NiPO A100 DAC/AMP Review - Breaking The Mold

With a ton of power, MagSafe, gorgeous good looks and a DAP like listening experience the NiPO A100 just might revolutionize your definition of portable audio. All for $399.

PROS:

- Fantastic SQ

- Vast stage ands good separation

- Nice note weight and timbre

- Great power output

- Extremely small

- MAGSAFE!

- Buttons are nice and clicky

- Decent battery life, especially considering the power

- Price

CONS:

- Nothing sonically

- Larger 4.4mm plugs won’t fit while attached to phone

- DAC filter resets every time it’s turned on

- Volume resets every time it’s turned on

- Color scheme may not be for everyone

Greetings my fellow audio nomads and pilgrims, I welcome you to my newest review of the brand new NiPO A100 DAC/Amp! I previously reviewed NiPO’s amazing N2 DAP, a phenomenally tuned and expressively dynamic DAP that slaps the industry in the face with 2.5W of power and a pure Android UI that is oh so smooth. The sound is spectacular, neutral, and very resolving. So now we have NiPo’s first foray into a portable DAC/Amp and it’s a doooozy! With great power, a super slim body and much of the SQ and tuning that made the N2 a lovely thing to behold, the A100 is, for a lack of better words, an N2 in a box. A very, very small box. Like tiny. This box has a MagSafe ring that allows it to attach, quite strongly I might add, to the back of your phone and voila - portable like never before. A first for me, and perhaps the industry on the whole, the A100 is a portable DAC/Amp that is so good I *could* ditch my DAP if I wished, and it slips on the back of my phone to come with me everywhere. Does it sound as good as my DAPs? Not quite, but my collection is some of the best in the world. It does sound like a great small dap, and the fact that it’s millimeters tall and weighs nada is no small feat of engineering. If you liked the N2, you’ll love the A100, much of that transparent and wondrous sound is baked in here as well. I have a couple of small notes; one of which is it’s so thin I cannot use some of my cables with larger 4.4mm plugs while attached to an iPhone. Even the ever popular Pentaconn OFC just barely fits, if not touching a smidge. I realize this might be a personal problem -I love larger cables- but form over function in this case was perhaps a slight oversight. Apple is famous for such things, and they’re the most cash liquid company of all time, so what do I know. Thinner thinner thinner!

Honestly I have no notes when it comes to sonics, it’s stellar. For $399 this thing is banging and deserves all the recommendations and praise I can give. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, first my usual intro and disclaimer:

- I received the A100 directly from NiPO. It is mine to keep, though nothing was asked of me in return other than my unfiltered and honest impressions and critiques. This is the standard, non-MT version.

- I review because I love doing so, it’s a great source of joy for me. No-one pays me for reviews, ever. I take it very seriously, as I know people rely on reviews before they shell out cash for their gear, just like I do myself. For that reason I only review things that interest me, things I would maybe buy for myself. I pride myself on being very neutral and sharing my thoughts in a way that I hope will benefit the community. If I recommend something, it’s because I genuinely loved it, and I think you may too.

- For source I used my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro for all testing. I used every IEM I have including Traillii Ti, DIO, STORM, Clara, A18t, and varied Chi-Fi IEMs. TOTL cables were used in all cases including Nightjar SS4, Nightcraft Vesper & Nocturne as well as some from Rhapsodio.

- I start out with a very varied playlist of testing tracks to form my initial thoughts, and then spend several weeks with the review item listening to whatever inspires me, like I normally would. I then come back to the testing tracks to solidify my impressions before sitting down to write the review. I also listen while I write, one of my favorite parts.

- I love all kinds of music and to form an honest opinion for any piece of gear I think it absolutely necessary to test with lots of different kinds of music. If you’re taking a reviewer’s word about a piece of gear you want to spend your hard earned cash on, in my opinion, you absolutely should take into consideration how their musical tastes "match or differ" from your own.

*My ever evolving testing playlist for your discovery is available HERE.

*Also available on Qobuz HERE

Let’s get into it!

