Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[vkvedam]

For some reason my PA5 isn't making any noises nowadays even though it was on for hours. Do the components need more ageing?

 

[delta76]

For some reason my PA5 isn't making any noises nowadays even though it was on for hours. Do the components need more ageing?

not every PA5 fails, more like 10-30%. You are lucky owner, for now.

 

[vkvedam]

not every PA5 fails, more like 10-30%. You are lucky owner, for now.

It was making noises though hence I joined this thread and keeping an eye on it

 

[terrys999]

For some reason my PA5 isn't making any noises nowadays even though it was on for hours. Do the components need more ageing?

No
It needs bining

 

[Anthony T]

Hi every one, in the future, I will provide technical support and after-sales assistance for TOPPING products at ASR.

We are very aware of your anxiety and understand the inconvenience of users who experience product failures. I think we need to make the following clarification: From our statistics and complaints received, the PA5 failure rate is slightly higher than our PA3s, LA90, MX5. But since the failure rate is still within the normal range, and even if the product fails, it won't cause more harm, so we didn't stop selling. But we knew it would affect the user experience, so we took action and researched.

From the analysis of our recurring situation and the faulty products returned by users, the reason is that very few internal components will fail under long-term heating, and the faulty unit can be repaired after replacing the components. Our solution to this is to adjust the manufacturing process of the components for improvement.

Based on the fact that the vast majority of users who experience failures experience problems after a long period of use (1-3 months), we think it will take some time for us to see improvements. At the same time, we have decided to increase the warranty period of the current power amplifier products (including PA3s, PA5, MX5, LA90) to two years. Details are still being discussed and will be announced soon.

As a responsible manufacturer, TOPPING will not sell products to the market knowing that there is a problem with them. TOPPING will also respond to user needs in a timely manner and solve problems for users.

I think you need to address and acknowledge the situation your customers are being put in by your authorised distribution agents and the damage that they are doing to your reputation as after reading this thread I would not buy any of your products. They are a extension of Topping, a inextricable part of your operation and upon being designated a authorised dealer their behaviour is your behaviour and your customers are being treated appallingly.

Here is some free advice: if a customer reports a fault ask for the component to be immediately returned, don’t ask for a video or make them go through dozens of emails in a tedious process that just comes across as stalling, fault finding should be carried out by yourselves, not your customers.

Makes me wonder just how many of your customers gave up during this tedious episode and binned the amp.

As I said you have lost a potential future customer in me because of the frankly amateur handling of this situation, I’ve been a proponent of instrument grade components but if I think I’m going to have to:
1-Undertake in illegal behaviour
2-Send dozens of emails when one should be sufficient
3-Take up Cinematography
4-Be ignored
to get a refund or repair why would I, or anybody else want to go through that? You need to get in front of the problem rather than reacting.

In your race to be top of the pops you’ve left a few important things behind and that’s a shame….and a big problem.

 

[Holmz]

I think you need to address and acknowledge the situation your customers are being put in by your authorised distribution agents and the damage that they are doing to your reputation as after reading this thread I would not buy any of your products. They are a extension of Topping, a inextricable part of your operation and upon being designated a authorised dealer their behaviour is your behaviour and your customers are being treated appallingly.

…

^this^
I pretty much decided that I would go with the Octo DAC-8 Pro and the RME ADI-2 Pro after the bad taste that the amp left.

The things (two of them) hissed so bad I felt like Medusa’s hair stylist.
The AIYAMA only hissed a little bit, when it was railed to full volume, and then it was way louder than I needed it to be, so I cranked it back to 3 o’clock from ~ the 5:30 position.
The AIYAMA is the not greatest solution around, but it has to be 10-15 dB better SNR… and it is perfectly great as a surround channel for my use.

Those 2 amps, pretty much made me distrust anything from Topping.
(Maybe if I started from a DAC it would be different.)

 

[Sokel]

The things (two of them) hissed so bad I felt like Medusa’s hair stylist.

