Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

[Turkleton]

@JohnYang1997 Been reading through this thread and have decided to get an E30+L30 stack. Will the red/blue options be ready/shipped to suppliers for the 11.11 sales? I'd be happy with black but it'd be super cool to get a colored option

 

[Jose Hidalgo]

@JohnYang1997 Been reading through this thread and have decided to get an E30+L30 stack. Will the red/blue options be ready/shipped to suppliers for the 11.11 sales? I'd be happy with black but it'd be super cool to get a colored option

Calm down boy, I'm dibs on blue and red
John said in this topic that they should be ready "end of october / beginning of november". I'm hoping for them every day that goes by.
PS : nice Scrubs reference

 

[ngs428]

Pulled the trigger on the E30+L30 ensemble from Apos. Currently on its way across the pond. Excited to get this setup!

 

[artbur]

I just measured the channel imbalance of my L30 with a 1 kHz sine wave at low gain:
9:00 volume position: -0.37db
10:00 volume position: -0.37db
11:00 volume position: -0.18db
12:00 volume position: -0.02db
13:30 volume position: +0.20db
15:00 volume position: +0.13db

@JohnYang1997 is that within specification?

Edit: I just noticed there is a small range just above 09:00 where the imbalance is around -0.7db.

 

[Jose Hidalgo]

is that within specification?

 

[artbur]

I know that's the very nice sample Amir received...

 

[JohnYang1997]

I just measured the channel imbalance of my L30 with a 1 kHz sine wave at low gain:
9:00 volume position: -0.37db
10:00 volume position: -0.37db
11:00 volume position: -0.18db
12:00 volume position: -0.02db
13:30 volume position: +0.20db
15:00 volume position: +0.13db

@JohnYang1997 is that within specification?

Edit: I just noticed there is a small range just above 09:00 where the imbalance is around -0.7db.

It's fine, within 0.5dB. Refer to Wolf's sample also.
Emmm? 0.7dB. That's not good.

 

[artbur]

It's fine, within 0.5dB. Refer to Wolf's sample also.
Emmm? 0.7dB. That's not good.

I ordered mine from shenzhen audio on 15.07.2020, I guess it must have been from an early batch before you changed the pot matching process. Should I send it in for exchange?

 

[JohnYang1997]

I ordered mine from shenzhen audio on 15.07.2020, I guess it must have been from an early batch before you changed the pot matching process. Should I send it in for exchange?

There is no early batch. If you found it to be an issue then yeah get a replacement.

 

[artbur]

It explains why I thought that some headphones had a slight balance issue when using medium gain at around 09:00-10:00. @JohnYang1997 Should I send it to Topping or Shenzhen Audio?

 

[metalrob]

@JohnYang1997: I consider to purchase 2 L30's as double mono preamps (to active speakers) for the benefit of far better channel separation (crosstalk-reduction) and increased power stability for the cost of a bit of a clumsy volume control (what doesn't bother me). Therefore I plan to install one L30 for only left channel connection and the second one should handle just the right one. Each unused inputs and outputs will be closed with a MegOhm resistor to avoid possible noise or interference for whatever reason. Also my headphones (Meze 99 classic) should be handled that way- easily done with it's separate L/R jacks (after tuned Left&Right Cables).

Do you see the chance of significantly better performance doing that way?

Greetingz, Robert

 

[JohnYang1997]

@JohnYang1997: I consider to purchase 2 L30's as double mono preamps (to active speakers) for the benefit of far better channel separation (crosstalk-reduction) and increased power stability for the cost of a bit of a clumsy volume control (what doesn't bother me). Therefore I plan to install one L30 for only left channel connection and the second one should handle just the right one. Each unused inputs and outputs will be closed with a MegOhm resistor to avoid possible noise or interference for whatever reason. Also my headphones (Meze 99 classic) should be handled that way- easily done with it's separate L/R jacks (after tuned Left&Right Cables).

Do you see the chance of significantly better performance doing that way?

Greetingz, Robert

no

 

[Vini darko]

 

[half_dog]

@JohnYang1997: I consider to purchase 2 L30's as double mono preamps (to active speakers) for the benefit of far better channel separation (crosstalk-reduction) and increased power stability for the cost of a bit of a clumsy volume control (what doesn't bother me). Therefore I plan to install one L30 for only left channel connection and the second one should handle just the right one. Each unused inputs and outputs will be closed with a MegOhm resistor to avoid possible noise or interference for whatever reason. Also my headphones (Meze 99 classic) should be handled that way- easily done with it's separate L/R jacks (after tuned Left&Right Cables).

Do you see the chance of significantly better performance doing that way?

Greetingz, Robert

If your active speakers have bal inputs you could use L30 is a mono bal pre-amp (each bal signal go to a channel of L30 eg.: positive go to left channel and negative to right channel), but I don't see any significant quality gain on it. If you already have got them, give it a try...?

 

[Lifu]

Hello!

How much Current can the L30 output at each gain setting when paired with E30?

Thanks

 

[JohnYang1997]

Hello!

How much Current can the L30 output at each gain setting when paired with E30?

Thanks

Same. Depends on your load.

 

[Lifu]

Same. Depends on your load.

Considering the planars need more current, can the amp not be capped by the current before it is by the voltage or watts?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Considering the planars need more current, can the amp not be capped by the current before it is by the voltage or watts?

Mostly yes.

 

[Lifu]

Mostly yes.

Is there a way to find out the amp max current output?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Is there a way to find out the amp max current output?

1500mA per channel.