Non-Affiliated link if you plan to buy it: apos.audio/products/topping-pre-90-plus-ext-90-preamp-and-input-extender?_pos=4&_sid=9d4f58122&_ss=r For those who have not seen my last video on discussing what to listen for. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jK-gh9dmuKiXj58.html

Solid review on the Pre90. Answered all my questions. Much appreciated!

Just today, i was searching reviews on topping 90 pre amp and you upload a video. God bless you.

Great and honest review. Thank you!

Great review, thanks Thomas. Now everything's clearer now. No need to reply here, You've done a lot of it as I have read in the comments. I can't imagine how much time that would need. Thanks again.

This review is very interesting. I love the sound to be as detailed and real as possible. I have the D90SE and pair with a modified tube preamp that I love. I only found D90SE bright when I paired it with Usher 718DMD, that is very much like Focal speakers. B&W CM5, DLS R55 and Thivan Labs speakers sound fantastic with D90SE. If pre90 will tip it over and give to much brightness for my taste on those speakers remains to be heard. Recordings are different so what comes out as natural is not always from the most resolving, natural equipment. Thanks for the review.

Another great review Thomas! I'm really looking forward to your CSS audio tower speaker review. I'm building my own set of CSS audio monitors. But I'm already thinking of upgrading to the towers down the road.. Depending on your review of course.

Great video Thomas - how you describe the extra revealing detail from the Topping is exactly why I preferred the Freya in my system :)

The fact that you referenced DBZ is a great reason I subscribe and that you're my friend. But still awesome reference

Topping is one of my favorite audio companies. If I didnt already have a preamp I loved, Id be all over something like this.

Very pretty looking stack :)

As usual, great review. Not only informative but entertaining :) And the story telling, sharing of perspective and experience from friends, this is what I like :) It's so far above measurements in my book :) P.S. Waiting for my Freya + ...it will take a while :D

Nice review. Thanks Thomas ! (Now for a bit of humor : the preamp on top at 14:27 looks like it caught on fire 🔥)

Great video Thomas and (Friends)!

I was super impressed with the Topping A90 headphone/pre-amp - it did exactly as you described - added a level of detail and made it sound better even when going into my higher-end power amp. IMO, an amazing product would be to have something like the Topping Pre90 combined with a Schiit Loki +. Clean pre-amping with the some tone controls to make those subtle EQ adjustments to season the audio of your system to suit your taste. It would be a KILLER product and eliminate too many boxes and cable clutter in the signal path.

I just recently bought the PRE90 and adding it to the chain between my Ares 2 and my Mackie speakers the thing performed well I can hear more details that I can say to the extreme some nuances like the pianist wrist watch and making that steel shaking sound while hammering the piano keys, it’s quite amazing

Nice review Thomas.

Thanks, Thomas.

What a great solution for someone that needs to sharpen their system a bit. My d90 dac has been a staple in my ever changing system, Topping makes amazing stuff for the price.

Thanks Thomas !

There is one catch with this Topping Pre90, thats the low input impedance thats about 2kohms (BAL Input) and ~10kohms (UNBAL) that caused distortion in my Tube DAC. In my Opinion, the Gustard P26 was better compared to Topping Pre90. Gustard P26 specs were amazingly great and I had a AB comparison with Mark Levinson 326S and absolutely no difference at all. Also Gustard P26 goes with any Kind of DAC's whether tube or Solid State due to its input impedance 50Kohms BAL and UNBAL. Also the measurements are great and it improved the imaging, and the overall music presentation. When I had a AB comparison with Gustard P26 vs Topping D90, I preferred the Gustard P26 and sold Topping D90 on the same day when I purchased :)

Thank you for the review. I guess that herr trigger had the idea that I was looking: 3 distinct audio flavors: Freya+ passive, Pre90 solid state and Freya+ tube would be great to have on one pre amp. So I will think of a setup and buy all of them :)

Cannot wait for a review on the musical paradise mp 701 mk2 preamp. I upgraded mine with v-cap odam's. Now you can choose as an upgrade. And some nos tubes. My first preamp and to me sounds wonderful.

Its tuff finding Preamps at this low cost Thanks Thomas

Uhh, yeah. Sounds really nice. I'm using the Topping A90 as a pre-amp between DAC and power-amp. The DAC (Topping D30 Pro) is in full-power mode (volume control disabled). When listening to music, I'm using the Wiim Mini Streamer. I'm still happy with the setup, to the point that I can save up some money for better gear, but still be really satisfied with what I've got.

