Parasound Zamp vs Topping TP-60

ChicagoTom

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I'm looking for a modern, small footprint amp to use in a nearfield situation in my office. I'd be using it with a phono preamp like a Hypnotoad 640P or Rega Fono Mini, or perhaps my NAD 1155. I will be listening at fairly low volume levels most of the time. I rotate a bunch of small bookshelf speakers in and out: AR .5 Holographics are there now, I'll also put in Q Acoustics 3020, ADS L/300, ADA 404, Burhoe Crimson, NHT Super Zero, etc.

The Parasound Zamp and the Topping TP-60 have both caught my eye as good candidates. I'd rather not spend much more than $175-200, so I'll consider used.

Has anyone compared these two amps?
 
I'll take a ZAmp over any chip amp any day of the week. I use a Parasound ZDac and ZAmp combo as my office rig and I love them. I've owned 3 other ZAmps. Killer amps for the money. For me it's not even close.

- Woody
 
I'll take a ZAmp over any chip amp any day of the week. I use a Parasound ZDac and ZAmp combo as my office rig and I love them. I've owned 3 other ZAmps. Killer amps for the money. For me it's not even close.

- Woody

I was hoping you'd chime in, Woody - I saw your post on en earlier thread about the Zamp. Thanks!
 
I had the HLLY version of the TP-60 and it was a surprisingly good amp. That said the best chip amp I've heard, and believe me I've heard a lot of them, are the current TPA 3116 amps. These little amps are simply amazing. For around $40-50 they are certainly worth consideration. Whenever I fire mine up I question the thousands of dollars I've spent on amps over the years.

Come out to the country Tom and I'll give you a demo.
 
I've got the Zamp v.3 and it is a solid performer, as well as having a remote trigger it works well with a computer as the preamp. If I were buying now, i'd go TPA3116. Some reviewer, who believes all amps sound the same, praised the Zamp as, well, sounding the same.
 
Parasound all the way. I've owned several of their current model amps. Feel free to PM me for a more detailed discussion.
 
It's not that chip amps don't sound good. But for me they are just too clinically clean. If you're into an ultra sterile sound, maybe you'll like them. I am in the camp that an amps sound is largely influenced by it's power supply. If you read about a lot of the chip amp enthusiasts you'll see them running big honky regulated power supplies for their switching amps... not something I want on my desk. And if they clip... ugh. I really think the class A/B ZAmp with it's solid toroidal transformer is a great performer. It's not that the chip amps don't sound good... it's just that I think the Parasound has more character. Since I listen for extended periods at my desk, and my Audience speakers are very transparent, the Parasound is just a better match. I went back to a ZAmp after stupidly selling mine to try a NuPrime IDA-8... which was a $1k Class-A/Class-D combo. It was too try sounding...

I really would be surprised if you weren't very pleased with the Parasound.

- Woody
 
It's not that chip amps don't sound good. But for me they are just too clinically clean. If you're into an ultra sterile sound, maybe you'll like them. I am in the camp that an amps sound is largely influenced by it's power supply. If you read about a lot of the chip amp enthusiasts you'll see them running big honky regulated power supplies for their switching amps... not something I want on my desk. And if they clip... ugh. I really think the class A/B ZAmp with it's solid toroidal transformer is a great performer. It's not that the chip amps don't sound good... it's just that I think the Parasound has more character. Since I listen for extended periods at my desk, and my Audience speakers are very transparent, the Parasound is just a better match. I went back to a ZAmp after stupidly selling mine to try a NuPrime IDA-8... which was a $1k Class-A/Class-D combo. It was too try sounding...

I really would be surprised if you weren't very pleased with the Parasound.

- Woody
Woody, do you have the ZPre as well? i've been considering one of those for a bedroom system. Nice and compact.
 
Woody, do you have the ZPre as well? i've been considering one of those for a bedroom system. Nice and compact.

They run cool and look great stacked. :thumbsup:

4stackbookshelf.jpg
 
Woody, do you have the ZPre as well? i've been considering one of those for a bedroom system. Nice and compact.

I have never owned a ZPre... based on reviews I gather it's nothing special. I think the ZAmp is a special little amp. I use the ZDac (matching, current version) as my preamp. It has volume control on the front and my only source is my iMac. Here's a pic. They sit under a custom made steel riser which is 3/16" steel which has been powder coated.

- Woody

29303124503_559cd1c699_o.jpg
 
I had a Zamp v3 paired with a zpre v2. Combo was awesome way better than any tripath or tpa based amp I've owned; I've had more than a few.
 
