Topping B100 Amplifier Review

[BeeKay]

And here we go again

 

[antcollinet]

Topping plays the number game of SINAD, for which the only reward is in the bragging right of "engineering excellence" by sequeezing out the highest last but totally insignificant digits in SINAD numbers versus their peers. It is therefore, IMHO, absolutely fair to criticize them for their lack of engineering common sense in their thermal design (i.e. displaying severe ignorance of good thermal design practices).

If it gets too hot - criticism is warranted. If it doesn't then it isn't worth worrying about. The engineering is perfectly fine.

 

[NTK]

If it gets too hot - criticism is warranted. If it doesn't then it isn't worth worrying about. The engineering is perfectly fine.

If adequacy is all we care about, I fail to see what is so noteworthy about this amplifier from Topping. If we are talking about "engineering excellence", I look at all aspects.

 

[Panelhead]

Bluedog,
I just looked your the picture where there is a SMSL unit and two Topping stacked. Is that a thermal imaging device on the side?
But talking of thermal design, switched to fiber this year. Company provides Nokia products. The service crashed regularly. Figured out unplugging, waiting a minute and restarting “fixed”issue.
Noticed the temperature of the gateway. Way too hot.
Started with thin shims to increase cooling. Ended up with this. Works 24/7.
Think thermal management in Finland is different than Houston.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Update: of my three B100s, the power supply on one failed, and another amp has died. Am I cursed?

 

[BeeKay]

Update: of my three B100s, the power supply on one failed, and another amp has died. Am I cursed?

Yes. And were sincerely thank you to take this for the team.

 

[Chr1]

Don't think you are cursed. It seems some Topping amplifiers are not particularly robust.

Saying that, I have just bought a Mini 300 due to it's low price. I am hoping that it is an updated, more reliable version of the PA5.

Anyway, here's hoping.
(Watch this space.)

 

[Sokel]

If it gets too hot - criticism is warranted. If it doesn't then it isn't worth worrying about. The engineering is perfectly fine.

Its aggressive protection circuit didn't allow Amir to measure 4 Ohm into 1% THD+N nor let him do power Cube so to see where it can go down low.
It's not heat that is the enemy of this amp, and it seems that the case is mostly decorative resembling a miniature classic class A or strong class AB amp but at the wrong orientation.

Looks matter sometimes and if you want to appeal to a more classic audience fins is a nice way to underline a more "conservative" amp.
(size admittedly don't help with this though, they are too small)

 

[magreen]

Update: of my three B100s, the power supply on one failed, and another amp has died. Am I cursed?

Earlier in this thread, others were discussing failure (and DIY fixes) of the touch sensitive power button. For the amp that has "died," have you tried operating it via 12V trigger instead of the power button?

 

[Panelhead]

I am saddened to hear that so many have died in use. It is such a special amplifier. The distortion and noise levels are almost zero, and very reasonably priced.
I recognized as the best amplifier ever produced for high efficiency loudspeakers. A niche product.
Topping told me that if all I wanted to drive is horns the B100 is their best amplifier. But if driving more normal loudspeakers is an option get a LA90 Discrete. Almost as clean, better suited for higher power output.
I can see the touch panel giving issues. Without seeing a poor soldering job. A cute feature, rather see a switch or button.
The failures when stacked I get. From the 80’s always knew to never stack monoblock amplifiers. Roasts the one on the bottom. Air fry’s the one on top.
The failures are not design. B100 is a truely unique product. Mine have been flawless.
But just like I told by Topping, not for difficult speakers, not designed to be stacked, not for extended high power operation. The number they used was 20 watts. If normal output above 20 watts is planned get a LA90 Discrete.
Communication is where the marketing of the B100 is a failure. They know it will not hold up if pushed hard. The warning about using with low impedance, low efficiency speakers was not emphasized well. The stacking failures are common sense, maybe digital amps can be stacked. Not analog Class B, AB, or A.
The power panel is not a confidence building feature. Mine are almost on the floor. Had bend over low to activate. Was happy when they turned on or off. A switch on the back would be more robust, even a cheap toggle is good for a 100,000 cycles.
I will wait. Topping may revisit. Or just move on to a product that has more universal applications.
But if these do not hold up, I will wait and pick up another open box pair for peanuts.
They really are the best ever produced for my system. With the pricing decimal point shifted at least one to the left from the others.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

Earlier in this thread, others were discussing failure (and DIY fixes) of the touch sensitive power button. For the amp that has "died," have you tried operating it via 12V trigger instead of the power button?

