Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[Frank Sol]

But does A07 bring you the same level of music listening experience as (not broken) PA5 does? I have thought the amps belong to different categories in sounding rather in price only.

Do you believe you could distinguish the two (A07/PA5) in your system ?

 

[anli]

I guess it would be much more understanding for us if those broken PA5 owners tell here the first four digits of serial number. At my case they are 2206, аnd I guess it is June 2022.

 

[anli]

Do you believe you could distinguish the two (A07/PA5) in your system ?

I'm not sure. Probably, not. My question sense is just about it: is there subjective difference? Are the amps from the same league if we look at them form ABX perspective?

 

[Rottmannash]

I'm not sure. Probably, not. My question sense is just about it: is there subjective difference? Are the amps from the same league if we look at them form ABX perspective?

IIRC I believe the A07 had issues w/ freq response at high freq? Not linear? (too lazy to look up the review)

 

[Heavenly Creatures]

My pa5 has been running normally for 4 months after maintenance. I think TOPPING has improved this module.

 

[Doodski]

My pa5 has been running normally for 4 months after maintenance. I think TOPPING has improved this module.

I think Topping could do a release of details regarding what is the actual issue and why it occurred(s). Enough money has been played on Topping as a product and the buyers/owners deserve a explanation. I would not make any guestimates or aspiring ideas because it seems that Topping was taking back product for service and shipping out new product that had(s) the fault in it.

 

[airbornimal]

I think Topping could do a release of details regarding what is the actual issue and why it occurred(s). Enough money has been played on Topping as a product and the buyers/owners deserve a explanation. I would not make any guestimates or aspiring ideas because it seems that Topping was taking back product for service and shipping out new product that had(s) the fault in it.

Not to mention some units (like mine) didn't exhibit the issue until after ~6months. Running normally for 4 months means absolutely nothing.

 

[JeremyFife]

Did you get your PA5 back yet?

I just purchased a PA5 from a local reseller here in Australia, but before I read all these negative reports. Im hoping no issues as others have reported.

Yes - back and working well. Shenzhen got it back to me, no charge, in a week not long after that post.
All good so far (fingers still crossed!)

 

[Heavenly Creatures]

Not to mention some units (like mine) didn't exhibit the issue until after ~6months. Running normally for 4 months means absolutely nothing.

If the unimproved module is replaced, the probability of failure will reappear.

So I want to ask if there are any users who have secondary failures.

 

[WileeCoyote]

Yes - back and working well. Shenzhen got it back to me, no charge, in a week not long after that post.
All good so far (fingers still crossed!)

Supplier confirms mine is the latest batch, and it will be covered by 1yr local warranty +1 yr by Topping thereafter. I'm happy with that, and that Topping is standing behind their product. If it fails, like any IC product, just replace or upgrade to the LA90

 

[Roland68]

I think how they handle this and how shenzen audio and hifi express and all the other shops handle this is an indictment on all of these products really. We know Topping SMSL Sabaj etc. are closely related and we really should expect this level post sales support going forward. This really casts a pall on everything. All the SINAD in the world is no good if the units up and fail like this. And $350 isnt a small amount. At the Aiyima 07 level they would just flat out replace the unit but I dont think Topping can afford to do that unless the unit is flat out board dead and there's no choice.

Would you trust Topping again? Hmm...

Unfortunately, you have misinformation there.
Topping is an independent company with its own developments and completely own devices that are only sold under its label.
The same applies to Gustard as well.
Topping has nothing to do with the union (whatever that is) of SMSL, Sabaj and Loxjie.

 

[tiago.trindade]

Supplier confirms mine is the latest batch, and it will be covered by 1yr local warranty +1 yr by Topping thereafter. I'm happy with that, and that Topping is standing behind their product. If it fails, like any IC product, just replace or upgrade to the LA90

What are the first numbers of your serial number?

I'm on the 3rd PA5 (the first two had hiss and left channel issues after 3-4 months of use), with serial number starting with 220412. The other two (defective) were 211112 and 220112.

Audiophonics has been very compreensive with the issue (always sending me a new one after checking there was an issue with the PA5 I returned).

 

[WileeCoyote]

What are the first numbers of your serial number?

I'm on the 3rd PA5 (the first two had hiss and left channel issues after 3-4 months of use), with serial number starting with 220412. The other two (defective) were 211112 and 220112.

