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Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

Veri

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Are you joking? Requires 15v DC power supply. value that can be imitated with 4x18650 cells in series.
It requires 15VAC and not DC so don't plug in 15 volts DC, it might go *poof*.
 

L5730

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Are you joking? Requires 15v DC power supply. value that can be imitated with 4x18650 cells in series.

1692609383421.png
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No denying that the input is a 15v, AC, 1 Amp.
I suppose if you could somehow find/build a 50 or 60Hz AC converter and power it with sufficient DC batteries, it might work. That's another chunky box to carry with.

edit: Oh, I see I missed some replies before posting....
 
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ngs428

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luckily guys I asked for advice. I didn't think such equipment worked in AC. but now I understand why there is a dedicated P50 topping source to match. However, if I go to check this output it results in DC. forget it. So I ask you for something portable (headphone amplifier) to be paired with an iphone to use the fidelios. What could it do for me?

Your best bet is a Qudelix 5k.
 

TUC

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View attachment 306994View attachment 306995
No denying that the input is a 15v, AC, 1 Amp.
I suppose if you could somehow find/build a 50 or 60Hz AC converter and power it with sufficient DC batteries, it might work. That's another chunky box to carry with.

edit: Oh, I see I missed some replies before posting....
you're right everything gets complicated .. I decided for a G5 topping to take with me while he will stay at home together with his dac (all under 240v)
 

dumbsuck

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Hi. Is it normal that my L30, SN 2102xxxxx, does 2 clicks when being turned on in preamp mode? 1st click is a second after I turn it on, that is I assume normal, but the 2nd click it does after being on for about 5 minutes. Is that OK?
 

Pulkass

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Mine Is very quiet. No clicks. Serves my stereo system Number 2. At the TV. Very good pre.
 

dumbsuck

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To update on my previous post, like I wrote, lately I've been hearing very quiet "click" sounds, similar to the one the amp does when turned on or switched between HP and PRE, on random occasions when the amp is on, usually several minutes after I turn it on in the preamp mode.

Since I now have a new Sony MDR-Z1R on its way to me, which is the most expensive audio-related purchase I've ever made, do you think it's safe to use the headphones from the L30? (Again, the L30's SN starts with SN 2102xxxxx). As I've ordered the MDR-Z1R from US Amazon and I live in the EU, I do not think it would be very easy to RMA the headphones if a driver gets blown up by the L30...
 

asrUser

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Since I now have a new Sony MDR-Z1R on its way to me, which is the most expensive audio-related purchase I've ever made, do you think it's safe to use the headphones from the L30? (Again, the L30's SN starts with SN 2102xxxxx). As I've ordered the MDR-Z1R from US Amazon and I live in the EU, I do not think it would be very easy to RMA the headphones if a driver gets blown up by the L30...
Just get rid of the Topping. Chinese warranty will do nothing if the amp destroys your expensive headphones.
 

ZolaIII

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To update on my previous post, like I wrote, lately I've been hearing very quiet "click" sounds, similar to the one the amp does when turned on or switched between HP and PRE, on random occasions when the amp is on, usually several minutes after I turn it on in the preamp mode.

Since I now have a new Sony MDR-Z1R on its way to me, which is the most expensive audio-related purchase I've ever made, do you think it's safe to use the headphones from the L30? (Again, the L30's SN starts with SN 2102xxxxx). As I've ordered the MDR-Z1R from US Amazon and I live in the EU, I do not think it would be very easy to RMA the headphones if a driver gets blown up by the L30...
Those are nominal 64 Ohms and 100 dB per mW SPL so you can drive them very loud with any deacent unbalanced DAC with 2V output (including dongles). Based on measurements I would reconsider purchasing them but it's your choice.
 

dumbsuck

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Those are nominal 64 Ohms and 100 dB per mW SPL so you can drive them very loud with any deacent unbalanced DAC with 2V output (including dongles). Based on measurements I would reconsider purchasing them but it's your choice.