It seems to power up, but no audio passes.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I am saddened to hear that so many have died in use. It is such a special amplifier. The distortion and noise levels are almost zero, and very reasonably priced.
I recognized as the best amplifier ever produced for high efficiency loudspeakers. A niche product.
Topping told me that if all I wanted to drive is horns the B100 is their best amplifier. But if driving more normal loudspeakers is an option get a LADiscrete. Almost as clean, better suited for higher power output.
I can see the touch panel giving issues. Without seeing a poor soldering job. A cute feature, rather see a switch or button.
The failures when stacked I get. From the 80’s always knew to never stack monoblock amplifiers. Roasts the one on the bottom. Air fry’s the one on top.
The failures are not design. B100 is a truely unique product. Mine have been flawless.
But just like I told by Topping, not for difficult speakers, not designed to be stacked, not for extended high power operation. The number they used was 20 watts. If normal output above 20 watts is planned get a LA90 Discrete.
Communication is where the marketing of the B100 is a failure. They know it will not hold up if pushed hard. The warning about using with low impedance, low efficiency speakers was not emphasized well. The stacking failures are common sense, maybe digital amps can be stacked. Not Class B, AB, or A.
The power panel is not a confidence building feature. Mine are almost on the floor. Had bend over low to activate. Was happy when they turned on or off. A switch on the back would be more robust, even a cheap toggle is good for a 100,000 cycles.
I will wait. Topping may revisit. Or just move on to a product that has more universal applications.
But if these do not hold up, I will wait and pick up another open box pair for peanuts.
They really are the best ever produced for my system. With the pricing decimal point shifted at least one to the left from the others.
Many drive speakers similar to mine with ancient triode tubes. The (new) NOS variants cost more per pair than B100’s. There are new boutique brand Chinese copies that are more than B100’s. It is a small market. Common sense is a limiting factor.

I'm disappointed, too. All three of my B100s operate in a basement media room where the ambient temperature is a constant 21ºC/70ºF and they drive three Heil AMT tweeters above 1500Hz with active DSP speakers (see profile photo.) I NEVER listen at anything remotely approaching loud levels, and the Heils are a 4 Ohm resistive load with very high efficiency. They're the easiest thing in the world to drive aside from horns.

For now, I'm going back to three Fosi Audio V3 Monos. They run kind of warm, but none of the seven I own has ever failed.

 

[NoFuzz]

Update:
Few weeks ago I heard a sudden pop in my left speaker, looked at the B100 driving it, power light blinking...walked towards it, a funny smell....a small trace of smoke! Rushed towards it, want to pull the plug, but hey, it has this "aviation"connector so had to get to the back to switch the entire power strip off...pfew! I dont'know what happened, just started a movie, playing from Denon RCA > B100 RCA, only the left one popped...luckily this didn't happen to my boys playing on their PS5.

Contacted the seller at Amazon, they send out a new one directly from the factory as they waere also awaiting stock.

The one I received said "model B100 SV US " on the box but came with a EU plug also, but the power light had a slightly different color temperature (no need to ABX this, it really differs, a bit. In this case, my son said about that difference "wow, now that is important..!" ;-)

Didn't hear a difference, stereo image sounded perfect again. The last weeks they gracefully shut down a few times, They're a delicate bunch so to say.

I concluded I am not going to keep them, In spite of their excellent sound. They have too much delicacies and demands that I don't trust them to stay long with me, so I better be the first to end this relationship. As I'm still in the return window I'll ask the seller to receive them, gracefully ofcourse.

 

[Panelhead]

This is starting to sound like the TP-RA3 or original PA5. Assume there will be a B100 II coming to address these failures. Or another great design that failed in execution.
Here Apos seems to be not be stocking all those top amplifiers. No B200, or LA90 Discrete. They were moving the LA90 Discrete for less than a pair of B100.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

I bought all three of mine through an Amazon seller. I'm going to try to return them for a refund.

 

[Jazigo]

The last weeks they gracefully shut down a few times

I have had mine "shut down" once. They didn't actually shutdown, but the led started blinking and the sound from them was like a 4-bit audio. Recovered themself after 3 seconds or so.

I think this happens when the DAC clips the audio and that somehow triggers the protection in the B100. Just a theory for now.

 

[DavidMcRoy]

The Amazon seller has agreed to return and refund on my B100s. Lesson learned: SINAD-chasing is folly. I’ve had great reliability from Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifiers, and their sound performance is beyond what anyone can hear, anyway, and at half the cost.

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

The Amazon seller has agreed to return and refund on my B100s. Lesson learned: SINAD-chasing is folly. I’ve had great reliability from Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifiers, and their sound performance is beyond what anyone can hear, anyway, and at half the cost.

Did ever, “hear,” the difference between the two?

 

[Jazigo]

The Amazon seller has agreed to return and refund on my B100s. Lesson learned: SINAD-chasing is folly. I’ve had great reliability from Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifiers, and their sound performance is beyond what anyone can hear, anyway, and at half the cost.

I agree, since I failed a listening test between B100 and PA5/Mini300, but the Fosi Audio V3 Mono have a slight load dependency and that can be very audible (depending on the speakers).

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

I agree, since I failed a listening test between B100 and PA5/Mini300, but the Fosi Audio V3 Mono have a slight load dependency and that can be very audible (depending on the speakers).

V3 Monos have PFFB circuitry and are essentially non-load-dependent within the audible frequency range. You may be thinking of the original, stereo V3, or perhaps ZA3, neither of which have PFFB.