Strange polarity issue with new amplifier (Topping PA5 II Plus)

[MAB]

Due to improper encapsulation, heat death will catch up to it eventually. You will probably lose one channel first.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but enjoying my ~2 year old PA5 original used almost daily.

Ampguy conveniently didn't mention that he already had one PA5 replaced, and is one of the lucky few people who got warranty service, and also one of the few who didn't get shipped a defective replacement amp under warranty. Keeps a fan on it to keep it cool, I guess under the belief that a breeze will somehow help with the encapsulation issue. And says "If you have a working one, just use it in a cool env", again missing the issue with encapsulation. On a community level, he trolls people on the PA5 defect thread that their demostratebly broken amp isn't broken and it's all hysteria (that was a low blow, said to another member who was really struggling with the after-sales, despite Ampguy having the same issue.) Even did a word-salad post that blames it on the customer.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Ampguy conveniently didn't mention that he already had one PA5 replaced, and is one of the lucky few people who got warranty service, and also one of the few who didn't get shipped a defective replacement amp under warranty. Keeps a fan on it to keep it cool, I guess under the belief that a breeze will somehow help with the encapsulation issue. And says "If you have a working one, just use it in a cool env", again missing the issue with encapsulation. On a community level, he trolls people on the PA5 defect thread that their demostratebly broken amp isn't broken and it's all hysteria (that was a low blow, said to another member who was really struggling with the after-sales, despite Ampguy having the same issue.) Even did a word-salad post that blames it on the customer.

Thanks for exposing that!

 

[ban25]

Ampguy conveniently didn't mention that he already had one PA5 replaced, and is one of the lucky few people who got warranty service, and also one of the few who didn't get shipped a defective replacement amp under warranty. Keeps a fan on it to keep it cool, I guess under the belief that a breeze will somehow help with the encapsulation issue. And says "If you have a working one, just use it in a cool env", again missing the issue with encapsulation. On a community level, he trolls people on the PA5 defect thread that their demostratebly broken amp isn't broken and it's all hysteria (that was a low blow, said to another member who was really struggling with the after-sales, despite Ampguy having the same issue.) Even did a word-salad post that blames it on the customer.

Thank you! He has been added to my ignore list.

 

[MAB]

Thanks for exposing that!

Topping has lots of work to do to earn a quality reputation. It doesn't help when the facts get muddied (for instance, Ampguy actually got his PA5 replacement 1 year 3 months ago, that's not ~2 years of reliable operation, it's 1.25 years). And owners really have no way of measuring the actual defect, our ears are not the right tool. Many people had difficult time identifying, even worse the issue was intermittent for some. I am sure given the descriptions captured of people's failed amps, there are likely many in the field that the owner can't or doesn't know is defective. And let's be serious, the encapsulation stresses were never taken into account in the board layout and manufacturing process (Topping has said as much in the ask me questions thread), this is a systematic issue, and if Topping has a competent reliability engineer, they are saying "guaranteed early-life-fails, can't predict field failure rates, can't predict wear-out, can we recall?"
From L30 blowing headphones, to repeated issues with their speaker amps, to poorly implemented volume controls, to crossed wires, Topping should learn. All they had to do is fix the PA5 by ditching the encapsulation and make customer whole. Instead we get new variation of the old, with slightly better SINAD perhaps.

 

[Sokel]

Keeps a fan on it to keep it cool, I guess under the belief that a breeze will somehow help with the encapsulation issue.

There's a very nasty joke about special conditions needed to maintain something.
But it's not politically correct (at all,it's very old) so better not write it.

Sometimes you have to look ahead to understand why people defend dead situations,one for example is sale after some time.
The above is also the main reason that failures are not so commonly exposed.

(Imagine your DAC that is used as a preamp for example maxing suddenly at 0db.Can't sell this or the speakers after that without a significant loss,has to be someone who never reads about it to pay properly)

 

[Sokel]

...and to be serious here,that's what a randomly thrown fan on some piece of audio can do:




without fan



with fan

If it's not part of the design you can kiss you high SINAD good-buy.
Or not,but it's a bet without good odds.

 

[MAB]

...and to be serious here,that's what a randomly thrown fan on some piece of audio can do:


View attachment 319086

without fan

View attachment 319087

with fun

If it's not part of the design you can kiss you high SINAD good-buy.
Or not,but it's a bet without good odds.

So funny, great example of 'revenge of unintended consequences'.

