Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[IPunchCholla]

Anything above some 3% is not good.

I agree that anything above 3% is too high. However, I would caution against drawing any percentage conclusion from the poll. It is self selecting and we know nothing about who has replied. The error margin is completely unknowable. 99% or .01% failure rates are equally likely based on the poll. All we can tell from it is the number of responses claiming failures, not even number of failures.

Topping could do themselves a large PR benefit by stepping in and saying what they know. But we should all keep in mind that they might not have enough information to say anything with certainty and may not want to comment prematurely in a litigious world.

 

[thewas]

For a mass production product even 0.3% would be too high, usually failures are measured in ppm. But as it has been said online polls are a poor indicator for such as buyers are more active when a product fails compared to when it is fine.

 

[F1308]

Order date : 2021-12-01
351,91 € Audiophonics.fr
Received around mid-late January 2022.
Serial number 2110125006.
Using some 1-5 hours daily connected to a Roland Fantom synthesizer via Roland XLR-TRS cable to input #1.
Yes, 1-5 hours...inspiration and creativity change greatly on a daily basis...
Volume/gain at 3 o'clock.
Powering up before use and down when done.
Manually operated power strip with individual switches for every device.
First strip then amp for ON (Output ON ).
First amp then strip for OFF (Output OFF ).

Performance is great.
No issues.

 

[F1308]

I got mine at the end of January and it started having the "cracking on left channel" issue about two weeks ago. I've already returned it sadly, so I can't look up its serial number anymore.

One thing I was wondering about: I had the amp plugged into an automatic power strip that kills the power when the main device powers off. I suspect the amp did not particularly like that, as it produced popping sounds whenever it lost its power without being turned off separately first.
I will admit I have no clue about how these amps are designed, and whether it's even possible that that has anything to do with the left-channel issue, but I thought I'd mention it in case it turns out to be a factor distinguishing the defective units from the surviving ones.

A device like that, the power strip, damaged simultaneously the internal amp serving the subwoofer in one of my Mythos ST, and also an old Denon receiver DRA-825R bought in 1985.
Currently using the remaining subwoofer in the other loudspeaker and the Denon (THD 0.015% RMS 90W 8R, 0.006%@-3dB 8R, SNR 103db, 47K RCA) was replaced by a PA5.

 

[JeffGB]

Serial number 2111. No problems and used 16hrs a day. I don't unplug the power brick. I'm the odd one out, as it were, because a couple of weeks ago I changed the power supply to a 32v 5a. I have had no problems running it on the stock supply for several months but wanted to improve the longevity. It is driven by a MOTU M4 fully balanced.

 

[Selkirks]

I moved to Martin Logan Montis with the PA5. Having good results so far.

 

[Nzama]

Just to follow up. Shout out at audiophonics support sent me a new unit 2201 if I am not wrong that works perfectly for the moment in less than 5 days.

Also for those asking topping support has been very kind via email to help with the issue, i can see why they do not want to get too involved before having tackled the issue .....

 

[silicon14]

I've had no issues with my PA5 although I've only had it for 5 weeks. It's driven balanced from a Topping E50 and, also balanced, from an iFi Zen Phono. The speakers are B&W 705s (not S2s) which are rated at 89dB and 8 ohms nominal down to a minimum of 4.6 ohms. It's used for 1-2 hours continuous roughly 5 days a week. Listening to records the PA5's volume knob is typically around 10 o'clock. I have the E50 in pre-amp mode and crank the PA5's volume knob when the E50 is the input. The E50's volume is typically set around -35dB. I power the PA5 off and on with the front toggle switch. Its power supply brick remains powered. I'm not expecting issues but will update if I have any.

 

[restorer-john]

Not really ... these new setups are actually designed to be plugged in and left powered up all the time.

No they are not. No different to a laptop SMPS which sees many thousands of connection/disconnections at high current inrush on both the primary rectifier, secondary rectifiers and the connection to the laptop and its charge/batt circuitry. The use case is portable, compact and likely to see frequent connections and disconnections.

Computer PSUs are not designed to be left on, powered up all the time. That is bad and plain wrong 'advice' and you only proferred it to save warranty repairs on badly designed PSUs in the first place. Nobody in their right mind leaves PCs in standby for anything other than use during the day. A PC supply doesn't have a large startup current on connection in any case.

The fact that this low powered, cheap-ass 'hifi' equipment is using outboard and equally cheap Chinese SMPS supplies is the problem. There is no interaction between the various supplies (primary SMPS and secondary internal capacitance in the amp itself), so no synchronization and consequently issues arise which were predicted by me way back:

Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

It is going to be fine. In the extreme you may need to ground its input as stated but I would not worry about it. Thanks! One question left though. Using an RCA splitter adapter (attached below) for my AV receiver's center channel preout and using both channels of PA5 to bi-amp my center...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If Topping wanted to build them properly, the supply would be internal and AC detection, muting, slow start (if needed) etc could all be handled effectively.

 

[MAB]

My PA5 went bad after two weeks. Left channel started making noise with a large DC offset at power-on, like some owners report.

I spent too much time with very polite customer service checking the tightness of the speaker terminals, then sending videos of the problem. I was ultimately told to mail the unit back (to China). I mailed it, but never heard back. I am pretty sure I wasted the purchase price on this amp. It was a bit heartbreaking to work through the issue with the reseller's customer service, compared to say... Bryston for instance. When they sent me a youtube video of 'how to tighten speaker terminal' I was sure that they had a systematic issue they were sitting on top of.

