Aiyima B07

A Simple Yet Effective Subwoofer-Focused Upgrade

The Aiyima B07 is a solid upgrade over the original A07, particularly for users looking to integrate subwoofers into their system. The addition of dedicated subwoofer output and tone controls is a crucial improvement for those with that specific requirement. And additional support for Bluetooth makes this a flexibility Amplfier to freshen up an old set of speakers.

In this short review I will get into the details of what you get with B07, some of the advantages and disadvantages of a passive subwoofer compared to a power one and hopefully give you an idea of what you get if you were to buy the Aiyima B07.

But first I thought it might be useful to explain why it might be a good idea to buy a B07 over the many other good class D amplifiers now available from Aiyima and others at similar prices:

Why buy the Aiyima B07 ?

So, I was clearing out my sisters house, and we found some old speakers (Kef Cresta) and an old passive subwoofer that hadn’t been used in many years. So I thought it might be interesting to set this up and went looking for a simple way to support the passive subwoofer (as most subwoofers you get these days are active).

So, I came across the B07 thought it might be a nice way for my sister to get some usage from these older speakers.

After using the B07 for few week with some old speakers and old passive subwoofer, I thought I would share why I think this is an excellent product, especally if you happen to be needing to update your setup and have some old speakers lying around.

Note: While the B07 is mainly for a passive speakers and subwoofer, though I think technically it would work with an active subwoofer (using the Aux output). A passive subwoofer is one that uses speaker cables not an RCA cable, and it is therefore powered directly by the B07 and doesn’t need to be plugged in separately.

So lets get into what you get with the B07:

Unboxing and Build Quality

The Aiyima B07 arrives in simple yet secure packaging.

Opening the box you get:

Taking everything out of the box you get:

• The amplifier itself
• A power adapter
• A bluetooth aerial

What you are immediately struck by with the B07 is the number of dials controlling different aspects of the sound:

On the back you can see the speaker binding posts (3 pairs 2 for speakers and 1 pair for a passive subwoofer):

Connecting the Bluetooth aerial to the back: Note: I mainly didn’t use the bluetooth aerial, but it is a nice option to have and it is one option that my sister ultimately used with the B07.

The GAN powersupply is a decent 48V 5A:

Key Features

Powerful Amplifier

This is the main chipset you want in any of these cheaper Amplifiers and the B07 like the original A07 (and other variants) has this for chip for a very natural sound.

If you happen to have a passive subwoofer and some nice bookshelf (or even floor standing speakers) the B07 is an excellent choice with that typical clean and natural TPA3255 A07 like sound quality.

I used it for a week or so with my Kef LS50 Meta’s:

Lots of dials for tweaking the sound

While the controls available might seem a bit daunting initially, the fact that they are all there and can be used together is a great advantage, though once you get it setup I would almost hide away the B07 in case people try to change the settings, so best to use a streamer (like a WiiM Mini / Pro Streamer ) or the built-in bluetooth capabilities to control the sound of the B07.

3 different inputs:

• RCA with the WiiM Stream connected
• AUX-In with a turntable (with built in pre-amp)
• Bluetooth from a smartphone.

Tone controls

This in my opinion in crucial especially with older speakers, having the ability to tune both the bass and treble means issues like ‘dull’ sounding speakers can easily be fixed.

Supplementary Power supply

There is an optional separate power supply called “VICE” on the back of the B07.

Depending on the size of your passive subwoofer Aiyima have provided the option of a separate power supply, I imagine this helps with very large subwoofers (or even for hobbyists building their own subwoofers) but for me, it wasn’t required for a small room setup the supplied 48V5A power supply was good enough but it is a good option.

Bluetooth connectivity

The Bluetooth connectivity is a convenient bonus, offering wireless streaming options, which makes this amplifier more versatile for modern setups. However, the limited power output means it is best suited for easy-to-drive bookshelf speakers, especially when paired with a subwoofer to handle the bass-heavy frequencies.

Passive and Active Subwoofer support

While options are great, I did find it strange that passive and active subwoofers were supported (via different dials on the B07). Mainly Class D amplifiers (including many from Aiyima) have support for active subwoofers, but I thought I would research the advantages and disadvantages of passive subwoofers as against the much more common active subwoofers:

Advantages of passive subwoofers (and the B07):

1. Only a single cable needed for the subwoofer So you connect the subwoofer via the SUB out ‘binding’ posts on the back of the B07 - this can mean more flexibility in the placement of the subwoofer.
2. Controlled directly from the Amplifier Getting the bass right in your room is one of the most difficult things in Audio but using a subwoofer with lots of controls is one of the easiest ways to get quality bass. Simple move the subwoofer around a little and using the various dials related to the SW output on the B07 to get the best quality audio output. E.g. you can control the subwoofer volume separately to the tone controls .e.g. Subwoofer adjustment range: ±4db and
3. High pass filter control This is often on the back of an active subwoofer but It think having this control on the front of the B07 makes it easier to tweak to preference e.g. between: 50-220HZ

Disadvantages of passive subwoofers:

1. Preamp control i.e. Bass Management So in a more complicated setup you might want to use a preamp with built in Room EQ or both high pass and low pass filters to separately control the audio going to the amplifier and powered subwoofer.
2. Simpler Amplifier Adding the controls for the subwoofer to the amplifier makes it more complex and you can see in the pictures that the B07 has lots of dials which once you have setup your room you probably won’t want anyone touching.
3. DSP Control within the Active Subwoofer Much more expensive active subwoofers try to look after their own bass response using clever DSP technologies (and typically a ‘companion’ mobile) application.
4. Amplifier needs more power Separate subwoofer can require a lot of power, so it is nice that the B07 has a separate optional power supply should it be needed.

Specifications and Measurements

Measurements

Note: these measurements are from Aiyima using their AP:

A SINAD score of 76 is reasonable good and would land in the ‘Fair’ category on AudioScienceReview rating table. But it is at that level where it is still good and more an engineering rating than something to be massively concerned with. But I should point out that other recent Aiyima (and Fosi Audio) Amplifiers have scores in the 80’s and even 95+ like the recent A70.

The Frequency response is mostly flat - but the lack of PFFB means it does start to roll off a little on the upper end of the treble response:

But in my opinion, the inclusion of Tone control means any non-linear tonal response can be tweaks with the Treble or Bass dials.

Rating

I have given the Aiyima B07 a pragmatic score of 4 stars. While its great to have the option for both passive and active subwoofers as well as ’normal’ passive speakers, it does complicate the overall setup for the B07 and the measurements while good are not at the same levels we have come to expect from Aiyima.

For my sister though, who isn’t that familiar with audio setup, it was an advantage for me to set it the B07 for her and basically take out any confusion with the various tweaking options available, and she loves the ‘upgrade’ sound she gets with her older speakers and find Bluetooth very convenient. So while I do think it is a niche product, it was perfect for my sister’s setup and a simple Christmas for her.

Conclusion

Overall, the Aiyima B07 offers a great deal for those seeking to upgrade their sound system’s low-end integration without overspending. It provides essential features for a smooth subwoofer integration, making it an attractive option for those looking to step up their audio system.