The measurements are what kept me from buying them for months but recently there have been 7 things that made me realize my ears are perhaps not exactly "Harman-tuned" and FR measurements do not reflect whether I enjoy a given headphone or not :) :
1) While listening to my EMU Teak extensively, while I generally really like their sound, especially their mids and treble, often I kept getting bothered by their bass, which sounds to me like there is too much of it and it overpowers the rest of the frequency spectrum (note how close the Teak is to the Harman curve according to many measurements, especially the bass)
2) My Denon D5200, while most graphs show that they have more bass then the Teak, do not exhibit the above mentioned bass behavior and sound much more neutral (I think it is because they have, according to FR graphs, stronger response in the 100-300Hz region than the Teak, which masks the deep bass. I have confirmed this by EQ'ing the D5200 to have more similar bass response to the Teak and yes, suddenly, they started sounding like they have too much deep bass, similar to the Teak. Thus I concluded that I am not a fan of Harman bass and prefer a bump in the upper bass region)
3) Most measurements show that the Teak has a peak in the 10KHz region and there are people who say that this makes them sound aggressive in the upper treble, maybe even sibilant. I really like their upper treble unEQ'ed, do not found it sibilant and if anything, find the peak pleasant and that it partially nicely balances the bass
4) I really, really like my Grado SR325x, which are, according to measurements, not really very Harman-compliant, with peaks at around 2, 4.5 and 9 KHz (and dips in-between). I must say, again, that I love how they sound, unEQ'd. Also, Grados are generally considered quite "wild" in their FR. Not sure if the SR325X is less "wild" than other Grados, but their sound is what I was looking for with open-back headphones
5) I bought the Sony MDR-1AM2 not long ago and I like their sound very much, while measurements show that they have way too much bass even for Harman and a huge peak around 8KHz. Love how they sound, unEQ'd (they are my "wild" headphones)
6) After Amir reviewed the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2, I decided to buy them. They sound very nice, but I still prefer my Sennheiser IE300, which is quite far from the Harman curve, FR-wise
7) I tried EQ'in my Denon D5200 to have as similar a FR to the Z1R as possible, including a bass boost, a ~3.1KHz peak, 4-6KHz dip and a ~10K peak and I found the resulting sound very pleasing

So I no longer consider FR measurements to be an important factor in whether a headphone will sound good to me or not, unless the FR shows completely missing bass or some huge holes or peaks in the audible spectrum. However, now I do not have a source of good information on headphones, because what else is there except for measurements? Audiophool reviews full of nonsense words that get my blood boiling like "micro and macro dynamics", "microdetail", "musicality", "soundstage width/depth" and all the other blabber that audiophool "reviewers" use to shill expensive stuff. No, thanks.

Back to the L30: I think I will just do one listening session where I will try to find if I can hear any difference with the MDR Z1R between the L30 and my Shanling UA3 and if not, will listen to them via the UA3. At least it has a 4.4mm output. Not that I expect the Z1R to need a balanced connection, it's just that the SE cable they come with is 3 meters, which is way too long, while the 4.4mm cable is a much more manageable 1.2 meters
 

Chagall

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The measurements are what kept me from buying them for months but recently there have been 7 things that made me realize my ears are perhaps not exactly "Harman-tuned" and FR measurements do not reflect whether I enjoy a given headphone or not :) :
1) While listening to my EMU Teak extensively, while I generally really like their sound, especially their mids and treble, often I kept getting bothered by their bass, which sounds to me like there is too much of it and it overpowers the rest of the frequency spectrum (note how close the Teak is to the Harman curve according to many measurements, especially the bass)
2) My Denon D5200, while most graphs show that they have more bass then the Teak, do not exhibit the above mentioned bass behavior and sound much more neutral (I think it is because they have, according to FR graphs, stronger response in the 100-300Hz region than the Teak, which masks the deep bass. I have confirmed this by EQ'ing the D5200 to have more similar bass response to the Teak and yes, suddenly, they started sounding like they have too much deep bass, similar to the Teak. Thus I concluded that I am not a fan of Harman bass and prefer a bump in the upper bass region)
3) Most measurements show that the Teak has a peak in the 10KHz region and there are people who say that this makes them sound aggressive in the upper treble, maybe even sibilant. I really like their upper treble unEQ'ed, do not found it sibilant and if anything, find the peak pleasant and that it partially nicely balances the bass
4) I really, really like my Grado SR325x, which are, according to measurements, not really very Harman-compliant, with peaks at around 2, 4.5 and 9 KHz (and dips in-between). I must say, again, that I love how they sound, unEQ'd. Also, Grados are generally considered quite "wild" in their FR. Not sure if the SR325X is less "wild" than other Grados, but their sound is what I was looking for with open-back headphones
5) I bought the Sony MDR-1AM2 not long ago and I like their sound very much, while measurements show that they have way too much bass even for Harman and a huge peak around 8KHz. Love how they sound, unEQ'd (they are my "wild" headphones)
6) After Amir reviewed the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2, I decided to buy them. They sound very nice, but I still prefer my Sennheiser IE300, which is quite far from the Harman curve, FR-wise
7) I tried EQ'in my Denon D5200 to have as similar a FR to the Z1R as possible, including a bass boost, a ~3.1KHz peak, 4-6KHz dip and a ~10K peak and I found the resulting sound very pleasing

