Topping L30 Headphone Amplifier Review

[solderdude]

channel imbalance = 0.005dB which is excellent !

Set amp to L gain.
Put music on and ensure the volume control is above '9 'o clock'
When you hear imbalance first try a mono signal. Hear if certain or all frequencies pan out of center.

Then swap L and R cable on the headphone. Does it stay the same then cable = O.K.

Then swap it back to normal and put the headphone the wrong way on you head (L on R of head) If it pans to the other side it's the headphone. If the sound pans to the left side its your hearing.

These tests should be enough to be conclusive.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

Topping L30 amp: worst Hifi item I have ever bought.
Sterile, lean presentation...no body in the midrange...zero musicality...horrible for anybody who wants to listen to music.

And no, it is not neutral as it suppresses midrange.
This one goes in the garbage.

And now go and check out all these wonderful YouTube reviews...

 

[companyja]

damn sounds like you hate your headphones, very sad

try stacking those doorstops, and be sure to put them in the middle as it will affect the mid-range the most

 

[tommy307]

Topping L30 amp: worst Hifi item I have ever bought.
Sterile, lean presentation...no body in the midrange...zero musicality...horrible for anybody who wants to listen to music.

And no, it is not neutral as it suppresses midrange.
This one goes in the garbage.

And now go and check out all these wonderful YouTube reviews...[/

 

[tommy307]

Totally agree-You Tube reviewers must have received a different model.Any advice for a seperate amp that will drive a Sundara? I already have a dac I like.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

damn sounds like you hate your headphones, very sad

try stacking those doorstops, and be sure to put them in the middle as it will affect the mid-range the most

No, I love music. The Topping does not reproduce it properly. It sounds flat and generic.

 

[Robin L]

No, I love music. The Topping does not reproduce it properly. It sounds flat and generic.

The Topping L30 sounds as close to "nothing" as any amplification stage I have heard so far. If you want "color", look elsewhere. The Topping L30 does not sonically "colorize" your music.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

The Topping L30 sounds as close to "nothing" as any amplification stage I have heard so far. If you want "color", look elsewhere. The Topping L30 does not sonically "colorize" your music.

It sadly strips it down. Dynamics is lacking...music sounds bland...I put it up for sale on CAM.

 

[Racheski]

It sadly strips it down. Dynamics is lacking...music sounds bland...I put it up for sale on CAM.

I suggest you do a proper level-matched ABX test with another solid-state amp you enjoy and see if you can tell the difference.

 

[threni]

It sadly strips it down. Dynamics is lacking...music sounds bland...I put it up for sale on CAM.

If the amp is functioning properly then there's always the possibility you're just listening to really boring music.

 

[Jose Hidalgo]

Topping L30 amp: worst Hifi item I have ever bought.
Sterile, lean presentation...no body in the midrange...zero musicality...horrible for anybody who wants to listen to music.

And no, it is not neutral as it suppresses midrange.
This one goes in the garbage.

And now go and check out all these wonderful YouTube reviews...

Why do you lie, and who is paying you for that ?
L30 measurements are here, according to a very strict and clear protocol. Measurements don't lie.
And no, there's no "magical world" beyond measurements. There just isn't.

Talking about subjective audiophile criteria such as "presentation", "body in the midrange" or "musicality" is insufficient (how do those criteria translate into physical world measurements ?). But having the nerve to come here, to Audio Science Review where science matters above all the rest, just to complain and discharge that nonsensical audiophile crap, is almost an insult.

Feel free to go elsewhere discuss with other audiophiles that don't believe in science. And I say elsewhere because this is definitely not the place for that, sorry. If you keep on saying such false things about the L30, you will only be proving my opening point: that somebody's paying you to say X when measurements (from here and from other sites) clearly and undeniably show Y.