I'm a Parasound fan so I'm not knocking them. Funny that Woody describes chip amps as being too clinical as I've never thought that and I'm a guy who listens, these days, primarily to tubes. My thinking is that for a desktop system $40 is peanuts to try a 3116 to see if it fit's the bill. It certainly won't clutter up the desktop. If it falls short there, chip amps are great for a bedroom system, front porch, travel, or testing. Obvious observations, yes, but worth repeating.
 
Thanks to all for your input!!! I'm going to try and grab a used Zamp on the 'Bay where they go pretty cheaply. And what the heck, I may as well try out that cheap TPA3116 amp to play around with as well.
 
Thanks to all for your input!!! I'm going to try and grab a used Zamp on the 'Bay where they go pretty cheaply. And what the heck, I may as well try out that cheap TPA3116 amp to play around with as well.
Did you get either or both amps Tom? Let us know.
 
Did you get either or both amps Tom? Let us know.

Thanks for asking, cubdog. First, I got a Parasound Zphono pre for $120. I was looking for an upgrade over my Rega Fono Mini A2D for digitizing. I haven't connected it yet, been away from home a lot lately.

I had an eye on a Zamp on eBay for about $120, but it got away. Since then, they've been going for around $160 shipped, so I'm trying to be patient. But...... I did not realize the Zamp is not integrated and does not have a volume control much less bass or treble. So now I'm looking at another $150+ for a ZPre2, and the combined cost is more than I'm willing to spend at the moment.

So I did get the Nobsound TPA3316 that you mentioned, cubdog. I have it connected to a pair of very nice System Audio SAS-505s, retailed for about a grand in the 80s, via my MusicStreamer II DAC. At very first listen, my reaction was "where are the mids???" But since then either my ears have adapted or the caps are broken in, or whatever - but I like the sound VERY much! Now I have less motivation to track down $300+ worth of Parasound Zamp and Zpres. I'm certain I'd like them very much, but what I have now is floating my boat. I may take that $300 and use it to restore/recap another of the vintage amps in my collections (Hitachi IA-1000, Sherwood S-8800, HH Scott 342B or 377B?). Too much gear, not enough room, can't spend money like a drunken sailor on leave.

Not how I was expecting this would turn out, but I'm happy. I appreciate all of your insight and advice. THANK YOU TO ALL!!
 
Cool. As long as the music sounds good. And it never hurts to save a few bucks either. Although in this hobby the savings are usually short lived.
 
I'm looking for a modern, small footprint amp to use in a nearfield situation in my office. I'd be using it with a phono preamp like a Hypnotoad 640P or Rega Fono Mini, or perhaps my NAD 1155. I will be listening at fairly low volume levels most of the time. I rotate a bunch of small bookshelf speakers in and out: AR .5 Holographics are there now, I'll also put in Q Acoustics 3020, ADS L/300, ADA 404, Burhoe Crimson, NHT Super Zero, etc.

The Parasound Zamp and the Topping TP-60 have both caught my eye as good candidates. I'd rather not spend much more than $175-200, so I'll consider used.

Has anyone compared these two amps?

I think the emotiva minix a100 should be considered as well. The current version even has a powerful headphone amp built it.

It's not that chip amps don't sound good. But for me they are just too clinically clean. If you're into an ultra sterile sound, maybe you'll like them. I am in the camp that an amps sound is largely influenced by it's power supply. If you read about a lot of the chip amp enthusiasts you'll see them running big honky regulated power supplies for their switching amps... not something I want on my desk. And if they clip... ugh. I really think the class A/B ZAmp with it's solid toroidal transformer is a great performer. It's not that the chip amps don't sound good... it's just that I think the Parasound has more character. Since I listen for extended periods at my desk, and my Audience speakers are very transparent, the Parasound is just a better match. I went back to a ZAmp after stupidly selling mine to try a NuPrime IDA-8... which was a $1k Class-A/Class-D combo. It was too try sounding...

I really would be surprised if you weren't very pleased with the Parasound.

- Woody

The topping tp60 actually has 2 toroidal transformers in it's case.
 
My friend has a Topping TP60 and I've listened to it several times. I also own a Topping tripath as well. Neither can touch the TPA3116. The TPA family of amps are not typical class D's but use the newer breakthrough chips from T.I. The TPA's have a detailed yet warm SET like SQ. They also come in a variety of power levels with several over 100 wpc.

Cubdog knows what he's talking about and there's a reason the massive TPA3116 thread is the most popular one on AK.
 
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