I spent several years as a teenager in (then-Colonial) Hong Kong - my father had been posted there and the cultural shock from the grim Pennine wastelands of Todmorden could not have been greater. One thing that this time did leave me with was an appreciation of the Chinese mindset: 'work hard, make money.'.
With the handover of HK to mainland China, the ex-colony had a foundation of western-orientated manufacturing upon which the new mega-city of Shenzhen built and became a massive assembly plant for the rest of the world.
Chinese hifi began as cheap knock-offs with cut-price components in flimsy casings. Then many (UK) audio companies began to get their products made there, this brought a wealth of information about the quality and style that Western hifi-consumers required and the Chinese market adapted itself and began to aim for similar quality within the quantity.
In a relatively short space of time, many ChiFi audio companies have begun to make distinctive and attractive hifi for attainable prices, look at: SMSL, Loxije, Sabaj, Denafrips to name but a few. These companies have seen that by using good components, careful designs, solid cases and high-volume production techniques, there is a market of music-fans around the globe who will be interested.
Another player in the field is Aiyima, specialised in quirky amps and DACs - if you want a tube-amp with a big VU meter then check em out! They appear to have been going for a while and have an in-house development and improvement programme. When I started dipping my toes in the murky waters of ChiFi, one little power amp was gathering much praise for its sound quality, the Aiyima A07, a basic stereo amplifer based around the Class D Texas Instruments TPA3255 chip.
Despite its clunky appearance and basic functionality it had many fans and Aiyima decided to bring out a PRO version with tone controls and Bluetooth - this was also well-received and helped the company's growing reputation. Attractive prices too - the A07 PRO with power supply sells for about 100 dollars in the USA.
These amps are little powerhouses as well, with a 48V/12A power supply the TPA3255 is capable of churning out a massive 300W/ch and then with an audiophile-friendly character that has removed the glare and graininess previously associated with Class D designs.
Idly surfing, I came across yet another, newer version of the A07, the A07 MAX, a complete new redesign based around the trusted TPA3255 and now with stereo/mono switchability. That set off the 'Red Alert' lights in my head! Experience with the Sabaj A10a 2022 showed me that stereo Class D amps are full of fun; bouncy and forward. But bridge them into monoblock mode and you get a beast that has unlimited power, pinpoint imaging and razor-sharp detail. Carefully matched in a system to rein-in the forward edginess, these amps have been providing me with enormous pleasure over the last year. And maybe it is my 60+ ears needing a bit more pronounced treble, or that I listen to recordings in a different way - wanting that extra detail and precision, certainly the sound of Class D is beginning to take my preference.
So, enter the Aiyima A07 MAX:
Very chic with a minimum of clutter. The volume knob doubles as the on/off switch and mono-stereo mode is selected via a little slider underneath. Reviews are glowing with an elegant and musical sound that should please and impress. The amp is available with a selection of power supplies and I have gone for the intermediate 36V option (who the hell needs 600W per channel?) and ordering directly from Aiyima not only gave me the best price, but an extra 5% discount, so a pair of A07 MAX costs €170, quite a bit less than an AQ Carbon 75cm USB lead, for example.
A pair of these will be appearing on my doorstep sometime soon and I still have a pocket-money SMSL DAC to review.
Life's hard ...