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Topping L70 Headphone Amp Review

Rate this headphone amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 14 4.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 2 0.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 31 9.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 284 85.8%

  • Total voters
    331
After updating the firmware to version 1.14, if I leave the rear power switch off for some time(about 10 minutes??), and then turn it on, the power won't turn on. In this case, I have to turn off the rear power switch and turn it on again, and then L70 works normally. Since I don't use stand-by mode, I downgraded the firmware to version 1.13. After downgrading the firmware, the above problem disappeared. Has anyone experienced the same problem as me?
 
L701.png

Picture of my L70 board, no components on the bottom.
- The two large 33uF/450V capacitors belong to the two small 15V switching power supplies.
- The 6 x 470uF/25V capacitors are part of the power supply.
- The 4 pieces of black 1000uF/16V capacitors are part of the supply of the HP Amp.
- The 2 black 1000uF/16V capacitors supply the balanced input OPAmp.
- 2 pieces of green MUSE capacitors take over the DC filtering of the SE input.
- Only 3 OPAmps on the board in total.
All information without guarantee.
 
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I ended up getting the L70 because I didn't think the A70 was probably worth the extra price, for my needs. No knock against the A70, plus I read of failure rates. It was kind of between this and the A90D but I figured Topping will come out with an A90D successor at some point so no loss.

the only other Chinese amp/competitor I have is the SMSL SP200. I was going to get the SP400 but the prices on those are actually more expensive than the L70 at this point for some weird reason (and it's out of production, supposedly).

the SP200 has a more overly clean/sterile/boring/precise sound. the L70 has a warmer thicker organic less precise sound. The SP200 can be a little edgy and harsh while the L70 is more laid back and smooth but with less air/definition around the instruments. The SP200 is more punchy sounding and the L70 seems more rounded. The SP200 seems to have more apparent detail level available but I'm pretty sure that's because the treble on the L70 is rolled off, plus the midbass on the SP200 is less prominent. The vocals on the L70 are pretty forward and warm. They sound really nice. Overall, the L70 is a really nice relaxing smooth warm listen. Would recommend if you're into that sort of thing, but if you're looking for maximum detail, look elsewhere. The detail is present on the L70 but it's not prominent like it could be on other amps and takes a backstep to things like ease of listening.

I am pretty sure the SP200 has a deeper boxier soundstage, while the L70 is a wider soundstage. Things sound a bit more holographic on the SP200. The background noise/blackness is probably better on the L70 but I'd have to do a direct comparison.
 
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Picture of my L70 board, no components on the bottom.
- The two large 33uF/450V capacitors belong to the two small 15V switching power supplies.
- The 6 x 470uF/25V capacitors are part of the power supply.
- The 4 pieces of black 1000uF/16V capacitors are part of the supply of the HP Amp.
- The 2 black 1000uF/16V capacitors supply the balanced input OPAmp.
- 2 pieces of green MUSE capacitors take over the DC filtering of the SE input.
- Only 3 OPAmps on the board in total.
All information without guarantee.

any change you can measure the dimensions of the heatsink? thank you!
 
any change you can measure the dimensions of the heatsink? thank you!
Why do you want to do that?
This size of heatsink is perfect and proven in several devices.
If your goal is to reduce heat, then that's a mistake. Such devices require a certain operating temperature.
 
What do you think, is the a70 PRO technically the same as the L70, just with a different design and a fancy display?
 
Can anyone turn the L70 on from standby without a remote control? When I press the knob, nothing happens. I can only turn it on with the remote control.
 
L50 vs L70? Which one is better? Thanks!
I would say if money are not the problem go with the L70.
It has remote, r2r volume control so no issues with channel imbalance.
L70 has preamp function (L50 only passthrough) and more power.

Also nice display is a neat feature, especially in full speaker system and being able to see clearly volume setting.
XLR inputs instead of TRS jacks seem to be also more convenient.
 