I will chase all your posts because of metaphors like this one and the one with the Pentecostals ,makes my day everytime!

 

[delta76]

Topping should have set up service centers for their major markets - just like how they setup the "warehouses" in those. Simpler, faster after sales services. If people bought from China, it's one thing, but if people bought from local market, they should not have to deal with international shipping, including high cost, import duties and long shipping time.

Topping could have become ASR's sweetheart if they were proactive, acknowledged the problem early and compensated buyers properly - refund, exchange, repair, whatever. Instead they let a lot of damage done to their reputation, and even now it's unclear about the way going forward.

What a pity.

 

[Doodski]

Topping should have set up service centers for their major markets - just like how they setup the "warehouses" in those. Simpler, faster after sales services. If people bought from China, it's one thing, but if people bought from local market, they should not have to deal with international shipping, including high cost, import duties and long shipping time.

Topping could have become ASR's sweetheart if they were proactive, acknowledged the problem early and compensated buyers properly - refund, exchange, repair, whatever. Instead they let a lot of damage done to their reputation, and even now it's unclear about the way going forward.

What a pity.

It costs money to attract and retain customers. To lose customers and prospective buyers due to bad business policies and terms is very bad business acumen. I spent 24 years working consumer electronics in various capacities and when a company does what Topping has done it usually bodes badly for that company.

 

[tvih]

The cynical part of me (and I'm cynical to the core, hah) agrees that they're "taking advantage" of ASR popularity to a point. Releasing subsequently better-measuring components knowing the SINAD-chasers can't resist. Also in part the reason for such short retail duration for most of the products. So why waste resources on extensive testing for reliability when you've already made bank by the time you happen to make a lemon and frankly a lot of people likely won't be able to resist the next product anyway?

Which is to say that while I don't think they're specifically engineering them for limited life expectancy they don't really seem to be exactly worrying about it either. And of course I don't expect Topping to be the only company with this approach to things, by any means. I'll just hope that my DX3 Pro+ and PA3s keep working for years to come like the TP30 has, but it'll have to be an extraordinary and proven product to seriously consider another one. Though I suppose that aside from a new AVR and possibly a new amp for the fronts at some point (due to skipping PA5 likely an Audiophonics NCore one, as previously mentioned) I don't really need (or even just plain want enough to warrant the expenditure) new audio electronics after the recent purchases anyway.

 

[Madraf]

I had an issue with my PA5 recently. Noise on the left channel. I returned it (still guaranted) for repair. I got back it about one month later and it works fine for the moment.

I specify that I let the power supply unit constantly plugged and powered (it does not heat up), I only power off the amp itself, because it stays hot all the time, even I don't use it. Not very hot, neverthless, you can leave the hand on the amp without getting burned ; but I don't like too much have something constantly hot at home, it could be dangerous.

I hope they really have corrected a conception or manufacturing problem and I will never experience this issue again...

(I remind you that I am not an English speaker and that I am sorry for the inevitable errors that I had to leave in my text.)

 

[Slotenpiloot]

Yeh definitely check cables or if streaming see if it’s router ect...

Otherwise. Welcome to the pink elephant awards forum.
We are all in the same boat.

I switched the cables and the problem switched to the other side, after that i made contact with a dutch dealer. They will replace the unit with a different one.

Lets hope that will fix the problem.

 

[terrys999]

I switched the cables and the problem switched to the other side, after that i made contact with a dutch dealer. They will replace the unit with a different one.

Lets hope that will fix the problem.

They may fix it
Problem is that 1 or more components are probably the wrong values.
Topping said that component has to be changed , probably a different kind or value just getting too hot.

 

[BoredErica]

Hi every one, in the future, I will provide technical support and after-sales assistance for TOPPING products at ASR.

