Topping LA90 Discrete Amplifier Review

[jasonhanjk]

P.S. Power amplifiers are least reliable audio products (due to high currents and voltages involved). New designs sometimes need to prove themselves in this regard. So if you are risk averse, please don't be the first to purchase this amplifier.

I would disagree that power amplifier are least reliable due to high V & I. Statistically it depends on how good that company's design, their QA and manufacturers' process.

Even though with 2 of their products having design failure, I applaud them for their willingness to come out designs that are priced favourable.

 

[renaudrenaud]

It's unfair. We have active speakers and then something like that is coming.

 

[AndreaT]

Well, you really cannot please everybody. At a relatively modest price (the cost of two mid-level Nordost cables) we get a powerful amp with impeccable measurements in bridged mode.
I am left wondering if the gain in bridged mode was for the low or the high position of the switch in the back. If the amp is in low gain, it has improved the value, if in high gain, it has lost a few dB compared to the two channel mode.

 

[jimroge]

Did I miss max power for 8 ohm bridged? Seems like only 4 ohm is shown when both were tested for non-bridged mode.

 

[amirm]

Did I miss max power for 8 ohm bridged? Seems like only 4 ohm is shown when both were tested for non-bridged mode.

I always report max and peak power for 4 ohm since that is far more common than 8 ohm when it comes to speaker impedance.

 

[beeface]

I despise wall wart power supplies too.

Is it a wall-wart power supply? Given its size, I assumed it was an in-line unit.

 

[blueone]

Is it a wall-wart power supply? Given its size, I assumed it was an in-line unit.

I think you're right, it lays on a surface (floor, shelf, etc).

 

[TonyJZX]

i was wondering why Amir was reviewing this thing again... and when i delved in... wow

I feel like Topping are doing this 'because they can' rather than a market need.

So this is a literally THE state of the art no questions 40w x 2 class A/B amp

BUT the trump card comes when you monoblock them? it feels like 120-150w mono? which would make for an amazing system

I'm still not fan of TRS in this application... nor do I think THREE of them is three times better!

I would imagine just a single rca + xlr would be all that's needed given you are forced to have a preamp anyway.

 

[renaudrenaud]

i was wondering why Amir was reviewing this thing again... and when i delved in... wow

I feel like Topping are doing this 'because they can' rather than a market need.

So this is a literally THE state of the art no questions 40w x 2 class A/B amp

BUT the trump card comes when you monoblock them? it feels like 120-150w mono? which would make for an amazing system

I'm still not fan of TRS in this application... nor do I think THREE of them is three times better!

I would imagine just a single rca + xlr would be all that's needed given you are forced to have a preamp anyway.

Or a DAC with variable output.

 

[amirm]

I feel like Topping are doing this 'because they can' rather than a market need.

Actually, their hand was forced due to supply chain issues of the ICs used in the original LA90. But your sentiments are good. They flexed the muscles showing their design capabilities (once more).

 

[JktHifi]

Cast vote #3 from me.

Class AB with chip is better, not discrete.

 

[xaxxon]

Quite frankly, stunning performance. It makes One wonder what the establishment has been doing all these years....other than sitting on their laurels of course.

it's only stunning if it has enough power for you. It doesn't for me.

 

[xaxxon]

Topping is really a company that seems to care about quality.

That is not a feeling that you and I share. Topping has put out some garbage products and they don't have a good track record of following through on their promises.

Look at the @TOPPING-Service account... lots of talk, but no action - at least for me. So as amir said, if you're worried about quality, stay away from new topping amps.

 

[JktHifi]

That is not a feeling that you and I share. Topping has put out some garbage products and they don't have a good track record of following through on their promises.

Look at the @TOPPING-Service account... lots of talk, but no action - at least for me. So as amir said, if you're worried about quality, stay away from new topping amps.

Thanks for sharing. Which Topping product made you so angry?

 

[TonyJZX]

yeah to my line of thinking this is something that charts well and is SOTA and it may be worth a gamble on two if you have a local dealer... and yes. we have some here where the price isnt too far off from where shenzen or apos sell it for

for that i'd be ok with it... $1,600 is a lot i grant you for this gamble

for people comaparing it to an AHb2 well i mean that's $3,000+ and to some outside of the US it ends up doubling in price... so $6,000 of our money is a big ask. My feeling is that at least with Chinese hifi they dont mercilessly hit everyone outside of US as if they are 2nd class citizens (no the Chinese treat EVERYONE equally poorly... I kid!)

I'm also very bemused by people who say "oh its only 40w" or "oh no remote"... mate... life at the bleeding edge is a compromise

i keep saying where's this energy when then NAD 3020 was selling out? there's a slew of marantz rotel and exotic amps that put out 40w

this is a power amp at its core... your 'problem' will be finding preamps and dacs that dont "pollute' the signal before it gets to this Topping

i too do not like TRS but if i were really to be honest... i had to drive to my local guitar dj shop to buy a pile of XLR cables when i got my first XLR equipment and so somehow I'm ok with XLR but not ok with TRS?

we all have prejudices... i just acknowledge i have them

 

[xaxxon]

Thanks for sharing. Which Topping product made you so angry?

Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

Poll for PA5 owners to report product defects. Discussion for any solutions. I think it would be useful to get a handle on some numbers to estimate just how wide spread the issues are. Addendum: Here is Topping's response to the PA5 issues...

www.audiosciencereview.com

my point is just to reiterate what amir said in the review which is to be wary of newly released topping amps if the money matters to you.

 

[JktHifi]

Poll for Topping PA5 owners only please.

Poll for PA5 owners to report product defects. Discussion for any solutions. I think it would be useful to get a handle on some numbers to estimate just how wide spread the issues are. Addendum: Here is Topping's response to the PA5 issues...

www.audiosciencereview.com

my point is just to reiterate what amir said in the review which is to be wary of newly released topping amps if the money matters to you.

Okay. Previously I considered this amp then after read that it made me cancel it.

But more than 50% voted as not defective.

 

[amirm]

Someone asked earlier why the output power is more than what the power supply indicates. The tests are short-term so internal capacitors in both power supply and the amplifier allow the rating of the power supply to be exceeded. Since music is likewise impulsive, this is a realistic test anyway.

 

[theREALdotnet]

Does the power brick have a C8 (“figure-8”) or C14/C18 socket?

 

[amirm]

It is a figure 8.