Topping L50 Review (Headphone Amp)

[randomusername]

Please whack me in the neck. To avoid any rumour you'de better don't review two of their product in a row (so far the only one online as far google told me) and keep it 3 days on top of the review page.

I think the better way is to just not care about haters and conspirologists

 

[phoenixsong]

Please whack me in the neck. To avoid any rumour you'de better don't review two of their product in a row (so far the only one online as far google told me) and keep it 3 days on top of the review page. Of course nobody has any clue about what is really going on but if I was you and stating the above note I would avoid anything that could smell .... Just my two cents.

台式设备 归档 | L7Audiolab The reviews of these Topping products here in fact predates ASR's. I was actually wondering when they would show up when they did

 

[elole]

Does anyone know how does the low gain for L50 compared to the negative gain of IEMagni in terms of how much I can turn the volume knob for sensitive iems? I assume it correlates to the max power on each of their low gain? (which I'm not sure how to read from the graph)

 

[JohnYang1997]

Does anyone know how does the low gain for L50 compared to the negative gain of IEMagni in terms of how much I can turn the volume knob for sensitive iems? I assume it correlates to the max power on each of their low gain? (which I'm not sure how to read from the graph)

I'm pretty sure you will be using sensitive IEM with L50 very comfortably.

 

[elole]

I'm pretty sure you will be using sensitive IEM with L50 very comfortably.

Thanks! Just to confirm, does this statement also apply to the balanced XLR output for iems?

edit: nvm, I saw a comment that both outputs have same power

 

[DSS]

台式设备 归档 | L7Audiolab The reviews of these Topping products here in fact predates ASR's. I was actually wondering when they would show up when they did

Hard to read for me ...

 

[Muath]

How does this compare to Schiit Asgard 3? I'm really hesitating to choose between them

 

[phoenixsong]

Hard to read for me ...

Isn't there a page translation feature in your browser?

 

[Giangi71]

Which kind of power supply do you suggest instead of stock? Thanks

 

[kchap]

It's just a transformer.

 

[JohnYang1997]

How does this compare to Schiit Asgard 3? I'm really hesitating to choose between them

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/schiit-asgard-3-headphone-amp-dac.14393/

 

[JohnYang1997]

Which kind of power supply do you suggest instead of stock? Thanks

It's highly not recommended to use any aftermarket power supply.

 

[PresbyByrd]

@amirm thank you very much for this review.

@Topping, please enter the Audio & Video Receiver /Audio & Video Processor market!! or at least the multichannel DAC market!

It’s tantalizing to think what they might be able to bring to market in the sub $2000 range.

 

[Giangi71]

It's highly not recommended to use any aftermarket power supply.

Sure, ok. Could I connect the E50 to L50 via 6.3 balanced, balanced speakers to 6.3 passtrough L50 and subwoofer in RCA SE passtrough L50? In that way, how could I set the E50 fixed or variable? Thanks a lot

 

[ShiZo]

What is the fw port for?

 

[JohnYang1997]

Sure, ok. Could I connect the E50 to L50 via 6.3 balanced, balanced speakers to 6.3 passtrough L50 and subwoofer in RCA SE passtrough L50? In that way, how could I set the E50 fixed or variable? Thanks a lot

Passthrough means it's fixed only.
In order to use SE passthrough, you need to also connect SE input with the DAC output. So both RCA and TRS are needed to be connected between the dac and the L50.

 

[raif71]

My plan is to use D10b with L50 and use it solely for headphone amp. I won't be using the L50 passthrough to powered speakers as I don't want to mess around the volume at the back of the speakers. I wish that L50 had preamp capability like L30 but it is what it is.

 

[kchap]

My plan is to use D10b with L50 and use it solely for headphone amp. I won't be using the L50 passthrough to powered speakers as I don't want to mess around the volume at the back of the speakers. I wish that L50 had preamp capability like L30 but it is what it is.

My requirements are similar. In one room I have a RPi, D10b and power amps; in another I will have a RPi, DAC, and L50 (waiting for the L50 to arrive). I toyed with getting the E50 but will probably go for another D10B. I have a Khadas Tone Board I can use in the interim.

 

[JohnYang1997]

My plan is to use D10b with L50 and use it solely for headphone amp. I won't be using the L50 passthrough to powered speakers as I don't want to mess around the volume at the back of the speakers. I wish that L50 had preamp capability like L30 but it is what it is.

L50 is basically a cost down version of A30pro. There are two reason for no preamp for L50. One is that the amplifier is single ended. So to output a balanced output you either need to convert again or use some trick to do the balanced output without differential signalling. The second thing is that there's not enough space on the front panel for another switch like a90. There are some ways that can do all these but at a higher cost

 

[Yorkshire Mouth]

I might be wrong here but I don't believe it is balanced from beginning to end. As shown in this image, it can accept a balanced input and output a balanced signal, however internally it is single ended.

I believe Amir said something in a video about this; effectively, "So what!"

There are advantages to the end user of balanced inputs (eliminate ground loop), and balanced outputs (more power for tough 'phones), but what happens in between only matters in as far is it affects performance. So look at the performance, rather than the topology.

If it measures great, and is balanced right through, or measures exactly the same and isn't balanced right through, what difference is that to the end user.