Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
After applying the update I connected again my Chromecast Audio via the optical cable and I had to adjust the "SPDIF Sense” level (now available in the menu after the firmware update) at 7 to get the sound out of it. Question: is it better to set this parameter at the minimum working threshold or rather to set it to a higher value (in my case 8 or 9), to be on the safe side? Later on I connected a Wii Mini streamer to the same optical input and it worked fine with every SPDIF Sense level value I tried (even with 1). I'm wondering if the issue with the Chromecast Audio device is related to the Mini TOSLINK-to-TOSLINK optical cable I used (I have no other one to test). sub volume is not consistent with speaker volume. They rise and fall unevenly. At low volumes you may have way too much sub, and at high volumes it disappears. This means you have to adjust the sub volume every time you adjust the main volume. It's also worth understanding that most modern "Class-D amplifiers" are really just "a DAC that puts out enough power to run speakers". No hums of hiss when no music is playing (I didn't investigate the matter at length by cranking the volume all the way up) Can definitely see the effort/increased presence of Sabaj on this forum by Peter. A right move in the right direction. No doubt SMSL/Sabaj can make a good product.
SABAJ A30a Power Amplifier 200W*2 Axign AX5689 XU208 DSD512
Subwoofer output level..............................................................................2Vrms In my opinion, it plays at least on the level of a Fiio K9pro, but is much more versatile due to its setting options, remote control, volume separation between headphone amplifier and DAC…AAC ..............................................................................16bit/44.1 kHz_320kbps I had 2 choices of speakers, precisely from the Monitor Audio Silver series, same series, but 2.5-way model and lower impedance at 4 ohms.
Sabaj A30a Hi-Fi Power Amplifier, Axign AX5689 Chip, USB Sabaj A30a Hi-Fi Power Amplifier, Axign AX5689 Chip, USB
I live in a condo so I could only test the system at low and medium volume (no more than 50-55 on the digital display) so I can’t comment about the power reserve of the amplifier that however seems more than enough to create irreversible problems with my neighbors. Even after 2 or 3 hours of listening at medium-low volume I would describe the temperature of the chassis as lukewarm. I never heard any noise coming from the cooling fan (either is very quite or has never been spinning). I also never heard any hum or hissing coming from the speakers (however I did not put my ear near the tweeters) However, being a software guy, I must admit I have other concerns that were not discussed here. As my main usage is only while connecting to my PCs via USB Shows how much I pay attention to titles a few messages up. Of course that would explain the gaffe. Bluetooth specification...................................................................................5.0My A30a uses two USB ports on my PC, one is connected to the SMSL PO100's DDC and its OPT/COAX output is connected to the A30a, the other is directly connected to the A30a's USB input. My plan with the dacs was to try them out in several setups to see their performance relative to my DC-1 and XMC-1. That is ongoing, as I haven’t been able to try all the variations, especially using the dacs as preamps vs dac only. The DC-1 has a pretty nice analog in, and the XMC-1 has a balanced input. The reason for that is I’ve been busy enjoying the Sabaj, which is a pretty incredible piece! Channel separation ...................................................................................108dB All this to say that… I could ear no difference when switching from A to B the commuter on the SOLUPEAK P2 box. At first I was so surprised that the two amps sounded identical that I had to switch one of them off to make sure I didn't make any mistakes with the cable connections. Perhaps (I repeat, PERHAPS) the Sabaj is a little more "airy" in the medium frequencies but I wouldn't be willing to bet more than one Euro on this. Only at higher volumes I was able to hear a fuller sound (= with a bit of emphasis on the bass) from the Rotel with the DSP active (Stereo mode). I then decided to connect to the Sabaj to my Martin Logan Dynamo 700w subwoofer. I really appreciate the availability of a combined low pass and high pass filter although the lower cutoff setting available (70 Hz) could be limiting in some setups. Considering that my Dali Zensor 3 are not exuberant on the low frequencies, the use of the subwoofer (with a cutoff at either 80 or 90 Hz) significantly improved the final quality of the sound.
Sabaj A30a is amazing! | The Emotiva Lounge Sabaj A30a is amazing! | The Emotiva Lounge
Source is still my PC --> RME Digiface USB via USB --> two Sabaj A30A via optical - this way I would have a multichannel (quadraphonic) system Design & Build Parts Electronic Design Equipment & Tools Construction Tips Software Tools Build Guides Standby power consumption.........................................................................<0.5W I’m pretty sure that the Sabaj has my dacs beat (DC-1 and XMC-1) and my amps beaten too (SA250, XPA1L and PA-1s). If this is the case, then this unit changes everything for me. No bulky amps, no expensive interconnects, preamps and dacs.First listening impressions of the Sabaj A30a using as a source a Wiim Mini streamer connected via TOSLINK. Dali Zensor 3 speakers in a 30 square meters room with no sound treatments. Hello peterwen. Thanks for posting. I have a question: is the sub low pass complemented with a high pass filter for the mains?. If yes, is the high pass frequency adjustable like the sub cut out frequency? And, of course, some audiophiles prefer to have the option "staying analog - at least sometimes" and "avoiding A/D and D/A conversions"... Thanks Keith for the detailed information. It helps to understand just what this product is. I have about ten days left on my potential return, and though I’m very impressed, there are reasons to maybe pass for now and possibly wait for another version. People have observed that the company usually just releases something else rather than fix issues. Not sure about that but they (SMSL and Topping too) are definitely producing a lot of products, at similar price points. Powerful driving force, proper magnification and precise volume control make Sabaj A30a can match most of the desktop small bookshelf boxes on the market, and adjust to satisfactory timbre.
Great Deal 
New Comment