Topping

PA7 Plus Stereo Power Amplifier

£600

It's often said that the best things come in small packages, and with my modest height and weight, then who am I to disagree? However, the 'small is beautiful' adage isn't always pertinent in hi-fi – especially when applied to amplifiers, with many believing 'bigger is better'…

Not so Topping's new PA7 Plus, which has an incredibly small footprint – it's less than half the size of a sheet of A4 paper, as the company points out. Yet despite the diminutive dimensions, it delivers a claimed 2x 245W into 4 ohms at 1% distortion. This is possible because it employs Class D technology that's highly efficient – very little energy is lost as heat, so big and bulky heatsinks aren't needed.

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.

Although the amplifier itself is small enough to sit discreetly on a desktop, it comes with a hefty power supply unit almost as big as the main unit. The upside of this is that the PA7 Plus is not compromised by a weak-kneed wall-wart power supply. Its 245 watts per channel might seem like overkill for a desktop amp such as this; however, it could be used to drive compact shelf or standmount speakers, which are generally more power-hungry than larger designs. And so it proved with my review system, with its incredibly insensitive Rogers LS3/5a mini-monitors (82.5dB). High-resolution source material was streamed via Qobuz and a Chord Qutest DAC.

THE LISTENING

The full-range sound produced by the PA7 Plus is remarkable when you consider its size, as there's nothing small-scale about it. Most impressive is how it reacts to shifts in dynamic range, both in terms of intensity and level. Blur's Song 2 was a case in point as the deceptively low-key guitar intro erupted into the mayhem of the 'woo-hoo' chorus. The explosively impressive dynamic peaks sounded as furiously filthy as I've ever heard them.

It's not all bluster, though, as this little amp is equally at home with more delicate recordings such as Nick Drake's Northern Sky. This track showed the Topping's ability to transparently reveal filigree detail, as well as accurately portray vivid tonal colours. This is due in no small part to its low distortion – its oodles of clean power, made for a truthful and uncoloured presentation of the music.

There's none of the grey grain and washed-out tonality of poor solid-state amplifiers. Yet, equally, the PA7 Plus lacks the sweetness and flattering musicality that some listeners crave from valve amplifiers. This amp is devoid of obvious character and remains faithful to the source signal, in turn allowing the character of other components in the system chain to shine through. There's no sugar-coating for rough recordings, yet beautifully recorded music is presented without a cloying layer of syrup.

The latest album from Weyes Blood, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is a gorgeous recording that needs no harmonic padding, and the PA7 Plus duly let all of its elegant exquisiteness out unhindered. Lead vocals, which are somewhat reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, sounded very natural through this system, the amplifier letting my BBC monitor speakers conjure up their special midrange magic.

THE VERDICT

As a power amplifier with volume control, Topping's PA7 Plus lacks the multiple inputs you find on standard integrated amps, although you do get the benefit of ultra-low noise-balanced operation. Lovers of vinyl and headphones aren't catered for, but those with limited space who wish to amplify line-level sources without compromise should put this little powerhouse right at the top of their audition list. It may be tiny, but it's still a lot of amplifier for the money!

Visit Topping Audio for more information