Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[dsnyder0cnn]

I can ask you, without any polemical intent, just to understand.
You have purchased an amplifier which, although it works well, suffers from a serious design flaw for which Topping has not taken responsibility. Aware of this, as soon as it breaks (because it will) will you buy the next model from the same brand? Why? Don't you feel cheated as a consumer?

If I paid $2,000 for the PA5, I'd be pretty annoyed. At around $300,, while I'm not thrilled by the likely possibility of having to replace it so soon, it's totally acceptable to me. I've purchased nearly a dozen products from Gustard, S.M.S.L., Topping, Khadas, and other similar companies since joining ASR. Besides some frustrating (but addressable) firmware problems with a couple of them, I've had no failures or other major issues. Given the low prices, I cheerfully accept the risk vs paying 3x to 10x as much for similar products made in the US or EU.

In this world, you rarely get more than you pay for. The saying goes, "Price, Performance, Reliability. Choose two."

I'm getting SOTA performance for little money. There's got to be a compromise somewhere, and I'm okay with that. Folks who are not should avoid brands like like these.

 

[gamerpaddy]

Sounds interesting to do on my own PA5. Can you perhaps provide a walkthrough of this process? I suppose I would be able to do this by myself, but perhaps there are some caveats to consider before starting to remove the compound.

Remove the module from the PA5 board then heat it using hot air to about 330.. 370°C (start low, if it doesnt work, increase), then the compound becomes brittle.
you can pry it away piece by piece with a toothpick or tweezers but beware, components make come off aswell and the housing of the opamps are made off the same stuff and become brittle too.
at some point you are able to pry the board out of the metal can

what component failed is unclear, you gotta measure all of them and refresh the solder joints.

i made a guide on how to order the modules yourself

Topping PA5 fix - D01 Module Replacement for everyone

when my next protoypes arrive, i got two boards i could sell but due to opamp cost and time i require to get them assembled, expect 40 euros for one, plus shipping. I'm trying to figure out how to order a pre-assembled board(s) here in the U.S. I probably have the skill to put together the DIP...

www.audiosciencereview.com

alternatively
i still have two or three finished ones leftover if you need one.

 

[Holmz]

If I paid $2,000 for the PA5, I'd be pretty annoyed. At around $300,, while I'm not thrilled by the likely possibility of having to replace it so soon, it's totally acceptable to me. I've purchased nearly a dozen products from Gustard, S.M.S.L., Topping, Khadas, and other similar companies since joining ASR. Besides some frustrating (but addressable) firmware problems with a couple of them, I've had no failures or other major issues. Given the low prices, I cheerfully accept the risk vs paying 3x to 10x as much for similar products made in the US or EU.

Luckily mine was bad right out of the box, and I got it via Amazon.

In this world, you rarely get more than you pay for. The saying goes, "Price, Performance, Reliability. Choose two."

Personally I like reliability.

I'm getting SOTA performance for little money. There's got to be a compromise somewhere, and I'm okay with that. Folks who are not should avoid brands like like these.

Really the idea of SOTA is a bit misplaced.
I can read the charts as good as teh next boy or girl, or man or woman… but the downstream stuff… like speakers… are really the limiting factor in sound reproduction.

I know my golden eared acquaintances can hear things that I cannot… but I also do not hear voices.

 

[antcollinet]

I know my golden eared acquaintances think they can hear things that I cannot

FTFY

 

[BoredErica]

If company releases cheap product and justifies poor customer service by saying it was a cheap product, it then has to stay as cheap product company with a reputation befitting its service and design. It'd be unfair for company with up til then good track record to finally have a debacle and say we should've seen it coming (esp when issue isn't reliability, it's also service). Mistakes were made and nobody can go back in time to undo the product flaw, but a company can still choose to make it right in expedient way. Neither do I think using a pot that causes overheating is expected from a product just because it's cheap (it wasn't added to cheap out on quality). It's a small desktop amp that doesn't need that much power, a category that shouldn't cost thousand plus USD otherwise I'll just leave the hobby altogether. Audio isn't my entire life, I just want things to work to my specifications.

I sold pa5 and recouped $180. It's less than the $500+ I paid for my new amp and less than value of pa5 (as happens when you resell), but the saga is finally fully over for me now.

Maybe one day when my amp breaks and if I still continue using same speakers, Topping can fully redeem itself with long track record of no more issues. That's something for future me to think about. Present me is just ready to fully move on from this.

 

[F1308]

Mine still functioning perfectly.
I love it.

 

[JeremyFife]

Mine too (after a repair) ... shame, I have mild 'upgraditis' but I can't fault the wee thing so I just have to enjoy music instead

 

[xaxxon]

Just got my "free" $20 replacement pa5-2 from topping. It took about a month to get here and I haven't checked to see if it works yet (dunno where I put those TRS cables), but they did actually follow through.

Generally that's good but I had email correspondence with topping proper from within the warranty period but since they never reached out to offer the 'upgrade' for the defective design of the pa5 I didn't know to ask soon enough so they made me pay $20 for shipping. I specifically said that the email chain had started during the warranty period but they said I still had to paypal them $20 (plus international service fee).

