Topping A30Pro Review (Balanced Headphone Amp)

[Ahmonge]

2,7 W at 8 ohms gives us an amperage of 0,58 amps, which is the factor that limit the power at such low impedance. At 16 ohms we get 6 W, so an amperage of 0,61 Amps, so we can assume the worst case (0,58) for 13 Ohms, so we get 4,37 Watts.

 

[juliangst]

Finally got the Moondrop Dawn with a dual 3-pin XLR to 4.4 cable as a permanent DAC for the A30 Pro
My Aeon noires now get a lot louder and reach really loud levels at around 11-12 o'clock (had to push them to 3 o'clock before).

I've also set -1dB in EqApo because multitone tests show really high IMD at 0dbfs. The dongle alone obviously can't power my Aeons and clips at ~80% iPad volume

I've hidden it in my cable tray which makes my desk look a lot tidier

 

[ajkun]

Was really in the market for the A30 Pro till I did a bit of reading but am I under the right assumption that out of all of the Topping gear, the only ones that actually have fully balanced differential output to the 4pin XLR & 4.4mm headphone outputs are the A50s (differential opamp voodoo), L70, A90/A90 discrete?
I was thinking that the L30 II measures so amazingly that unless you have an HE6, K1000 or anything else power hungry is there even any reason to buy any other amp that they sell below the aforementioned amps?
It’s not like you’d be getting the benefits of a fully balanced differential amplifier because their single ended gear measures better anyway. Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong or in the wrong place to be asking these questions.

 

[Ahmonge]

Was really in the market for the A30 Pro till I did a bit of reading but am I under the right assumption that out of all of the Topping gear, the only ones that actually have fully balanced differential output to the 4pin XLR & 4.4mm headphone outputs are the A50s (differential opamp voodoo), L70, A90/A90 discrete?
I was thinking that the L30 II measures so amazingly that unless you have an HE6, K1000 or anything else power hungry is there even any reason to buy any other amp that they sell below the aforementioned amps?
It’s not like you’d be getting the benefits of a fully balanced differential amplifier because their single ended gear measures better anyway. Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong or in the wrong place to be asking these questions.

You’re right, the A30 Pro is a single ended topology amplifier. Balanced outputs are included for convenience.

 

[808lab]

Balanced outputs are included for convenience.

But they are anyway extremely powerful and good sounding!

 

[MAB]

But they are anyway extremely powerful and good sounding!

Yes, I think the most distinguishing feature of this unit is the massive amount of clean power it has! Balanced or not doesn't really matter.

 

[jdizzle]

hey all
my a30 pro I bought when it came out seems to have stopped working?
The power LED is blinking and I'm not getting any sound. In the manual it says "blinks to indicate unexpected output"
I tried the obvious things, unplugging and replugging in everything. But it just keeps blinking and I get no sound.
Anyone have thoughts on what to do here?

So after contacting Topping and getting confirmation this is likely a broken hardware issue, Apos was kind enough to send me a return label to send it back and give me a refund. They did specify that I should include all of the original box and cables so make sure you keep those! They were also both really responsive which was great.

Now the question is, should I get an A30 Pro again? The thing was perfect for me while it lasted.. (and it matches my D30 Pro!)

 

[GPJ]

Just keep using it if you enjoy it. With the Apos 2 year warranty, why not .... then look for a new amp after the warranty expires if you want to upgrade.

I've had very good experiences with Apos. I returned two blown Topping amps and they provided excellent service.

 

[MAB]

So after contacting Topping and getting confirmation this is likely a broken hardware issue, Apos was kind enough to send me a return label to send it back and give me a refund. They did specify that I should include all of the original box and cables so make sure you keep those! They were also both really responsive which was great.

Now the question is, should I get an A30 Pro again? The thing was perfect for me while it lasted.. (and it matches my D30 Pro!)

That is really good news. I am happy to hear Apos being so good on your warranty.

I don't know of any other unit that can power just about any headphone at this price, it really is a beast that way. And it does look nice with the D30 Pro, heck it's nice all by itself.

 

[Dunring]

I just got another A30Pro/D30Pro stack in today (had them individually but not together). With optical they sound great, and I have two heavy hitter headphones to see what limits it has when equalizing and doing a preamp reduction. The A30Pro temps measured in the center at 107f and 105f everywhere else. If you hold your hand 2 inches over it you don't feel any warmth, and the DAC doesn't get warm, so I put the amp on top to let the vent holes do their job.

