Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

[Steven Holt]

changed my vote. just now started hearing crackling in my left channel

i don't think i'm buying a Topping product ever again. pointless SINAD chasing while compromising build quality does not a good product make

I own the pa3s, and it is a splendid amp, no problems at all, clean from bottom to top. Don't be too quick to give up on Topping. But tell me, if u thought that Topping was made in Germany, and not Asia, would u still be so quick to dismiss them?

 

[raest]

I own the pa3s, and it is a splendid amp, no problems at all, clean from bottom to top. Don't be too quick to give up on Topping. But tell me, if u thought that Topping was made in Germany, and not Asia, would u still be so quick to dismiss them?

nice nonargument you have there, care to move production to China so we can flood the internet with it?

if that wasn't clear from my other posts, i don't care WHERE something is made. the most important part of production is not location, but QC (and i have defended "made in china" on this forum in at least one thread, maybe more). plus, i know from some of my other hobbies that "made in China" means nothing as some of the world's best manufacturers are located there (for example, pocket knives. no manufacturer in Europe can even begin to compete with the Chinese top tier)

so yeah, i would be as quick to dismiss them, if not quicker (as it would likely be more expensive), particularly considering the abysmally poor response they gave in this thread. that, plus the realization in my post you quoted have "killed" the brand for me.

while we're at it... can you name me a brand outside Asia that is playing the same "chase SINAD, features and all else be damned" game?

 

[delta76]

I own the pa3s, and it is a splendid amp, no problems at all, clean from bottom to top. Don't be too quick to give up on Topping. But tell me, if u thought that Topping was made in Germany, and not Asia, would u still be so quick to dismiss them?

People here are not discriminating the product because of its origin (they would not have bought it in the first place if that is the case). it's about reliability and support, which is remarkably bad in this specific case.
You can't ask people to keep spending their hard-earned money after they have had a bad taste. Not everyone can shrug like nothing when a $350 amp breaks, and the repair/replacing process can take months

 

[tiramisu]

Topping has done themselves a fair bit of damage with the PA5. They release new products quarterly. I won't be buying any of their new releases going forward. I will wait at least a year to see that they don't just fall over. This is the second product in recent memory with issues.

 

[Toku]

People here are not discriminating the product because of its origin (they would not have bought it in the first place if that is the case). it's about reliability and support, which is remarkably bad in this specific case.
You can't ask people to keep spending their hard-earned money after they have had a bad taste. Not everyone can shrug like nothing when a $350 amp breaks, and the repair/replacing process can take months

No matter how much you complain about it here, unless you speak to Topping directly, no progress will be made.
Even if you deny Topping, I think many other people will buy Toppping's products. I am also one of them.
I have purchased Topping products and have encountered problems several times, but each time I have had technical discussions with Topping staff to solve the problem.
Let's get back to the original technical discussion of ASR.

 

[delta76]

No matter how much you complain about it here, unless you speak to Topping directly, no progress will be made.
Even if you deny Topping, I think many other people will buy Toppping's products. I am also one of them.
I have purchased Topping products and have encountered problems several times, but each time I have had technical discussions with Topping staff to solve the problem.
Let's get back to the original technical discussion of ASR.

I disagree. Topping is popular here and it's not untrue that they benefit from the popularity and praise they got from here. Complaining about it here is a way to pressure them into making better/more reliable product and better customer service. if they don't listen/care, well then.

I gather that you are a retired engineer with a lot of experience with electronic device testing. many (if not most) other people don't have both the time and experience to do what you have done. they just want something that works.

 

[DanielT]

I have purchased Topping products and have encountered problems several times, but each time I have had technical discussions with Topping staff to solve the problem.
Let's get back to the original technical discussion of ASR.

But why have you "purchased Topping products" if you "encountered problems several times, "?