Hey Thomas another great review, I always enjoy your real world opinions , I have a Freya plus and would like to hear your opinion on the original and the plus, some reviews ive seen claim it's a matter of preference. Keep up the good work..

Great video. I have given away expensive in-ear monitors because they were too detailed. Instead of feeling like you were listening to a band on stage, it was more like you were sitting right in the middle of a band. I actually preferred my no name brand "Walmart special" ear-in monitors because they were more soothing to the ear. I much prefer easy-listening than too much detail and clarity.

Earlier I had a SMSL M400 DAC between my PC (Jriver) and Denon amplifier connected to Amphion speakers. I use the SMSL M400 as a DAC/pre-amp and the sound was good but seems lacking somewhat. 5 months ago I purchased the Topping Pre90 pre-amplifier and installed it after the SMSL dac and then use the Denon as a power amplifier only. The sound clarity was much improved. So the Pre90 works and works well too.

Regarding the remote control, I am very certain that this isn't a problem of the remote control unit but rather the receiving end of the Topping. If the receiving diode isn't mounted correctly, it will significantly reduce the working angle. I once was involved in developing a special appliance IR remote control and that was one of the toughest nuts to crack. This type of remote control is used by many other manufacturers as well with customized layouts, like SMSL. And there it does work really well.

Sounds like a winner for those who like the presentation you described. I'll take the Freya ... and a bottle of Huy Fong Sriracha 😉

Thank You for the new introduction Thomas! When I saw so much praise for the shiit freya, I wondered if this is a real discrete-built tube pre amp without any OpAmps in the signal path, or it uses OpAmps "tube-flavoured", since there are some switching options. There are no technical comments from shiit, and I wonder, how they can meet the low price point. So I really got curious on this XiangSheng though! Best regards, Jürgen

Interesting, Harley just gave the Pre90 such a rave review I want it

Your review was absolutely right on. Strangely enough when I paired it with my focal 906. The coloration was not as noticeable. I doubt i will keep it. If you have a high end system I doubt you want to color it with this.

The noise floor on the Freya + is so much improved. It really should be heard.

I’ve had the Gustard p26 balanced class A pre amp in my system for a few months. It’s really good. It uses NEX for volume control. And I was able to upgrade the op amps to Burson classic. At a similar price, I think it would be a better fit for most people.

I can see many Wharfedale owners running out to get the Pre90 preamp... another great one Thomas!

The Pre90 is highly recommended. I have one and believe me, it is not going anywhere. Yes, I have had lots of preamps in my system.

dac with internal preamp usually sounds better direct . but in some cases otherwise. I think have to do with impedance matching. xlr VS rca will also be Alot different that is worth experimenting.

When I first saw this video I thought your comment of it being "colored" (as in added clarity and detail) was a negative. After all, aren't pre-amps supposed to be transparent..."wire with gain"? Yesterday put a Pre90 in front of my Eversolo DMP-A6. It revealed micro-details I never knew existed and more precise imaging. Your assessment was bang on! I'm intoxicated by the sound coming out of my system today. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a hangover. BTW congrats on joining that pompous golden ear club called TAS (of which I am a subscriber). All the Best!

god the award for the worst remote ever that made me LOL i love you thomas. i wish we were friends in real life and could hang out regularly.

Looked into this - seems a great solution for adding a pre to those Dacs that really benefit, though note the input impedance is really low - not suitable (or advised) for D/frips for exampl...

I have an Audio Alchemy DDP-1 dac/pre + PS 5 outboard power supply. Really good. They come up for sale very occasionally @ ~ $1200

Got the Pre90 and I did hear a big difference. LS50 sounds very good. My DIY speakers only a little better, not as good as LS50 anymore.

High End on the 'cheap' : Pre90 (Ext if needed) D90se & Purifi Eigentakt Stereo Amplifier. Matching the right speakers to your personal taste is the key. For most people probably softer speaker in the upper mids and highs

Nice review! I would have liked to see this unit compared more closely with the Schiit Freya S (solid state only) which has the same price and presumably a better remote control. I wonder what the sonic differences might be? Pros, cons, etc.

I have watched this multiple times (3x). Finally ordered the Pre90 to go with my D90 which I have been using in preamp mode. Decided to not continue building my vinyl setup. May sell it to try the Denafrips DAC like the Pontus 2 which will require having a preamp. Would love to hear you compare best under $2k USD DAC especially the D90 vs Pontus2.

🤔 NOT REALLY 😉 I AM WATCHING TO ELEVATE MY KNOWLEDGE 🧐AND SEE👀 WHAT I AM MISSING Also I enjoy your detailed explanation of different tastes 😋 for your audience 🤗THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELPFUL ADVICE 😍😍😍

Thomas, Bought it and tried for a few days. It’s more colorful and animated than my old pre amp - Electrocompaniet 4.8 mark 2. Now I am starting to think if I should sell my old pre amp.