NiPO needs no introduction at this point, the splash their N2 has made put them squarely in the sights of most audiophiles on the planet. If you haven’t already, I suggest you read my N2 review to get better acquainted with NiPO on the whole. The N2 is a feat of engineering, with explosive power, a very large stage and top notch technicals, all in a small and light package that trades blows with most TOTL DAPs out there. It’s neutral and very technically proficient, with a subtle sub bass boost that makes your IEMs sing, not to mention it’s ultra clean Android UI and lag free performance. It’s awesome, I said so in my review and I stand by that statement fully. There were a couple small things I noticed, one being the easily pushed buttons that were especially flush with the body, and a lack of being able to lock them with the screen off. I mention this because with the A100 NiPo has solved the button problem in full swing, hooray! Nice and super clicky, a joy to use. A most welcome fix there!

How does the A100 sound? Well, it sounds like a mini N2. Fantastic! When I first turned it on I had to double check if I had plugged into my DAP by accident. Very similar technical performance, note weight and staging, with a whisper quiet background. It sounds really big, not like a dongle, dare I say, like a DAP? I hear it as being quite transparent, perhaps without the sub bass extension of the N2, but extremely similar DNA. Some might find its lack of color a negative, but I appreciate it greatly. Of course it doesn’t have the same headroom and amping as the N2, but it’s not so far off when used with average or “normal” IEMs. With something really power hungry that can be felt, but only just so. I’m not saying the A100 replaces the N2, or any full size DAP, in any way but it’s enough to leave your DAP at home for a walk or commute and not be left wanting, or missing out. This is quite the statement coming from me, I know. For something the size of a fat credit card it’s wild how good it sounds.

Let’s see what NiPO has to say about this first from their website.

NiPO A100 was born from a clear need in the audio community: audiophiles who use high-end DAPs want the same level of convenience and intuitive operation found in smartphones. Meanwhile, users of dongle-type DACs often face issues with noise, limited power output, sound quality, and power consumption.

To solve these challenges, we developed the A100 — a stackable, all-in-one DAC/AMP designed to deliver sound performance on par with premium DAPs, while offering the everyday ease-of-use of a smartphone.

This dedicated device transforms your smartphone into a true high-fidelity music player. Purpose-built for audiophiles who won’t compromise on quality or usability.

Specifications

Power: 550 mW @32ohm

Battery : 3900mAh

N52- Grade Neodymium magnets

Color Variants: Black / Blue / Orange

Dimensions: 94.5 × 61 × 10.8 mm

Weight: 131 g

Max Playback Time;

- Single-ended: approx. 13 hours

- Balanced: approx. 9 hours

Full Charge Time: 2.5 hours (PD not supported)

DAC Chip: ESS ES9039Q2M

Included Accessories:

Type-C to Type-C short cable

Lightning to Type-C short cable

Adhesive magnetic plates (O-type & C-type, one each)

User guide

There is a ton more technical info if you’re so inclined - NiPo’s specs are only in Chinese so I suggest taking a look at the product page from MusicTeck’s site.

What we have here is a spec sheet that looks more like a DAP than a dongle. In fact calling the A100 a dongle feels wrong, we’re definitely in the range of portable DAC/AMP sector, even competing against stuff that is MUCH bigger and all without MagSafe or a super slim design. A first of its kind surely. So much so that it can be a bit tough to categorize the A100, it’s really bringing the gap here for portable Head-fi.

UNBOXING, BUILD AND ACCESSORIES

The A100 comes in a small ornate black box, with their logo in gold. Similar to the N2, except there is no leather case here, only the A100 and two USB cables, in USB C and Lightning connectors. The absence of a case is obvious, to use MagSafe it can’t have a case - that being said this thing will surely be scratched to hell after a few months of use with me. That brushed gold finish is just begging for some wear and tear.

The A100 is gold, like all things hi-fi lately. I for one prefer something a little less loud, but that’s just me. I’m obviously so far in the minority my little voice won’t/can’t be heard. Oh well. That said, it is a gorgeous finish. NiPo says it’s a Nano Photolithography process with an ink wash pattern, and it does look REALLY cool. Under light you can see the varied “grain” and the texture is as nice to hold as to look at. How much of that stays looking good is anyone’s guess at this point, but it’s one of the coolest textures of metal I’ve seen on a piece of gear. The vinyl piece is available in three colors; black, orange and a seafoam green (ish). For me only the black is viable, the others are simply too flashy, so I was quite relieved to open the box and see mine was black.