We are very aware of your anxiety and understand the inconvenience of users who experience product failures. I think we need to make the following clarification: From our statistics and complaints received, the PA5 failure rate is slightly higher than our PA3s, LA90, MX5. But since the failure rate is still within the normal range, and even if the product fails, it won't cause more harm, so we didn't stop selling. But we knew it would affect the user experience, so we took action and researched.

From the analysis of our recurring situation and the faulty products returned by users, the reason is that very few internal components will fail under long-term heating, and the faulty unit can be repaired after replacing the components. Our solution to this is to adjust the manufacturing process of the components for improvement.

Based on the fact that the vast majority of users who experience failures experience problems after a long period of use (1-3 months), we think it will take some time for us to see improvements. At the same time, we have decided to increase the warranty period of the current power amplifier products (including PA3s, PA5, MX5, LA90) to two years. Details are still being discussed and will be announced soon.

As a responsible manufacturer, TOPPING will not sell products to the market knowing that there is a problem with them. TOPPING will also respond to user needs in a timely manner and solve problems for users.

That's all well and good, but my pa5 is still easily in warranty period. The problem is I have to return it to some company in China and pay shipping for it, during which I have no audio. I'd also have to be confident whatever unit I get has been fixed.


---
Anyone remember the person in this thread who randomly asserted confidently the cause was the power supply and turning the device on and off too many times, when it was clear some people left theirs on forever?

lol

 

[Frank Sol]

@BoredErica Several people have disappeared from this thread...

 

[Holmz]

@BoredErica Several people have disappeared from this thread...

They’re being reeducated?

 

[billdylan]

@JohnYang1997

Your and Topping's credibility going forward hinges on you acknowledging and making reparations to the people who have suffered with premature failures of your PA5. Nothing else is reasonable.

We know you read the threads, and comment in other threads, including recent reviews of another of your Topping 'babies'. Ignoring this thread is a very BAD look and I know you can do much better.

Wow..Its a bit of a change in ASR policy then. Helping ?, thats new . All the main guys did was roast me when i started the thread on the E30 jitter problems with the new chip..a most unpleasant experience ..since the E30 thread continues with unhappy Topping customers it seems nothing has changed ..

 

[billdylan]

Hi every one, in the future, I will provide technical support and after-sales assistance for TOPPING products at ASR.

We are very aware of your anxiety and understand the inconvenience of users who experience product failures. I think we need to make the following clarification: From our statistics and complaints received, the PA5 failure rate is slightly higher than our PA3s, LA90, MX5. But since the failure rate is still within the normal range, and even if the product fails, it won't cause more harm, so we didn't stop selling. But we knew it would affect the user experience, so we took action and researched.

From the analysis of our recurring situation and the faulty products returned by users, the reason is that very few internal components will fail under long-term heating, and the faulty unit can be repaired after replacing the components. Our solution to this is to adjust the manufacturing process of the components for improvement.

Based on the fact that the vast majority of users who experience failures experience problems after a long period of use (1-3 months), we think it will take some time for us to see improvements. At the same time, we have decided to increase the warranty period of the current power amplifier products (including PA3s, PA5, MX5, LA90) to two years. Details are still being discussed and will be announced soon.

As a responsible manufacturer, TOPPING will not sell products to the market knowing that there is a problem with them. TOPPING will also respond to user needs in a timely manner and solve problems for users.

Ha Ha ..Thats my laugh for the day ...xx

 

[airbornimal]

Well, today my second PA5 now won't stop hissing even with a fan on. I am officially amp-less.

 

[mdsimon2]

not every PA5 fails, more like 10-30%. You are lucky owner, for now.

Haha. I know we don't know the actual failure rate but there is tons of evidence that it is way too high. Compare that to Buckeye's stats after 14 months of selling Hypex NC252MP and NC502MP amps (source).

So a more precise number (since I merely said under 1%):

Of over 400 NC252MP modules used, only 1 has failed.
Of over 300 NC502MP modules used, only 1 has failed.

The third module I originally included was customer error resulting in needing replacement.

If I was looking for a new amp I know where my money would be going and it is not Topping.

Michael