Hi Thomas, thanks for an excellent review. You mentioned the pre90 brings details more forward. Would you say that in makes any given dac or amp pair up sound brighter? thanks

OMG, this sharing is excellent and it is pretty much exactly what I need to try elevate my Buchardt A700. As much as I love the A700, I am naturally unsatisfied in some areas. Unluckily I have never heard the high-end Focal or B&W sound :-(, and I am always searching a great system to match the angelic voice I have heard, which is Zhou Sheng's treble. In some sense, I love his singing from my android phone more so than my current system, especially when he sings really high, because the phone's treble is really boosted up and shouty. Also there is very little room to improve if you own a pair of active speaker. A700 is quite neutral so I think it will fit what you said well. I normally don't have hours of listening time to spend so listening fatigue will not be an issue. Lastly, can you think of any preamp have the similar characteristics like the Topping Pre90, but in the next level? For me money is no object only the space is, I can't keep on buying gears and stacking them up, which is also wasteful... Again, many thanks Thomas!

pre90 best attribute its silent at this money unbeaten but is all about taste and synergy

You really need to review the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Network Streamer/DAC/Preamp. I pulled both my Freya and Gungnir out of my system replacing both with the Cambridge unit.

The Nuprime DAC-9 and 10, are really excellent DAC’s with true “pre-amp” volume control. It’s the only DAC that I will connect directly to my power amp(s). Very robust analogue output stage via balanced XLRs and 99-step ladder volume precision. Modestly priced as well.

Thank you, Thomas. You are correct, the remote is terrible. A shame since the unit itself is decent.

I had the Freya+ and returned it and replaced it with the Pre90. Running a Bifrost directly into Aegir mono blocks the detail was very high. The Freya+ adds a veil over those details that I did not appreciate losing. All three states of the Freya+ had the same effect. Swapping to the Pre90 keeps the detail that the Freya+ filtered out. The Schiit stack looked better but the Pre90 has the sound I was after. The Pre90 remote isn’t great but works much better if you aim under it.

Review Klipsch Cornwall iv and Martin Logan motion 60xti wow they sound good. 🙏

I don't know what the current price is but I know Amazon is selling the pre-90 and the EXT 90 as a set together for 850. Now that's not terrible for what you get however when you consider the price versus the number of inputs I would tell you to just get the Freya S. I mean 599 US and i used to have one and probably going to buy another soon and it is one of the best solid-state preamp's I've ever heard

Another great review as usual Thomas. I am still loving my Musical Paradise MP D1 from your review, thank you! I currently have a Xiang Sheng 728a Preamp and was wondering if Musical Paradise MP 701 or Schiit Freya would be a considerable upgrade. I like the 728a but find the bass to be on the weak side and past 10 o'clock on the volume control I get increasing hum even with no signal present as I turn it up. Any quicks thoughts on these 3 Pre's! Thanks for any insight.

Hello, Thanks for your video. Can I put this in between my DAC or Turntable+Schiit Mani -and- my existing Marantz amplifier and expect major upgrade? I love hearing detailed instruments and watching this video makes me more interested to this preamp. thanks again

Great video Thomas. Seems that these Topping products seem to emphasize detail and clarity so they have to be paired carefully to sound natural. How did this particular unit sound compared to your more expensive pre-amps?

A comparison to the solid state Freya S might be worthwhile. It just came back recently, same price as the Topping, and I hear good things about the Nexus gain stage.

I got the d70s dac. I added to my 2 channel system of a prima luna evo 200 and OPPO bdp95 and bluesound note 2. The filters have no sound deference in sound

Had the original Freya and didn't get on with it. The unit acted as a microphone. If tapped it would send a thud through my speakers. I have the Pre90 now and like to use it via the XLR connection. XLR sounds better in my digital set up. As you say the unit majors on clarity.

Thanks Thomas you are spot on as usual 😉 how about something two or three levels up than those two?

Suggestion: Linear Tube Audio microZOTL2.0 line stage/headphone amplifier - it's a little over budget at $1295 and way over budget with the optional Linear Power Supply @ $1910 - but mannnnn it's one fantastic piece - Herb Reichert from Stereophile called it a "world-class line-level preamplifier"

Belles audio Signature preamp I think is the virtuoso...made in USA not on the website yet

Nice video, I have a david hafler dh-200 amp, do you think it would be a good match? And whats your opinion on the dh 200 ? Appreciate it Thanks

Hi Thomas. Thanks so much for your excellent review. I'm thinking of pairing the Pre90 with my Pass Labs X250.8. Do you think this combo would work?

