Another masterclass in pushing value and quality in cheap budget amps! Aiyima A70 amplifier review

Another day, another TPA3255 chip-driven Class D amplifier. And this time by Aiyima, a company I've heard a lot about here on YouTube. Their 180-euro stereo 2.1 300W amplifier. I've heard a lot of praise, so I definitely wanted to test it myself to see if there's enough value and quality to rival Fosi and other big names in the budget amplification market.

Build quality and Features

So, right away, it's an interesting rectangle-shaped design, not a common look in amps. It has vents on the sides and bottom, and a nice, volume-chart-graph-like red coloring pattern on the sides. It gives it a bit of a nice, modern look. Also, the quality of the aluminum frame seems nice and sturdy, so there shouldn't be a problem there.

At the front, there's a very minimal configuration: a volume button, which also works as an on/off switch and channel switcher. And lights indicating whether it's RCA or XLR, and that the power is on. I don't know if I'm a huge fan of this design, but it's not so bad.

But the surprise comes in the back: this 180-euro amp has XLR or balanced inputs. I remember back in the day when XLR was reserved only for expensive amps and devices. And look at it now—there are DACs and amps around 150 euros having them; that's incredible. It truly is. Invest in some quality XLR cables, and you'll remove that cable bottleneck for the rest of your life. There's also a sub out, which I'm super happy to see here.

But besides that, the inputs and outputs are, at best, modest. There is one more RCA input, and that's it for versatility.

And inside, you should find quality components, like the previously mentioned Texas Instruments TPA 3255, PFFB feedback circuit, etc. No DAC here, no preamp, just pure Class D amplification.

Sound Quality

And what is the sound that it creates?

It is excellent. It's always unbelievable to me how much value you get in this price range and how much budget-level equipment is getting better and better.

Well, if you're familiar with Class D, this will be a familiar sound. It's very clear and transparent; it leans toward that very cold and clinical sound.

And while that sound might not be the most exciting and fresh, it does hold tremendous value in this price range. As it allows your sound to space out a bit more and have room.

To me, it's the essence of having cheap HiFi to help your speakers produce a bigger soundstage, blacker background, and have enough detail for me to track and follow instruments. And Aiyima does that very well.

It gives us glimpses into more insight in production and mastering. So yes, the absolute greatest point to this is how well it allows the sound to be clear; you can easily track your instruments, and that kind of seeps into the quality of the upper mids and treble.

Yes, like with many Class D amps, midsection clarity and treble detail are great here. While rhythmic drive lacked power and ferocity, it truly helped with every clash of cymbal, with high notes of every piano and violin to be present and comparatively spacious.

Truly it is, and how talented your speakers are; their dynamics are going to expand even further. But this is also how well-produced your tech is, but I am getting sidetracked.

Treble and mids have the same benefits of being clear, textured, and present. And it pushes into vocals also being very centered and decluttered. It is a joy to listen to music like this if it is acoustic or more mellow, as it never feels forced, and vocals come neutral and decently tonally accurate.

But I don't want you guys to think that this is a harsh, edgy sound, as it is just slightly tipped to treble; mostly it stays neutral.

This is what you need from cheaper hi-fi, for the picture to expand, which it does. Soundstage is great. It opens mostly horizontally than vertically, but it does open, and it has its own lane and space, making for a more expansive soundstage.

Bass is tame but very serviceable, depending on how you listen to music; what gear you have to pair it with might be good to decent. Honestly, I don't want to waste much time here, as there is not much to talk about. It is bass that does not expand in scope and size, as much as in attack and definition. It is more precise and agile, complementing the rest of the dynamics without being its own big entity to drive songs.

Pairing and Synergy suggestions

Pairing is relatively easy. I would suggest speakers that are colored in any direction with this one, as balanced speakers might bring some boring sound that lacks any excitement. I would always go with some Monitor Audios with this one, Monitor Audio Silver or Bronze, for example. And also Polks are a nice match.

Also, a bit darker speakers might be an interesting combination, as this sound lacks gravity as its strength. So it will nicely complement each other. But I think you will always miss more powerful bass with some other amps; it will not do your bass any justice with warm speakers.

Some Problems

To me, there are not many bad points in this price range. But there are a few things that bothered me a little bit, and a few things I would love to see in the future so this amp will be THAT amp.

Firstly, the cooling system. There is a lot of praise on their website about cooling ventilation and vapor chambers, but I have questions about longevity, as when starting the amp, it instantly gets warm. It might not be a minus if it is proven that I am wrong. But I don't remember a device that gets this warm this fast.

Secondly, there is certainly a lack of verve, passion, and emotion with this amp, which is noticeable by its neutral presentation. I think spicing that cold Class D sound could bring a little bit more uniqueness to the sound. As it is, it sounds similar to a lot of quality gear in this price range.

Dynamically, it could be a little bit richer, as I said it does not open on treble nor bass that much for it to have incredible richness and incredible insight.

But let me get this clear: it does resolve great; there is insight and clarity in abundance here. It is that strength; I just want that resolving power to be richer, and the bass to have more presence.

I would also love for Aiyima or Fosi to create a full premium integrated amp, but still in a manageable price range, to have an amp, preamp, and DAC. That would be really exciting to see, mostly as I want to see more inputs in devices like this.

vs. Fosi ZA3

I think the closest alternative is the Fosi ZA3; it is $30 cheaper. It uses the same chip; it has a bit less power (235W), which is honestly not that noticeable. It can work as a mono and stereo device, which is a unique feature. Design-wise, I prefer Fosi; I love the big orange button and just the aesthetics of it. Sound-wise, they are very similar. Saying that one or the other is sonically superior is not quite right.