It comes with 2 USB cables, and they seem of good quality. They are small, low profile and match perfectly. I tested one for a while and it sounded great, but I did swap it out for my L&P cable that is superior to everything I’ve tried. The stock cable sounds great, this is just better.

To say the A100 is small would be a grave understatement. It’s TINY. About the size of a credit card, and only a few millimeters thick, this is a very low profile piece of gear. Fits in skinny jeans pocket small. Yes, you need to use a USB cable, and that adds to the minute footprint, but off the device it’s small enough to get lost in my camera bag’s side pocket. Not something I’ve experienced before with my gear.

SOUND

This thing sounds great! You’re greeted to a very large stage that is full of weighted and powerful notes. Great extension on both ends, with such a degree of technical performance you’d struggle to argue it’s not a DAP done blindfolded. Really, it has such a full and engaging sound it’s rather unbelievable.

The tuning style carries over very much from the N2 in all ways that count. It has the same revealing and technical swagger, along with a very neutral and transparent sound. It’s plenty engaging, very musical too, but don’t expect much color at all. In fact, it may be less colored than the N2. I don’t hear the slight sub bass elevation from the N2, and due to its smaller power plant the sound does feel a bit less “fat” and lush. This is by a hair, just know it’s certainly on the neutral side. I personally love this, I can even test gear with this should I choose to. It’s not cold, it’s not bland or sterile either- just as the N2 was done this is a great reference sound. While the stage is huge, it’s not at the same level as N2, obviously.

Bass is very well controlled and supremely punchy. I hear a nice balance between sub and mid bass, with good body and timbre. It sounds great with DDs which is something I always felt was lacking in the dongle world. There is a sense of “thrust” and push that commonly would be attributed to a DAP but is also quite present here. Well done NiPo.

Mids are clean, clear and very nicely defined. If one was into lushness and warmth this isn’t the case with the A100. It’s not cold, but warm/lush it is not. Mids are quite revealing, nicely weighted thought not quite the same level as N2, with fine transient speed, decay and resolution. If you’re into lush mids MusicTeck has a special edition A100 that focuses on that precisely, though I haven’t heard it myself unfortunately. (It’s also supposed to have more bass, but again unverified) I like the mids of A100, but some may want a bit more color there. Again more on the neutral side of things which is great, letting the IEM speak for itself.

Treble is nicely extended, quite detailed, revealing enough without becoming exhausted and overly spicy at all. Again, the A100 walks the line of exquisitely tuned perfection here, for something this size to have such a wonderful treble, free of tuning gimmicks and splashy sparkle is really something special. While not being quite as extended as the N2, or another TOTL DAP for example, it truly gets most of the way there. That’s one thing I really keep coming back to with the A100, I don’t find myself picking apart the sound at all, just enjoying it fully.

The stage is rather vast, which is commendable considering the size of this thing. In fact, this is one of the traits that made me do a double take upon first listen, it stages as big as most DAPs. Wide, deep and tall, there is nothing to complain about here. Very very impressive. Another plus? The sense of control, decay and headroom are fantastic. Never do I feel the A100 to struggle in the least, it sounds great without breaking a sweat. The sense of headroom in a “dongle” is mega points for me.

IN USE

So we have this wonderful little device, what do we do with it? I am most certainly a DAP guy. A desktop gear infused DAP guy even more so. Does this replace a DAP for me really? No it doesn’t. If I want the best I will absolutely grab a DAP and go, even on a walk, commute or plane ride; a DAP isn’t such a cumbersome thing to dissuade me from bringing it along. I usually even travel with two, since I’m just crazy. Is the A100 enough to replace one of the two I bring? Yeah, maybe so. Depends on what I plan on doing. Having it on the phone means my phone is no longer as free as I usually have it, and sometimes I prefer to have the music coming from a separate device. The USB cable changes my grip of the phone a smidge, which isn’t ideal for longer sessions. I also can’t toss it all in my bag as carefree as I usually do; especially with the USB cable or cable getting some unwanted pressure. If you sit at a desk, or walk around with your phone in hand or lap, no issues. Again, comes down to use case.