Thomas, please 🙏 do a review of the MP-701 mk2 so I can compare the sound from Decware's perspective. I am thinking of getting a Decware CSP3 preamp or the MP-701mk2. Thank you for your informative reviews!

The Freya + (not sure about the original) has three modes, passive, JFET and tube, including tube rolling, that gives a great deal of flexibility. It is also allegedly significantly better than the original, being a lot quieter. It's a bit pricier though.

...there's also the Schiit Freya S balanced preamp for 699.00, without tubes, haven't seen a review of that one from anyone.

LOVE my Pre 90. And can't wait to get balanced monoblocks so I can take advantage of the full 50 volts and the full capability of my new DAC. Running everything single ended. Is still magnificent.

I wonder what do you think of the Benchmark HP4 or LA4. Would characterize their sound as "colored" too?

Thomas, were those the new CSS tower speakers? Are you going to review them? I'm planning to get those for my Doge 10. Is that a good match? Thank!

Please review and compare the D90S to the D70S I personally think the body more fulness more smooth more masculine more emotional presence of the D 70 S is overall a better unit in my opinion with my ears as I’ve compared both myself the D 90 SE is more analytical it loses a little bit of the wideness meat on the bone And maybe a little bit more thin sterile sounding. I can hear a little bit more details it’s a little bit more forward it is a more revealing DAC cleaner sounding but it just sounds too thin and sterile and boring lifeless but that’s just what I hear the D70S is more well rounded musically and sounds amazing. However I’m not a big fan of their cheap remote controls they always have even with the pre-90 which I already haven’t been using it sounds amazing however I would say it’s almost like the D 90 SE clean detailed with a slight forward presentation however can be a little bit thin and not well rounded meat on the bone sound. But it is a very good preamplifier and I would take it over many others. However kinky studio makes a very good preamp as well Denafrips I personally like kinky studio I think they sound amazing. I have reached out to toppping before in regards of their cheap remote design and if they were plan to fix it or change or come out with an aluminum premium remote and unfortunately they seem very lazy and cheap to fix the design and it’s really unfortunate because it does kind of suck having to be dead centre or else the remote nine times out of 10 doesn’t register and if you drop it it will break super easily it feels like a cheap piece of crap does it make you feel like you’re on a premium device and if we’re paying 700 or plus dollars we should be getting a nice aluminum remote for example shitt audio in California they give you a tiny aluminum remote a little bit too small for my liking but really nice quality but still there’s better remotes out there for this price.

good video Thomas, too bad about the song at the end though!

Iol, Thomas l really appreciate the examinations of potential. I have a couple of questions. And of course they revolve around the subject of audio. I've mentioned I have a small listening area. Well exceedingly small listening area would be more like it. Roughly its 10x10, lively or reflective with heavy carpet. So, likely Near Field listening. I'm looking for some suggestions for possible speakers and a Wifi DAC Reciever with Pre Amp somethings that might work well with a vintage spec'd out Sansui 7070 Db. I sry suggestions as l have some ideas already, but as I've found some commonality in criteria I'm curious as to what you think and to see if we cross paths. Or do your suggestions broaden my horizon. $ is lol an issue only in that l don't aspire to numerous investigation or of unendingly trying to raise the bar. I don't have that much time or money for that. But I also won't mind if you don't have any. My plan is for streaming, CD's and exploring a wide genre of musical content Jazz, New Age, Classical, Techno, Atmospheric, of course Classic R and R, and Shades of Blues. I don't believe l need to or will spend more than 2k to 2.5 and l don't doubt l will find for me a quite accurate acceptable system. Iol If nothing else thanks for listening as well as your insights.

Thomas, thanks for the video. Is a preamp like this worth adding onto a Reisong A12, versus using the amp’s built in volume control? Having a remote control is mandatory for me. Right now, I’m using an SMSL SU-9 DAC as a preamp because it has a remote.

I've been eyeing on the Xiang Sheng tube preamp for some time, but can't find much info to buy them. Hope you'll talk about it, pretty please?

Sounded 😢really weird with my Pontus dac. Some tracks sound great but stand drum cymbals high hats Sounded little distorted. I was able to approximate the sound on my other preamp by boosting the treble alot. Apparently the impedance is very unusual. For example Mono blue note CD I played by Lee Morgan sounded gray and thin with this preamp. When I put back my proton preamp which is solid State the fullness and barley returned and so did the musical engagement. On the other hand James Taylor’s vocal on October Road CD sounds great. Hard to figure out what this preamp is doing.

