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Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

YSC

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excellent, any plan to build an amp with chip based relay volume pot for longevity and perfect channel matching of your unit? and additionally, for also Chifi Hifiman headphones they seems to need 4W or more power to be at it's best, any plan to create one amp that can drive these all?
 

JohnYang1997

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@JohnYang1997 , is it stable at 8 ohms? I suppose it is current-limited, how does the limiter kicks in? Is it safe to operate?
Stable at 8ohm. But it will be thermal limited. And no I won't recommend connecting to speakers. There will be speaker amps with similar performance. Let's leave the little L30 alone.
 

JohnYang1997

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excellent, any plan to build an amp with chip based relay volume pot for longevity and perfect channel matching of your unit? and additionally, for also Chifi Hifiman headphones they seems to need 4W or more power to be at it's best, any plan to create one amp that can drive these all?
A90 has that capabilities 5W. But needs 4W is simply BS. Unless you really need 120dB peak.
 

NDC

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A90 has that capabilities 5W. But needs 4W is simply BS. Unless you really need 120dB peak.

Hi John, any real world difference between A90 and L30? Just balanced is main difference for better noise rejection? Loving my L30 that I’m using for my bedside rig. But now I’m think of adding another one to replace the Geshelli I've currently got paired with the D90! Was going to go A90 to match the D90 but this little L30 is a beast! I'm spoiled for choice...
 

JohnYang1997

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Out of curiosity, would it be possible to have 3 multitone measurements from E30, L30, and E30+L30? (or D10s instead of E30, don't care).
1d6534278786d447.png

Here you go. Same with or without load. D10s + L30
 

JohnYang1997

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Hi John, any real world difference between A90 and L30? Just balanced is main difference for better noise rejection? Loving my L30 that I’m using for my bedside rig. But now I’m think of adding another one to replace the geshelli! Was going to go a90 to match the d90 but this little l30 is a beast!
A90 is L30 with Bal in and Bal out. It has more power as well as larger power supply that's internal. Larger chassis. That's it. Everything build up in cost.
 

NDC

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A90 is L30 with Bal in and Bal out. It has more power as well as larger power supply that's internal. Larger chassis. That's it. Everything build up in cost.

Nice, thanks John.

One other question - with the L30, do we have to switch the unit to 'off' position when unplugging and plugging in headphones?

The reason I ask is because, on Geshelli Archel 2, they recommend doing this because of some shorting issue when you plug and unplug while unit is on. Is the same thing necessary on L30 or okay to do so?
 

JohnYang1997

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Nice, thanks John.

One other question - with the L30, do we have to switch the unit to 'off' position when unplugging and plugging in headphones?

The reason I ask is because, on Geshelli Archel 2, they recommend doing this because of some shorting issue when you plug and unplug while unit is on. Is the same thing necessary on L30 or okay to do so?
We do that all the time and no issues have found. In the development of A50s we ditched AD8397 for the same reason.
 

aHaidc

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@JohnYang1997
Would the L30's pre-amp work as excellent as the head-amp? I have an E30 and it can work as a Digital Pre-Amp to my Power Amp. I read that the Volume control in the L30 is Analog. Would I get better sound/performance if I pair the L30 with E30, and use the L30 as a stereo analog Pre-Amp instead of E30 as digital pre-amp?
 

gorman

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I had been waiting for this review. Wow... L30+E30, what a combo.

Is there an estimate for widespread availability in Europe (meaning I can order it on Amazon with no weeks of waiting)?

One question as this is not clear to me: with line out is signal ok for powered speakers, correct?
 

vkvedam

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If I ever need a headphone amp this will be it, I don't need balanced as I don't own any balanced headphones and not planning to anyway. Excellent work @JohnYang1997
 

AudioSceptic

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OUTSTANDING !! I can’t believe one can get such reference performance at $130. It feels like yesterday when you needed to spend 4 figures and no objetive data...
Is this the best headphone amp regardless of cost? Does the Benchmark HPA4 offer anything that this doesn't?
 
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