Topping LA90 Review (Integrated Amplifier)

[TheBatsEar]

Someone asked about quiescent power consumption: Using an electrician's meter (Fluke T5-1000) , I measured 0 amps in standby, and .1 amps turned on but quiet, at 121 volts 60 Hz. That means actual consumption is 0 - .1 amps in standby, and .1 to .2 amps turned on but quiet.

Probably in line with European regulations, 0.5 watts in standby.

 

[jjmanda]

...And Jeez, people, if you don't like the price just don't buy one.

cheers,
dmc

for the price, I only wished they had tossed in a cheap $2 USB 2.0 to type C cable. This for possible firmware updates

 

[TheBatsEar]

for the price, I only wished they had tossed in a cheap $2 USB 2.0 to type C cable. This for possible firmware updates

Would you mind running strings on the firmware file?

 

[Spocko]

Damn, there really is a gap between their engeneering and their build consistency we can see it through a wide range of their products on the whole forum as users give their feedbacks.
An audiophile component should be able to work several days/weeks /years under different loads without starting to show any problems. It should take years until its power buttons/ leds/ screens /power show any faulty situation.

Going for 800 to 1000$ price range when they were around 350$ (maximum on their whole products a few years ago) really starts to scream this kind of attention to their build quality.
This is also needed by their high level of engeneering and for the clients market they are aiming. They have to match their achievements through their build quality.
A strong reliability of the product is highly important just after its achievement to be able to enjoy its use for me to be able to buy it.
Otherwise it is pointless and trust in their company/products crumbles down no matter what their measurements quality can be.

How do you consider this side of their whole products? Are you ok with it anyway? How could topping show us that they can give a bettter reliability in their next products that will ensure us to enjoy their achievements?

Anecdotally, Topping DACs have been fine for me as I've owned 2 (E30 and D90) with no issues but 200 watt amplifiers capable of 4/2 ohms and power handling is a whole other level of expertise and I feel more comfortable buying from a company that only designs/produces amplifiers. Can't cheap out on amplifiers. But this is why I prefer powered speakers like Genelec and Neumann as it ultimately ends up being less expensive (with the added convenience of DSP) than buying separates.

 

[Spocko]

I doubt these issues are related to production consistency. Rather it’s an engineering and design problem. The focus here clearly is objectively performance. Reliability seems to be a secondary concern.

Not an electrical engineer, but being in the product design space myself, I immediately wondered whether the LA90 issues are design flaws or production flaws.

 

[jjmanda]

Would you mind running strings on the firmware file?

I'm sorry, I don't know what "running strings" is.
Is that an acceptable practice?

 

[nawfal07]

USB-C should be common now, quickcharge phone chargers use it, my laptop only has USB-C ports and nothing else. It saves space and it’s super fast. Time to keep up.

 

[jjmanda]

USB-C should be common now, quickcharge phone chargers use it, my laptop only has USB-C ports and nothing else. It saves space and it’s super fast. Time to keep up.

Is this meant to be condescending?

 

[Rottmannash]

Is this meant to be condescending?

Realistic? Pretty much everything uses C nowadays (thank goodness)

 

[mikeTRON250LM]

Anecdotally, Topping DACs have been fine for me as I've owned 2 (E30 and D90) with no issues but 200 watt amplifiers capable of 4/2 ohms and power handling is a whole other level of expertise and I feel more comfortable buying from a company that only designs/produces amplifiers. Can't cheap out on amplifiers. But this is why I prefer powered speakers like Genelec and Neumann as it ultimately ends up being less expensive (with the added convenience of DSP) than buying separates.

How long have you owned the topping products?

 

[ExUnoPlura]

I'm sorry, I don't know what "running strings" is.
Is that an acceptable practice?

Strings is a Unix/Linux command-line utility (MacOS too) that extracts ASCII strings (text) from a file. He’s asking what text strings or symbols are in the firmware update. I’m curious what embedded architecture they are using myself!

 

[Rottmannash]

How long have you owned the topping products?

Don't know about Spocko but I have 4 Topping DAC's (D70, E30, D10B, D90SE) and the PA5. The D70 is quite ancient by electronic standards and the PA5 relatively new-all have been flawless in operation.

 

[mikeTRON250LM]

Don't know about Spocko but I have 4 Topping DAC's (D70, E30, D10B, D90SE) and the PA5. The D70 is quite ancient by electronic standards and the PA5 relatively new-all have been flawless in operation.

Nice, I ask as I am contemplating a D90+A90 stack.

 

[nawfal07]

Is this meant to be condescending?

Lol no. Just trying to be clever with the words, saying “super fast” and then following up with “keep up”. If it sounds condescending then I have failed at it so apologies.

 

[Toku]

There is an update of LA90 version V1.3 firmware on Topping's HP. Is this a bug fix for the reported power switch operation?

LA90 version V1.3 firmware update-TOPPING

www.tpdz.net

 

[Talisman]

There is an update of LA90 version V1.3 firmware on Topping's HP. Is this a bug fix for the reported power switch operation?

LA90 version V1.3 firmware update-TOPPING

www.tpdz.net

it would seem so, which is good news, I just wonder how a product that has just come out has such an obvious bug, which then, it had many functions, maybe I could even understand it, but it is an amplifier with a power button, a volume knob and three inputs, stop.
It reminds me of when mass effect 3 came out (for video game lovers), which by default had a bug that didn't start a mission, and even then I wondered how a new, supposedly tested game could have such a noticeable bug on release.

 

[antcollinet]

There is an update of LA90 version V1.3 firmware on Topping's HP. Is this a bug fix for the reported power switch operation?

LA90 version V1.3 firmware update-TOPPING

www.tpdz.net

This is not just aimed at topping - many companies fail here:

This firmware is only for LA90 and is NOT applicable to any other models. If this firmware is flashed to other models, it will immediately cause the product to be unusable and unable to repair by yourself.

Why on earth is the firmware upgrade process not designed so that it is impossible to flash a firmware not intended for the product.

 

[antcollinet]

it would seem so, which is good news, I just wonder how a product that has just come out has such an obvious bug, which then, it had many functions, maybe I could even understand it, but it is an amplifier with a power button, a volume knob and three inputs, stop.
It reminds me of when mass effect 3 came out (for video game lovers), which by default had a bug that didn't start a mission, and even then I wondered how a new, supposedly tested game could have such a noticeable bug on release.

It is fairly easy if (for example due to timing variations) the bug only hits a very small percentage of units.

 

[jjmanda]

There is an update of LA90 version V1.3 firmware on Topping's HP. Is this a bug fix for the reported power switch operation?

LA90 version V1.3 firmware update-TOPPING

www.tpdz.net

Topping emailed the firmware update yesterday and it resolved my issue.

I sent Topping email back stating this.

 

[jjmanda]

Realistic? Pretty much everything uses C nowadays (thank goodness)

My apologies for not keeping up

I had not a device that uses Type C nor a Type C cable in the house.
Lots of manufacturers includes accessory cables with their products. Just thought it would have been nice if Topping included a cheap one for FW updates.

They included a bridging jumper cable, why not a USB FW cable?

Anyways, I went out to Best Buy and purchased a type C so I could do the update and all is well. But I have no other use for this cable...lol.