AIYIMA A04 Review by Head-Fi

The best quality-price speaker amp
Pros: Price.
Espatial sound and deeper soundstage.
Included PSU (only some regions).
Clear sound and bass with body.
Op-amps swap.
ConsBasic package.
Without instructions.
Not include the ideals op-amps.
I'm not one to usually writes reviews unless that product really draws my attention, mostly because of laziness but this product sure does deserve one.

I needed a speaker amplifier because my HiFi system had died but the speakers kept working as the first day with the sound I like best, so I didn't want to change them. Right now my audio setup is the Topping E30 as DAC and a clon of Beyerdynamic A1 as headphone amplifier, that's why I had to buy something that held down those and not the usual clonic amplifiers tpa3116d2 or tpa3118.

Looking at the main audio portal sites (head-fi, diyaudio, audiosciencereview, reddit...) I ran into this model (tpa3251) and its big brother (tpa3255), and specially the assembler (Aiyima) which people said was on the same level as evaluation PCB ($150 the PCV without case or power supply). The strange thing is that there were no Spanish reviews (that's why I'm making mine), it might be because there is not a real important community about audio here in Spain.

PACKAGING

The package is not really appealing to the eye, just a neutral box with the product really well-wrapped and protected, of course, it also contains its pertinent power supply. Looks simple and hasn't got instructions, even though it is not very hard to put together.

The power supply looks really solid, strong, while lightweight, and has a light on the transformer when plugged in. The amplifier is really discrete (big hand size) just as it appears on the images, with an aluminium case, really pretty to be honest. When you turn it on, the potentiometer from the wheel lights up in a really smooth blue tone, and it is indicated that is on with a red light on the left, and that potentiometer has a beautiful gentle feel without being ALPS, which is a pro.
The front part consists only of that potentiometer and an on switch, the back has the RCA and speaker connectors.

SOUND

About the sound, my speakers sound better than before, with more depth on the lows and more separation on the instruments. It doesn't exist a an unbalance of channels, that I notice, from the 8 o'clock and it doesn't add any sound to the speakers even when they are on and without music, not even a hiss or hum, a really usual thing that happens with bad quality amplifiers.

Voices are really clear and easy to distinguish.
Deep lows (even without subwoofer).
Mediums with body and realistic sound.
Spatial sound and deeper soundstage.

According to the manufacturer, opamp-swap can be done to upgrade the sound, and although I feel really happy about this product I will try it in the future with the opa1656.

CONCLUSION

Overall, I have found a product with a really spectacular price for what we are used to on the "sound world" and for $70 it's really far from the typical amplifiers of that price and even more expensive ones, and if we are looking for something a step further we should then think about prices over $200, and even then the sound quality will not be much different.
It is a product really similar to what happened to Topping E30 or the amp 02, which has surpassed its segment and the above one to a lower price, showing that audio doesn't need to be expensive in order to have quality.
To highlight something negative, I could say that the box could have a Logo or be a little nicer, also it could include a small guide or instructions for people that don't understand much about audio. But if that is everything that there is to improve the product, it should be very welcome.

The brand has really surprised me for good, and I hope to have a place for it on my stack, a part from that amplifier that already has its place assured.


AIYIMA A04 Review by Head-Fi
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/aiyima-a04.25089/
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