Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[delta76]

Well there could be a capacitor that discharge when you open the unit. I haven't watched the video but that is wrong on so many level. An electric product should only be serviced by authorized, or at least, trained personel. Noone is preventing you from opening it if you want to. But a manufacturer asks you to open it, for warranty purpose. Jeez

 

[MAB]

Well there could be a capacitor that discharge when you open the unit. I haven't watched the video but that is wrong on so many level. An electric product should only be serviced by authorized, or at least, trained personel. Noone is preventing you from opening it if you want to. But a manufacturer asks you to open it, for warranty purpose. Jeez

Yeah, I am probably underestimating the electrical safety risk. You are absolutely correct, this is wrong on so many levels, starting with safety.

 

[Lräk]

Shenzhenaudio actually sent me a video on how to disassemble the PA5 during my customer-service disaster with them:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14woByOFfpdYYkT2u-PHoJJxY49_pRY10/view?usp=sharing

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!

I got it opened rather easily. Didn't need a clamp to take off the volume knob. Just pull with my fingers. Rather easy.

Anyway, measured some voltages, but can't access many of the pins to measure. Maybe from the bottom if I take the protective plastic off.

One device pin is measuring 126V!!! I highly doubt that is possible so not sure how my little hand held meter could be measuring that.

The big Topping D-01 is getting warm just from turning on the power switch. Later the big heatsink is getting warm. This is just sitting on my bench.

Not good.

 

[MAB]

I got it opened rather easily. Didn't need a clamp to take off the volume knob. Just pull with my fingers. Rather easy.

Anyway, measured some voltages, but can't access many of the pins to measure. Maybe from the bottom if I take the protective plastic off.

One device pin is measuring 126V!!! I highly doubt that is possible so not sure how my little hand held meter could be measuring that.

The big Topping D-01 is getting warm just from turning on the power switch. Later the big heatsink is getting warm. This is just sitting on my bench.

Not good.

I really think @TOPPING-Service and the reseller are the ones to handle this.
And, without schematic it seems low probability to have a positive impact here.
My recommendation: put it back together and see if you can get Topping to do their job.
My agenda here is to get Topping to change business practices for the better. Even if you could confidently fix the amp, I am still interested in hearing Topping tell you they will provide pre-paid shipping label for an easy warranty process, or a complete refund.
And to stop these practices which are:
Unsafe.
Unfair since they put the burden on the customer to prove defect.
Unfair since they will do this dozens of emails, which ends up exhausting the customer.
Unsound since many of us have been asked to mark the return unit with fraudulent value, seemingly to avoid customs.

I'm not doubting your ability to fix (OK, maybe I am just a bit!!!), rather I am trying to force the Topping and the resellers to agree to address this. Recognize that Shenzhenaudio would have sent the email with the link to disassemble the PA5 to my 90 year old mother, who lives alone and is a danger to herself when armed with instructions like this! Literally, she gonna go get some of my dad's old tools (vise grips, etc.), and my only hope is that she is unsuccessful in cracking open the case!!! Any outcome is better than my mom and the internal guts of electronics coming in contact.

 

[Lräk]

I really think @TOPPING-Service and the reseller are the ones to handle this.
And, without schematic it seems low probability to have a positive impact here.
My recommendation: put it back together and see if you can get Topping to do their job.
My agenda here is to get Topping to change business practices for the better. Even if you could confidently fix the amp, I am still interested in hearing Topping tell you they will provide pre-paid shipping label for an easy warranty process, or a complete refund.
And to stop these practices which are:
Unsafe.
Unfair since they put the burden on the customer to prove defect.
Unfair since they will do this dozens of emails, which ends up exhausting the customer.
Unsound since many of us have been asked to mark the return unit with fraudulent value, seemingly to avoid customs.

I'm not doubting your ability to fix (OK, maybe I am just a bit!!!), rather I am trying to force the Topping and the resellers to agree to address this. Recognize that Shenzhenaudio would have sent the email with the link to disassemble the PA5 to my 90 year old mother, who lives alone and is a danger to herself when armed with instructions like this! Literally, she gonna go get some of my dad's old tools (vise grips, etc.), and my only hope is that she is unsuccessful in cracking open the case!!! Any outcome is better than my mom and the internal guts of electronics coming in contact.

Well I totally agree I probably can't fix it and I wouldn't want to mess with my warranty by replacing any components.

I am more curious than anything to see how it's put together. I did the same with the Aiyima A07 replacing op amps because it was fun.

I am a recently retired semiconductor test engineer so I'm used to this level of debug and often times I don't have schematics to work with, but I can sometimes find obvious component failures. I've also worked with devices up to 1000V so that doesn't scare me as long as it's DC and low current. I doubt I can get hurt.

So far, I don't see any burnt up components. I took the protective plastic off the bottom and measuring lots of voltages. I'll add these voltages to some photos I took and maybe it will be a clue to somebody in the know what has gone wrong.

 

[DMill]

If you were sold a defective piece of gear, the burden should not be on you to fix it. I could care less if your goddamn Steve Wozniak or Stevie Wonder. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

[Lräk]

Well I totally agree I probably can't fix it and I wouldn't want to mess with my warranty by replacing any components.

I am more curious than anything to see how it's put together. I did the same with the Aiyima A07 replacing op amps because it was fun.

