Topping L30 II Review (Headphone Amp)

[Doodski]

Is there supposed to be a certain order or way to plugging in the Amp safely?

Ordered the same replacement transformer.

Attach the headphones and audio input, attach power transformer and switch ON the power if there is switching.

 

[Shando]

How hard is it to open the L30 II to see if there was any damage first before plugging in the new transformer or should I try plugging it in first?

 

[Roland68]

How hard is it to open the L30 II to see if there was any damage first before plugging in the new transformer or should I try plugging it in first?

Not difficult at all.
Pull off the volume button, it's difficult and you must not lever against the dark plexiglass panel on the front, otherwise this panel could break.
Then carefully unscrew the nut on the volume potentiometer.
And finally remove the two screws on the right and left on the back.
Put both switches in the middle position and carefully pull the circuit board out to the back.
Post a photo here.

 

[Shando]

Attach the headphones and audio input, attach power transformer and switch ON the power if there is switching.

What is switching?

The transformer just arrived yesterday

 

[Doodski]

What is switching?

Switching means a power switch.

 

[Berndt-Inge]

I have a Naim NAIT amplifier that lacks a headphone output so I am considering buying a LS30 II. As the NAIT lacks a pre-out I am planing to use the tape out connection. The specs says tapeouts level and impedance are 75 mV, 1k ohm. Will the LS30 II work connected like this?
Headphones available are:
SoHo 45s - 16 ohm/116dB
Sennheiser HD201 - 24 ohm/108 dB
Sony MDR-50T - 55 ohm/101 dB

 

[AnalogSteph]

Usually tape-outs are either looped through directly or with a unity gain buffer in between at best. Should work.

 

[Roland68]

Usually tape-outs are either looped through directly or with a unity gain buffer in between at best. Should work.

Isn't the voltage of 75mV too low?

 

[Berndt-Inge]

I contacted Topping service about the setup. They came back saying nothing about the 75 mV. However they said that there could be a impedance mismatch with the tape outputs 1 kohm and the L30II's 2.5 kohm input as generally a 10 times ratio is recommended.

 

[Roland68]

I contacted Topping service about the setup. They came back saying nothing about the 75 mV. However they said that there could be a impedance mismatch with the tape outputs 1 kohm and the L30II's 2.5 kohm input as generally a 10 times ratio is recommended.

What source devices do you have in front of the Naim NAIT?

 

[Berndt-Inge]

Linn LP12 Valhalla - Linn Basik Plus - Audio-Technica AT-VM95E (for 33 RPM's)
Technics SL-1200 Mk7 - Audio-Technica AT-VM95E - Ortofon 2M 78 (for 45 and 78 RPM's)
Yamaha WXAD-10 (for FLAC files)

 

[Roland68]

Linn LP12 Valhalla - Linn Basik Plus - Audio-Technica AT-VM95E (for 33 RPM's)
Technics SL-1200 Mk7 - Audio-Technica AT-VM95E - Ortofon 2M 78 (for 45 and 78 RPM's)
Yamaha WXAD-10 (for FLAC files)

Very nice devices, then I would recommend the Dynavox AUX-S PRO switch, 5 inputs and 2 outputs for the Naim and the L30 II.

 

[Berndt-Inge]

A good suggestion but I already have one with 4 in and 1 out which connects the SL-1200 and WXAD-10 to the NAIT's tuner input. I also have a RIAA after the 1200. I am curious about how you think that the 75 mV output from the tape-out should be to low for the L30II input. What effect might that have you think?

 

[Shando]

Attach the headphones and audio input, attach power transformer and switch ON the power if there is switching.

The new amp is working. Not sure why the old one sparked and burned

 

[heartlezz7]

Is it worth to upgrade from l30 to l30ii? if i am satisfied with volume and don't need extra gain

 

[Turambar]

I think you can answer to your own question.

 

[fws]

I think Topping needs to step up and further increase power in L30 III... as I'm ashamed to say I just 100%ed it... I mean, for my defense, it is not even 7mA! *at 2000Ohm *

 

[korgua]

I had an itch to try a headphone amplifier so based on the glowing Audio Science reviews I got me an L30 II.

I connected the L30 via RCA to an SMSL SU-1, which is USB connected to a PC, and streamed the 2011 FLAC of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" to HE400SEs via Lyrion.

I had a Pi3B running picoreplayer with a JCally JM20 Max connected, also streaming the 2011 FLAC of "The Chain"

With the same volume, swapping the headphones ( physically unplugging ), my ears could not tell the difference.

Not sure what I was expecting to gain with the L30 II....I knew the JCally was good and I also have an SMSL 200 which is great with my SR80 and HE400SEs.

Is the rest of my gear not good enough to reveal the capabilities of the L30?

 

[oleg87]

What kind of differences were you hoping would be "revealed"? Both this and the JCally are high-performance devices that have low noise, flat FR, and comfortably outmatch the ear's ability to discern nonlinearities. If you're running both within their power limits, they will almost certainly be indistinguishable when sighted bias is controlled for.

 

[staticV3]

Is the rest of my gear not good enough to reveal the capabilities of the L30?

No. The L30's capabilities are simply not demanded with your headphone and listening volume.

As long as your required output power is within the linear operating range of both Amps, no difference in sound quality can be expected.

Exceed the power rating of one and only then will the other be audibly better.