spdif out (to feed into my vocal tracking interface)
Wait, what signal do you want to feed your Apollo interface from the device? I first understood it that you want to improve your monitoring by using it as a front-end for the Apollo, and continue to use the latter's mic inputs. Is it meant as a some kind of loopback?
For 600 dollars/euro it's hard to recommend a fully-fledged audio interface with both digital inputs and outputs and with a powerful HP amp (do the two HP outputs need to be independent of each other?), so we need to narrow it down.
Which headphones you intend to use? What is lacking in your current setup in this regard?
But it is also not good to spread or distort false information.
2 or 3 users of the thousands of L30 devices have had their headphones damaged when ESD caused a short circuit in the OPAmp.
The reports are much more numerous.
Topping replaced the affected devices very easily.
This was not my impression. Many people complained about the handling of their cases, AFAIR, Topping at first did not acknowledge the problem, and then offered to exchange dead devices by mail. Could be that local official dealers were more customer-friendly in this regard, but still. And the damaged headphones were not compensated for, they only said they were "extremely sorry".
The funny thing is that the ESD problem only occurred because Topping improved the design and also used higher quality materials for the housing and knob.
Then the design was so much improved that the headphones were just blowing out (apparently, out of joy)?
I don't know of a single Topping PA5 device that fried itself, but you can definitely post a link to it.
Surprising that it went unnoticed by you. On this very forum there had been a very active discussion with at least one dedicated thread, not to mention other places on the net.
Here are some:
Since Topping Pa5 nuked itself and Topping probably can't guarentee a fix that won't have the amp failing in the same way again, I don't think I want to pay shipping to Topping to get it fixed. (This is a little sad given allegedly the cause for early failures was discovered.) Now I need a new...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Ive been working on the PA5 for a while now after mine died suddently, like many others https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/poll-for-topping-pa5-owners-only-please.33293/ Most of the PA5 units develop a crackling, hissing or just go a little silent or completely dead on...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Poll for PA5 owners to report product defects. Discussion for any solutions. I think it would be useful to get a handle on some numbers to estimate just how wide spread the issues are. Addendum: Here is Topping's response to the PA5 issues...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Or the E70 that could all of a sudden switch to fixed volume mode (locking at 0 dB):
Not sure what happened but all the sudden the E70 went from -30db or so to 0db. Basically blew out my ears for a few seconds and it was stuck on 0db, I couldn't even lower it. Tried spinning the volume control on the E70 for a few seconds, it was locked at 0db. Afraid to put my windows volume...
www.audiosciencereview.com
The problem was the potting compound used in the modules, which led to certain effects and failures.
So you do know about the problem? And I'm the one who is distorting?
After removing the casting compound and cleaning the modules, the PA5 worked again without any further repairs or replacing components.
Great. So I buy a half-baked product that in order for it to work, I must mess with its internals, voiding the warranty (yes, I'm kidding. I know there is no warranty, it's just a lottery).
just a stupid decision by the manufacturer
At least you agree. And it's not the only one.
ignorance and a lack of long-term testing.
So why should the user pay for their ignorance and lack of QA? Wouldn't it better to give your money to those who know their business in the first place?
The devices are cheap and have excellent measurements.
Until they fail.
In return, you have to accept a loss in quality, reliability and service, just like with development and software. All things that are very expensive for a manufacturer and continue to cost money long after the sale.
And also the risk of damage to my property and life. Don't forget that there are also big concerns about their electric safety. They often use non-certified power supplies of shady origin, and also do not certify their own devices in this regard, even mains-powered. So it's not a simple tradeoff of reliability against price and performance. Safety is at stake here, too.
In short, I would avoid them for any serious work. The only Topping device I have ever bought is the 5V-powered E30 Lite II for about $70 on the 11.11 sale last year for my grandma's TV speakers (these are Kali LP-6 that have limiters and I adjusted their input levels so that they will not make her deaf at full output), and I hope it will last for a couple of years.
