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Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

Is your Topping PA5 amp defective?

  • Yes

    Votes: 123 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 123 50.0%

  • Total voters
    246

klimal

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
19
Likes
8
I am sending mine back via the vendor with an email to Shenzhen Audio. Hope to confirm the extended 2 years warranty and since it's a known design issue, to get free shipping too. I do like the sound it produces .
 

Entropy

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2021
Messages
68
Likes
48
Location
67°40'17"N 51°19'34"W
I am sending mine back via the vendor with an email to Shenzhen Audio. Hope to confirm the extended 2 years warranty and since it's a known design issue, to get free shipping too. I do like the sound it produces .
Shenzen audio is out of stock, I emailed them questioning the state of the product, and they straight-up said they discontinued the Pa5. Emailed apos audio (been waiting them to ship my replacement pa5 since November 16th, they said production was halted due to supply chain issues). I did confirm with topping that their manufacturer's warranty was two years.

.__.
 

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Vladetz

Active Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
120
Likes
77
Location
Russia
Amir's testing samples are 100% perfect across all SMSL/Topping/miniDSP. He has sampled quite a few so it should be statistically close to real quality for these brands. Here, in this poll 44% of owners say their PA5 say defect... Not sure how to reconcile the 2. My miniDSP SHD arrived with a dead Ethernet but that is a sample of one.
All (maybe 99%) PA5 units are good at the start. Issue shows up after days/weeks/months. Impossible to encounter in quick performance evaluation
 

Vladetz

Active Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2020
Messages
120
Likes
77
Location
Russia
Shenzen audio is out of stock, I emailed them questioning the state of the product, and they straight-up said they discontinued the Pa5. Emailed apos audio (been waiting them to ship my replacement pa5 since November 16th, they said production was halted due to supply chain issues). I did confirm with topping that their manufacturer's warranty was two years.

.__.
Further confirmation that pa5 is discontinued
 

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iLoveCats

Active Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
Messages
258
Likes
292
Location
USA
Shenzen audio is out of stock, I emailed them questioning the state of the product, and they straight-up said they discontinued the Pa5. Emailed apos audio (been waiting them to ship my replacement pa5 since November 16th, they said production was halted due to supply chain issues). I did confirm with topping that their manufacturer's warranty was two years.

.__.
Now I want my replacement to quit so maybe Apos will just credit me and I can get the LA90 I should have bought
 

BoredErica

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
629
Likes
899
Location
USA
I hope they're discontinuing pa5... and offering replacement with pa7 since I doubt I'm getting a full refund. Then maybe I can finally have a functional amp.
 

Entropy

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2021
Messages
68
Likes
48
Location
67°40'17"N 51°19'34"W
I hope they're discontinuing pa5... and offering replacement with pa7 since I doubt I'm getting a full refund. Then maybe I can finally have a functional amp.
Might depend on the retailer. Apos audio alone has maintained that this is just a pause in production, pretty much said: Take a blue (likely still defective) amp (I ordered black) or wait until at least late February to receive it. Emailing topping again, while punching air. Don't think I'm buying from apos anymore...
 

BoredErica

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
629
Likes
899
Location
USA
Geeech! How long has this been ongoing for you @BoredErica. This is absurd. I woulda lost my cranium long ago. :D
Maybe 10 months. Hopefully in 2023 it will be fixed somehow without much financial committment on my part, and I never have to think about this ever again, and I can move on with my life.
 

MAB

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
2,135
Likes
4,779
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Maybe 10 months. Hopefully in 2023 it will be fixed somehow without much financial committment on my part, and I never have to think about this ever again, and I can move on with my life.
Perhaps if they delay long enough, you'll get a PA999, with 1kW per channel, super-SINAD, plus a warm tube sound option...;)
 

jct

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2022
Messages
2
Likes
3
Location
Canada, Qc
I bought mine in January 2022. The right channel stopped working in November. Hifigo asks me to send it back to China to fix it. No negotiation possible! It would cost me $130 (I'm in Canada) to send it. It's awful. Reading everyone's comments, I don't know if it's worth it...
 

armaster

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2022
Messages
18
Likes
1
I bought mine in January 2022. The right channel stopped working in November. Hifigo asks me to send it back to China to fix it. No negotiation possible! It would cost me $130 (I'm in Canada) to send it. It's awful. Reading everyone's comments, I don't know if it's worth it...
Hi, how would they repair? Will the repaired amp last longer than the original?
 

jct

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2022
Messages
2
Likes
3
Location
Canada, Qc
Hi, how would they repair? Will the repaired amp last longer than the original?
Hi. I don't know how they will repaired it and especially if the problem will reappear after a few more months. I contacted topping and they suggested I make an arrangement with Hifigo. Hifigo does not want discussed. I even asked to send only the amplifier without the power supply and they don't want. I founded this about the problem : https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...25x-is-a-modification-worth-it.380233/page-21
 

Laserjock

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 25, 2019
Messages
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1,000
Location
Texas Coastal
Hi. I don't know how they will repaired it and especially if the problem will reappear after a few more months. I contacted topping and they suggested I make an arrangement with Hifigo. Hifigo does not want discussed. I even asked to send only the amplifier without the power supply and they don't want. I founded this about the problem : https://www.diyaudio.com/community/...25x-is-a-modification-worth-it.380233/page-21
Is the potting to disguise/protect the component/design ?

Can’t think of another reason.
 

jseyfert3

Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2022
Messages
18
Likes
16
Well, this is disappointing. Found this forum looking for a manual for a TOPPING headphone amp as someone on a piano forum couldn't get it to work. Found that TOPPING amps were highly rated in reviews. Loved the data based reviews here. Looked for a good amp in the several hundred dollar range, selected the PA5 based on the outstanding review. Bought it yesterday night from Apos Audio.

Then I found this thread. I agree with the statements in the last two threads. As @amirm himself pointed out, most new members find this forum due to reviews, as I did. I understand everyone working here is probably insanely busy, but when there's an outstanding, glowing review for a product, and then that product has such a longstanding, not-fixed quality issue affecting such a huge percentage of the products, the review should be amended to state that.

Certainly, I was extremely disappointed to find such a glowing review only to discover AFTER I bought it of major quality issues on the product in question. I could definitely see that forever turning someone off from this site if they find a good review and buy a product and then find out later it's junk for issues not related to sound quality.
 

Mowz

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2022
Messages
59
Likes
51
This thread kept me from getting a second one and from selling my backup schiit vidar but my pa5 is still kicking out the jams.
 
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