For the record I own two L30 myself. How should I put this ? Presentation is full, layered, precise and remarkably neutral, body in the midrange is voluptuous without losing clarity, and musicality is off the charts (whatever that may mean). I mean, that's how audiophiles talk, right ?

End of discussion for me. Others will carry on, I'm sure.

 

[tommy307]

I also own the amp.I don't need graphs or flowery audiophile phrases.That amp sucks.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

The amp is functioning fine. As to testing: I typically rely on my ears.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

Why do you lie, and who is paying you for that ?
L30 measurements are here, according to a very strict and clear protocol. Measurements don't lie.
And no, there's no "magical world" beyond measurements. There just isn't.

Talking about subjective audiophile criteria such as "presentation", "body in the midrange" or "musicality" is insufficient (how do those criteria translate into physical world measurements ?). But having the nerve to come here, to Audio Science Review where science matters above all the rest, just to complain and discharge that nonsensical audiophile crap, is almost an insult.

Feel free to go elsewhere discuss with other audiophiles that don't believe in science. And I say elsewhere because this is definitely not the place for that, sorry. If you keep on saying such false things about the L30, you will only be proving my opening point: that somebody's paying you to say X when measurements (from here and from other sites) clearly and undeniably show Y.

For the record I own two L30 myself. How should I put this ? Presentation is full, layered, precise and remarkably neutral, body in the midrange is voluptuous without losing clarity, and musicality is off the charts (whatever that may mean). I mean, that's how audiophiles talk, right ?

End of discussion for me. Others will carry on, I'm sure.

Thanks for pulling our legs. To me, the L30 sounds like...not much. Singers sound so thin as if they just came out of a three-year gulag imprisonment. Maybe somebody measure/weigh them to confirm.

And I am not an audiophile. Audiophiles listen to gear, I listen to music.

As to science: I have a PhD in Earth Sciences. I obviously need an earthier sounding amp.

Considering how well the L30 measures, this cannot be correlated with the speed they fly off the shelves. The selling ad is presently stuck at Canadian Audio Mart. The same bite as the amp itself...

 

[Racheski]

Why do you lie, and who is paying you for that ?

To be fair, I don't think he is lying. More likely his ears are lying to his brain.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

To be fair, I don't think he is lying. More likely his ears are lying to his brain.

That's a possible interpretation. Maybe the right medication or some cosmetic correction of the ear canal could help making this amp sound appealing.

Maybe somebody could measure enjoyment...or force my brain that the L30 sounds great...

 

[Racheski]

Is this your first SS linear amp? What are you comparing it to?

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

Is this your first SS linear amp? What are you comparing it to?

First, Jose above...I really thought he was pulling our legs...until I came to the conclusion, he wasn't. Maybe, he selected his wife also according to measurements. Not sure whether that makes her a nice person.

I have the Schiit Magni 2U, EarMen TR-amp, ifi Audio Nano bl, Khadas Tone2 Pro, all three Audioquest Dragonflies, Shanling UA2 etc. And I run this blog: www.audioreviews.org

What I compare the sound to...to what it should sound like in real life. I rely on my ears.

And I review a lot of earphones...and measure their frequency responses. But these measurements only tell you half the story. They don't say anything about quality such as timbre, staging, separation etc. they only give you sonic quantities.

 

[Racheski]

First, Jose above...I really thought he was pulling our legs...until I came to the conclusion, he wasn't. Maybe, he selected his wife also according to measurements. Not sure whether that makes her a nice person.

I have the Schiit Magni 2U, EarMen TR-amp, ifi Audio Nano bl, Khadas Tone2 Pro, all three Audioquest Dragonflies, Shanling UA2 etc. And I run this blog: www.audioreviews.org

What I compare the sound to...to what it should sound like in real life. I rely on my ears.

Well that's uncalled for and totally inappropriate. I'm done here.

 

[Dr Schweinsgruber]

Well that's uncalled for and totally inappropriate. I'm done here.

But accusing people of lying and being paid off for no real reason is called for?