I would say if money are not the problem go with the L70.
It has remote, r2r volume control so no issues with channel imbalance.
L70 has preamp function (L50 only passthrough) and more power.

Also nice display is a neat feature, especially in full speaker system and being able to see clearly volume setting.
XLR inputs instead of TRS jacks seem to be also more convenient.
Thank you so much! Finally, i will order l70.
 
I have a question that may seem silly but is there any difference between XLR out and 4.4 out in this case? Thanks a lot!
 
I'm considering this DAC. Seems to be a very solid reliable performer with very little technical hardware issues. Have some questions.

1) How much more power does this have than the DX3 Pro+?
2) Is the sound coming from this better than the DX3 Pro+?
3) For heat does it run hot? I didn't like how hot the DX3 Pro+ always ran even at idle not doing anything.

I also love the big screen on this and the white color as opposed to other Topping models and that XLR jack is far more useful than a TRS one. Hated the UI on the DX3 Pro+ I bought that because I got sucked in by the high reviews for it.
 
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I'm considering this DAC. Seems to be a very solid reliable performer with very little technical hardware issues. Have some questions.

1) How much more power does this have than the DX3 Pro+?
2) Is the sound coming from this better than the DX3 Pro+?
3) For heat does it run hot? I didn't like how hot the DX3 Pro+ always ran even at idle not doing anything.

I also love the big screen on this and the white color as opposed to other Topping models and that XLR jack is far more useful than a TRS one. Hated the UI on the DX3 Pro+ I bought that because I got sucked in by the high reviews for it.
The l70 has approximately 4x more power when needed.
In my opinion and experience, the sound is better than the DX3 Pro+. For me, the DX3 Pro+ was worse than my Violektric V100 and the L70 is better. But we're talking about nuances here rather than worlds.
My L70 only gets lukewarm even after hours of continuous use, but that always depends on the ambient temperature.

I actually already have enough HPAs and just wanted to test the L70. And then he just stayed...:facepalm:
 
The l70 has approximately 4x more power when needed.
In my opinion and experience, the sound is better than the DX3 Pro+. For me, the DX3 Pro+ was worse than my Violektric V100 and the L70 is better. But we're talking about nuances here rather than worlds.
My L70 only gets lukewarm even after hours of continuous use, but that always depends on the ambient temperature.

I actually already have enough HPAs and just wanted to test the L70. And then he just stayed...:facepalm:

Thanks for your insight! I'm really tempted to try out the L70. It sounds like the L70 has good quality control long term. I'd rather pay more for a unit that lasts years without issues than spending less up front and having it crap out much sooner (which is really more in the long run because you have to pay again to buy another DAC).

I'm surprised the L70 doesn't have bluetooth. So Im guessing the best way to connect a phone to it for music playback is just through the USB jack?
 
Thanks for your insight! I'm really tempted to try out the L70. It sounds like the L70 has good quality control long term. I'd rather pay more for a unit that lasts years without issues than spending less up front and having it crap out much sooner (which is really more in the long run because you have to pay again to buy another DAC).

I'm surprised the L70 doesn't have bluetooth. So Im guessing the best way to connect a phone to it for music playback is just through the USB jack?
The L70 is just a pure HPA, you still need a DAC. That's why it doesn't have BT.
 
Hey guys, forgive the nooby-esque question but, if the balanced XLR output gives 1.9 watts on low gain mode @ 32ohms, and the unbalanced 1/4” output gives 2 watts on high gain mode @ 32ohms, is either one of those going to "sound better" than the other?

Or to ask it another way... Does balanced sound better than unbalanced if all things are (basically) equal?

I've often heard that balanced sounds better. But is it just a simple matter of balanced typically having more wattage/power than unbalanced? And that's why it sounds better? Or is there something going on with balanced outside of wattage that gives it an advantage?
I'm trying to decide if it'd be worth buying a balanced XLR cable instead of using unbalanced 1/4".
Thanks!
 
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