Topping L30 II Review (Headphone Amp)

[BeeKay]

One question guys, that I know it may have been discussed before a lot…

I’m loving my L30II, the sound is clean clean clean… perfect in every way for such a small box.

Just a tiny bit of an issue with the volume knob; Its mostly fine but sometimes it "scratches" a tiny bit like it was touching the case when I turn the pointer around 9’clock.

Now, it does not bother me per se, I just want to confirm this is fairly common and it does not mean an issue in the long term.

Thank you so much in advance.

Cosmetical problem. The only scratches of concern would be when turning the volume knob and hear those on the headphones with the signal.
Another question - do you really turn the volume knob a lot? I mean you also could change volume at the digital end. In the DAC.

 

[patoulol]

in this case you lose the perfect bit

 

[BeeKay]

Should only worry if you actually can hear the difference

 

[fws]

Just a tiny bit of an issue with the volume knob; Its mostly fine but sometimes it "scratches" a tiny bit like it was touching the case when I turn the pointer around 9’clock.

Now, it does not bother me per se, I just want to confirm this is fairly common and it does not mean an issue in the long term.

I have a second unit now, and neither current one, nor the first one had any scratching in the knob, the feeling is perfectly smooth all around.

The knob itself should be just a simple push in "cap" onto a potentiometer shaft, so you should be fine checking if perhaps it sits uneven and adjusting it.

 

[Oscarilbo]

Cosmetical problem. The only scratches of concern would be when turning the volume knob and hear those on the headphones with the signal.
Another question - do you really turn the volume knob a lot? I mean you also could change volume at the digital end. In the DAC.

yeah, basically cosmetical. Just wanted to know if it won’t be a problem in the future. I don’t need to return it for another unit, as it works wonderfully. And yeah, I don’t hear any if that in the headophone end.

 

[Oscarilbo]

I see its just a tiny bit uneven, and when the knob is turned into the lower end, it gets a bit more uneven, and that’s when there’s a bit of contact. @JohnYang1997

Is this just cosmetic and does not pose a problem in the long term function wise?

(I tried to adjust it but I could not get it off, and I don’t want to force it too much)

 

[Roland68]

View attachment 462862View attachment 462863

I see its just a tiny bit uneven, and when the knob is turned into the lower end, it gets a bit more uneven, and that’s when there’s a bit of contact. @JohnYang1997

Is this just cosmetic and does not pose a problem in the long term function wise?

(I tried to adjust it but I could not get it off, and I don’t want to force it too much)

This is purely cosmetic; mechanically, these aren't precision components.
If the knob had been pushed on half a millimeter less during assembly, you would never have noticed.
Simply pull the knob forward half a millimeter.
Be careful, this can be very difficult; a leather rag is helpful. Don't use any tools, and under no circumstances pry against the front panel; it's only made of acrylic and will crack.

By the way, you'll have this in every price range if the knob sits directly on the potentiometer spindle, even if the amp costs five figures.

 

[Oscarilbo]

This is purely cosmetic; mechanically, these aren't precision components.
If the knob had been pushed on half a millimeter less during assembly, you would never have noticed.
Simply pull the knob forward half a millimeter.
Be careful, this can be very difficult; a leather rag is helpful. Don't use any tools, and under no circumstances pry against the front panel; it's only made of acrylic and will crack.

By the way, you'll have this in every price range if the knob sits directly on the potentiometer spindle, even if the amp costs five figures.

Thank you, if so, then there’s no problem for me at all. Thank you.

Btw, didn’t know this could happen at any price range.

 

[douteiful]

I'm planning to replace my old O2 with a L30 II+E30 II stack. Is the L30 II free from the headphone damaging issues from the original? Is it safe to use now?

 

[Roland68]

I'm planning to replace my old O2 with a L30 II+E30 II stack. Is the L30 II free from the headphone damaging issues from the original? Is it safe to use now?

Topping had already fixed the problem in the first version of the L30 starting with serial number 2012xxxxxx and replaced the affected devices.
Since then, no further cases have occurred with the L30 and L30 II, nor with any other Topping devices.

 

[douteiful]

Topping had already fixed the problem in the first version of the L30 starting with serial number 2012xxxxxx and replaced the affected devices.
Since then, no further cases have occurred with the L30 and L30 II, nor with any other Topping devices.

I've been searching and indeed it seems that's the case. Thank you.

