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Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

Is your Topping PA5 amp defective?

  • Yes

    Votes: 123 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 123 50.0%

  • Total voters
    246

SHENZHENAUDIO

Active Member
Dealer
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
144
Likes
298
Location
Shenzhen,China
Shenzhenaudio actually sent me a video on how to disassemble the PA5 during my customer-service disaster with them:
Their claim was that the noise was caused by a "loose connection port", and they wanted me to disassemble the amp and see.
A few things:
No way this was gonna fix the issue.
No way a random customer should be messing around with defective merchandise like this.
No way this can be called customer service.

Even if you are a qualified electronics technician, this is the wrong approach for warranty service. But, since warranty service isn't part of this product's bill of materials, at least you have the video!
Hi, That's sad if your issues haven't been solved, we suggest you contact [email protected] for an after-service. I'm not sure if there is something misunderstanding among our CS team, but sorry for this inconvenience.
 

MAB

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
2,134
Likes
4,779
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Hi, That's sad if your issues haven't been solved, we suggest you contact [email protected] for an after-service. I'm not sure if there is something misunderstanding among our CS team, but sorry for this inconvenience.
Thank you @SHENZHENAUDIO. Cloris did indeed refund me my money in the end, and I appreciate her patience. It just took way too long to get resolve.
I worked with a different person at the beginning of my return starting 6 months ago.
I would like the entire return process to go more smoothly in the future. The video I referenced was one of the many failures and distractions that prevented me from smoothly returning my defective PA5. But, in the end Cloris was great.
 

raest

Active Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2022
Messages
123
Likes
309
as i already wrote in the E30 mk2 thread, Toppings "most advanced QC in hifi" strikes again, it seems, as apparently my replacement PA5 has started developing the issue. this time it was hooked to a different PC (but same DAC) and different speakers (Quad S2) with an easier load. in these 2 months of it being here, it was powered on for a total of maybe 10-20 hours (1 hour shortly after it came in, and the rest over the past 2 weeks)

it is currently mild and quite intermittent compared to the previous, so i will wait till it "matures" before sending it back, but i hope Audiophonics will consider a refund this time, because i have neither the patience nor the time to deal with "the most advanced QC in hifi"
 

Canuck57

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
556
Likes
1,267
Location
Fergus, ON Canada
Topping's statement that the failure rate is low is questionable when so many replacement units fail as well. I don't need to recall my university statistics course to raise a Spockian eyebrow!
 

vkvedam

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
583
Likes
807
Location
Coventry, UK
@JohnYang1997 I have decided not to send the unit until there's a fix for it. I have very little confidence in the replacement unit given the complaints unless you advise us to send it back for a swap.
 

BoredErica

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
629
Likes
899
Location
USA
Sorry to hear about your PA5 sounding so bad. What about your speaker? Is it in any danger of harm from the PA5?
Hope not. Driver cone moves a lot from whatever it's pushing through. Quite loud. It's happened before. Like last time I went to mono-channel listening. Probably prudent to just buy a new amp and give up.

Ignoring the cost and hassle of sending stuff (I don't like post office), I can't know replacement unit will be fixed. I think Topping's response here shows they will at most maybe do something if the replacement unit also dies but even that I can't guarentee.
 

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,745
Likes
20,757
Location
Canada
Hope not. Driver cone moves a lot from whatever it's pushing through. Quite loud. It's happened before. Like last time I went to mono-channel listening. Probably prudent to just buy a new amp and give up.

Ignoring the cost and hassle of sending stuff (I don't like post office), I can't know replacement unit will be fixed. I think Topping's response here shows they will at most maybe do something if the replacement unit also dies but even that I can't guarentee.
Yes, the communication of late from Topping has apparently been horrendous if non-existent. I recently bought a DAC and a headphone amp from USA builders for this very reason.
 

Canuck57

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
556
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1,267
Location
Fergus, ON Canada
Hope not. Driver cone moves a lot from whatever it's pushing through. Quite loud. It's happened before. Like last time I went to mono-channel listening. Probably prudent to just buy a new amp and give up.

Ignoring the cost and hassle of sending stuff (I don't like post office), I can't know replacement unit will be fixed. I think Topping's response here shows they will at most maybe do something if the replacement unit also dies but even that I can't guarentee.

@Topping Service where are you? It's your opportunity to shine with great customer service in response to this. If it was me I would PM BoredErica and work with her vendor to get a refund immediately! There are obviously defective PA5 units!
 

ampguy

Active Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2022
Messages
268
Likes
152
Location
US
Thanks! I'm looking at adding an L50 to the PA5, once I get more time on this 2nd PA5. I haven't heard of many alternatives to the L50 with balanced in, and pass through, as well as great specs for the HP amp section.
My 2nd PA5, replaced by Apos under warranty, is still doing fine, on daily (but off evenings), have been using w/ balanced DAC for last 2 weeks. I have no issues with buying Topping again through Apos and with some kind of warranty.
 

Kevinfc

Active Member
Joined
May 6, 2021
Messages
214
Likes
198
Don’t own one, but the results are shockingly bad. Too bad, I had high regard for Topping’s products based on the reviews here. They’ll need to up their game on the QC end.
 

DMill

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 9, 2022
Messages
890
Likes
1,259
Wish there was a “Dont own one” poll result. Curious to see results
 

delta76

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 27, 2021
Messages
1,613
Likes
2,452
At this point it is advisable to get a refund if you can. Buy another amp or hold off until it is confirmed all problems are fixed (which is unlikely). Pa5 is great for the price if it works, but the gamble is not worth it
 

vkvedam

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
583
Likes
807
Location
Coventry, UK
My 2nd PA5, replaced by Apos under warranty, is still doing fine, on daily (but off evenings), have been using w/ balanced DAC for last 2 weeks. I have no issues with buying Topping again through Apos and with some kind of warranty.
Thanks for the reassurance!
 

Holmz

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
2,018
Likes
1,241
Location
Australia
My 2nd PA5, replaced by Apos under warranty, is still doing fine, on daily (but off evenings), have been using w/ balanced DAC for last 2 weeks. I have no issues with buying Topping again through Apos and with some kind of warranty.

2nd one replaced?

Is there some fixed number of them failing before you consider a different amp?
 

ampguy

Active Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2022
Messages
268
Likes
152
Location
US
2nd one replaced?

Is there some fixed number of them failing before you consider a different amp?
Sorry, the original first one was replaced. I'm on my 2nd one now, and this new 2nd unit is working well. I was told there were issues that were fixed, my first one was an early one.
 
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