 

[mhardy6647]

There's a very nasty joke about special conditions needed to maintain something.
But it's not politically correct (at all,it's very old) so better not write it.

Not like this one, it it?

Q: Do you smoke after having sex?
A: I don't know -- I never looked!

ahem.

 

[ampguy]

Topping has lots of work to do to earn a quality reputation. It doesn't help when the facts get muddied (for instance, Ampguy actually got his PA5 replacement 1 year 3 months ago, that's not ~2 years of reliable operation, it's 1.25 years). And owners really have no way of measuring the actual defect, our ears are not the right tool. Many people had difficult time identifying, even worse the issue was intermittent for some. I am sure given the descriptions captured of people's failed amps, there are likely many in the field that the owner can't or doesn't know is defective. And let's be serious, the encapsulation stresses were never taken into account in the board layout and manufacturing process (Topping has said as much in the ask me questions thread), this is a systematic issue, and if Topping has a competent reliability engineer, they are saying "guaranteed early-life-fails, can't predict field failure rates, can't predict wear-out, can we recall?"
From L30 blowing headphones, to repeated issues with their speaker amps, to poorly implemented volume controls, to crossed wires, Topping should learn. All they had to do is fix the PA5 by ditching the encapsulation and make customer whole. Instead we get new variation of the old, with slightly better SINAD perhaps.

If folks are interested in a 1.25 yr follow up, I’d be pleased to send it to @amirm to test. I’m simply stating that not everyone is having the doom and gloom you seem to be having with Topping. Perhaps buy from a distributor who will have your back, and be somewhat local.

 

[ampguy]

Due to improper encapsulation, heat death will catch up to it eventually. You will probably lose one channel first.

Perhaps, if it does fail, I’ll post about it.

 

[howard416]

And that was from a batch of 1000 made that week by the new recruit at the Topping factory, Ho Li Sheet, who also wires all the mains IEC sockets... Eeeek!

While we can all agree many of Topping's recent amplifier offerings are utter trash (and maybe some of their other products too), could we all just stop making jokes out of people's names (especially those of different languages)?

 

[Deleted member 48726]

While we can all agree many of Topping's recent amplifier offerings are utter trash (and maybe some of their other products too), could we all just stop making jokes out of people's names (especially those of different languages)?

Oh please..

 

[restorer-john]

While we can all agree many of Topping's recent amplifier offerings are utter trash (and maybe some of their other products too), could we all just stop making jokes out of people's names (especially those of different languages)?

No chance. Grow up and stop being a baby. It's a made up name for goodness sake.

 

[restorer-john]

funny chinese restaurant names at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[howard416]

No chance. Grow up and stop being a baby. It's a made up name for goodness sake.

Always such a convenient defense. "Why are you so offended? It's a harmless joke." AKA it's just a prank, bro!

 

[Julf]

Always such a convenient defense. "Why are you so offended? It's a harmless joke." AKA it's just a prank, bro!

Some people can't help their neanderthal genes (oh, and if anyone gets offended by that, it's just a harmless joke).

 

[Eldus]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but enjoying my ~2 year old PA5 original used almost daily.

My PA5 OG is very close to the 2 year mark. Used daily for hours. No issues so far.

 

[F1308]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but enjoying my ~2 year old PA5 original used almost daily.

Same here.

 

[High Power Dude]

I resubmitted my request for a replacement and I got it 2 weeks later, the PA5 replaced with the PA5II Plus SV, whatever that model version is. I retained the original power supply and it works like a champ. When I read the nature of the bashing of Topping here, I ask myself, how many of you complaining did not have your issue with the Topping product resolved? From what I'm reading, Topping is spending a lot of money to make right on their products that fail. Furthermore, they're making cutting edge DACs and amps that are clearly pissing off AV receiver and high end audio manufacturers. All anyone has to do is call up Texas Instruments and tell them you want to make 10,000 DACs or amps or whatever using their chips and they'll give you the schematic to put it in use. Why AV receiver companies can't improve that part of their modular componentry very quickly strikes me as quite odd. I like Topping and am impressed with the engineering of their products. The fact that their LA90 amp topped the charts for amp testing out of a huge field of companies with far longer heritage and, in some cases, technical know-how, demonstrates they are the real deal. So, that's my 2 cents. Cheers.

 

[sq225917]

Delivering great stuff isn't the measure of a brand its how you deal with the duds that count. A brand gets one chance to make good, after that they're toast, and rightly so. The dacs and preamp are great, the power amps not so hot.