• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

raif71

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Messages
2,333
Likes
2,535
Actually you can stack two L30s together to get the extra gain if you really want. You still get better than 120dB SINAD with both on high gain.
Thanks for the suggestion. Would e30-->Atom-->L30 provie the same effect?
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
Thanks for the suggestion. Would e30-->Atom-->L30 provie the same effect?
You lose some distortion performance but you reserve SNR especially 50mV SNR. Do not use it unless you truly run out of volume.
 

Robbo99999

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
6,876
Likes
6,673
Location
UK
RE: DMS, and other subjective influencer/reviewer types...potential hidden biases aside, I'm pretty sure most of them are in the process of damaging their hearing, or already have, possibly quite severely. They listen way too loud way too often, I'm certain of it. Part of their 'job', unfortunately, is to get views, clicks on affiliate links, and hype going; if they say something controversial, it makes them money too. If they say something non-sensical like 'you need high gain for this headphone' (said in a recent review of the HD600/650 wrt the Atom amp) or 'you need ten watts for headroom' (yes, really) to make the headphone 'come alive', it stirs up the click/view money hypetrain.
Wow, that would be a crazy loud volume on the HD600/650! I have Atom amp & HD600 as well as -8.5dB of preamp (for EQ & intersample overs) whilst at only 85% Windows Volume on my SoundblasterX G6 DAC so that's only outputting in the region of 1.5V (just related to the windows volume alone, not taking into consideration the negative preamp) rather than 2V.......and given all those decreases of volume I only ever use up to 1 o'clock on my Atom amp with Low Gain setting, and most of the time it's between 11 & 12 o'clock - so those guys saying you need High Gain on atom amp for HD600 are surely damaging their ears!
 

MadMan

Active Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2020
Messages
117
Likes
134
Wow, that would be a crazy loud volume on the HD600/650! I have Atom amp & HD600 as well as -8.5dB of preamp (for EQ & intersample overs) whilst at only 85% Windows Volume on my SoundblasterX G6 DAC so that's only outputting in the region of 1.5V (just related to the windows volume alone, not taking into consideration the negative preamp) rather than 2V.......and given all those decreases of volume I only ever use up to 1 o'clock on my Atom amp with Low Gain setting, and most of the time it's between 11 & 12 o'clock - so those guys saying you need High Gain on atom amp for HD600 are surely damaging their ears!

I had thought about them just doing improper gain staging, but then I figured if they can't even get that right then their reviews are even more suspect. However, I hadn't thought about their EQ settings, specifically negative preamp wrt gainstaging. Maybe that's why, hopefully they aren't that stupid but I wouldn't put it past them given they parrot perpetuated technical half-truths like 'you need overhead for higher current draw.' In any case, if they don't know enough about gainstaging to realize they severely skew power requirements by negative preamping, their evaluation methods are pretty awful. I guess that's what can happen when you get a bunch of hobbyists who think they're pros at the scientific method because they've done something a lot.
 

BDWoody

Chief Cat Herder
Moderator
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Messages
6,948
Likes
22,627
Location
Mid-Atlantic, USA. (Maryland)

Robbo99999

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
6,876
Likes
6,673
Location
UK
I had thought about them just doing improper gain staging, but then I figured if they can't even get that right then their reviews are even more suspect. However, I hadn't thought about their EQ settings, specifically negative preamp wrt gainstaging. Maybe that's why, hopefully they aren't that stupid but I wouldn't put it past them given they parrot perpetuated technical half-truths like 'you need overhead for higher current draw.' In any case, if they don't know enough about gainstaging to realize they severely skew power requirements by negative preamping, their evaluation methods are pretty awful. I guess that's what can happen when you get a bunch of hobbyists who think they're pros at the scientific method because they've done something a lot.
I suppose if they were using a 1V DAC and then had EQ negative preamp on top of that then there's an argument for High Gain on Atom amp, but otherwise no. And to be honest, if they're in the audio game then they're not gonna be using a 1V DAC, and they shouldn't be making comments on amounts of Gain required on the basis of whatever EQ negative preamp they've used unless they make that absolutely clear because I would imagine only a smaller proportion of people EQ their headphones.
 

Vini darko

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 1, 2020
Messages
2,280
Likes
3,395
Location
Dorset England
Screenshot_20200906-130315~2.png
 

Jimbob54

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Oct 25, 2019
Messages
11,066
Likes
14,700
Just imagine - a Henry DAC. Can we see the measurements???

I actually thought that the "Topping sucks" post was a plea for a very plain pizza. I seem to recall a previous thread advocating the inclusion of pineapple on a pizza. Now for me, that topping sucks!!!
AMENZ!
 

raif71

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Messages
2,333
Likes
2,535
Just imagine - a Henry DAC. Can we see the measurements???

I actually thought that the "Topping sucks" post was a plea for a very plain pizza. I seem to recall a previous thread advocating the inclusion of pineapple on a pizza. Now for me, that topping sucks!!!
For me, its anchovies
 

frogmeat69

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Apr 25, 2018
Messages
951
Likes
1,710
Location
Western New York, USA
Topping sucks.
Ugh, really??! Now I gotta find a new amp and DAC, glad you came here with your single post to set the record straight, the rest of us are just so stupid to have been fooled so easily. Thank you for your wisdom and superior intellect.

And the pizza thread is down the hall fellas.
 
Top Bottom