature makes the L70 an excellent test bed because each port has a memory feature that independently retains its last volume setting. The L70 could also be used as a preamp section due to the ability to select inputs and outputs separately to then be able to control these analog outputs with the volume control. The first thing I noticed was the size of the device. It is smaller than most of the DACs I reviewed on Headfonia. It is much smaller than the Topping D70s and it is also slightly smaller than the SMSL SU-9. It is not a heavy device either. The form-factor impressed me. That means the D10s will be able to pair well with a wider range of amplifiers, even when some amplifiers might sip a little bit more power through the RCA terminals. My RigWhen used as pure power amplifier, Pre90 The LA90 can be used with the D90SE DAC, which is almost the lowest distortion DAC + amplifier combination.
Aside from the new DAC Chipset available in the D10s, it has an output impedance of 20Ω, instead of the 100Ω on the D10. What this means is that the D10s can pair well with amplifiers that might have lower input impedance. The L70 is capable of a nicely done frontal stage that can portray a deep, distant sound alongside a frontal secondary tone. This, alongside an ability to extract reverberance and a credible 3-dimensional panorama that envelopes due to the inclusion of some rear projection, all make this an interesting combo to listen to. You can control the volume on LA90, or set to bypass the volume control of LA90, then you can use a better pre-amplifier for volume control. This is especially useful when synchronizing the volume of two LA90 in mono mode. The precision though could leave those looking for a sweeter sound a bit unsatisfied unless used to pair with a warmer source. But whenever I get the urge to play the PA7 loud, the reverb and airiness help to add some dimensionality to both singers and instruments.The Topping L70 is an A90 disguised within a smaller chassis, with a digital display, and a resistor ladder volume control that has an additional remote control capability but for less money. In other words, you’re getting a lot for a modest investment. Most of the extended functionality of the E30 is a result of what is built into the DAC chip. This means that there are six adjustable filters and the aforementioned volume control. The volume control is engaged by selecting pre mode by holding down the front panel display for three seconds and pressing it again to enter pre mode. This gives a usefully well incremented volume control but one that can only be adjusted via the remote control which means that - judged purely as a preamp - the Topping isn’t quite as flexible as the iFi Zen DAC. While the unit appears to be an integrated design, it's actually a stereo power amplifier with a volume control. This pot can be bypassed for use with a separate preamplifier, such as Topping's own E70 and E70 Velvet preamps, to create a more comprehensive amplification combo. Used on its own, it features two sets of inputs, one for XLR or balanced TRS cables, the other for standard RCA interconnects. A switch on the front panel selects balanced or unbalanced operation and sits beside a similar switch for power on/off plus 12v trigger control. The trigger enables simplified switching when an external device is connected to the trigger input on the rear panel. Here, there are also chunky, staggered speaker terminals.
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