Fosi, similarly to Aiyima, is very clear, transparent, and has a great soundstage and detail. But there are a few small details that separate them. Out of the box, Fosi has a sound with a bit more prominent lower end; it is honestly a bit weightier. But I notice that by listening and listening and listening again to the same song, it is not noticeable at first, but honestly, it sounds a bit more full-bodied. Aiyima is clearer, but I noticed that when I jumped to more expensive speakers that I have, how it just separates a bit more in the treble and is clearer with a clearer background. Again, this is something that needed a side-by-side comparison to really feel; it is not something that will jump out at you right away when you buy one piece of gear or the other.

The soundstage was a bit in Aiyima's favor as well; I think that clarity opened the stage horizontally. Vocals had similar tonal quality. I preferred the vocals a little more on Fosi; I think it was more grounded and weightier, a bit…

I think this is all subjective, which one is better. And if I could subjectively say, it is Aiyima that has a slightly better sound… as it allowed more insight and separation. But honestly, I say "a bit" a lot here… and that is because it is like that; there is no clear big advantage of one over the other. I can see people going one way or the other, no problem, and they would all be alright. Both are amazing value in their price range, and there is no wrong choice here. It is more how you pair these devices that determines how much you will get out of them. And that synergy and pairing will be important for to you choose one or the other.

Vanilla Ice Cream, Pre-Amps and Personal Taste

One observation is that now that I am exposed to this great and phenomenal world of budget amps, while comparing it to a lot of more expensive amps I have had. And I think the big problem is everyone in the budget market is using similar chipsets and materials, so the sound can, in most cases, be very similar.

And there is that lack of uniqueness to them, but even that would not be a problem; the sound they are all chasing is very good, but safe and calm. And there is so much of that safe and calm, neutral sound I can listen to until I look the other way. It is a lot like eating vanilla ice cream; there is nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream, it can be really great. But even if I eat at a three-star Michelin restaurant, vanilla ice cream is still vanilla ice cream. I would kill for richer flavors of pistachio or maracuja, even if it is not exquisite quality from the best chef in the world.

And what does vanilla ice cream go best with? Well, almost anything, as it has a very neutral flavor, and so I heavily recommend that with every amp like this, you get an additional preamp to build the character of your sound even more. And that is also true with speakers as well, but in this case, there is a lot that a good preamp can do.

I did not try the accompanying preamp, the T1 Pro. I asked for one, but they did not want to send it to me. But there is something that tubes do to this sound that just makes it more interesting; the sound gets a little bit weightier, more present, which makes the sound more interesting to my ears.

I listened to this with the Fosi P3, which is a tube preamplifier, and the same thing as I said in that review. Adding a bit of warmth to your neutral, cold sound is, to me, a magical improvement. And the Aiyima T1 Pro is just $90, and you get...

Even the Bluetooth antenna and more interesting sound.

It will not be a massive improvement in detail retrieval, or expansion of soundstage, but it just makes your system more flexible and a little bit more dynamically rich, with a bit more texture instruments.

So please consider adding an additional preamp with this purchase if you want to spice up the sound a bit more if you are getting used to the sound the A70 reproduces.

Conclusion

And the sound that the A70 reproduces is wonderful; it constantly astonishes me what is capable in this price range. This was unheard of just 10 years ago—to have this much transparency, insight, detail, and soundstage at this level.

It is right there with the kings of budget amps, and whether will this be the one for you, you have to decide in the end. It is the best I have heard in this range, but only by a little bit. Its big 300W output can separate it from others, as it has the power to drive more speakers effectively. But don't expect wonders with tricky speakers to drive.

For clinical listening, this is pure joy. When you can observe and tell and feel the distance and separation between instruments, you know you are listening to hi-fi gear. And you will be most pleased here.

As you will with this amp, which provides an absolute bang for the buck that you will be very happy with for a long time.

Pros:

1. Build Quality & Design:

   • Sturdy aluminum frame and modern aesthetics with red accents.

   • Compact and functional rectangle design with decent ventilation.

2. Features:

   • XLR balanced inputs at an affordable price point

   • Subwoofer output for 2.1 setups.

   • Quality components (TPA3255 chip, PFFB feedback circuit etc.).

3. Sound Quality:

   • Clear, transparent, and neutral sound signature.

   • Great treble and midrange detail with a wide horizontal soundstage.

   • Excellent clarity for tracking instruments and vocals.

   • Suited for acoustic and mellow music genres.

   • Good precision and agility in bass, though not overly powerful or imposing

4. Value for Money:

   • Outstanding sound performance for the price.

5. Pairing Potential:

   • Compatible with colored or darker speakers to balance its neutral sound.

6. Customization:

   • Works well with tube preamps like the Fosi P3 to add warmth and richness to its clinical sound. Consider buying Aiyima T1 Pro

     
     

Cons:

1. Cooling Concerns:

   • Amplifier gets warm quickly, raising questions about long-term reliability.

2. Bass Performance:

   • Bass lacks presence, expansion, and depth, focusing more on precision than power.

3. Neutral Presentation:

   • Lacks emotional engagement, verve, and dynamic richness.

   • Cold, clinical sound may feel uninspiring for some listeners.

4. Dynamically Limited:

   • Treble and bass lack expansion, reducing overall richness in sound.