Do you mean that you spoke to Topping's technical support/staff about different settings with the stuff or that you had and they "solve the problem."
or did you need to send the stuff you bought back to Topping for repair? There is a very big difference between one and the other. In the first case, there was nothing wrong,broken, with the stuff, then you just needed help with connection and settings for example. On the other hand about returning the stuff, then there was something wrong,broken.

 

[MAB]

But tell me, if u thought that Topping was made in Germany, and not Asia, would u still be so quick to dismiss them?

Don't turn this into one country vs. the next.
And don't pretend this is "quick", nothing quick about it. It took me 6 months working with customer service to work out reasonable solution to my broken PA5 when a simple refund or replacement is what was needed. We have been begging John Yang and Topping here to do something about the PA5 and our bad experiences with the broken thing, have you even read this thread?
Then a second piece of Topping gear broke on me and the resellers started the same delay game, so super non-quick. Right?
If RME (for instance) did the same, I would have the same feeling and response. I certainly wouldn't give them a free pass no matter where the company was from. I also think RME would never have built a such good business in studio gear if they had the same approach to customer quality and reliability.
I feel bad Topping can't get basic quality right, like how to solder as seems to be the case with the PA5. The thread isn't bashing, it actually kind of sad.

 

[MAB]

No matter how much you complain about it here, unless you speak to Topping directly, no progress will be made.

I guess you didn't read the part in the thread where I corresponded with Shenzhen Audio for 6 months going in circles with no resolution.
Or the part where I reached out to Topping, over and over but was ignored.
And you didn't bother to look where I reached out to John Yang directly several times, only to be ignored.
And you missed part where John Yang and a Topping customer service representative actually rejoined this thread, with total emptiness, only to disappear again, like ghosts, leaving us even more bewildered.

Even if you deny Topping, I think many other people will buy Toppping's products. I am also one of them.
I have purchased Topping products and have encountered problems several times, but each time I have had technical discussions with Topping staff to solve the problem.

And, it seems that you either missed the part where I have multiple Topping products that failed, or you just love working with customer service on broken devices with bad solder joints, or whatever. Did you have to work with Topping for many months with no resolution on your "technical problems"? Were your "technical problems" really broken product, like did they not play in one channel, or make strange noises, or did you have a several volt DC bias on an output?

Let's get back to the original technical discussion of ASR.

What are you talking about??? This thread is called "for Topping PA5 owners only" and is specifically about the reliability of this product, are you reading any of this??? Did you buy a PA5? If not, you are kind of trolling us with your stories. People actually bought this stuff, and weren't able to use it for months, or in some cases forever. And they can't seem to get customer service for a replacement or their money back. People feel ripped off, your ability to understand this basic fact is bewildering.

 

[BoredErica]

It's getting close to a year since I first purchased my pa5. Has Topping ever done anything to show EVERYONE who bought pa5 got 2yr warranty? If I continue to live on 1 channel hoping Topping will fix it and then find out warranty lapse I will lose my mind. If I return now, I have very high risk of getting another defective unit after wasting money shipping the thing.

It's getting close to a year! A YEAR! We need a followup on what is happening right now.

 

[IPunchCholla]

@TOPPING-Service: Any recommendations for BoredErica?

 

[Doodski]

Yeah, @TOPPING-Service what is happening with @BoredErica's stuff?

 

[WileeCoyote]

No matter how much you complain about it here, unless you speak to Topping directly, no progress will be made.
Even if you deny Topping, I think many other people will buy Toppping's products. I am also one of them.
I have purchased Topping products and have encountered problems several times, but each time I have had technical discussions with Topping staff to solve the problem.
Let's get back to the original technical discussion of ASR.

Back on topic wont happen. Haters gunna hate. This thread died ages ago. Admins should close it and issue a warning never to be repeated again

 

[WileeCoyote]

It's getting close to a year since I first purchased my pa5. Has Topping ever done anything to show EVERYONE who bought pa5 got 2yr warranty? If I continue to live on 1 channel hoping Topping will fix it and then find out warranty lapse I will lose my mind. If I return now, I have very high risk of getting another defective unit after wasting money shipping the thing.

