Topping LA90 Discrete Amplifier Review

[AdamG]

Topping is really a company that seems to care about quality. Not a fan of external power supplies though. I do not understand their need for small devices.

Iirc and I’m in no way an expert in such things. Separating the Power Supply module prevents negative EMI effects from the processing and output stage side. Enabling less noise and higher SINAD scores. Additional benefits are reduced heat load and reduced cost to replace a bad or failed power supply. Power bricks suck. But they have benefits too.

 

[JktHifi]

Why no remote control? That makes it a big no-no for me and many others I reckon.

Probably Topping want us to stay fixed at maximum volume then reduce the volume in iPad, PC, or TV.

 

[solderdude]

Crosstalk is so much higher than non-discrete version, but both are specd by topping at -138db?

inconsequential for speaker amps. Even -60dB would not be audible.

 

[Noske]

Of course all you newbies will be using sources with balanced outputs, but what of us oldies with some single ended RCA sources? I seem to recall the previous model was truly hobbled when used that way via properly configured interconnects...

There exists RCA male to balanced out cables. Construction must be done correctly; Bruno Putzeys wrote some words on the importance of this aspect which have been copied here in some obscure thread.

Edit. I found Mr Putzeys paper. It is a 13 page document in pdf format. While quite tedious reading, well, so be it.

 

[anphex]

Clean 280 W in bridge mode? Wow! This is way beyond Topping spec.
This changes a lot since most people expected 180 W peak or 220 Watt in their weird 10 % THD spec.
Is Topping confused about their own performance?

 

[TheWalkman]

Teardown, please!

 

[Koeitje]

Voted great in terms of performance. But I'd like to see an internal power supply and a remote control. Now I'm curious to see if we can get something that delivers 100W at 8 Ohm in the future.

 

[Sokel]

Now I'm curious to see if we can get something that delivers 100W at 8 Ohm in the future.

It does provide 279 watts at 4 Ohm bridged according the measurement so should be something around 100 - 120(?) at 8 ohm.

 

[hyfynut]

Topping is really a company that seems to care about quality. Not a fan of external power supplies though. I do not understand their need for small devices.

I agree. Why not just make a normal width amp with internal power supply?

 

[Sokel]

I agree. Why not just make a normal width amp with internal power supply?

As @AdamG247 said earlier probably noise.
Not audible in any way but surely measurable that would spoil the good numbers we saw at that review unless heavy shielding involved or other extreme measures (just guessing).
Remote control and internal PSU was Amir's wish as well in the first LA90 review so there must be some good reason (cost on top of the others maybe?Even if that one is on the upper budget area).

 

[Huang Jerry]

Mama please I want one so bad!

 

[Talisman]

This one has many more arrows to its bow than the first LA90, the power that can be reached at the bridge is truly remarkable and the performance in every area is at the absolute top.
If time will show a low failure rate and good topping responses as well as customer service, this could be a fantastic option to have high power, SOTA quality dual monoblocks.
We will see the response in 6 months / a year

 

[restorer-john]

So we have, in real terms, a three input power amplifier with a 'massive' 41wpc@8R amplifier stage that hits the wall so hard it shuts down. Wow. Impressive. Not.

40wpc per channel was pretty much the minimum, the absolute bare minimum entry into high fidelity in the early 1970s! 40wpc amplifiers were less than $150(US) and they were a genuine, under-rated 40wpc. And that was with speakers boasting 90-95dBSPL@1W/M sensitivity. Most two ways these days are 80-87dB.

This is kid's basement stuff.

 

[JRG]

Great performer, but a proper integrated amplifier should have a remote control.
I don't think it's appropriate to have to get out of your chair every time you need to adjust the volume when listening.
If it were a power amplifier intended to be connected to a preamp or DAC with integrated volume control (and its own remote) it would make sense. But it's an integrated amp, I don't think it would be that hard to add that functionality.

In my case, one of the inputs would come from the phono preamp, and therefore I need a remote control and volume control. Both of them.

 

[JRG]

In my opinion, Topping has it very easy to update this product. The recipe is obvious: place two of these stages in bridge mode inside a single chassis, include the power supply inside as well, and add a proper remote control.

Having the base, I don't think it would be that difficult.

 

[Sokel]

When you have infinite current capacity

Just the way I like it

That reminds me, wasn't there a NC502MP amp review recently and that was also a bridged amp with infinite* current capacity
*Not actually infinite, but for dramatic effect

Which reminds me, this Topping is a class AB amp. Let's say it is 50% efficient @ 80% power... so that's 70W * 2 * 80% = 112W to dissipate... That's... actually quite okay with the transistors mounted right onto the chonky heatsinks that are sitting right outside. Each one should handle 50W like a piece of cake if sitting in open air.

If only they wouldn't exaggerate in the description...
~18 x 7 cm heatshhink is about double the size of a stock CPU cooler (without the fan).
Giant???

 

[lordhumungous]

These are the only amplifiers I would buy as two are about 1/2 price of one Benchmark.

 

[mathman]

Topping is really a company that seems to care about quality. Not a fan of external power supplies though. I do not understand their need for small devices.

Just a wild guess, but maybe it's easier/cheaper to ship?

 

[Pritaudio]

2 of these or hypex ncx500?
nearly same price.

 

[peng]

For $1,600 (bridged), is it going to be a real AHB1 (edit: should be AHB2) killer this time?