• 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 II Review (Headphone Amp)

Rate this headphone amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 10 2.8%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 11 3.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 28 7.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 314 86.5%

  • Total voters
    363

Rja4000

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
2,682
Likes
4,220
Location
Liège, Belgium
I wonder if SNR is not using another method.
Like measuring the level of 50mV, then the noise without signal, then computing the difference.
 

Sgt. Ear Ache

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
1,894
Likes
4,150
Location
Winnipeg Canada
I'm looking very closely at this amp...which usually means I'm going to buy it soon lol. I currently have a Schiit Heresy driving my HE400i headphones. My reasons for considering the purchase have absolutely nothing to do with sound quality. The Heresy sounds jaw-droppingly great (as did the Liquid Spark I had before that which is now in a box with a bunch of other unused gear). I'm not under any illusions about the idea that I might hear some sonic benefit from the L30ii in comparison - I won't. But, the L30ii is only $200 (in Canadian funds) which isn't a huge expense and I'll get some extra power headroom, a 3 step gain option, a potentially nicer-feeling volume knob (one of the Heresy's minor little weak points) and a form factor that matches my E30 dac so that I can stack them instead of having them sitting side by side on my desk. Plus, I'll get to say I have pretty much the upper upper echelon of HP amp performance in my chain. I might get a blue one. :D
 

_mkultr4

New Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2022
Messages
2
Likes
0
Hey,

i'm a music producer and i recently bought this unit.

To my surprise today the unit started blinking and muting itself, but only when i played a certain sound that had an DC offset.

Is that some part of the units protection circuits or did i get a faulty unit?

Regards
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
The amp is DC coupled and has DC protection so that might be the reason.

You can try to determine at which volume setting this happens. Or, in digital format, remove the DC offset if possible (high-pass the song above 20Hz).
When it only happens with that song above a certain volume level and not with other songs the protection is simply doing its job.
 

_mkultr4

New Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2022
Messages
2
Likes
0
It's part of the protection circuit.
Consumer DACs should protect against DC on the output.
DC has no place in audio.
RME DAC....

it's not about a whole track, i was just playing around with a kick synth when this started happening
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
Simply filter the bottom octave on that channel
 

Blitzen

New Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2022
Messages
2
Likes
1
Does anyone have any idea if this will be able to driver Verum One MK2? It has really low impedance ~7 ohms so not sure it it will cope with such low impedance.
 

yandaex

Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2022
Messages
14
Likes
4
I'm looking very closely at this amp...which usually means I'm going to buy it soon lol. I currently have a Schiit Heresy driving my HE400i headphones. My reasons for considering the purchase have absolutely nothing to do with sound quality. The Heresy sounds jaw-droppingly great (as did the Liquid Spark I had before that which is now in a box with a bunch of other unused gear). I'm not under any illusions about the idea that I might hear some sonic benefit from the L30ii in comparison - I won't. But, the L30ii is only $200 (in Canadian funds) which isn't a huge expense and I'll get some extra power headroom, a 3 step gain option, a potentially nicer-feeling volume knob (one of the Heresy's minor little weak points) and a form factor that matches my E30 dac so that I can stack them instead of having them sitting side by side on my desk. Plus, I'll get to say I have pretty much the upper upper echelon of HP amp performance in my chain. I might get a blue one. :D
I got my l30ii on aliexpress duribg 11.11sale at around 132 CAD... after tax and free shipping!
 

Selkirks

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2022
Messages
58
Likes
107
I recently started to get static playing some songs. Possibly related to high frequencies? The L30 II worked fine for 2 weeks on the same content. Adjusting gain and swapping headphones had the same results. Unable to replicate the issue with my other headphone amp (SMSL VMV A1).

Another dud from Topping?
 

half_dog

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
452
Likes
361
Location
Brazil
I recently started to get static playing some songs. Possibly related to high frequencies? The L30 II worked fine for 2 weeks on the same content. Adjusting gain and swapping headphones had the same results. Unable to replicate the issue with my other headphone amp (SMSL VMV A1).

Another dud from Topping?
Could you describe your current setup? Maybe something might not be in its best "implementation". I mean, once I had a similar situation with a L30 when I was using it with a dongle connected to a smartphone (no ground. But when it is fed by a D10s which is connected to a pc (grounded) - current situation. There is no noise.
 

solderdude

Grand Contributor
Joined
Jul 21, 2018
Messages
15,891
Likes
35,912
Location
The Neitherlands
see post # 506:

Seems to be an issue. This would not become obvious in an audio test environment, only in an EMC lab.
Perhaps tinkering with ferrites as close as possible to the amp itself could reduce/remove sensitivity or some strategically placed small capacitors.
 

half_dog

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2018
Messages
452
Likes
361
Location
Brazil
and balanced cables
How do you connect L30II with balanced cables? o_O
Singxer SDA-6 Advanced DAC
This DAC has a ground pin. That's nice! But you have a pc and a balanced DAC connected to ground feeding a unbalanced and not grounded amplifier this might being causing a ground loop which is leaking to the L30. It isn't the safest approach to test it but if you have a power plug adapter without the ground pin you could leave the dac floating (it will remain grounded only by its USB connection) and check if the interference stops. In the case of it stops, I would recommend you to buy a USB isolator like the Topping HS01 or something similar or buy a balanced headphone amp.

Usually low votlage unbalanced devices with external power adapter has no ground in their power input - L30, E30, Sabaj A10h, A10d etc. The manufacturer expects the user to connect it in a grounded source device like a desktop or noebook. But some times the expected implementation is a little different from the user intention. I'm not saying you are wrong.

power plug adapter:
 
Last edited:

Selkirks

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2022
Messages
58
Likes
107
How do you connect L30II with balanced cables? o_O

Sorry auto correct. I meant to write the issue occurs with different RCA and headphone cables.

What will the HS01 provide compared to the galvanic isolation in the SDA-6? I might have misunderstood the recommendation.

The vendor is requesting I return it.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom