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Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

raif71

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In that case try to give it back or get eBay to work. There is no reason to coble it together yourself, you got scammed. And the producer didn't call back all units. Now there are so e guys trying to sell off units they didn't have to return. Some sellers didn't even look if those faulty units were destroyed. Now they can still damage the reputation of topping and your ear drums.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-faulty-topping-l30-amplifiers-in-ebay.20774/

Now, one has to
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for SN less than 2012, L30 productions :facepalm:
 
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Racheski

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How certain is it that the unit will fail? I unfortunately have no soldering experience or a soldering tool.

It seems like the ebay seller would likely accept a return, worst case scenario.
The seller HAS to accept a return - they don't have a choice because the manufacturer (Topping) issued a recall for the device, and it is against eBay policy to sell items that have been recalled by the manufacturer (whether the seller knew about the recall or not is irrelevant).
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/product-safety-policy?id=4300
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zuhandenheit

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solderdude

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Could you elaborate how to do it? Thanks

I really don't want to make this too easy and do not recommend to perform this mod to anything other than 2011 and the early 10% of 2012.
It would prevent below 2011 versions to 'blow up' by electrostatic discharges but the DC protection (that should save headphones from being destroyed) isn't working properly in older versions.
So I am reluctant to show how this has to be done other than saying connect the PCB common to the enclosure.

Those with enough knowledge of electronics that can safely do this will know enough.
Another suggestion is to wade through this thread. It has been described here ... somewhere.

Do this at your own risk and never sell one onward. Have it replaced.
 

Benaudio

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This is a long and honestly sad thread. I feel for those whose headphones were damaged by this unit. I am glad that the manufacturer has tried to make amends but for me there are lessons to be learned here. First, there is more to good engineering than just SINAD measurements. Second, inexpensive electronic equipment may have shortcomings that are not immediately apparent, so caveat emptor. Third, I have delighted in getting high functioning economical audio products recommended by ASR, such as the Topping D10s DAC, but I will be more cautious in the future. Sometimes you do get what you pay for!

Of course you are free to think as you do but in my opinion you are generalizing.
design flaws can occur at any price point and no engineer is perfect.
i prefer an honest one that is reactive, accepts his error and correct it.

If I were to generalize I would say that with high $ gear you are more likely to get snake oil design and marketing mumbo jumbo.

Were I agree is that being cautious is good, but regardless of price!
 

datle171095

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Hello guys, I just want to ask a question.

In case of mating with E30, can I get maximum power out of L30? Because I saw that L30 needed 3V input in order to produced maximum power, but E30 can only output 2V or I am missing something?
 

Iglo

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The E30 has an output of 2.15V. 2V is standard for a unbalanced output. The L30 accepts up to 3V I guess to accommodate for DACs with a higher output voltage but I don't recall the nitty gritty details.

I can, however, confirm that the E30 paired with L30 have ample of power. As for how much power there is, I mostly use the L30 in low gain (-9db) for normal listening levels with my HD660s (which gives more precise volume control vs 0db gain setting). In high gain (+9 db) it can reach levels which are plain uncomfortable (and bad for your ears) to listen to.
 
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datle171095

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The E30 has an output of 2.15V. 2V is standard for a unbalanced output. The L30 accepts up to 3V I guess to accommodate for DACs with a higher output voltage but I don't recall the nitty gritty details.

I can, however, confirm that the E30 paired with L30 have ample of power. As for how much power there is, I mostly use the L30 in low gain (-9db) for normal listening levels with my HD660s (which gives more precise volume control vs 0db gain setting). In high gain (+9 db) it can reach levels which are plain uncomfortable (and bad for your ears) to listen to.
Ok, I got it.
But it is a little bit strange because you can not get the most power out of this small beautiful chunk when pairing with unbalance DAC like E30 which topping suggested. By the way, your 660s does not need much power so you will be good to go.
 

Pawlakbest

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I got replacement unit from Shenzhen Audio on March 19, still with serial number 2012xxxx. I heard there was rattling inside and I was affraid it would be pogo pin and I had nothing to solder it. Pin was fine but instead I found this screw inside. Is it important ? I have no idea how to open it completely to check and I was affraid it may disturb the balance and whatnot as JohnYang1997 said once here I believe.
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david123

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I really don't want to make this too easy and do not recommend to perform this mod to anything other than 2011 and the early 10% of 2012.
It would prevent below 2011 versions to 'blow up' by electrostatic discharges but the DC protection (that should save headphones from being destroyed) isn't working properly in older versions.
So I am reluctant to show how this has to be done other than saying connect the PCB common to the enclosure.