Audiophonics has been very compreensive with the issue (always sending me a new one after checking there was an issue with the PA5 I returned).

I’m receiving tomorrow so I’ll post then. If it falls into your range then I guess it is what it is… but that’s what warranty is for right? I never trust what salespeople say mind you

 

[TonyJZX]

Topping has nothing to do with the union (whatever that is) of SMSL, Sabaj and Loxjie.

This is fantastic news for buyers of anything but Topping.

 

[iLoveCats]

Supplier confirms mine is the latest batch, and it will be covered by 1yr local warranty +1 yr by Topping thereafter. I'm happy with that, and that Topping is standing behind their product. If it fails, like any IC product, just replace or upgrade to the LA90

If my PA5 ever bites the dust (its on 24-7 now) I'll replace it with the LA90.

 

[Roland68]

This is fantastic news for buyers of anything but Topping.

Well, you can see that one way or the other. SMSL, Loxjie and Sabaj haven't always covered themselves in glory either. Especially with the DACs, where sometimes only 2 of 4 channels or 2 of 8 channels of the DAC chips are used, while the customer believes that the DAC chip is fully implemented as the manufacturer intends. DAC models with known "inconsistencies" were also resold and only repaired or replaced on request, often with a significant discount.

Topping has very innovative circuit designs and solutions for many devices that stand out from other manufacturers. The circuit boards, processing and component quality has always been very good.
The problem may be in the black block with the preamplifier circuit and may not be that easy to localize.
I hope that they get the problem under control with the PA5 and also deal with it openly.

But one must not forget that the situation in China is currently not that simple. As a manufacturer in the industry field, we have both customers and suppliers in China and communication is not very good lately.

 

[raest]

Supplier confirms mine is the latest batch, and it will be covered by 1yr local warranty +1 yr by Topping thereafter. I'm happy with that, and that Topping is standing behind their product. If it fails, like any IC product, just replace or upgrade to the LA90

and this, folks, is why we can't have nice things

 

[Bleib]

and this, folks, is why we can't have nice things

Well, I think he insists on having nice things..

 

[raest]

Well, I think he insists on having nice things..

getting the next product "up the ladder" when the one discussed here will inevitably fail, expecting said failure, and willing to buy again from a brand whose only point of existence seems to be pointless SINAD chasing waaay past audibility while providing waaaay less than most of the competition in every other category (power, features, build quality) and 0 info about the alarming failures of the product discussed here and whose most positive part of their response was "extending" the warranty period to what is already mandatory bare minimum of minimums in Europe is the opposite of "insists on having nice things".

it's blind fanboyism that is voting with their wallet "doesn't matter how bad a product you make, i'll keep buying as long as the charts on ASR look nicer"

and that is why we can't have nice things

 

[Bleib]

getting the next product "up the ladder" when the one discussed here will inevitably fail, expecting said failure, and willing to buy again from a brand whose only point of existence seems to be pointless SINAD chasing waaay past audibility while providing waaaay less than most of the competition in every other category (power, features, build quality) and 0 info about the alarming failures of the product discussed here and whose most positive part of their response was "extending" the warranty period to what is already mandatory bare minimum of minimums in Europe is the opposite of "insists on having nice things".

it's blind fanboyism that is voting with their wallet "doesn't matter how bad a product you make, i'll keep buying as long as the charts on ASR look nicer"

and that is why we can't have nice things

Lots of rhetoric and speech-mode.. well OK, well suppose his PA5 fails and he buys the LA90, and what if that never ever fails? Maybe he now has actually bought something which he can live with for decades instead of looking for new things. Or he is pleased with it and runs two of them in mono-mode. Potentially even better. If I had money to waste I would probably get 2x LA90 right now and sell my PA5.

In the PC business Gigabyte has received a lot of bad rep for instance faulty PSUs, but still my own Gigabyte GPU and my friend's motherboard work just fine.
From the looks of it appears that Topping has mostly problems with PA5, and had a vast problem with L30 which blew some headphones... this still doesn't mean that the company needs to be avoided at all costs.

But obviously consumers should push through EU and others for better consumer rights. Obviously. Consumers must also understand that if they want everything dirt cheap then chances increase that the released products are not properly tested and just kicked out into the market... so we do have a say in this, and Topping also should be honest if a product has high failure rate as this appears to have.