It got the Hifiman HE6se plenty loud in medium gain, but you need high gain at -4db and at -6db you'll be out of gas for pre-volume war recordings if you equalize them. -4db seems to be the practical limit for this combo and fun volume levels for a favorite song every once in a while to stab the volume wheel. The Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm fared better, but for older songs with more than -4 it'll be loud, just not extremely loud. To be fair, the A90 I have here isn't without limits on the HE6SE either. I see why people use speaker amps with banana clips for it, but I'm not that much of a risk taker.
I'm keeping this stack as a daily driver as I'm tired of buying balanced cables for other amps to get full power. Also an amp shouldn't determine what headphones you buy, or have to send your beyerdynamics out to an Etsy vendor at $125 a pop with shipping charges. I have the stack with the review recommended filter 6 and using the optical and the noise floor is spooky quiet... Best part of this combo is what it doesn't have. No MQA or Bluetooth antenna, which I would never use anyway. I also like the power cord on these, the same ones you use for a computer, so it's easy to replace with a longer one if needed.

 

[NiagaraPete]

I just got another A30Pro/D30Pro stack in today (had them individually but not together). With optical they sound great, and I have two heavy hitter headphones to see what limits it has when equalizing and doing a preamp reduction. The A30Pro temps measured in the center at 107f and 105f everywhere else. If you hold your hand 2 inches over it you don't feel any warmth, and the DAC doesn't get warm, so I put the amp on top to let the vent holes do their job.

It got the Hifiman HE6se plenty loud in medium gain, but you need high gain at -4db and at -6db you'll be out of gas for pre-volume war recordings if you equalize them. -4db seems to be the practical limit for this combo and fun volume levels for a favorite song every once in a while to stab the volume wheel. The Beyerdynamic DT880 600 ohm fared better, but for older songs with more than -4 it'll be loud, just not extremely loud. To be fair, the A90 I have here isn't without limits on the HE6SE either. I see why people use speaker amps with banana clips for it, but I'm not that much of a risk taker.
I'm keeping this stack as a daily driver as I'm tired of buying balanced cables for other amps to get full power. Also an amp shouldn't determine what headphones you buy, or have to send your beyerdynamics out to an Etsy vendor at $125 a pop with shipping charges. I have the stack with the review recommended filter 6 and using the optical and the noise floor is spooky quiet... Best part of this combo is what it doesn't have. No MQA or Bluetooth antenna, which I would never use anyway. I also like the power cord on these, the same ones you use for a computer, so it's easy to replace with a longer one if needed.

It really is spooky quiet. I also agree about Bluetooth and MQA. I can’t think of a audio product I’ve been happier with in the past 50 years.

 

[Veri]

I can’t think of a audio product I’ve been happier with in the past 50 years.

Really nice praise..

 

[Dunring]

I've had the A90 with the D90SE stacked, and it really is excellent, but only worth it if budget isn't an issue, and don't mind being limited on headphone choices. Power is just a fraction on single ended, which is the dealbreaker for me. Just want headroom to equalize with older recordings that aren't volume boosted. After trying them both last night on the stack, I'm convinced the Hifiman HE6SE is the best all around headphone I've ever heard. Only problem is the headband, really need to replace it with the ski band one since to distribute the weight. The DT880 600 ohm is best value for the money though, just can't get too carried away with bass heavy songs at high volume.
I'm back on my ($90 on eBay) He5xx daily driver now on the stack and it's great. I use those since they're light and take them on and off a lot during the day. Also they sound close to the Ananda, without the cavernous huge ear cups that give it the bigger soundstage, and accept balanced cables for testing all the stuff coming in. I think stuff has gotten so good and affordable it mainly down to features and connectivity. Now I never have to hear another compressed MQA song ever again, or wonder if my neighbors are trying to pair with my bluetooth DAC...yay.

 

[inu912]

Would I hear any audible differences in this vs the gilmore lite mk2 which measures worse?

 

[NiagaraPete]

Would I hear any audible differences in this vs the gilmore lite mk2 which measures worse?

Quality wise probably not. Power wise likely. The A30Pro is a beast.

 

[RasTTaII]

Really thinking about this one instead of L70, due to the power in SE outputs. It's hard to choose

 

[PoisonRoses]

Hi owners of a30pro!
My unit after 1 year plus suddenly not working while in use; heard a soft pop sound then suddenly no more sound and the indicator light not lighting. Tried using with another power cable is also same. I'm trying to open the amp but seems i couldn't take off the rear plate after removing all the screws (stuck at the power input outlet). Anyone have a manual or something that i can work with? Appreciate if anyone could help.

 

[itsikhefez]

I had a similar issue and it was just dead. I recommend try getting it fixed/replaced under warranty

 

[PoisonRoses]

I had a similar issue and it was just dead. I recommend try getting it fixed/replaced under warranty

Already contacted the shop i bought from unfortunately the 1 year warranty has already ended. He did suggest its probably a fuse issue to be replaced and i thought it was easy to open it. Guess I'll have to send it to someone expert then.

 

[enricoclaudio]

There was a very well known issue with the A30Pro blowing fuses. I remember I purchased a few fuses for my A30Pro to have as spares but ended returning it after getting the A90. I still have the fuses, though. Changing the fuse is super easy. If you search in this thread way back you will find instructions on how to replace the fuse.