Holo Serene kte is supposed to be bad ass too and has a nice remote

Hi Thomas. Getting a good and affordable pre-amp is not easy. And for some reason they are not as much reviewed as power amp. I wish you review the Musical Paradise MP-701Mk2 soon... it offers so much for the money, but how does it sound? :)

I use LA90D and DOSE to connect my iPhone via USB and listen to music. I'm interested in the PRE90, but do you think it's better with or without a preamp?

I love that 25k is *half* the price of a car. Brother, that's more than I paid for my car.

Apparently Topping are working on mono block amps to go with this stack. They are gunning for benchmark abh2 level performance. So will probably have the same character as the dac and pre.

i like those small units, i wonder how my minidsp SHD Studio affects the sound, connected into my two dac's for crossover and subwoofer integration and room correction. this is not a dac with volume control, just digital to digital conversion.

@Thomas & Stereo How did it work with the A1 set to PowerAmp mode? Any recommendations for dac pairings with that combo? Thank you

Thomas! I'm trying to round off a bright system. Would a tube dac help and what would you recommend?

in the market for a tube preamp, with decent DAC and MM Phono stage.... I know of the Mac C53, but would be nice if it was less than $5k USD..... Cheers...

Thanks Thomas. Is the form factor deliberately designed for desktop users? This would be ideal as a pre-amp for powered monitors.

D90SE requires good USB feed or it is prone to dropouts...verified this. Needs at least a week to break in the clocks. Thereafter you will hear the DAC. Being a 9038, you need to select one of 7 FIR filters. Put into DAC mode and use the XLR output. Mated to Benchmark LA4 and Benchmark AHB2 and you have electronics that both measure and SOUND top notch. Completely neutral. Gives the Polk LSIM 707 what it needs to sound right.

Well, you know... I own two different sets of power amps (one ELECTROCOMPANIET AW 250 DMB and two mono-blocks VINCENT SP-991 PLUS). My only preamp is an ELECTROCOMPANIET EC 4.7 MKII that I connect depending on the day to the ELECTRO power amp or to the Vincents. I was looking for the natural preamp for the Vincents (I was looking for the SA-93), but after this video and this new Chinese jewels, I would like to know if this little thing, the TOPPING PRE90, is going to equal or outclass the Vincent or even high ultra well-known preamplifiers brands. I also have a Freya (the normal model) in mind, but after checking this model, it went to a second scene. What would you recommend if you were about to go for the most natural high definition sound? Regards.

Thanks Thomas for the review. My problem with equipment like the Pre90 is that it falls short on connectivity and functionality. When you start adding the extension unit and DAC, not to mention inter-connects, it no longer becomes affordable. My baseline pre-amp/streamer/DAC is currently the NAD C658 which retails for USD 1,500. Because I am situated outside of N. America, access to equipment is difficult even during pre-COVID conditions. It would be great if you could test the NAD compared to separate components like the Topping. Is it worth the extra money by going the separate route.

Great video. How much importance would you place on room correction and gear that has it like DIRAC? Thanks

It is very hard to beat the Freya+ and I don't think this toy will beat it. Schiit Freya+ with Sylvania 6SN7 GTA and Tung Sol 6F8G or Sylvania 6C8G is what I use, good luck beating that combination!! The great thing about the Freya+ is tube rolling: You can also use some different tubes with adapters like 12ax7(family tubes), 6F8G, 6C8G, 12sn7, 6H8C, 7n7 etc..... Sound quality is very subjective and we all have different tastes and rooms that affect our sound quality and taste!

I have the pre90 and I too believe that it sounds a bit thin. The sound lacks weight and the bass is recessed. It is fun, but you get tired quick. I believe that this behavior is consistent with the low input impedance reported by stereophile that acts like a low pass filter.

How do you think this unit would pair with the Reissong Boyyourange A12 and the Topping DAC mentioned here?

This was on my list before. But I found a used Denafrips Hestia at 2/3 the retail price. I'll say this much, the chunky Hestia remote is too good to give up in comparison 🤣

Someone send this man a Topping LA90!

Not going to kill my Schiit Freya+…'cause I already own it. 🤑 I LOVE my NOS tubes in the Freya +. I DO NOT want more "clarity or transparency." NOOOOOOOOOOO! . I do not need a DAC ….I have one in my Marantz SACD 30n. PLUS…Thomas VISUALLY The Schiit Freya + (mine is black w/silver sides + silver knobs & controls) is just so COOL LOOKING!!! 👍🏼😁