Topping L50 Review (Headphone Amp)

[mslim]

Would doing Se/Bal/Pre-out toggle have changed the performance?

Does plugging in the HP mute the pass-through?

 

[anphex]

Now make a speaker amp with those specs and kick the AHB2 off the throne for half the price thank you bye.

 

[raif71]

Would doing Se/Bal/Pre-out toggle have changed the performance?

Does plugging in the HP mute the pass-through?

Since pass-through will need the L50 to be in the Off position, any headphone plugged in or out should not matter if I understand correctly

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Not necessarily.

Great products (again) John.

But I’ve posed this elsewhere. This DAC/amp stack costs more than the EX5, has fewer features and, unless you have hard-to-drive headphones, the stack offers no increase in audible performance.

Any reason to buy the stack instead of the EX5 if you don’t have ‘difficult’ headphones?

 

[audio_tony]

Is the input impedance a bit higher now or is it still ridiculously low as per other Topping products in recent times?

 

[KaMiKaZeCATS]

Don't turn it on! Take it aapppaart!
Please do a dissemble post?

 

[Music1969]

I assume you are joking.

The channel balance is 0dB up to -20dB output level. It deviates just -0.5dB at -40dB output level. Below that level any difference will be inaudible.

Under the graph Amir writes "As usual your mileage may vary"...

 

[aandres_gm]

Great products (again) John.

But I’ve posed this elsewhere. This DAC/amp stack costs more than the EX5, has fewer features and, unless you have hard-to-drive headphones, the stack offers no increase in audible performance.

Any reason to buy the stack instead of the EX5 if you don’t have ‘difficult’ headphones?

Pass-through of balanced + SE signals.

 

[TheTalbotHound]

Which Opamp does the new L50 amp use? 6120A2 like the L30 and A90, or OPA1656 like the A30Pro, or something different?

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Pass-through of balanced + SE signals.

Good point, and something I hadn’t noticed. Thanks for pointing that out.

Now, I’ve had a think. I know a lot of us, based on the science, believe that most modern good DACs are pretty much perfect as it is (well, the ones which ‘review well ‘ here). I don’t see myself upgrading th at all, but if you really pushed me, I can see I might at some point need a better amp, but not a better DAC.

As such, the balanced outs here cover all bases.

Thanks again.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

Okay, I’ll say this, but don’t want to sound moaning, or ‘entitled’.

This is undoubtably a great product at a great price. But it’s not what I was expecting.

When the D10 Balanced appeared, I noted that there wasn’t a lot of point having a budget DAC with balanced outs, if there wasn’t a budget headphone amp with balanced ins. Okay, that’s going too far. Not ‘no point’, but I felt there was a hole in the market for a matching, budget headphone amp with balance inputs.

In short, updating the L30 to an L30 balanced, in the same way the D10s was updated to the D10 balanced, and with a similar uptick in price of $40 to $170. That’d make a nice stack of both for $310.

So yes, this is great. I’m just a tiny bit disappointed we didn’t see that.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Okay, I’ll say this, but don’t want to sound moaning, or ‘entitled’.

This is undoubtably a great product at a great price. But it’s not what I was expecting.

When the D10 Balanced appeared, I noted that there wasn’t a lot of point having a budget DAC with balanced outs, if there wasn’t a budget headphone amp with balanced ins. Okay, that’s going too far. Not ‘no point’, but I felt there was a hole in the market for a matching, budget headphone amp with balance inputs.

In short, updating the L30 to an L30 balanced, in the same way the D10s was updated to the D10 balanced, and with a similar uptick in price of $40 to $170. That’d make a nice stack of both for $310.

So yes, this is great. I’m just a tiny bit disappointed we didn’t see that.

It doesn't work like that. L50 is the "L30 updated to balanced". It is what it is. And to make the stack more affordable there's D10 Balanced to pair with it so you don't have to have E50. You can't have everything for nothing.
It works for D10 Balanced is because it's already balanced internally. Making it balanced output actually removes one opamp in the signal path but all the other components make up for it.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

It doesn't work like that. L50 is the "L30 updated to balanced". It is what it is. And to make the stack more affordable there's D10 Balanced to pair with it so you don't have to have E50. You can't have everything for nothing.
It works for D10 Balanced is because it's already balanced internally. Making it balanced output actually removes one opamp in the signal path but all the other components make up for it.

Thank you John.

Do I have this right? Are you saying that taking the L30 and fitting balanced outs necessitated a price increase of $140 ? Wow! That’s more than doubling the price!

I wasn’t expecting that, so please pardon my ignorance, and my unreasonable expectation/guesswork on price.

Thanks again.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Thank you John.

Do I have this right? Are you saying that taking the L30 and fitting balanced outs necessitated a price increase of $140 ? Wow! That’s more than doubling the price!

I wasn’t expecting that, so please pardon my ignorance, and my unreasonable expectation/guesswork on price.

Thanks again.

What? L30 is 149 and L50 is 229.

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

What? L30 is 149 and L50 is 229.

My apologies, I was going by the price of the L30 on Amir’s original review. I’ve now noticed he mentioned the price he’d seen it for rather than the rrp.

The rest was just my rubbish maths.

I never hesitate to admit I’ve made an error and apologise for it, and this is such an instance.

Anyway, I suppose what I was trying to say is that I expected an L30 balanced with the same $40 price-hike as the D10s increased to when it became the D10 balanced, with the stack costing $330. I can now see that wasn’t possible.

 

[JohnYang1997]

My apologies, I was going by the price of the L30 on Amir’s original review. I’ve now noticed he mentioned the price he’d seen it for rather than the rrp.

The rest was just my rubbish maths.

I never hesitate to admit I’ve made an error and apologise for it, and this is such an instance.

All good.

 

[Matias]

I always refer to these tables to understand their differences, very nice.

 

[Vini darko]

Thanks for the review Amir.
Im intrested in the firm ware upgradable protection circuits. @JohnYang1997 could you let us know it's various functions please?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Thanks for the review Amir.
Im intrested in the firm ware upgradable protection circuits. @JohnYang1997 could you let us know it's various functions please?

It's probably just an insurance for us. Developing a feature like that can reduce the risk of having any issue in the firmware down the line. It would better never be used in the life of the product.

 

[pma]

I always refer to these tables to understand their differences, very nice.

View attachment 150674

As always, input impedance is missing. They show only "nice" numbers.