WolfX700 Measurement of Topping L30 Headphone Amp

[raistlin65]

Got mine! So far so good, I'll post a detailed version of my thoughts later.

Yeah, well, it's later now. We want to know!

 

[Illtrick]

Yeah, well, it's later now. We want to know!

First off / pro tip - you get an audible decrease in microphonics by peeling off that Hi Res Audio sticker. If you're at all unhappy with what you hear start there.

Here's my impressions on packaging, build quality, design, UX, and use.

Packaging: Matches the E30 minimalist yet branded aesthetic. A "cost engineered" cardboard box for the outer and an arguably oversized piece of foam on the inside protecting the electronic bits. The wall wort has some serious gravity to it so maybe little "a" times a big "M" equals lots of "F"oam. For those who didn't have a physics teacher attractive enough to focus on I'm saying it's going to get to you safe and sound.

Inside the Box: L30, hefty wall-wort, 1/4" adapter... maybe some other stuff but it doesn't matter.

Build Quality: Here's the item that I was most keen on scrutinizing, something the measurements can't express. The outer enclosure is well machined and textured uniformly. I genuinely appreciate the chamfered edge and you should too, that's extra machine time ($) and fixturing ($$). (Side thought: was that there on the E30?, I thought that edge was harder) Switch selection is appropriate both in size and force profile, a lesson that using a solid off the shelf component when incorporated into the industrial design is often the best choice. Headphone jack is solid, no complaints there. Pot + knob combo is quite nice. Little to no slop and a consistent force profile throughout the travel. Could have a bit more of a fluid feel but I think this hits above it's price-point. Front bezel feels of polycarbonate so I'll just be carefully to avoid scuffing. Rear ports are appropriately modest for the price point.

Design Reflections: Photos never do things justice, for better or worse. Too many translations of light. The surface finish is a semi-gloss / medium luster (I have the silver one). Combined with that slight reflectivity the texturing is a little aggressive for my taste, a little more refinement there would go a long way to increasing the visual valuation. Now, if you just read that and made a decision, let me be the first to tell you to get over yourself. I'm keeping this thing because it has some real wins here. The on/off LED is shy, not ostentatious like Schiit's front facing headlights. Lettering on the front is so subtle is barely exist. The black notch on the volume knob is subtle yet effective. When I saw pictures online I thought I wouldn't like the polycarbonate insert on the knob, but in reality it allows them to visually slim down a large knob. The little toggle switches bring the design down to earth a bit and don't feel out of place. One last item: Topping if you are reading this - give the back panel a bit of love, color match the screws and find a different font.

UX: Good choices all the way around. I applaud the front power switch (looking at you Schiit), source select, and 3 levels of attenuation / gain. Switches, opposed to buttons, show their selected status without the need of LEDs, is a simplification I vastly prefer. Never underestimate the value of a minimalist UX to user. No useless screen to fixate on and only a single LED that answers a single question. The L30 does it job well and doesn't distract the user with useless bullshit.

Thoughts In Use: After a bit of futzing with it on my desk I think that I'll actually mount this thing standing up on it's side. Likely use some blue tack and snug it up against my computer case to keep it from moving around. Sitting flat just takes up more space than I want it to and I can't stand seeing wires. I was thinking about mounting it under my desk but my little toddler would enjoy that too much. For mounting underside: it does get a little warm to the touch, but nothing to be concerned about from thermals perspective but it might slow melt any adhesive you use.

Early Listening Notes: Haven't done too much critical listening yet but in the few reference tracks I've listened to thus far I'd say this little fella is powerful and not too forgiving. I'm using some 13ohm Dan Clark Aeon X's and there was a very audible difference in low bass extension and fidelity over my Dragonfly Black. For example: I use London Grammer's Hey Now at 1min and 18sec to evaluate bass reproduction. The track is quite unforgiving as there's a bunch of distortion mixed in when the bass drops, most systems shit the bed and get all wobbly/woolly/muddy. Funny thing is that this was the fist time that the distortion sounded sonically separate from the bass. I'll do more listening and post any further thoughts if I find them noteworthy.

 

[raistlin65]

First off / pro tip - you get an audible decrease in microphonics by peeling off that Hi Res Audio sticker. If you're at all unhappy with what you hear start there.

Here's my impressions on packaging, build quality, design, UX, and use.

Packaging: Matches the E30 minimalist yet branded aesthetic. A "cost engineered" cardboard box for the outer and an arguably oversized piece of foam on the inside protecting the electronic bits. The wall wort has some serious gravity to it so maybe little "a" times a big "M" equals lots of "F"oam. For those who didn't have a physics teacher attractive enough to focus on I'm saying it's going to get to you safe and sound.

Inside the Box: L30, hefty wall-wort, 1/4" adapter... maybe some other stuff but it doesn't matter.

Build Quality: Here's the item that I was most keen on scrutinizing, something the measurements can't express. The outer enclosure is well machined and textured uniformly. I genuinely appreciate the chamfered edge and you should too, that's extra machine time ($) and fixturing ($$). (Side thought: was that there on the E30?, I thought that edge was harder) Switch selection is appropriate both in size and force profile, a lesson that using a solid off the shelf component when incorporated into the industrial design is often the best choice. Headphone jack is solid, no complaints there. Pot + knob combo is quite nice. Little to no slop and a consistent force profile throughout the travel. Could have a bit more of a fluid feel but I think this hits above it's price-point. Front bezel feels of polycarbonate so I'll just be carefully to avoid scuffing. Rear ports are appropriately modest for the price point.

Design Reflections: Photos never do things justice, for better or worse. Too many translations of light. The surface finish is a semi-gloss / medium luster (I have the silver one). Combined with that slight reflectivity the texturing is a little aggressive for my taste, a little more refinement there would go a long way to increasing the visual valuation. Now, if you just read that and made a decision, let me be the first to tell you to get over yourself. I'm keeping this thing because it has some real wins here. The on/off LED is shy, not ostentatious like Schiit's front facing headlights. Lettering on the front is so subtle is barely exist. The black notch on the volume knob is subtle yet effective. When I saw pictures online I thought I wouldn't like the polycarbonate insert on the knob, but in reality it allows them to visually slim down a large knob. The little toggle switches bring the design down to earth a bit and don't feel out of place. One last item: Topping if you are reading this - give the back panel a bit of love, color match the screws and find a different font.

UX: Good choices all the way around. I applaud the front power switch (looking at you Schiit), source select, and 3 levels of attenuation / gain. Switches, opposed to buttons, show their selected status without the need of LEDs, is a simplification I vastly prefer. Never underestimate the value of a minimalist UX to user. No useless screen to fixate on and only a single LED that answers a single question. The L30 does it job well and doesn't distract the user with useless bullshit.

Thoughts In Use: After a bit of futzing with it on my desk I think that I'll actually mount this thing standing up on it's side. Likely use some blue tack and snug it up against my computer case to keep it from moving around. Sitting flat just takes up more space than I want it to and I can't stand seeing wires. I was thinking about mounting it under my desk but my little toddler would enjoy that too much. For mounting underside: it does get a little warm to the touch, but nothing to be concerned about from thermals perspective but it might slow melt any adhesive you use.

Early Listening Notes: Haven't done too much critical listening yet but in the few reference tracks I've listened to thus far I'd say this little fella is powerful and not too forgiving. I'm using some 13ohm Dan Clark Aeon X's and there was a very audible difference in low bass extension and fidelity over my Dragonfly Black. For example: I use London Grammer's Hey Now at 1min and 18sec to evaluate bass reproduction. The track is quite unforgiving as there's a bunch of distortion mixed in when the bass drops, most systems shit the bed and get all wobbly/woolly/muddy. Funny thing is that this was the fist time that the distortion sounded sonically separate from the bass. I'll do more listening and post any further thoughts if I find them noteworthy.

Wow! That was a heck of a review for the same day

You're right about the UX benefit of switches. That was one of the nice things about the Audio GD unit I had. Although the power button was on the back.

 

[mslim]

Was just watching a review pertaining to some headphones on YouTube. Is the damping factor an important consideration for headphone amp? If so, any numbers for this? How to use it in relation to the headphone?