Those with enough knowledge of electronics that can safely do this will know enough.
Another suggestion is to wade through this thread. It has been described here ... somewhere.

Do this at your own risk and never sell one onward. Have it replaced.

Thanks. I'm an engineer. Just trying to do it to hace some diy fun. Dealer sent me the replacement and let me keep the faulty one.
 

Iglo

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Ok, I got it.
But it is a little bit strange because you can not get the most power out of this small beautiful chunk when pairing with unbalance DAC like E30 which topping suggested. By the way, your 660s does not need much power so you will be good to go.

Yes, the HD660s are mentioned as a reference and indeed fairly easy to drive.

The initial review of Amir also states that there is ample power even with inefficient headphones (using a standard 2V input). As stated by JohnYang1997 earlier in this topic you will have almost max output at 16Ohm and no clipping at any realistic load even at max volume high gain when using 2V input. Otherwise you'd get clipping driving 32ohm headphones.

The L30 with the E30 as a source will be perfectly fine for most headphones besides some very inefficient ones. For those headphones I personally would get a different setup vs feeding the L30 a 3V input (as you could pick a DAC with 3V output).
If you doubt about the power for your use case just provide details of which headphones you intend to use, there are many people in this forum (with way more technical knowledge) who can advice you if the setup will work.
 

dgnzcn

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Yes, the HD660s are mentioned as a reference and indeed fairly easy to drive.

The initial review of Amir also states that there is ample power even with inefficient headphones (using a standard 2V input). As stated by JohnYang1997 earlier in this topic you will have almost max output at 16Ohm and no clipping at any realistic load even at max volume high gain when using 2V input. Otherwise you'd get clipping driving 32ohm headphones.

The L30 with the E30 as a source will be perfectly fine for most headphones besides some very inefficient ones. For those headphones I personally would get a different setup vs feeding the L30 a 3V input (as you could pick a DAC with 3V output).
If you doubt about the power for your use case just provide details of which headphones you intend to use, there are many people in this forum (with way more technical knowledge) who can advice you if the setup will work.


Can I intercept and ask a question? How about AKG K612 PRO with Topping L30, can it drive comfortably?
 

solderdude

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Can I intercept and ask a question? How about AKG K612 PRO with Topping L30, can it drive comfortably?

yes, up to 116dB peak so very loud levels.
110dB SPL with some bass boost.
 

half_dog

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I got replacement unit from Shenzhen Audio on March 19, still with serial number 2012xxxx. I heard there was rattling inside and I was affraid it would be pogo pin and I had nothing to solder it. Pin was fine but instead I found this screw inside. Is it important ? I have no idea how to open it completely to check and I was affraid it may disturb the balance and whatnot as JohnYang1997 said once here I believe.View attachment 122367View attachment 122368
It seems to be from the front painel. Try to throw some light inside the case and look for a screw at each far side. Probably you will see one and maybe the screw threads from the loose screw...
If you have a long enough hex driver just put it back. Nothing to worry about :)

Screws here, screws there, screws everywhere
 

Pawlakbest

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It seems to be from the front painel. Try to throw some light inside the case and look for a screw at each far side. Probably you will see one and maybe the screw threads from the loose screw...
If you have a long enough hex driver just put it back. Nothing to worry about :)

Screws here, screws there, screws everywhere
I tried but I don't see a possibility to put it back without removing PCB first, and that requires volume knob to be removed. Unless anyone can show me how to put this screw back I need some advice(video would be best) on how to remove volume knob as it seems to be really hard to remove even much force. I looked everywhere for dissasembly video of L30 but I only found removed PCB without steps on how to do it :( Please help. I'm really sad that I need to do it myself, why can't I just get L30 that is totally fixed :(
 

solderdude

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Removal of the volume control tutorial has been described already (see link).
Requires 2 strings.

When you get a chance to remove the PCB I remember someone asking for a picture of the PCB.
 

dgnzcn

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My Topping L30 + E30 arrived today, Topping L30 starts with serial number 2101xxxx, Topping E30 serial number 2102xxxx.
 

Pawlakbest

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Removal of the volume control tutorial has been described already (see link).
Requires 2 strings.

When you get a chance to remove the PCB I remember someone asking for a picture of the PCB.
Does screws from the front panel (on the sides of panel, one of them I need to put in place) hold the PCB ? If yes then I have a problem because this is the longest 2mm hex driver I could find in local shops and its just a little short to reach to front panel :( Should I contact Shenzhen Audio about this ? Or do I need to find the hex driver somewhere online(most of sites doesn't say how long is the driver) ?
IMG_20210407_130702-min.jpg
 
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