I am a recently retired semiconductor test engineer so I'm used to this level of debug and often times I don't have schematics to work with, but I can sometimes find obvious component failures. I've also worked with devices up to 1000V so that doesn't scare me as long as it's DC and low current. I doubt I can get hurt.

So far, I don't see any burnt up components. I took the protective plastic off the bottom and measuring lots of voltages. I'll add these voltages to some photos I took and maybe it will be a clue to somebody in the know what has gone wrong.

I put the PA5 back together after measuring as many voltages as I could. At least all the caps were getting voltages and if they were shorted out, that wouldn't be possible.

One thing that I'm concerned with...2 relays near the balanced inputs didn't get a voltage. I have worked with almost identical relays and it should get 5v or 12v. Datasheet shows up to 24v, but I didn't measure anything. I found a couple of nodes with 11.7V that could be used for relay power. Now it's possible I needed something plugged into the input for the relays to work. That's just a guess. If I saw that at my old job, I'd definitely replace the relays first thing.

I'll now take it home and try one more time. Maybe I shook it up enough to start working again.

 

[Holmz]

Yeah, I am probably underestimating the electrical safety risk. You are absolutely correct, this is wrong on so many levels, starting with safety.

Is the safety aspect the worst of it?
If the things worked… then we would not be tempted to open it up.

Here are the things that trump safely:
- Hissing
- Not working

 

[Harryharryharry]

My PA5 left channel has just stopped working entirely

I'm hoping now there's topping service involved that it will be replaced in reasonable time. I bought through Shenzhen though so we'll see how that goes...

 

[MAB]

My PA5 left channel has just stopped working entirely

I'm hoping now there's topping service involved that it will be replaced in reasonable time. I bought through Shenzhen though so we'll see how that goes...

Sorry to hear. My PA5 broke the first week of operation. I got mine from Shenzhenaudio too, my experience was extremely poor, I tried to document it in this thread... Good luck.

 

[tiramisu]

What I am not understanding is. What is the technical issue and how has it been resolved. There has been no inventory recall. Are they continuing to make them with the same deficiency and simply accepting the failure rate? Do we have to chip in to buy a broken one and figure it out ourselves? Maybe do a teardown of the PA5 on Youtube and review the failure. That should be good for a million hits.

 

[Slotenpiloot]

I mentioned previously on this thread my replacement unit was popping while turning the unit on and off.. well it kinda helps if you put the cables in all the way………………..

 

[Lräk]

What I am not understanding is. What is the technical issue and how has it been resolved. There has been no inventory recall. Are they continuing to make them with the same deficiency and simply accepting the failure rate? Do we have to chip in to buy a broken one and figure it out ourselves? Maybe do a teardown of the PA5 on Youtube and review the failure. That should be good for a million hits.

I tried to figure out the failure. In my case, the PA5 had no output at all. Nothing obvious on my teardown yesterday. Input OMRON relays appeared dead with no power, but that is not the typical failure I've read about here.

 

[restorer-john]

I got mine from Shenzhenaudio too, my experience was extremely poor

Scheizen Audio

 

[delta76]

What I am not understanding is. What is the technical issue and how has it been resolved. There has been no inventory recall. Are they continuing to make them with the same deficiency and simply accepting the failure rate? Do we have to chip in to buy a broken one and figure it out ourselves? Maybe do a teardown of the PA5 on Youtube and review the failure. That should be good for a million hits.

For now, still no clear information. People are still getting defective second units. There is no confirmation or guarantee from Topping that they fixed the issue (more like issues), hence no analysis, or even information what was the issue.

 

[Canuck57]

We will proactively take more responsibility in the event that the same problem reoccurs and results in the need for a second after-sales service.

Has any member who has mentioned they have a defective unit been contacted by @TOPPING-Service, enquiring if your issue has been resolved? Topping this should apply to first defective units and sure as hell to second defective units.

 

[Holmz]

Has any member who has mentioned they have a defective unit been contacted by @TOPPING-Service, enquiring if your issue has been resolved? Topping this should apply to first defective units and sure as hell to second defective units.

I am sure that they appreciate your input as to what they should do.

With me they tried all sorts of cat like back twisting moves to make themselves land of their feet.
Luckily I ordered from Amazon, and said “No Thanks.”

I am at the point where I do not trust anything from them, nor do I trust the fan-bois that bellow their praises.

 

[MAB]

Has any member who has mentioned they have a defective unit been contacted by @TOPPING-Service, enquiring if your issue has been resolved? Topping this should apply to first defective units and sure as hell to second defective units.

No,
I Private Messaged both Topping Service and John Yang. @TOPPING-Service you can see that, right? No response to those PM's.
And, I have posted the details on this thread, and request for response and help. No response.
My request is pretty simple, refund me my money on my second Topping return. No repair, no replacement, just want my money back. The defective unit is intermittent, so I am pretty justified, I just want to end this cycle.

At this point, extremely mystified. Topping's messages in this forum are counterproductive.

 

[MAB]

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'm gonna try again. I request that you respond this time.
I specifically asked for help (PM and posted to this thread). I don't need to go over the details again. Are you going to help?

 

[BoredErica]

We will proactively take more responsibility in the event that the same problem reoccurs and results in the need for a second after-sales service.

I'm assuming what you're implying is:
-First time if seller requires I pay shipping back, you won't do anything and I have to pay for it.
-If replacement comes and it also is defective, then you will consider doing more to fix it beyond potentially repeating the first time.