It's getting close to a year! A YEAR! We need a followup on what is happening right now.

You need to contact Topping or your supplier

 

[WileeCoyote]

I guess you didn't read the part in the thread where I corresponded with Shenzhen Audio for 6 months going in circles with no resolution.
Or the part where I reached out to Topping, over and over but was ignored.
And you didn't bother to look where I reached out to John Yang directly several times, only to be ignored.
And you missed part where John Yang and a Topping customer service representative actually rejoined this thread, with total emptiness, only to disappear again, like ghosts, leaving us even more bewildered.

And, it seems that you either missed the part where I have multiple Topping products that failed, or you just love working with customer service on broken devices with bad solder joints, or whatever. Did you have to work with Topping for many months with no resolution on your "technical problems"? Were your "technical problems" really broken product, like did they not play in one channel, or make strange noises, or did you have a several volt DC bias on an output?

What are you talking about??? This thread is called "for Topping PA5 owners only" and is specifically about the reliability of this product, are you reading any of this??? Did you buy a PA5? If not, you are kind of trolling us with your stories. People actually bought this stuff, and weren't able to use it for months, or in some cases forever. And they can't seem to get customer service for a replacement or their money back. People feel ripped off, your ability to understand this basic fact is bewildering.

I hear ya, but Topping is still around. Just 2 weeks ago I had a good conversation with Topping service on this very forum.

My guess is this thread is no longer monitored because of all the flamethrowers

 

[Doodski]

I hear ya, but Topping is still around. Just 2 weeks ago I had a good conversation with Topping service on this very forum.

Not too too many happy peeps around here lately due to the Topping abuse of service.

 

[MAB]

I hear ya, but Topping is still around. Just 2 weeks ago I had a good conversation with Topping service on this very forum.

Cool, lots of other people haven't, hence the thread with this title. What was your problem? What did they do to resolve it? Would love to hear about it, even if it is another Topping product.

My guess is this thread is no longer monitored because of all the flamethrowers

I'm thinking the flamethrowers are the PA5's!!!

 

[Steven Holt]

. can you name me a brand outside Asia that is playing the same "chase SINAD, features and all else be damned" game?

No, I can't....although Parasound comes close. Now, to the rest of your comment, I totally get your frustration over a defective product -- who wouldn't be? But please, keep in mind that these are MASS PRODUCED products. Tens of thousands are made. Most will be good. Some will be bad. And reading thru this thread, I'm not sure if it's the PA5 people are complaining about the unit or the customer service. Probably both. I sincerely hope that Topping will fix all past and present units and correct the problem in all future units. And finally, let's cut thru the b*llsh*t and get to the heart of the problem : LACK OF LOCAL STEREO STORES WHERE YOU CAN GO IN, INSPECT THE GEAR, AND KNOW THE OWNER WILL STAND BEHIND HIS/HER PRODUCTS. I buy my gear thru the internet not because I want to, but because I have to. Probably you the same. I wish you the best of luck and hope your situation has a happy ending. (And I would buy the LA90 in a heartbeat!)

 

[WileeCoyote]

Cool, lots of other people haven't, hence the thread with this title. What was your problem? What did they do to resolve it? Would love to hear about it, even if it is another Topping product.

I'm thinking the flamethrowers are the PA5's!!!

No problem at all just a service question about proper use care and so on

 

[delta76]

Back on topic wont happen. Haters gunna hate. This thread died ages ago. Admins should close it and issue a warning never to be repeated again

Who are the haters here???

This thread was created so people could share their story/experience about PA5. With how it was handled, it is expected to see anger and frustration from people, and even that people have been keeping it in moderation. In case you failed to notice, many if most people here want/wanted to love Topping. Most admit when their PA5s were working, they were amazing. They want to have a (reasonably) reliable product, and a better/more responsive customer service. None of that is absurd.

Stop with your nonsense "proper use care".