Thx

 

[mshenay]

I've been enjoying L30 for a few hours now as well. So far I've only pair'd it with E30 but I against SP 200 out of E30 I find L30 to be simply better. I attribute a lot of that to the far more suitable gain stage is has. SP200 almost always has too much gain for the majority of my headphones... and more gain is never desirable

 

[Vini darko]

Nicely arranged picture. I like how the sp200 is like a fading memory

 

[Illtrick]

I attribute a lot of that to the far more suitable gain stage is has. SP200 almost always has too much gain for the majority of my headphones... and more gain is never desirable

I strongly agree with this.

 

[3125b]

Well, having +6dB and +18dB as the only gain options is a ridiculous choice, I agree. At least have unity gain as the lower option.

 

[mshenay]

I strongly agree with this.

Right!

Well, having +6dB and +18dB as the only gain options is a ridiculous choice, I agree. At least have unity gain as the lower option.

Nicely arranged picture. I like how the sp200 is like a fading memory

Well yea, a "transparent" amp with +6 and +18db of gain is and should be a fading memory...

 

[3125b]

Though to be fair, while the gain options on the L30 are much better, I don't think they are chosen perfectly either.
High gain should be more than +9.5dB to reach the maximum output with nominal 2V input, JDS got it right with the Atom in that regard, input sensitivity is 2.1V in high gain wich is perfect.
But I very much like the -9.9dB option on L30, thats a good addition for sensitive headphones and rare (is it the only one?) in that price class.

 

[odyo]

First off / pro tip - you get an audible decrease in microphonics by peeling off that Hi Res Audio sticker. If you're at all unhappy with what you hear start there.

Here's my impressions on packaging, build quality, design, UX, and use.

Packaging: Matches the E30 minimalist yet branded aesthetic. A "cost engineered" cardboard box for the outer and an arguably oversized piece of foam on the inside protecting the electronic bits. The wall wort has some serious gravity to it so maybe little "a" times a big "M" equals lots of "F"oam. For those who didn't have a physics teacher attractive enough to focus on I'm saying it's going to get to you safe and sound.

Inside the Box: L30, hefty wall-wort, 1/4" adapter... maybe some other stuff but it doesn't matter.

Build Quality: Here's the item that I was most keen on scrutinizing, something the measurements can't express. The outer enclosure is well machined and textured uniformly. I genuinely appreciate the chamfered edge and you should too, that's extra machine time ($) and fixturing ($$). (Side thought: was that there on the E30?, I thought that edge was harder) Switch selection is appropriate both in size and force profile, a lesson that using a solid off the shelf component when incorporated into the industrial design is often the best choice. Headphone jack is solid, no complaints there. Pot + knob combo is quite nice. Little to no slop and a consistent force profile throughout the travel. Could have a bit more of a fluid feel but I think this hits above it's price-point. Front bezel feels of polycarbonate so I'll just be carefully to avoid scuffing. Rear ports are appropriately modest for the price point.

Design Reflections: Photos never do things justice, for better or worse. Too many translations of light. The surface finish is a semi-gloss / medium luster (I have the silver one). Combined with that slight reflectivity the texturing is a little aggressive for my taste, a little more refinement there would go a long way to increasing the visual valuation. Now, if you just read that and made a decision, let me be the first to tell you to get over yourself. I'm keeping this thing because it has some real wins here. The on/off LED is shy, not ostentatious like Schiit's front facing headlights. Lettering on the front is so subtle is barely exist. The black notch on the volume knob is subtle yet effective. When I saw pictures online I thought I wouldn't like the polycarbonate insert on the knob, but in reality it allows them to visually slim down a large knob. The little toggle switches bring the design down to earth a bit and don't feel out of place. One last item: Topping if you are reading this - give the back panel a bit of love, color match the screws and find a different font.

UX: Good choices all the way around. I applaud the front power switch (looking at you Schiit), source select, and 3 levels of attenuation / gain. Switches, opposed to buttons, show their selected status without the need of LEDs, is a simplification I vastly prefer. Never underestimate the value of a minimalist UX to user. No useless screen to fixate on and only a single LED that answers a single question. The L30 does it job well and doesn't distract the user with useless bullshit.

