ok ok ok ok .... For a moment I thought you were serious
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Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.
- Thread starter Eggs Ackley
- Start date
REK2575
Active Member
Just venting a bit of frustration with some folks' skepticism that there could be anything wrong with the pa-5, with the fact that Topping is doing nothing about it (maybe pull the item from the virtual store shelves until they've fixed the problem? or perhaps they know the design is inherently flawed and there's no fix? in which case, LA90 baby!), and the fact that Amir's glowing review still stands unaltered with any acknowledgment that there is, by now, solid evidence of the PA-5's reliability problems / high failure rate.
Particularly if the PA-5 is an inherently flawed design that Topping can't fix, that ASR should so enthusiastically endorse it seems misleading, at the very least, to readers who otherwise trust Amir's reviews. Yes, I understand there are Pa-5 owners who have used the unit for many months and are totally happy with it. With no sarcasm intended at all, I think that's great. They got what they paid for. But other folks are undeniably getting screwed by this product that being promoted here as 'changing the dynamics of the stereo amplifier market!'
Particularly if the PA-5 is an inherently flawed design that Topping can't fix, that ASR should so enthusiastically endorse it seems misleading, at the very least, to readers who otherwise trust Amir's reviews. Yes, I understand there are Pa-5 owners who have used the unit for many months and are totally happy with it. With no sarcasm intended at all, I think that's great. They got what they paid for. But other folks are undeniably getting screwed by this product that being promoted here as 'changing the dynamics of the stereo amplifier market!'
Folks, I have not been reading this thread and just trying to read the last page, I can't figure out what is going on. Is there a summery of what the issues are?
Suspicions that there is something wrong with the amp chip implementation not using the hard reset pin and only able to soft reset.
Those who flick their power strips off to power cycle are hypothetically ruining their pa5 at accelerated rates.
But many normal use cases are complaining about the rustling leaves noise in one channel and then later both.
The number of complaints seems to indicate a failure rate of over three percent after a couple of months of use, to many readers.
Thanks. I am going to contact Topping and see if they have a response.
I've been reading from the start.
Most of the failures seem to be noise in one channel of the amp starting after a short period of use (up to a few months). Sometimes the noise spreads to both channels.
Failure seems to be independent of how the unit is used. Some are switching on and off at the mains daily. Others are leaving the PSU on all the time. Some say the unit gets warm, others say it does not.
Number of failures just from people on this forum suggests a higher than acceptable failure rate. Some people reporting seem to have joined just for that reason, but from a quick skim of the thread, I'd say most have not. @amirm
Last edited:
Frank Sol
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And before this, I bought a SMSL M500 too….
billjacobs
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Another one bites the dust. Have had mine since 4/1/2022, worked perfectly, never adjusted volume level. Today left channel went out (I should say stopped amplifying because I hear a very low volume in the left channel- maybe 1%). Tried to change channel inputs and speaker connections, same channel out (dac is fine.) Bought from Amazon and sent a note to the dealer. Will see what happens.
OP
Eggs Ackley
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- Thread Starter
- #411
This is sad. I feel for you. I got mine in December and have had no problems. It seems like units from earlier in the production run have had fewer problems. I suspect something changed, maybe they were supplied bad components from a different source or some other anomaly. Never the less their quality control program should have found the problem. It 's a shame because otherwise it's a great little amp.
Not sure if this is a fix.
I commented on a mate had same problems,
He used a small fan next to one of the air vents, it seemed to have worked, no more problems.
I did notice that when I had mine, it would get hot especially on low volume.
Might just be a fluke but he say all is well.
I commented on a mate had same problems,
He used a small fan next to one of the air vents, it seemed to have worked, no more problems.
I did notice that when I had mine, it would get hot especially on low volume.
Might just be a fluke but he say all is well.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
@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.
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.
MAB
Major Contributor
I got mine in December 2021, it went bad (rustling leaves sound in left channel) within a week. So mine seems to be from the same early production period as your PA5...
My PA5 serial number is 2110xxxxx. Is it the same lot as your PA5? I placed an order on November 23, last year, and since I received the product, I have been operating it continuously with the power on. So far no problems have occurred.
The balanced output of E50 is connected to the input of PA5 with the cable of TRS <-> TRS. The speaker output is directly connected to the speaker. I don't use speaker switch etc. at all because it causes troubles of BTL type amplifier.
What is your PA5 connection environment like? I'm looking for the cause of the PA5 trouble.
MAB
Major Contributor
Nothing fancy. I drove a pair of 8 Ohm speakers through wires, using a DAC as the source, using balanced cables, and it broke under normal use after a week. Mine had a serial number in the same series as yours. Nobody here knows the cause, we just know there are a handful of issues with the amps.
BoredErica
Addicted to Fun and Learning
In my experience, the noise can be more than just 'white noise' sounding. It can sound like wind blowing through a crack, buzzing, or even loud pops that can visibly move the driver of a speaker.
Yes, I've experienced all of these too.
MiNiMaL_FuSS
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Hi there,
Long time reader, first time poster.
I bought my PA5 and E50 stack from hifigo about two weeks ago and so far have had no problems.
Based on the reports here I've now given the PA5 its own dedicated wall socket which reminds on 24/7. The E50 is attached to a power strip with my other hifi gear that goes off at the wall every night.
Fingers crossed I'm late to the party and got a gooden!
Long time reader, first time poster.
I bought my PA5 and E50 stack from hifigo about two weeks ago and so far have had no problems.
Based on the reports here I've now given the PA5 its own dedicated wall socket which reminds on 24/7. The E50 is attached to a power strip with my other hifi gear that goes off at the wall every night.
Fingers crossed I'm late to the party and got a gooden!
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