 

[sabih]

I want to know can this device be used as a pre-amp?

 

[staticV3]

I want to know can this device be used as a pre-amp?

Yes. Gain switch and Volume knob apply to the RCA outputs on the back.

See the product page: https://www.toppingaudio.com/product-item/l30-ii

Or the User manual: https://www.toppingaudio.com/download/l30-ii-dian-zi-shuo-ming-shu-2

 

[sabih]

One more question.
I want to bypass opamps in my DAC and use this device for gain between dac and amp.
Have to some DIY to completely bypass the opamp.
Is it possible?

 

[Roland68]

One more question.
I want to bypass opamps in my DAC and use this device for gain between dac and amp.
Have to some DIY to completely bypass the opamp.
Is it possible?

That makes absolutely no sense.
You'd have to first check whether the op amp is part of the filtering; then it's not possible.
But even if it's just the output/buffer stage, that's a very bad idea.

From your question, I gather that you don't have the necessary knowledge for something like that. Why do you want to bypass the op amp, and what do you hope to achieve by doing that?

 

[Pulkass]

As good as any


With ease.

My Topping L30 (first edition) power supply fell and broke. I bought another one, wrongly at 15 V DC. Whereas the original is 15 V AC. I m trying to buy a proper one, but how many watts should it be? 1 ampere ok.

 

[Roland68]

My Topping L30 (first edition) power supply fell and broke. I bought another one, wrongly at 15 V DC. Whereas the original is 15 V AC. I m trying to buy a proper one, but how many watts should it be? 1 ampere ok.

1A is sufficient. It's just a transformer without any electronics in a power supply housing.

 

[staticV3]

My Topping L30 (first edition) power supply fell and broke. I bought another one, wrongly at 15 V DC. Whereas the original is 15 V AC. I m trying to buy a proper one, but how many watts should it be? 1 ampere ok.

Here's a thread for you:

I

'Topping L30 power adapter discontinued - alternatives?'

Sep 22, 2022

As title states: What are the alternatives for procuring a 220-240V compatible (Europe) replacement power adapter for the Topping L30 headphone amplifier?

I reached out to one of the Topping authorized sellers in Europe, Audiophonics, asking about a replacement power adapter for Topping L30. They were previously offering Power Supply 220-230V AC to 15V 1A AC, now stating it is discontinued.

Their reply was brief and to the point: "Topping no longer offers it individually, so unfortunately not. Sorry."

Finding an AC/AC adapter at 15V and at least 1A is proving very difficult. The...

• izbit
• topping l30
• Replies: 25
• Forum: Headphone Amplifier Reviews & Discussion

 

[kukrisna]

Hello! I recently purchased the JDS Atom 2 stack, and I'm overall very happy with it. I'm using an HD600 and an ATH-M40x. I'm here in this thread, as there are two instances where I would possibly want a bit more oomph, specifically with the HD600. Overall the volume is more than plenty for normal listening. But I do a fair amount of editing, and there are times where I need to listen for noises and I can max out the knob on high gain and it's okay, but I kind of want just a little bit more. The other instance is with extremely quiet passages usually with classical music. I would not normally crank the knob that high, but when I want to spotlight certain things, I want a little more. So, my question is would the L30ii be able to deliver that little bit extra? It's not expensive, so I'll probably just buy it and see if it's worth keeping, but wondering if anyone has any experience. Thanks!

 

[Roland68]

Hello! I recently purchased the JDS Atom 2 stack, and I'm overall very happy with it. I'm using an HD600 and an ATH-M40x. I'm here in this thread, as there are two instances where I would possibly want a bit more oomph, specifically with the HD600. Overall the volume is more than plenty for normal listening. But I do a fair amount of editing, and there are times where I need to listen for noises and I can max out the knob on high gain and it's okay, but I kind of want just a little bit more. The other instance is with extremely quiet passages usually with classical music. I would not normally crank the knob that high, but when I want to spotlight certain things, I want a little more. So, my question is would the L30ii be able to deliver that little bit extra? It's not expensive, so I'll probably just buy it and see if it's worth keeping, but wondering if anyone has any experience. Thanks!

In fact, the L30 II delivers twice the power at 300 ohms, while at 32 ohms it delivers only about 0.8 watts more.

If you're ready to invest in balanced cables for your headphones and perhaps plan to add other power-hungry headphones in the future, you could consider the significantly more powerful L70, or the DX5 II as a replacement for your stack.