Thoughts In Use: After a bit of futzing with it on my desk I think that I'll actually mount this thing standing up on it's side. Likely use some blue tack and snug it up against my computer case to keep it from moving around. Sitting flat just takes up more space than I want it to and I can't stand seeing wires. I was thinking about mounting it under my desk but my little toddler would enjoy that too much. For mounting underside: it does get a little warm to the touch, but nothing to be concerned about from thermals perspective but it might slow melt any adhesive you use.

Early Listening Notes: Haven't done too much critical listening yet but in the few reference tracks I've listened to thus far I'd say this little fella is powerful and not too forgiving. I'm using some 13ohm Dan Clark Aeon X's and there was a very audible difference in low bass extension and fidelity over my Dragonfly Black. For example: I use London Grammer's Hey Now at 1min and 18sec to evaluate bass reproduction. The track is quite unforgiving as there's a bunch of distortion mixed in when the bass drops, most systems shit the bed and get all wobbly/woolly/muddy. Funny thing is that this was the fist time that the distortion sounded sonically separate from the bass. I'll do more listening and post any further thoughts if I find them noteworthy.

Try this:

 

[MSTARK]

I gather that it is quite capable headphone amp (based on 1st impressions/sample tests). As someone who is not familiar with A90 or THX “sound”, how would you describe L30 “performance”? And is it compatible to higher priced amps from THX family/A90?
L30 order in on it’s way but I wonder if my expectations aren’t set too high.....

 

[Vini darko]

I gather that it is quite capable headphone amp (based on 1st impressions/sample tests). As someone who is not familiar with A90 or THX “sound”, how would you describe L30 “performance”? And is it compatible to higher priced amps from THX family/A90?
L30 order in on it’s way but I wonder if my expectations aren’t set too high.....

It shouldnt have a sound in theory. At least that's the narrative here

 

[Illtrick]

Try this:

I think you need a subwoofer to hear that well. I listened on my planars then my full sized speakers, clearly some subbass was happening but it wasn’t substantial volume.

 

[MSTARK]

It shouldnt have a sound in theory. At least that's the narrative here

Dynamics, transparency, low end control in comparison to other topologies? I know you guys don’t use flowery, descriptive epithets but how how do you determine differences between this amp and amp “B”? 0.006 vs 0.00006 THD doesn’t mean much if there’s indistinguishable difference in sound presentation. Am I wrong?

 

[Vini darko]

No your not wrong I find bass and stereo preformace are often different.
However Johnny designed this to not have a sound so it'll be interesting comparing it to my other stuff that does have a sound.

 

[raistlin65]

Dynamics, transparency, low end control in comparison to other topologies? I know you guys don’t use flowery, descriptive epithets but how how do you determine differences between this amp and amp “B”? 0.006 vs 0.00006 THD doesn’t mean much if there’s indistinguishable difference in sound presentation. Am I wrong?

But at a certain point, if THD and noise is low enough, it becomes inaudible, right? Because there is a limit to our human hearing

There are many that would argue that the L30 surpasses such a point.

 

[MSTARK]

No your not wrong I find bass and stereo preformace are often different.
However Johnny designed this to not have a sound so it'll be interesting comparing it to my other stuff that does have a sound.

I’m just trying to understand price structure vs performance. Like I’ve said, I’m not familiar with THX/NFCA topologies so don’t take offense to my question. But from reviews and statements that I’ve come across, most reference these amps as “powerhouses” without sound of its own. So, if there are minute differences between flagship and “basic” entry level offering, are we paying premium for features and esthetics only?

 

[Illtrick]

But at a certain point, if THD and noise is low enough, it becomes inaudible, right? Because there is a limit to our human hearing

There are many that would argue that the L30 surpasses such a point.

This is why when I write my thoughts on this type of stuff I try and skip audio opinions. As long as it’s got a “good enough” number by your own criteria. SINAD, THD, jitter, power, output impedance - pick your poison. Then it’s all about product quality and how it operates in real world use. Think about where you’re gunna put it and use it. Then chose the one that does that best.

 

[MSTARK]

But at a certain point, if THD and noise is low enough, it becomes inaudible, right? Because there is a limit to our human hearing

There are many that would argue that the L30 surpasses such a point.

I get it. But if spects being within lowest of possible margin, features, esthetics, build quality must be a factor determining cost. Correct?