Basic use is super easy. Attach to phone via MagSafe, plug in USB cable, long press the power button to turn on. Press play on phone - done. Amazing sound, just like that. The volume starts quite low automatically as a safety protocol, so don’t be afraid to crank it up. Long press power button to turn off. If you want to charge, plug into USB cable charger, double click the power button and light turns on. Red < Orange < Green = full. A long press of G(gain) button switches on high gain for more power hungry IEMs. I prefer it always on due to a more dynamic sound but probably burns through battery faster. Single clicks of gain button go through the DSP filters, same ones in the N2. Double click to return to default. I find them easily discernible and a nice way to adjust the sound to your liking. Only downside is this resets every time you power the device back on - oops. The same with the volume, though that makes sense to protect our hearing. There is no screen so you have to do the filters blind, and as they reset each time you power it on this makes them somewhat useless. Or at least quite frustrating. I prefer the Apodiz filter, as I do with my N2, and not being able to set and forget this is a bummer. Perhaps with a FW update NiPO could allow the filter choice to stay selected.

In my use case, the A100 is more of a choice over a solution. I travel a lot, move around a lot, and DAPs have always been with me. I stream to explore, but buy all my music and have about 7TB of High res files that I can gloriously bask in at any moment I so please. Yes, I prefer DAPs and will mostly likely still reach for one 9 times out of 10. But that’s just me, I have a huge selection of music on those SD cards. Using the phone means streaming, and while I have an extensive Qobuz collection, it’s not the same. Some of the files I have are better quality than what’s available streaming. But I’m old school, and this device is most certainly aimed at the modern crowd.

Let me get into the one design thing that bothers me with the A100. The design is so slim that I cannot use some of my larger cables due to the 4.4mm plug not fitting while attached to the phone. The ever popular Pentaconn OFC just barely makes it, but realistically it's touching and could be worrisome over longer periods. Part of that is due to the MagSafe position on the iPhone - namely that it’s closer to the top. Which means, while attached, the A100’s output jack is located right in the middle of the phone. So any attempt to use a larger plug means the bottom half of the A100 starts to float above the phone surface. Yes, the MagSafe still works, but it’s less secure and the whole thing feels weird since it’s not nicely attached and sitting flush. Of course this is only with some bigger cables’ plugs, like the SS4 and OFC, but it’s there. Normal small 4.4mm clears fine. All other dongles and portable DAC/AMPs are thicker, so while they aren’t as svelte or sleek I don’t have this issue. That’s the price to pay for such a slim design, reminds me of Apple right?

Could I use the included C or O magnetic rings to make an additional MagSafe section on my phone’s lower half? Yes I could. I could get it perfectly lined up with the bottom of the phone negating all of this. But that means I have this metal ring on my phone’s case all the time, which can scratch something else in my bag, not to mention perhaps falling off at some point or ruining the “faux” leather back of my case. I realize all of this is only coming from my use of larger cables, but as a product described as a Hi-Res DAP replacement, and the amount of people using larger cables from PA Audio, Nightcraft and Nightjar et all is plenty to warrant some consideration in design. I seem to be the only one talking about this, so take it with a grain of salt. My OCD is infamous!

At this point I am not using the A100 enough just yet to permanently alter my phone’s rather expensive Nomad case. I am considering it. Those with non MagSafe Android phones will have to do this anyway, so perhaps I too can adjust my preferences. Another thing to note, if you plan to use your phone’s wallet, you’ll have to slip off the A100 enough to tap, and then put it back on. Perhaps moving the ring to the bottom would also fix that, I’ll have to try.

I wanted to try a true wireless setup, with the A100 and phone in my bag, controlling the whole thing via my Apple Watch. Using it this way in the Prague winters could be great, keep all your gear safe and warm while navigating your music on your watch. Yes, it works, very cool. Until you need to adjust the volume that is. There is no way to adjust the volume via the source, only on the A100, which means if a new song comes on and it’s too loud, you have to rip your IEMs out of your ears, or open your bag/jacket and turn it down. We all know some albums are louder than others, and this is unfortunate for my test, and for my ears when I tested it. Ouch. In real world use I’m not sure this matters, especially in ”normal use” with the phone in your hand/on table/etc but it would be cool to be able to adjust the volume somewhat with the phone as well. Like slave mode, or normal mode. A guy can dream I guess.

