Feliks Echo 2 vs Topping A90 Discrete

Feliks Echo 2

The Echo 2 (since renamed Echo Classic in Feliks Audio's lineup) is the Polish builder's entry OTL tube amplifier: hand-made 6N6P/ECC85-family tube stages, around 350mW of output, and the warm, euphonic OTL presentation the line is known for. Approved coverage of the Echo platform (the original Echo review and the Echo Vibe offshoot, which earned Headfonia's Highly Recommended award for boutique-grade quality) consistently lands on the same verdict: an affordable, beautifully built gateway into real tube sound, best matched with high-impedance dynamics. The structural caveats define it: OTL topology means low-impedance headphones and IEMs are poor matches, output power is modest, and detail-first listeners will find it deliberately romantic. Note: this dossier leans on Echo-line coverage, since the Echo 2 revision itself lacks a dedicated approved-site review.

Topping A90 Discrete

The A90 Discrete rebuilt Topping's flagship headphone amp around fully discrete modules (39 transistors per module replacing op-amp cores) while keeping the 7.6W balanced output, XLR and 4.4mm connectivity, and preamp duty. Measured performance stays in the transparency-guaranteed class (SINAD around 119dB, a hair under the original A90), and the reviews-compendium consensus positions it as one of the definitive neutral flagship amps of its price era: performance that would have cost several times more a few years prior. The tradeoffs echo every Topping flagship: strict neutrality with no tonal romance, relay-clicking utilitarian ergonomics, and an original A90 that measures fractionally better for less if features don't matter.