Topping

E50 DAC/Pre and PA5 Power Amp

£269 and £349 respectively

Given the state of the world right now, it should come as no surprise that inflation is rearing its ugly head again. Thanks to the aftermath of the global pandemic and a major European war, prices are going up as people's disposable incomes fall. With significant hikes in food and fuel costs, not to mention dearer petrol, electricity, and gas, we badly need a remedy. Quite simply, what the world needs now is cheaper, better hi-fi!

Enter Topping Audio, a company specialising in quirky but capable hi-fi separates at very affordable prices. Its range of audio electronics includes DACs, pre and power amplifiers, and headphone amps. The metal casework – usually available in black or silver – looks solid and classy. Prices might be bargain-basement, but build and finish are not – as evidenced by this dinky little E50 DAC/preamp and PA5 power amplifier combination (£269/ £349) that you see before you…

UP CLOSE

Topping Audio's E50 DAC is real budget fare, measuring just 150x130x41mm and weighing 445g – it's so small and light that the manufacturer calls it 'semi-portable'. It has minimalistic casework – available in black or silver – and uses a universal USB power supply (not included) rather than having a built-in PSU. Yet it sports a choice of balanced or unbalanced analogue outputs using TRS plugs and has an electronic (rather than rotary) volume control, giving it basic preamplifier functionality.

The little E50 is based around the ESS ES6068AS DAC chip, which includes MQA decoding. This handles PCM from 44.1kHz to 768kHz, in 16- or 32-bit resolution, plus DSD up to DSD512 spec (native) and up to DSD256 (DoP). It has an automatic on and off mode, so sleeps after one minute of no signal being detected and then powers up again when one is found. Its digital volume control means it can be used as a preamp but can also be set to output line level where no needless attenuation is applied.

The £349 PA5 is a dinky Class D power amp claiming to deliver 65W RMS per channel into 8 ohms for less than 1% distortion, or 85W into 8 ohms with distortion rising to 10%. It measures 150x130x40mm and has a chunky outboard power supply. There are two sets of balanced inputs using TRS connectors and a single set of loudspeaker outputs for spade terminals or 4mm plugs. The front panel has a power on/off switch and a selector for the two balanced inputs.

During use, the PA5 runs fairly cool and produces no physical noise. However, the instructions warn that the two negative speaker terminals should not be connected together; otherwise, damage might occur. Measured distortion remains low up to about 50W of output, then increases considerably – so it's best used with reasonably efficient loudspeakers. Input sensitivity is given as 2.6V, which is about average for a power amp.

THE LISTENING

Starting with the E50 DAC/preamp, I partnered it with a well respected mid-price CD player to get an idea of its worth and was impressed by what I heard. The Topping DAC delivered results that sounded comparable to the player's own DAC using the unbalanced RCA outputs. Not bad! Using the balanced XLR outputs improved the sound still further, giving a noticeably increased sense of depth and richness, plus greater dynamic impact and clarity.

Three different anti-aliasing filters are provided, selectable via the supplied remote control, with 'fast roll-off – minimum' being the default setting. This sounds like an exciting feature, but on most music, much of the time, there wasn't a huge degree of difference in terms of sound – the changes were pretty subtle. Nevertheless, this cute little device has an extremely clear, clean and detailed sound for its price – and of course, it is an inexpensive way into MQA. It is easy to use and has a very handy (for some) balanced output facility. It's hard not to recommend, all things considered.

Taking the PA5 in isolation seems remarkably free of the bugbears that can affect budget Class D power amplifiers. I really liked its crisp, detailed sound – which is lean and immediate, rather than warm or voluminous. It has a focused, articulate character, with the musical notes starting and stopping cleanly and precisely. Clarity and attack are impressive, too.

Bass is firm and tight, and the amplifier encompasses dynamic extremes without obvious signs of strain. Compared to my regular amplifier, the overall presentation was just a little drier and not quite so sweet and relaxed. But after I'd listened for an hour or more, this early impression became less and less noticeable as the ear acclimatised.

Playing that old favourite Graceland by Paul Simon, the PA5's clarity and crystal-clear delineation served the music very well. This recording has a warm sort of balance but can seem a little overfull with thick bass on the wrong equipment. However, the PA5's focus and control banished any sense of muddiness, letting me hear deep into the mix to register all those deliciously-subtle backing vocal and percussion parts.

Similarly, I found the Topping amp clarified Snow Patrol's album Final Straw, which can easily get a bit muddy and congested when everything kicks off. Being picky, I could have done with a little more dynamic separation and richness, but, all things considered, the PA5 does remarkably well. It does everything and more that you could reasonably ask, given its low cost and compact dimensions. It's a great performer at the price.

THE VERDICT

Together, the E50 and PA5 make a great little budget, baby pre-power amplifier combination – with a clean, detailed and engaging sound. Indeed I couldn't help but reflect on the superb value offered by this brand. In terms of sound quality, Topping Audio compares favourably with rivals easily costing two or three times as much.

So perhaps that apocalypse is not nigh after all, and there is still hope for mankind. The world may be troubled, but the fact that you can buy fine music-makers such as these at very low prices is definitely a good deed in a wicked world. For those on a tight budget, or the first rung of the hi-fi ladder, Topping Audio's E50 and PA5 offer excellent value for money, and are a cracking combination.

Visit Topping Audio for more information