Remembering that this is a hi-res device, designed to offer the best SQ in the smallest form possible, all of my OCD fueled ramblings here are but rain drops in the ocean - small things that can easily be overlooked in the grand scheme of fantastic audio that never leaves your side. I mention them because I think people should know. If you use bigger cables you might not be able to enjoy the A100 to its fullest, while attached to the phone. Sitting on the desk it’s a no brainer, but that’s missing the point here.

BTW, the A100 has no BT functions at all. I love this, keep the SQ to a maximum, noise to a minimum. I’m sure some wish for this, but I for one am glad NiPo went this way.

COMPARISONS - PAIRUPS

Unfortunately I don’t own any dongles at this time, but I have tried many. I can’t AB, but I can attest the A100 sounds more like a DAP than any of them I have tried. Again, putting this in the realm of dongle isn’t fair. There are some other portable DAC/AMPs out there that may compare and compete sonically, but with the addition of MagSafe and an uber slim design the A100 is truly in a class of its own. This level of SQ and power, in such a small package that can travel almost invisibly on your phone is unprecedented.

With all the IEMs I tried with the A100 I was very happy and impressed. Traillii Ti sounds like TTi, the vast stage and wonderfully velvety mids were nor lost, nor was its supreme technical prowess. Clara slams with fantastic bass, my 18t sounds as it should. DIO is very large and dynamic, and despite being extremely power hungry it sounds like it’s coming out of a DAP. Of course my modded iBasso 320MAX Ti and LP6 Ti AE are another level, but the A100 holds its own. The only IEM that isn’t invited to the party? STORM of course. My great love, the STORM is the hardest IEM to drive of all time. The IEM equivalent of Susvara, some chains get it loud enough, but little in the portable world get it to sing to potential. Even portable DAPs only get it “there”, adding in a desktop amp is the real jam. Sadly the A100 fails just the same as most DAPs do, though surprisingly it gets the STORM up to deafening volume levels. It gets LOUD! It’s lacking its dynamics and sounds more flat and dull than a pristine studio monitor. That was to be expected, no points deducted there. Frankly, only a few DAPs work for STORM anyway, so this is hardly a fair point. Just wanted to mention it.

CONCLUSION

I’ve said many times here, the A100 is extremely impressive. It’s tiny, light, very well built and looks the part too. Battery life is good, power is exceptional considering the size, and the sound is fantastic. Supremely good, especially in the note weight and stage size arena. MagSafe changes the game here, and this will be a big selling point for many. Having the special MT edition may give more velvety seekers an in here, I look forward to hearing this version at some point later on.

If you want/need the A100 depends wholly on your use case, the lack of BT might sway some away, but for the smallest real Hi-Res audio solution ever the A100 breaks the mold.

One or two small issues barely make an audible squeak of protest. Using bigger 4.4mm plugs will mean adding an additional magnetic ring, or letting the DAC sort of float above the phone’s case. Or just use it off the phone, but that’s another story. The resetting of DAC filters is a bummer if you plan to use them, and an absolute non issue if you don’t. Having to crank up the volume every time you turn it on is something we can easily get used to, and since the device has no screen, it’s a welcome safety feature. These are all things that given a week or two you’ll likely forget about, instead getting submerged in your music. It’s funny how some small things really irk us at the beginning, but we learn to accept or even forget about them over time.

For those that prefer to stream this is an extremely elegant solution, that doesn’t break the bank or your back with its weight. For those kinds of people I can’t recommend the A100 enough. It’s awesome, full stop. Even for local files peeps I recommend the A100 fully, it’s just a great device. Perhaps I will start to stream more often, simply because of how cool the A100 is. We shall see, teach an old dog new tricks and all that. Final thoughts? It’s amazing, sounds fantastic and fits in your pocket. At $399 it’s a no brainer. No further notes, well done again NiPO! :)

I wish to thank NiPo for graciously sending me the A100 to review, I look forward to the next amazing thing you folks come up with. Awesome stuff.

Thanks for reading!

You can get one for yourself here!