Regarding some comments on this thread about hot-plugging the SMPS. I am pretty sure I didn't hot-swap the power supply in the brief time I had this unit. It seems hearsay was used to associate the issue people are reporting with hot swapping. And the unit better be able to take hot plugging, just like my laptop and all of the other devices that use SMPS. If I ever get a replacement, I will be hot swapping it, at least by accident.

 

[raoulst]

Left channel just went dead with a loud pop. After turning it off and on it started working again.

 

[pma]

I spent too much time with very polite customer service checking the tightness of the speaker terminals, then sending videos of the problem. I was ultimately told to mail the unit back (to China). I mailed it, but never heard back. I am pretty sure I wasted the purchase price on this amp. It was a bit heartbreaking to work through the issue with the reseller's customer service, compared to say... Bryston for instance. When they sent me a youtube video of 'how to tighten speaker terminal' I was sure that they had a systematic issue they were sitting on top of.

That’s the result of buying components based on ASR SINAD charts and hysteria going hand in hand.

 

[MAB]

That’s the result of buying components based on ASR SINAD charts and hysteria going hand in hand.

You are exactly correct. I bought this as a direct result of ASR, and of the performance Topping has demonstrated on other products (I have a Topping DAC and headphone amp). I have been worried about product support, and the lack of true end to end product support for quality issues is clear on this transaction. Getting asked to send it back with declared value under $80, marked as 'earphone', at my own expense is more evidence there is a problem with no plan.

All that being said, I did this eyes wide open. And it is nowhere near as painful as some of the zero-negative-feedback, or vacuum-tube, or proprietary-circuit hysteria purchases I have made.

 

[tsunami0102]

I've purchased 3 Topping products so far (L30, E30, and PA5), and 2 of them turned out to be defective (L30 and PA5) I believe Topping will fix the issue on PA5 eventually, but it's really not a fun experience for early adopters.

 

[Shazb0t]

That’s the result of buying components based on ASR SINAD charts and hysteria going hand in hand.

You appear to be enjoying this whole unfortunate incident. It's unbecoming.

 

[formula 977]

130
My PA5 went bad after two weeks. Left channel started making noise with a large DC offset at power-on, like some owners report.

A $400 failure is bad enough. A $400 failure causing a $4000 speaker failure is something else. No thanks.

 

[REK2575]

The fact that this low powered, cheap-ass 'hifi' equipment is using outboard and equally cheap Chinese SMPS supplies is the problem. There is no interaction between the various supplies (primary SMPS and secondary internal capacitance in the amp itself), so no synchronization and consequently issues arise which were predicted by me way back:

Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier)

It is going to be fine. In the extreme you may need to ground its input as stated but I would not worry about it. Thanks! One question left though. Using an RCA splitter adapter (attached below) for my AV receiver's center channel preout and using both channels of PA5 to bi-amp my center...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If Topping wanted to build them properly, the supply would be internal and AC detection, muting, slow start (if needed) etc could all be handled effectively.

^This. I was on the fence about returning my PA-5 (which, for the record, had no problems in the ~4 weeks I used it). But this explanation cinched it. I had started to dread powering the thing on. The idea of something going 'pop' as I flipped the power toggle and damaging speakers proved too much. It seems increasingly clear that there is a power supply problem with the PA-5.

I have to say I will be wary of Topping products going forward. And I'll be more skeptical about what is accurately being described as "SINAD chasing." Give me good performance with proven reliability over state-of-the-art performance but questionable quality every time.

 

[Eldus]

I've had no issues with my PA5 although I've only had it for 5 weeks. It's driven balanced from a Topping E50 and, also balanced, from an iFi Zen Phono. The speakers are B&W 705s (not S2s) which are rated at 89dB and 8 ohms nominal down to a minimum of 4.6 ohms. It's used for 1-2 hours continuous roughly 5 days a week. Listening to records the PA5's volume knob is typically around 10 o'clock. I have the E50 in pre-amp mode and crank the PA5's volume knob when the E50 is the input. The E50's volume is typically set around -35dB. I power the PA5 off and on with the front toggle switch. Its power supply brick remains powered. I'm not expecting issues but will update if I have any.

What cable do you use to connect the ifi Zen Phono to the PA5? Does it come with cables/ adapters? I have been thinking of picking one up. I do not have my TT hooked up atm.

 

[silicon14]

What cable do you use to connect the ifi Zen Phono to the PA5? Does it come with cables/ adapters? I have been thinking of picking one up. I do not have my TT hooked up atm.

My iFi Zen came with a power supply and an RCA cable. No balanced cables or adapters. I connect it to the PA5 with a balanced cable that I made myself with a male 4.4mm pentacon plug and two male 6.35mm TRS plugs purchased from Amazon. This was for expediency as I could get the plugs from Amazon with one day delivery while the only assembled cables I found ship from China. This one from AliExpress costs less shipped than I paid for just the plugs but takes about a month to arrive.

 

[cfo92130]

I have changed my vote today : After 3 months of great work, my PA5 has the same issue now : Left channel started making noise... It s a pitty, i really enjoy it. I am not ready to buy any more Topping product !