So I no longer consider FR measurements to be an important factor in whether a headphone will sound good to me or not, unless the FR shows completely missing bass or some huge holes or peaks in the audible spectrum. However, now I do not have a source of good information on headphones, because what else is there except for measurements? Audiophool reviews full of nonsense words that get my blood boiling like "micro and macro dynamics", "microdetail", "musicality", "soundstage width/depth" and all the other blabber that audiophool "reviewers" use to shill expensive stuff. No, thanks.

Back to the L30: I think I will just do one listening session where I will try to find if I can hear any difference with the MDR Z1R between the L30 and my Shanling UA3 and if not, will listen to them via the UA3. At least it has a 4.4mm output. Not that I expect the Z1R to need a balanced connection, it's just that the SE cable they come with is 3 meters, which is way too long, while the 4.4mm cable is a much more manageable 1.2 meters

Thing to keep in mind while EQing and doing AB comparison. If it's not level matched, results of AB won't be accurate. Usually EQed response is quieter then the stock response.

Other than that headphones response on a fixture doesn't translate exactly to what humans hear. And additionally, we all have preferences that don't always align with Harman target.

Solution is to check the measurements and listen before you commit/buy.
 

ZolaIII

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To sum it up it looks like you aren't listening on such high SPL, probably moderate level (70~80 dB), so equal loudness normalisation would be a answer. Secondly even if you are younger doing audiologist test ain't bad idea together that might give you idea what's going on.
 

Kamarlo

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I was listening to music today and the right side of my headphones had an loud ear hurting pop.
I remember the time when L30 had an design flaw and possibility to destroy headphones, I received my upgraded L30 unit (2012 serial) then and did not have any problems. This situation reminded me of those times. Could it be that the L30 still did this? Did my L30 just die?

I have not tried any other headphones on this system as an precaution. My headphones still work but the right side now has an audible changing interference sound, something is damaged, headphones, L30 or E30? My PC is connected to my DAC with an Optical Cable, there was zero interference sound before. Interference sound on my headphones also changes when L30 is on and volume control knob is used, E30 off. I stopped using this combo for now.

Topping L30 AMP (2012...)
Topping E30 DAC, Optical Cable from PC.
Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX Headphones
 

somebodyelse

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If you suspect an amp failure then stop using the amp until it's been tested and found to be safe! The worry is that there will be DC on the output, which could cause damage to your headphones if left connected even though they may have survived the initial failure undamaged. I say this knowing someone who blew 3 speakers with a faulty amp because they worked for a while...slowly overheating over a few minutes.

Try the headphones on a known-good output - could be your phone if it still has a headphone socket. You might be lucky. Failing that Sennheiser are good with spares - someone can probably tell you which driver the 6XX uses.

As for the amp, do you have a multimeter? If not they're relatively cheap - a lot less than your headphones. You can unplug the headphone cable at the headphone end and test for DC voltage at the pins when the amp is on and not connected to the DAC. I'm not sure what 'normal' is for the L30 but you have a good channel to compare to - I'd guess a few mV. If they're similar and low then the amp is at least safe for headphones, but try connecting the DAC and check again just in case! This will at least let you know if it's safe to do further testing with headphones - something may still be faulty. I would recommend a pair of very cheap 'sacrificial' headphones until you know what's going on.
 

Kamarlo

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L30 and E30 is removed from power and headphones disconnected for now. I will test the headphones on my phone. I have an multimeter and will test what you suggested, thanks.
 

Kamarlo

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I measured the channels, only amp on:
Left channel: 0mV
Right channel: 140mV

Headphones were briefly tested on my phone, no interference sound detected.
 

somebodyelse

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140mV is much too high to be normal, but low enough that most headphones should survive. Looks like amp failure, possibly with the protection having kicked in after the initial impulse from failure. If you bought the amp through a Europe based supplier you might still be within warranty, but otherwise a repair probably isn't cost effective unless you have a local repair cafe or makerspace that does electronic repair.

On the plus side it seems like the headphones survived.
 

Kamarlo

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I see. I bought this L30 from a local Topping authorized seller in europe, sadly the shop seems to have declared bankruptcy. I did send Topping support an e-mail.
 
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