So mostly good for them for replacing units. But still a little bit lame.

edit: someone pinged me asking how I did it, I just emailed [email protected] and asked if I could get a replacement and they said yes. Just had to send picture of my serial and of the destroyed pa5. (I enjoyed the hell out of that part)

 

[Haskil]

If company releases cheap product and justifies poor customer service by saying it was a cheap product, it then has to stay as cheap product company with a reputation befitting its service and design. It'd be unfair for company with up til then good track record to finally have a debacle and say we should've seen it coming (esp when issue isn't reliability, it's also service). Mistakes were made and nobody can go back in time to undo the product flaw, but a company can still choose to make it right in expedient way. Neither do I think using a pot that causes overheating is expected from a product just because it's cheap (it wasn't added to cheap out on quality). It's a small desktop amp that doesn't need that much power, a category that shouldn't cost thousand plus USD otherwise I'll just leave the hobby altogether. Audio isn't my entire life, I just want things to work to my specifications.

I sold pa5 and recouped $180. It's less than the $500+ I paid for my new amp and less than value of pa5 (as happens when you resell), but the saga is finally fully over for me now.

Maybe one day when my amp breaks and if I still continue using same speakers, Topping can fully redeem itself with long track record of no more issues. That's something for future me to think about. Present me is just ready to fully move on from this.

Do you want the list of major brand devices that are just not repairable at all?
During the warranty period, they are replaced with a new one. After the warranty period, you should throw them away. This is the case for all BD-DVD players whose price is equal to or less than 200-250 euros-dollars whose laser mechanism often breaks just after the warranty period... Are you talking about high-priced players? , major brands, irreparable in the official network because they no longer have the parts?
Do you want to talk about the after-sales service of major established brands of amplified loudspeakers selling expensive products that do not repair the electronics but change them at high prices even when the design error is obvious... And again when these electronics is still available five after the end of marketing of the product...
Topping is not exonerated from its failings, but this should put Topping bashing into perspective...

 

[F1308]

Hi ..
My PA-5 performing flawlessly.
Still yet.
I love it.

 

[anotherhobby]

My PA5 is over 3 years old, and is used about 8 hours per day, which is like 8,000 hours of use so far.

And I power it on/off every day with a basic 120v smart switch that the power supply plugs into.

 

[Roland68]

Hi ..
My PA-5 performing flawlessly.
Still yet.
I love it.

My PA5 is over 3 years old, and is used about 8 hours per day, which is like 8,000 hours of use so far.

And I power it on/off every day with a basic 120v smart switch that the power supply plugs into.

Based on my experience with more than 10 defective PA5s (all with the problem caused by the potting compound), I assume that most failures occur within the first 800-1000 hours (pure duty cycle).
I have never had a PA5 on my desk that failed after 3000 hours of operation.
If your PA5 has no crackling, audible noise or failure symptoms on a channel after 3000 hours (pure duty cycle), it is relatively unlikely that the known problem caused by the potting compound will occur afterwards.

And again to everyone, because the rumor keeps cropping up. The PA5 never had a heat problem, that's a fairy tale. The usual failures occurred exclusively due to the potting compound (wrong potting compound? / improper handling?).
I didn't have to replace a component on any of the boards, so definitely no heat death.
The installed OPAs have a regular operating temperature range of up to 120-130°. At this temperature, the casting compound would have dissolved by itself.

 

[dsnyder0cnn]

Hi ..
My PA-5 performing flawlessly.
Still yet.
I love it.

Same here. February marks my third year of daily use powering passive near field monitors.

 

[xaxxon]

Based on my experience with more than 10 defective PA5s (all with the problem caused by the potting compound), I assume that most failures occur within the first 800-1000 hours (pure duty cycle).
I have never had a PA5 on my desk that failed after 3000 hours of operation.
If your PA5 has no crackling, audible noise or failure symptoms on a channel after 3000 hours (pure duty cycle), it is relatively unlikely that the known problem caused by the potting compound will occur afterwards.

And again to everyone, because the rumor keeps cropping up. The PA5 never had a heat problem, that's a fairy tale. The usual failures occurred exclusively due to the potting compound (wrong potting compound? / improper handling?).
I didn't have to replace a component on any of the boards, so definitely no heat death.
The installed OPAs have a regular operating temperature range of up to 120-130°. At this temperature, the casting compound would have dissolved by itself.

Interesting.. mine just stopped powering on and was clicking.. I think it was like twice a second? Sounds like I had a different failure than what you're seeing.

 

[mrmeng430]

My PA5 still works great, used it yesterday with bookshelf speakers. Crackling sound disappeared mysteriously after close to a year.

 

[antcollinet]

Crackling sound disappeared mysteriously after close to a year.

That happens just before it becomes self aware.

 

[bravomail]

My PA5 still works great, used it yesterday with bookshelf speakers. Crackling sound disappeared mysteriously after close to a year.

Gonna have to break this spool of praise. My PA5 which I bought among first buyers, finally died around Black Friday, yes, crackling sound, so that PFFB finally died.
I promptly got PA5 II Plus (with BF discount, yay). Can't say I notice any difference in sound.
I used Aiyima A07, while waiting for PA5 II Plus.
Hmm.
A07 (mine at least) either has a crossfeed issue or something. Stereo picture is different. Sound is 3D, FWIW. I actually preferred it over PA5. Hmm.

 

[terrys999]

Mine just died today.
Pulsating noise right speaker.
Threw it in the bin.
Lesson learned.
Their DACs are brill. But amps get hot.