Topping B100 Amplifier Review

[pma]

That is probably bipolar, like +/-38V?

Nooooo! Would you kindly find some basic info about the amp?

B100 - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

 

[misterdog]

Looks to be a two pin aviation connector.

 

[pma]

Looks to be a two pin aviation connector.

As already declared by the manufacturer. Interestingly enough, in the audio forum chat the manufacturer’s data are the last being checked. Exhausting.

 

[misterdog]

Nooooo! Would you kindly find some basic info about the amp?

B100 - TOPPING AUDIO

www.toppingaudio.com

Says the person claiming that the amp only has output of 5W

 

[miero]

@pma discovered a scenario in which the amplifier shuts down when output is above 5W.

BTW, were those new measurements done only on 1kHz or do we know also behavior on 50Hz which was problematic?

 

[pma]

1kHz stepped level sine up to clipping, 9W/4ohm stepped frequency sine up to 45kHz (takes about 2 minutes). Everything is in the review:

Topping B100 RCA amplifier test review

No check with 50Hz stepped sine, after the previous experience.

 

[pma]

This thread evolution is not good. B100 is what it is. It has some good inaudible features and some horrible practical features. Take or leave, anybody’s choice. If it was my verdict, I would never give my recommendation to such thing.

 

[jan.didden]

But are the people listening to it happy?
That's the criterium - not what we as a bunch of nerds think.

Jan

 

[capslock]

Late to the party, but it seems to me Topping is squarely aiming at the 50-100W class D offerings from the usual sustects.
Similar size and cost, yet hugely better performance.

Jan

Well, the B100, B200 and LA90x are clearly not class D. Their PA5 and the like TPA3255-based offerings are quite good but they don't go as low in 1 kHz HD, nor in 15 kHz THD+N or 18+19 kHz IMD. I keep a spreadsheet of Amirs results, and even Purifi 1ET400, Nilai and ncx500 are not as good in 15 kHz THD+N or 18/19 kHz IMD as the B100.

 

[jan.didden]

I meant 'going after' as in to compete with them.
I know the B100 isn't class D.
But, as I said; 'Similar size and cost, yet hugely better performance.'

Jan

 

[EddNog]

But are the people listening to it happy?
That's the criterium - not what we as a bunch of nerds think.

Jan

Still perfectly happy with my pair, even more so now that I am high-pass filtering the signal to them to make proper use of my subwoofer.

-Ed

 

[capslock]

Jan, you will find the info in the 1st post of the thread. And output is a BTL, so 38V is enough. However, 4A is not enough. It may lead to those 4ohm stepped sine shut downs.

If the power brick is capable of sustained 38 V / 4 A, I don't see how it may lead to shutdowns at 30 or 50 W.

 

[misterdog]

@pma discovered a scenario in which the amplifier shuts down when output is above 5W.

When he was only measuring half the amplifier, because Topping hadn't sent an engineer over to show him how to measure it properly, and he never bothered to check first.

Resulting in potential lost sales for Topping and some amount of egg on his face IMO.

Proper science needs rigour, or confirmation from others, before broadcasting on the internet that someone thinks they have uncovered the greatest scandal in the world ever.

 

[KSTR]

When he was only measuring half the amplifier, because Topping hadn't sent an engineer over to show him how to measure it properly.

No, it was the other way round. Topping didn't check back with a prolific engineer how to implement a bog-standard balanced input properly. And its not the first time they failed in this regard, some their other amps have issues with the balanced input as well, though not as severe as throttling power down to 1/4th.

 

[misterdog]

This thread evolution is not good. B100 is what it is. It has some good inaudible features and some horrible practical features. Take or leave, anybody’s choice. If it was my verdict, I would never give my recommendation to such thing.

So why are you still here then ?

 

[misterdog]

This thread evolution is not good. B100 is what it is. It has some good inaudible features and some horrible practical features. Take or leave, anybody’s choice. If it was my verdict, I would never give my recommendation to such thing.

I might say similar about your your test lab, that earth wire just loosely twisted - laboratory controlled conditions.

 

[KSTR]

But are the people listening to it happy?
That's the criterium - not what we as a bunch of nerds think.

It's a fine little amplifier for sure and people using high efficient speakers will be perfectly happy with it. Others will run into shutdowns the first time they have "student party" scenarios. Time will tell how reliable it will be in "normal use".

But why on earth did Topping allow this excellent amplifier concept to have such severe practical shortcomings?
Why don't they give the amp an adequate heat sink design, derate it to a more realistic, say, 80W/4R power value and install a proper balanced input?

 

[Sokel]

Proper science needs rigour, or confirmation from others, before broadcasting on the internet that someone thinks they have uncovered the greatest scandal in the world ever.

Yep.
And proper companies include warnings about their shortcomings.
All that people do,is see the nicest performance of the XLR and send there whatever signal they have,be it balanced,unbalanced or semibalanced.You know,the usual work as every amp (And at one instance,at 0dB gain that is not an amp as it does not amplifies the signal but any way) .

The sane and honest thing to do is warn people against it.Don't see it in the manual

 

[misterdog]

(And at one instance,at 0dB gain that is not an amp as it does not amplifies the signal but any way) .

Buffer amplifier - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oh more new science.
Or is it more egg.
But let's not get in the way of Topping bashing.

 

[Sokel]

Buffer amplifier - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Oh more new science.
But let's not get in the way of Topping bashing.

Science?More like linguistics.
No,you go on by all means,not my gear,not my worry.